Mohammed Idris, Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, has said, the “vision” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for Nigeria is “big”, adding, the President’s strategy to bring this vision to reality is “unambiguous”, and, his “resolve unshakeable”.
The Minister made the statement during his speech at the end-of-year press conference, which took place on Monday 22 December, 2025 at Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja.
Idris stated, the abducted “130” pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, were freed on Sunday 21 December, 2025; all abducted pupils, totalling “230” have been released.
He said, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose by “3.98%” in the third quarter of 2025.
Read Below:
Speech by the onourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, FNIPR at the end-of-year press conference, held on Monday December 22, 2025, at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja
Protocols.
Distinguished Colleagues, it is appropriate we start this end-of-year press conference by reamplifying the good news that came yesterday from the Office of the National Security Adviser, that the abducted 130 pupils of the St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, were released yesterday.
With this development, it can be confirmed that all the abducted pupils, numbering 230, have been freed. Not a single pupil is left in captivity due to the efforts of our security agencies.
In this joyous season, the Federal Government empathizes with the parents of the pupils for the anguish the abduction has caused them, and wishes them a pleasant family reunion, a good healing process, Compliments of the Season and a Merry Christmas.
I stand before you today, on the directive of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to review the outgoing year, account for the trust you placed in this administration, and to present an unequivocal blueprint for the year ahead.
Let me present highlights of the 2025 scorecard:
• Our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.98% in the third quarter of 2025, demonstrating resilient and sustained expansion in the non-oil sector.
• Our external reserves have strengthened to approximately $44.56 billion, providing a robust buffer that stabilises our currency and assures international investors.
• Nigeria recorded a trade surplus of N6.69 trillion in the third quarter of 2025, a 27.29 percent growth year-on-year.
At the heart of this effort are our Four Legacy Highway Projects, engineered to connect every region and unlock new economic corridors:
• The 750-kilometer Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, linking our entire southern coastline.
• The 1,068-kilometer Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, bridging the North-West to the South-West.
• The 477-kilometer Trans-Saharan Highway, traversing from Calabar to the FCT.
• The 422-kilometer Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Expressway, integrating the North-Central and North-East.
For our young people, 2025 has been a bumper year in targeted and catalytic policy making and implementation:
• The Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has now supported over 788,000 Nigerian students with interest-free loans and stipends amounting to over 150 billion Naira.
A new security architecture
• In the area of security, 2025 saw the presidential declaration of a nationwide security emergency, that will in the months ahead translate into massive recruitment into the Armed Forces and Police Force, and the deployment of trained and equipped Forest Guards to secure our forests and other vulnerable locations.
• We have also established, in 2025, a new national counterterrorism doctrine—anchored on four critical pillars: unified command, intelligence, community stability, and counterinsurgency.
A respected player on the global stage
• On the international stage, in 2025, we navigated complex international diplomacy with maturity and principle. The recent diplomatic spat with the United States has been resolved through firm, respectful engagement, culminating in a strengthened partnership.
Just last week, to end the year on a high note, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly, the aptly named “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity.”
At 58.18 trillion Naira, this is a budget of historic ambition and focus, featuring:
• The largest ever capital expenditure allocation of ₦26.08 trillion for tangible infrastructure, roads, rail, power, and ports
• The single biggest allocation of N5.41 trillion is to Defence and Security, a direct investment in protecting lives, property, and prosperity, through modern equipment for our armed forces, a new national intelligence architecture, and a secure digital border surveillance system.
Conclusion
My dear colleagues, the journey of 2025 was one of reinforcing and strengthening foundations. The mission of 2026 is to raise the edifice of a secure, competitive, and prosperous Nigeria upon it.
The temporary pains of reform are yielding to permanent gains. President Tinubu’s vision for Nigeria is big, his strategy unambiguous, and his resolve unshakeable. We are consolidating stability, protecting our homeland, empowering our youth, and building a nation where every citizen has the agency to thrive.
Once again, Compliments of the Season. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Thank you. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mohammed Idris, fnipr
Honourable Minister of Information and
National Orientation.
Monday, December 22, 2025
