By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike has said that with the way and manner President Bola Tinubu has been running the affairs of Nigeria in the the last two years, the country stand the chance of realising her full potential.
Wike stated this during his 2025 Distinguish Personality Lecture at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in Osun State which was titled, “The Nigeria of our Dreams on Thursday.
He Identified the importance of citizens support as major ingredient toward achieving meaningful transformation, saying that no nation has made any reasonable progress without the robust cooperation and collaboration of its leadership and followership.
While calling on Nigerians to continue to support President Tinubu in his Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at transforming the country for good of all, he also advised on the need to wake up from the years of cynicism, indifference and hopelessness and embrace a new era being bithed by Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“South Africa for instance, under Mandela, achieved independence and made progress as shown in his book’ Long Walk to Freedom’ through this cooperation.
“Dubai is also recording all these great feats through synergy between its leadership and followership.
“The time for belief is here; the time for action is also here. Together with President Tinubu, we can as a people begin the real process of building the Nigeria of our dreams,” he said
The minister also urged Nigerians to reject the negative narrative that Nigeria would never change for good, stressing that “with the right leadership, nothing is impossible”.
He said that to reclaim Nigeria’s dream, the people must first reclaim the belief in the possibility that the country would be better and reject the defeatist narratives that nothing would change.
According to him, change does not come from the top alone; it bubbles up from the conviction of a determined people.
“The Nigeria of our dreams is not a utopia; it is a Nigeria that works; it is a Nigeria where merit trumps mediocrity, where justice flows like a river.
“The Nigeria of our dream is also where every child, regardless of ethnic group, religion, tongue, or class, has the opportunity to live with dignity and die with honour.
“It is a nation that listens to the heartbeat of its people and allows the soul of democracy to find expression, not only in periodic elections, but in the daily dignity of citizenship.
“It is a place where leaders are not predators on the public purse, but custodians of the people’s trust; where leadership is purposeful, and followership is responsible,” he said.
