Tinubu Restoring Faith in Nigeria’s Future

Otega Ogra

Let me begin with a simple truth. Power does not live in Abuja. Power does not live on Twitter. Power does not live on television. Power lives where people gather.

At the junction, at the market, at the motor park and at the bus stop. In the WhatsApp group that decides what people believe before any headline reaches them.

Let me hear you say it with me. Power lives where people gather. Let me hear it again. Louder. I’ll repeat it… Power lives where people gather. And that is why you are here.

I did not come to speak at you. I came to speak with you because every reform we push, every policy we explain, every hope we are trying to protect.

Will either live or die in your hands. I am Otega Ogra.

I serve as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media. But more importantly, I am a student of leadership. And I am a disciple of a man who taught me something that has shaped my entire public life.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, taught us that politics is not noise. Politics is structure. Politics is patience.

Politics is presence. You do not win a country by shouting louder. You win a country by showing up consistently.

Let me tell you a personal story. Years ago, long before government, I worked in the private sector. I sat in boardrooms where Nigeria was not discussed as a people or a possibility. Nigeria was mostly discussed as a risk.

Every time our country came up, you could sense the fear in the room. Fear of insecurity. Fear of inconsistency. Fear of leadership failure. And I realised something that day.

Nigeria was being analysed by people who had never waited at our bus stops, never bargained in our markets, never seen how our people adapt, survive and rebuild after every setback. That moment taught me a lesson I carried into government.

A nation loses its future the moment it allows others to define its meaning. That gap between perception and reality is where you come in. Grassroots media is not about trends. It is about trust.

Now let us talk about leadership. President Bola Tinubu did not arrive at this moment by accident. He spent decades building ideas, institutions, people and political structure.

He taught us that leadership is not about avoiding pain.

It is about choosing the right pain. That is what this administration represents. The Renewed Hope Agenda is not a slogan. It is a governing framework.

Eight priorities that guide every decision.

Economic reform and growth.

Food security and agriculture.

Energy security.

Infrastructure and transport.

Human capital development.

Social investment and poverty reduction.

Security and national cohesion.

Governance reform and institutional strength.

These are not promises for applause.

They are priorities for work.

Let us start with insecurity.

Foryears, Nigerians felt the state had stepped back.

Bandits became bold. Criminals felt untouchable.

This administration took a clear position. The state must return.

And it must return firmly. Security coordination has improved. Tens of Thousands of terrorists have been eliminated or captured. Many of our fellow citizens who were kidnapped have been freed. Over 24 terrorists have been convicted or undergoing trial in the last one year.

Intelligence sharing is tighter. Air surveillance has expanded.

Forests are being flushed. Kidnapping networks are being dismantled. Is the work finished. No. But the direction is no longer confused. Your role as grassroots media champions is not to deny pain. Your role is to explain progress without arrogance.

Let me ask you something.

When change is easy, does it change anything? no

When change is hard, does it matter? Yes

Exactly.

Now, on the economy. Let us be honest with ourselves.

Subsidy removal was painful. Foreign exchange reform was uncomfortable. But what was the alternative.

Borrow endlessly. Lie consistently.

Push the burden to our children.

President Tinubu chose truth over convenience. Today, states are receiving more revenue. Investors are returning. Confidence is rising in manufacturing and energy. The economy is being reset on realistic foundations. Regulators have been given more independence to work without executive overreach. Pain without direction is failure. Pain with purpose is reform. On youth employment.

Government cannot hire every young Nigerian.

But government can create the environment where work is possible.

Roads create jobs. Ports create jobs. Power creates jobs.

Digital infrastructure creates jobs.

Youth employment is not one programme. It is an ecosystem.

That is why this administration is investing heavily in infrastructure, energy transition, digital skills and enterprise. The renewed Hope ward programme will provide opportunities for millions of youth to be part of governance while also being accountability partners to us as a government. We are here because you are.

On human capital.

A nation that ignores education and skills is digging its own grave. This government understands that Nigeria’s greatest resource is not oil. It is people.

That is why education reform, skills training, digital inclusion and healthcare are not side conversations.

They are central to the Tinubu adminstration.

Now listen to me carefully.

You are not cheerleaders – and are not expected to be.

You are translators. Your job is to take policy and turn it into meaning. To take reform and turn it into understanding.

Do not insult the intelligence of your community. Respect them. Explain to them. Walk with them.

Credibility is your currency.

Once you lose it, you lose everything.

This movement is not about defending government blindly.

It is about defending truth bravely.

And let me say this clearly. I stand here because I believe in the direction of this government.  I believe in the vision and work of President Bola Tinubu. I believe in its courage.

I believe in its long game. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not governing for applause. He is governing for impact.

We must never forget the History is never kind to cowards.

But it always makes room for courage.

Before I leave you, we should remind ourselves of who we are.

Repeat after me…

Nigeria is not finished.

Nigeria is not broken.

Hope is not noise.

Truth is not convenient.

And the future of this country does not belong to the loudest voices.

That commitment is why you are here.

That responsibility is why you were chosen.

That future is why we will not fail.

Go back to your communities.

Carry the message.

Carry the truth.

Carry our dear country, Nigeria.

Nigeria will succeed

Ogra, President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Digital & New Media/Engagement delivered the keynote address at the National Grassroots Media Summit NGMS 1.0 in Abuja