Tinubu’s Courageous Policies: A Blueprint for Long-Term Prosperity, Says Commission Rep Owolabi

By Kayode Adebiyi, Abuja
December 30, 2025

In an exclusive year-end assessment, Dr. Atinuke Owolabi, the South West Representative on the Board of the North Central Development Commission, has articulated a robust defense of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. She frames its often-controversial economic and security strategies not as short-term fixes, but as a necessary, courageous foundation for sustainable national transformation.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Owolabi—a distinguished engineer and former Chairperson of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Lagos Chapter—argued that true leadership is measured by the willingness to enact difficult reforms for future gain.

The Courage of Long-Term Vision Amid Short-Term Pain

Owolabi directly addressed the public’s frustration with the pace of improvement, calling for a paradigm shift in perspective. “The president genuinely has the interest of the people at heart, but that interest is strategic, not palliative,” she explained. “Leadership courage is demonstrated by maintaining focus on building a stronger Nigeria, even when immediate decisions are politically challenging. The easy path is rarely the transformative one.”

She urged Nigerians to practice “policy patience,” a concept acknowledging the inherent lag between structural reforms and tangible public benefit. “Reforms, especially those aimed at dismantling long-standing distortions in fuel subsidies, currency management, and fiscal federalism, take critical time to bear fruit. The president feels the pain of the people, but the alternative—perpetual economic fragility—is a greater burden. We must focus on the strategic intention and the foundational results now being laid.”

Deconstructing the Policy Foundations: Security, Economy, and Governance

Moving beyond generalities, Owolabi highlighted specific policy pillars where she believes groundwork is translating into future stability:

• Security & The Grassroots: “The president is working to ensure better security across the country, but critically, he has empowered local governments through direct allocation. This brings development and security accountability closer to the people, moving beyond a centralized, often inefficient model.”
• Economic Re-engineering: “The administration is strengthening the economy by laying a solid foundation for sustainable growth. This involves difficult but necessary steps to attract foreign investment, stabilize the naira, and incentivize domestic production. These are not overnight solutions but are prerequisites for lasting stability and job creation.”

Owolabi projected that 2026 would be a pivotal “harvest year,” where Nigerians should expect more visible results in improved security, infrastructure rollout, stronger local economies, and job creation from the private sector investments currently being catalysed. “With consistency and collective support, the impact will be felt more clearly at the grassroots level,” she asserted.

The Regional Development Commission Model: A New Blueprint for Equity

Speaking on her recent appointment—a South West representative serving on the North Central Development Commission—Owolabi shed light on this innovative governance model. She posited that these commissions represent a pragmatic shift towards hyper-targeted development.

“They are designed to move beyond one-size-fits-all federal projects,” she said. “By addressing specific regional needs—be it irrigation in the North Central, erosion control in the South East, or industrial hubs in the South West—we reduce inequality and ensure no community is left behind. This decentralised approach fast-tracks development, creates localized jobs, and improves living conditions by respecting Nigeria’s diverse economic landscapes.”

For Owolabi, a Fellow of both the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (NIEEE), this cross-regional role has been instructive. “It has deepened my understanding of Nigeria’s unity in diversity. It proves that every community matters, and that development is most effective when it is contextual and inclusive. Our diversity, when properly harnessed through structures like these commissions, is our greatest asset for national prosperity.”

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz
Source: NAN