“Worst Is Over, GDP Growing Faster Than Population” — Umahi Tells Nigerian Students
NANS hails Umahi as one of ‘finest’ public servants
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, has declared that Nigeria’s economic outlook is improving under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is now growing faster than its population and signalling a more promising future.
Umahi made the declaration on Monday in Abuja while speaking after his induction as Patron of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The development was contained in a statement issued by Francis Nwaze, Senior Special Assistant to the Honourable Minister on (Media), on August 10, 2026.
The minister told the students that the improving economic indicators should be assessed alongside the reforms and infrastructure projects being implemented by the Tinubu administration.
“I was enthused to find out that our GDP is growing more than our population. That means we have a future.”
NANS hails Umahi as one of ‘finest’ public servants
The NANS delegation, led by its President, Dist. Comr. Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, GCNS, described Umahi as a worthy member of the Renewed Hope Cabinet and “one of the finest public servants Nigeria has produced in the contemporary era.”
Afeez said the decision to honour Umahi was not merely ceremonial but was based on the minister’s record in road infrastructure and national development.
According to NANS, major road projects being executed under Umahi’s supervision have direct implications for Nigerian students, particularly in the areas of transportation, access to educational institutions, examinations, internships, business opportunities and employment.
The students specifically cited the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, Abuja-Kaduna-Minna route, Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway and Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as examples of infrastructure projects they said were strengthening national connectivity.
Afeez also disclosed that NANS had reviewed project reports of the Federal Ministry of Works covering May 2023 to May 2026 and would embark on nationwide project tours to inspect completed and rehabilitated roads.
Umahi challenges youths to assess Tinubu beyond politics
Responding to the students, Umahi urged Nigerian youths to assess the Tinubu administration on the basis of policies, measurable outcomes and available alternatives rather than political sentiments.
He challenged critics who claim that President Tinubu is tired to explain the basis of their assertion.
“We have had somebody say, ‘President Tinubu is tired.’ How do you know he is tired? I am part of President Tinubu. The Minister of Interior, the FCT, all the ministers and all the SSAs are vibrant and working. So how do you just jump at that conclusion?”
He further asked critics of the administration to provide concrete alternatives to its policies.
“If you say that the President is not doing well, what is your alternative?”
Umahi urged students and young Nigerians to take an active interest in national affairs, stressing that neutrality should not prevent citizens from taking informed positions on issues affecting the country.
“You may say that you are not politicians or that you will not take sides, but this is the time to take sides in our national affairs. It is time to take a stand.”
‘The worst is over’
On the economy, the minister acknowledged that the macroeconomic recovery was still evolving but urged Nigerians to compare current conditions with the situation before the Tinubu administration assumed office.
“You may say that the macroeconomy is just beginning to recover. What was it like before the President took over? Everybody agrees that the macroeconomy is being fixed. It is up to you to dissect the ongoing reforms and take a position.”
Umahi said the country had passed through its most difficult phase, using the analogy of dawn following the darkest part of the night.
“The worst is over. The darkest part of the night is an hour before dawn.”
He also pointed to what he described as a decline in food prices, citing the price of a 50-kilogramme bag of rice, which he said had previously risen above ₦80,000 and at some point reached ₦100,000, but was now selling at about ₦58,000.
Umahi links subsidy removal to infrastructure projects
Addressing questions about the removal of fuel subsidy and the utilisation of resulting resources, Umahi pointed to the scale of ongoing road construction nationwide.
He cited the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road, saying the 375-kilometre route translates to 750 kilometres when measured as a dual carriageway.
According to him, more than ₦200 billion had already been spent on the project, with 480 kilometres of dual carriageway completed and additional sections nearing completion.
“For the first time, we have been able to complete 118 kilometres of concrete pavement within 30 months. That has never happened.”
He said the remaining works were expected to be completed by November, adding that the two projects along the corridor had a combined cost of ₦752 billion, with more than 80 per cent already paid.
The minister also highlighted the Sokoto-Zamfara-Zaria corridor, Benue-Ninth Mile road and Bodo-Bonny Island road as other major projects receiving attention under the administration.
On the Bodo-Bonny Island road, Umahi said the project had transformed connectivity for residents of the oil and gas-producing community.
“For the first time, people will move from the island to the mainland in Bonny Island, where the LNG is produced. A project costing ₦280 billion under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been completed. The 39.7-kilometre road is fully done, and the people of Bonny are very happy. They are no longer dying at sea. They are now driving through the land.”
He said the Federal Government was also advancing its legacy highway projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Northeast Fourth Legacy Project.
According to Umahi, the Northeast project, initially planned to run from Akwanga through Jos, Bauchi, Gombe and Biu, had been extended through Yobe to Maiduguri, adding about 400 kilometres.
Umahi defends Lagos-Calabar highway
The minister again defended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway against criticism, insisting that the project remained strategically important to the Niger Delta and would be completed.
“I do not know why people are attacking the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. After all, this is coming from the Niger Delta, where the oil is coming from. Why is nobody attacking the other three Legacy Projects, but this one is being attacked? That is unfair and unrealistic. That project will be completed. In fact, over 50 percent of the entire stretch is already under construction.”
Minister highlights Southeast infrastructure push
Umahi said the Southeast was receiving renewed infrastructure attention under the Tinubu administration, citing the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway and Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway among projects designed to improve regional connectivity.
“The Southeast, for the first time, is being remembered, and I thank the people in the Southeast because sometimes I say, ‘Listen, our people should not be sentimental.’”
“The President has a good intention to integrate the people of the Southeast, and I have to be very honest with you. If I were not a minister from the Southeast, we would not have been able to get the projects we have secured. It is intentional on the part of Mr. President. Go and right the wrongs of the Southeast.”
The minister further disclosed that President Tinubu had approved the re-scoping and reconstruction of the Lokoja-Benin-Warri corridor, covering 401 kilometres.
Umahi urges students to support Tinubu in 2027
Umahi was particularly direct in urging the students to support President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election if they believed the administration was delivering on its promises.
“I want you to take a side. If you say you are on the list of a coalition and you say that what we are doing is good, then we have to take a stand to vote for the President in the coming election.”
“Let him finish. Let him take back our country. Let him reposition our country.”
The minister also urged young Nigerians to move beyond political rhetoric and focus on practical solutions to the nation’s challenges.
‘We have nothing to hide’ — Umahi
On accountability, Umahi said the Federal Ministry of Works had opened its projects to scrutiny by anti-corruption agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“Now, why are we doing this? Transparency. We have turned these projects over to the ICPC. They have gone round. We are ready for constructive criticism, and where necessary, we will make amends.”
“We have nothing to hide in this administration.”
Umahi subsequently challenged NANS to organise a major student engagement across the geopolitical zones where students could directly question government officials on policies, reforms and infrastructure projects.
“Let me defend this administration. Organise it and let me come. Move students from across the zone to a central point where we can talk to them and address their concerns. We have to deliberate on the issues. We have to debate them. Ask your questions, and we will answer them.”
‘See something, say something’
The minister also called on young Nigerians to protect public infrastructure and participate actively in national development.
“See something, say something. Together, we can take back our country because it belongs to us.”
He said government officials should also take responsibility for the sectors under their supervision rather than attributing every operational failure to the President.
“I am here because the President gave me the responsibility to be in charge of roads and bridges. If I do not do it, I should be the one to be blamed, not the President. I am not the President. The President has divided himself into a number of his appointees. These appointees should be the ones to answer and take responsibility.”
NANS: History will remember what Umahi built
Earlier, the NANS President said the association considered Umahi worthy of its patronage because of his record of public service, infrastructure delivery and commitment to national development.
Afeez said the roads being constructed under the minister’s leadership would outlive the present administration and continue to serve generations of Nigerians.
“History will not remember public officers merely because they occupied important offices. History will remember them for what they built, what they changed and the lives they touched.”
He formally welcomed Umahi into the NANS family as Patron, describing the partnership between the student body and the Federal Ministry of Works as an opportunity to bring government projects closer to young Nigerians and deepen informed national discourse.
Umahi, in response, thanked the students for the recognition and expressed readiness to strengthen collaboration with NANS.
The development marks a growing engagement between the Federal Ministry of Works and Nigeria’s student community, with both sides signalling an interest in using direct dialogue to improve understanding of government policies, infrastructure projects and the broader direction of national development.
