Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has insisted that the country is moving in the right direction despite the criticism of his economic policies by political opponents and the hardship being experienced by citizens.

Tinubu, who made the assertion during his maiden presidential media chat on Monday in Lagos, reiterated that though his reforms and policies may not be popular at the moment, they were all aimed at placing the country on the path to economic recovery.

The President, who also spoke on the 2025 national budget proposal of N49.7 trillion, christened ‘restoration of hope’, also called for understanding and cooperation from Nigerians amid the prevailing economic realities.

“Nigeria is moving forward regardless of critics. This is a budget of restoration of hope, and Nigeria is on the path of recovery. We can’t finish the job in one calendar year,” Tinubu declared.

The Nigerian leader who also gave reasons for removing subsides on fuel as well as the controversial tax reforms he initiated, said he has no regret whatsoever in removing the fuel subsidy.

Tinubu stated that removing petrol subsidy was in a bid to save generations to come, noting that the country was already spending its future while giving freebies to neighbouring countries.

He also insisted that there is no going back on the tax reforms bills despite dissenting voices from different sections of the country.

Tinubu noted that the tax reforms were necessitated by the need to eliminate colonial-based assumptions in the nation’s tax environment.

The President stressed that the tax reform he has proposed was pro-poor and aimed at widening the tax net, noting that it was typical for tax reforms to be accompanied by outcries.

“Tax reform is here to say. We cannot just continue to do what we were doing yesteryears in today’s economy.

“We cannot retool this economy with the old broken tools. The essence of the tax reform is to eliminate colonial-based assumptions in our tax environment. Every tax situation without outcry is not a tax.

“You cannot satisfy uniformly the larger community of tax evaders. This tax reform is pro-poor; the vulnerable are not to pay taxes. All we are asking for is to widen the tax net and bake the cake larger so that we can share a larger meal.

“They will still ask for this consultation no matter how long I delay it. The hallmark of a good leader is the ability to do what you have to do at the time it has to be done. That is my philosophy,” President Tinubu said.

A Non-Governmental Organization in Zambia, the Gender Organizations Coordinating Council (NGOCC), has decried what it described as persistent corruption in the country in 2024, in a year it says has been of mixed outcomes in governance, citing progress in some areas and setbacks in others.

The Board Chairperson of NGOCC, Beauty Katebe, who made the assertion while speaking at a year-end media briefing in Lusaka on Monday, acknowledged government’s efforts to combat corruption but expressed concern over political and governance irregularities.

Katebe noted that the gale of suspension, dismissal, and conviction of high-profile individuals involved in financial crimes has bern positive steps but however criticised the unabated corruption, emphasising that it disproportionately harms vulnerable groups, especially women and girls.

“Corruption diverts resources meant to uplift the livelihoods of citizens, particularly women and girls, who make up the majority of the poor in Zambia,” Katebe said.

She also drew attention to findings in the Financial Intelligence Centre and Auditor General’s reports, noting that irregularities remained unaddressed.

“The glaring financial discrepancies are deeply worrying, and no concrete action appears to have been taken to address them,” she stated.

The NGOCC leader condemned the prolonged detention of protesters in 2024, attributing it to the outdated Public Order Act, reiterating the groups’ earlier calls for reforms to the legislation, describing it as repressive.

“The government must ensure justice is visibly served, with fairness and equality before the law, including for those exercising their right to protest,” she said.

Katebe also urged the government to operationalize the Gender Equity and Equality Commission, which has remained dormant since its establishment in 2015.

“The Commission, enshrined in the Zambian Constitution, is vital for mainstreaming gender in policy, legal, and administrative frameworks. Its absence denies women and girls a mechanism to promote gender parity,” she emphasized.