President Bola Tinubu has expressed his gratitude to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) for their unanimous endorsement of the four Tax Reform Bills currently being reviewed by the National Assembly.

In a statement issued on his behalf by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday, President Tinubu praised the governors for their exemplary leadership and their role in fostering unity across the nation.

He highlighted their efforts in overcoming regional, ethnic, and political differences to drive Nigeria’s progress.

“Thursday’s productive consultation between the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy is a notable example of collaboration between the Federal and State governments,” the statement read.

The President extended special praise to the NGF Chairman, Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, for his effective leadership in rallying support among his fellow governors for the tax reform bills, which are aimed at revitalizing the national economy and improving Nigeria’s investment climate.

He also acknowledged the contributions of the Progressive Governors Forum, the Northern Governors Forum, and other groups whose cooperation helped resolve the controversies surrounding the bills.

President Tinubu reiterated that the primary goal of the Tax Reform Bills is to serve the nation’s poor and promote national interests by enhancing Nigeria’s economic competitiveness and attracting both local and foreign investments. He emphasized the importance of updating the country’s outdated tax laws to achieve these objectives.

The President also commended the dialogue between the NGF and the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reform, stressing that it exemplified the value of constructive discussions in addressing differing viewpoints.

He reaffirmed his commitment to working with the governors to foster economic growth, national unity, peace, and stability, while urging other stakeholders with ideas to participate in the ongoing legislative process at the National Assembly.

Finally, President Tinubu called on the National Assembly to expedite the passage of these critical bills, enabling the country to quickly realize the benefits of the proposed reforms.

The special adviser to the president on economic affairs (Office of the Vice President), Tope Fasua, has said that the depreciation of the naira has reduced the number of Nigerians migrating from the country.

He said this on Thursday, Jan. 16, during a panel discussion at the 2025 Annual Outlook Conference.

Speaking during the panel discussion, Fasua addressed some of the effects of the naira devaluation and the 2025 budget.

He said, “There are a couple of advantages because the naira volume has moved up from about N30tn, N31tn to N49tn; what we’re trying to see is how to milk the PPP advantage. That’s the purchasing power parity. Whereas in dollar terms, it’s not particularly a significant budget and also per capita. But what we can do is focus on the Nigerian economy and the domestic economy and see what naira can buy. So, when we talk about PPP, essentially, you’re saying that $10 in New York, for example, probably can’t even buy your lunch. However, $10 translates to about N16,000 in Nigeria. So, we intend to see how we can focus on the local economy.

“The devaluation, or rather, the depreciation of the naira that we’ve seen since our government came, is double-edged, actually, in terms of its impact. On one hand, it has impacted inflation, but on the flip side, it has reduced the ‘Japa’ rate, because if before you would have been able to get to the UK with maybe N2m or N1.5m for your ticket, now you have to look for maybe N4m or N5m, an economy seat, meaning that people are thinking less of ‘Oh, how do I get out of this country?’”

President Bola Tinubu is set to endorse the creation of Ijebu State following a crucial meeting with the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.

According to People’s Gazette, the meeting, held on January 5 at Tinubu’s Lagos residence, addressed the long-standing request for Ijebu State to be carved out of Ogun State.

The Awujale explained that Ijebu is the only colonial-era province without statehood.

He said the area has the resources to succeed as a state, including industrial estates, a growing airport, and other infrastructure.

The push for the new state gained momentum after Senator Gbenga Daniel of Ogun East introduced a bill to the National Assembly in November 2024.

The bill seeks to amend Nigeria’s constitution to facilitate the creation of Ijebu State.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has advanced the proposal through legislative stages.

However, some persons have criticized the idea, saying the country is facing too many problems, like poverty and high debt.

Others believe the move is political, with hopes that new states would support Tinubu in future elections.

Despite this, supporters argue that Ijebu State can thrive and bring development to the region.

Talks are also ongoing about creating other states, like Anioma from Delta, which could increase Nigeria’s states from 36 to 56.