Tinubu’s servant-oriented leadership exemplary, says FCT Minister Wike
• President setting Nigeria on path for sustainable growth President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has exhibited purposeful and servant-oriented leadership since assuming office, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has
• President setting Nigeria on path for sustainable growth
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has exhibited purposeful and servant-oriented leadership since assuming office, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has said.
The minister said such a leadership style is setting Nigeria on the path for sustainable growth and inclusive development.
Wike spoke yesterday at this year’s edition of the annual distinguished personality lecture series organised by the Facility of Social Science of the Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja), Abuja.
During the lecture, with theme: Exemplary Leadership and Infrastructural Development in Nigeria; Between Dividends of Democrats and Good Governance, Wike said President Tinubu’s long-standing commitment to the democratic struggle, at great personal risk, established his credentials well before he assumed office.
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The FCT minister noted that the President’s record in Lagos State demonstrated a capacity for translating vision into sustained development, particularly in the areas of internally generated revenue (IGR), infrastructure, and institutional reform.
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He said as President, Tinubu displayed an uncommon resolve from his first day in office by removing the fuel subsidy, a policy long acknowledged as economically destructive but avoided by successive administrations for lack of political courage.
Wike also noted that while the reform has generated short-term pains and resistance, it has also freed resources for subnational development, halted the spiral of unsustainable debt, and initiated the difficult process of restoring market discipline to the energy sector.
“This decision exemplifies leadership willing to endure temporary unpopularity in pursuit of a long-term national interest.
“Beyond this, the administration has begun confronting Nigeria’s structural imbalances through the devolution of development initiatives via zonal and regional commissions.
“This is responding to long-standing complaints about over-centralisation and weakened federalism. Security reforms, increased funding, and systematic training of the Armed Forces further reflect an effort to rebuild state capacity and restore public confidence.
“Taken together, these measures suggest a deliberate attempt to reposition Nigeria on a path of reform, responsibility, and renewal, where leadership consciously serves as the hinge between democratic authority and developmental outcomes,” he said.
The minister noted that no leader – visionary or courageous - can succeed in isolation, adding that the national transformation ultimately depends on the active cooperation of citizens.
He urged fellow Nigerians to rise above years of cynicism and disengagement to embrace a renewed sense of collective responsibility.
Wike stressed that “progress is forged where leadership and followership work in synergy”.
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He added: “The current situation, therefore, demands more than criticism but commitments. The time for belief is now, and the time for action is now.
“With purposeful political leadership and responsible citizenship working in concert, Nigeria can begin the serious task of institutionalising a political order in which democracy delivers development, and leadership truly functions as the bridge between aspiration and achievement.”
The vice chancellor of the university, Prof Hakeem Fawehinmi, said the annual lecture series was one of the important ways the university advances its intellectual tradition.
Fawehonmi added that the lectures provide a veritable platform for critical discourse and engagement on national issues, particularly the connection between leadership and development.
He said every chosen theme speaks directly to the aspirations of the nation and the expectations of citizens for leadership that delivers on welfare, safety, and the provision of critical infrastructure for sustainable development.
Also, the chairman of the occasion and former Coordinating Director of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Prof. Aminu Gusau, described Wike as a “public servant” whose tenure in the FCT has been marked by visible transformation and accelerated project delivery.
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“Since assuming office in August 2023, Wike has embarked on an ambitious drive to restore the Abuja Master Plan, strengthen infrastructure, and revive long-abandoned projects.
“Major road networks have been completed and rehabilitated across the territory, including key arterial roads connecting the city centre to satellite towns.
“You may like his personality; you may not like his personality, but one thing is certain: he works, and he works for the people,” he said.
The Dean of the university’s Faculty of Social Science, Prof. Mutiullah Olasupo, described Wike as an “icon” of democracy and infrastructural development in Nigeria.
Olasupo noted that the lecture would enlighten the university community and other Nigerians on their roles in the 2027 general election and how to deepen democracy and good governance.
He explained that Wike was chosen to deliver the lecture due to his political trajectory marked by doggedness and resilience as champion of democracy and good governance.
