Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has urged diplomats from different countries accredited to Nigeria to deepen ties with the country, describing President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a success story of “foundational repair” and economic rebound.
Speaking recently before the diplomatic corps, Governor Uzodimma credited two bold moves from President Tinubu’s May 2023 inauguration—ending fuel subsidies and floating the naira—with unlocking trillions of naira for infrastructure and social programmes.
“Those two decisions…are the hinge on which everything has since turned,” he said.
The Imo State Governor dismissed the subsidy as “the single largest organised corruption pipeline” that drained federal coffers for decades.
NewsQuest reports that Governor Uzodimma’s remarks come as the nation navigates global headwinds, including Middle East conflicts that closed the Strait of Hormuz, spiking oil prices and inflation worldwide.
Governor Uzodimma highlighted resilience noting that Nigeria’s foreign reserves hit $49.4 billion by March 2026, providing 13 months of import cover.
He said the naira stabilized at 1,374 per dollar in April, with parallel-market premiums under 2%.
According to him, Diaspora remittances tripled to $600 million monthly, and the Nigerian Exchange All-Share Index surged 55.7% year-to-date to 242,277 points.
The Imo State Governor told the diplomats that the Federation Account allocations ballooned—monthly disbursements now range from N1.8 trillion to N2.6 trillion, with States netting N700-N800 billion.
“The era of Governors begging for bailouts is over,” Uzodimma said.
According to him, fiscal windfalls have since fueled mega-projects like the 700-km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, with its first 47 km opened last December, and the 1,068-km Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, 40% complete in key stretches and backed by a $516 million Deutsche Bank loan.
He said, across the country, over 440 road projects and 2,700 km of superhighways are underway, alongside port upgrades financed during President Tinubu’s UK state visit—the first in 37 years.
The Governor also told the diplomats that States, too, are investing in power generation, roads, and wage hikes.
On the macro front, he noted that real GDP grew 4.07% in Q4 2025, with full-year expansion at 3.87%.
Governor Uzodimma announced that inflation eased to 15.06% in February from over 27%, though March ticked up to 15.38% amid fuel shocks.
Oil output averaged 1.58 million barrels per day in late 2025,” he added.
Governor Uzodimma explained that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund disbursed 242.4 billion naira to 1.39 million students interest-free, while Tax reforms effective January have started to exempt workers earning under N800,000 annually and small businesses from income taxes.
Attributing all of these to the effective governance style of President Tinubu, the Imo State Governor said digital growth continues to boom in the country, with 107 million internet users and five homegrown unicorns.
He also listed security gains including US joint operations against ISIS affiliates and progress toward State policing.
The Governor added that Nigeria’s non-oil exports hit $3.2 billion in H1 2025, and the Dangote Refinery now produces domestically for the first time in decades.
Uzodimma, President Tinubu’s appointee as Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, cautioned diplomats against “narrative campaigns” from disrupted interests.
“We are content to be judged on outcomes,” he said, pointing to credit upgrades from Fitch and Moody’s, plus $50 billion in FDI pledges.
He said Nigerian banks are expanding abroad, from Zenith’s Manchester branch to Fidelity’s UK acquisition.
As the country eyes 4.1% growth in 2026 as per IMF forecasts, Governor Uzodimma positioned it as primed for “serious capital.”
