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ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday assured Nigerians that his administration has stabilised the country and laid the foundation for economic prosperity, expressing confidence that ongoing reforms in the security sector and the economy would soon yield greater dividends for citizens.

Speaking while receiving the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), led by its President, Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu declared that the Federal Government was repositioning the nation’s security architecture to decisively tackle terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.

The President said the restructuring of security operations, improved intelligence gathering, better logistics and enhanced welfare for frontline personnel would strengthen the country’s fight against violent crimes.

“I have just approved the expansion of the armed forces. We are getting more equipment and building new barracks. We will defeat terrorism,” Tinubu said.

Calling on religious leaders to support the government’s efforts, the President urged the Catholic bishops and other faith leaders to consistently preach peace and condemn violent extremism.

“We don’t have another country but here, Nigeria. In our complexity and diversity, we shall thrive, live, rejoice and be good to all humanity,” he said.

On the economy, Tinubu maintained that his administration had successfully rescued Nigeria from financial instability, insisting that the fears of economic collapse that greeted his assumption of office had been overcome.

“I can tell you categorically with sincerity that the country has been placed on a sound footing. The economy has recovered. The alarm for bankruptcy and the dark tunnel of uncertainty that we had when I came in has been changed.

“The spirit of the people is lifting, and the economic turmoil that we feared has cleared. The economy has been delivered from bankruptcy.

“This government has stabilised, and there is prosperity on the horizon. Life is improving,” the President declared.

He said the government would continue implementing programmes aimed at improving the welfare of Nigerians, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), while urging citizens to embrace education, entrepreneurship and skills acquisition as pathways out of poverty.

Highlighting improvements in the education sector, Tinubu noted that public universities had enjoyed relative industrial peace.

“You can’t say a four-year course in the university is not four years now. ASUU is not on strike. They are not bringing agony to our homes. Is that not an answer to our prayers? For me, that’s answered prayer,” he said.

The President also defended the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remained impartial.

“INEC is neutral. They have never intimidated anyone. If political opponents are crying wolf, maybe they are afraid of their own shadows and the uncertainty in the companies they keep, not me,” Tinubu stated.

Responding to the bishops’ request for the return of mission schools, the President said state governors have the constitutional authority to make such decisions. He recalled that he returned mission schools while serving as Governor of Lagos State. “I returned all mission schools when I was the governor of Lagos State, and Cardinal Okogie, one of my best friends, is alive to testify to that,” he said.

Tinubu further disclosed that his administration had approved more universities to expand access to tertiary education and support the implementation of NELFUND.

Earlier, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso, commended the Federal Government for its reception of Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, during the celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Holy See.

However, the Archbishop raised concerns over insecurity, economic hardship, declining public confidence in the electoral process, limited access to university education and the need to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

He urged President Tinubu to ensure that the 2027 general elections are free, fair and credible, stressing that the President’s enduring legacy should be the strengthening of democracy.

“As a man who risked so much in the struggle for the return of democratic rule in the dark days of military dictatorship, your greatest legacy would be the strengthening of our democratic institutions,” Ndagoso said.

The bishops also appealed for the return of mission schools to their original proprietors and called on the Federal Government to guarantee equal religious freedom for all Nigerians, including easier access to land and places of worship for Christians in all parts of the country.

The CBCN delegation included Cardinals John Onaiyekan and Peter Okpaleke, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos, Archbishop Valerian Okeke of Onitsha, Bishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto, and several other Catholic prelates from across the country.