SPEECH BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND NATIONAL ORIENTATION, MOHAMMED IDRIS, FNIPR, AT THE FLAG-OFF OF THE “MY NIGERIA, MY RESPONSIBILITY” CAMPAIGN HELD ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2025, AT THE STATEHOUSE, ABUJA
Protocols
It is with a profound sense of duty and a heart brimming with hope that I stand before you today, at this pivotal flag-off of the “My Nigeria, My Responsibility” campaign. I commend the vision of the Special Assistant to the President on Citizenship and Leadership for this timely, powerful, and necessary initiative. The theme, “Reigniting Patriotism Through Responsible Citizenship and Leadership,” represents the very blueprint for our national rebirth, towards the New Nigeria we are collectively building.
Today, we are called to remember that patriotism is not a spectator sport or a title we claim only when our nation triumphs. True patriotism is an active verb. It is the choice we make every day to be responsible for our nation’s story, its progress, and its image. It is the shared understanding that the destiny of Nigeria does not rest in the hands of a select few in Abuja, but in the daily actions, words, and choices of over 200 million citizens.
In this noble endeavour, we are not walking blindly. We are guided by the living example of a leader who has, for decades, personified this campaign. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a man whose entire political career is a testament to patriotic commitment to democracy. From the trenches of the pro-democracy struggles to the mantle of governance, his life has been a marathon for the entrenchment of democratic values.
This commitment is the bedrock of his administration’s bold, patriotic, and forward-looking policies designed for sustainable generational impact. They are the tangible evidence of a government that listens, refines, and acts with the courage of its convictions for the long-term good of all.
Let us examine some profound evidence of this responsible governance:
First, the initiative of economic renewal: The courageous reforms in the Fuel Subsidy regime and the foreign exchange system were critical interventions to save our economy from a terminal decline. We inherited a system where, in 2022, 96% of our federal revenue was spent solely on debt servicing and the subsidy, leaving almost nothing for our hospitals, schools, and roads. That pathway was national suicide. By stopping the hemorrhage, we have, within a year, more than doubled our monthly FAAC allocations to states and local governments, directly empowering them to meet your needs. The pain is real, but it is the pain of healing, not of decay.
Second, Tax justice: Building on this, the President has initiated the most ambitious Tax Reform agenda in a generation. Why? Because a nation cannot be built on borrowed money alone, it must be built on the equitable contributions of its people and corporations. The old system was broken, where only 11% of the eligible population were actively contributing, and large-scale evasion was rampant. Our new system, spearheaded by the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, is built on fairness, clarity, and digital efficiency. We are expanding the base to bring more into the system while lowering rates for small businesses and vulnerable sectors. Already, early results are promising: Q1 2024 saw a 73% year-on-year increase in Company Income Tax (CIT) and a 44% increase in Value-Added Tax (VAT) collections, not from new taxes, but from bringing more people into the net and blocking leaks. This is how we fund our shared future responsibly. When you pay your fair share, you are directly investing in the school your child attends, the road your business uses, and the security that guards your home. That is the essence of "My Nigeria, My Responsibility."
Third, the architecture of a new prosperity: The revenue from these reforms is being strategically channeled into infrastructure that will define our 21st century. The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the massive rail and port modernizations, and the unprecedented investments in agriculture and solid minerals are not vanity projects. They are job creation engines and wealth corridors designed to unlock the productive potential of every region. They are proof that your sacrifice is being invested, not consumed.
Fourth, security and human capital: Concurrently, we are deploying advanced technology and better-motivated personnel to secure our nation. We are investing in our greatest asset, our people, through the student loan fund and vocational training, ensuring that every Nigerian has the tools to contribute to this new economy.
This is responsible governance that listens. The iterative adjustments to economic policies based on your feedback, championed by my Ministry through our National Orientation Agency, show a government in constant conversation with its people.
Distinguished Guests, this brings me to the core of my charge to you today. The “My Nigeria, My Responsibility” campaign is a mirror. It asks each of us: What is my responsibility?
1. Your responsibility is fiscal citizenship: Patriotism is in the taxes you pay. It is the most concrete transaction of trust between a citizen and the state. Your compliant contribution is your equity stake in Nigeria’s success story.
2. Your responsibility is to own our story: Be an ambassador of truth. In the digital age, do not weaponize misinformation. Highlight the progress, the innovation, the peace.
3. Your responsibility is to live our values: Embody the Citizens’ Charter of National Values through integrity, patriotism, diligence, tolerance, and excellence, in your workplace, community, and online interactions.
To empower you in this digital responsibility, we will, in February, launch the National Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute. This will be your national toolkit to discern truth, resist manipulation, and engage ethically online, building a public sphere worthy of our democratic journey.
My fellow citizens, the President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is providing the canvas of stability and vision. But the rest of us must pick up the brush. Our tax compliance, our truthful narrative, and our lived values all constitute the colours that will paint the masterpiece of a New Nigeria.
Let us reignite our patriotism in action. Let us leave here and fulfill our part of the covenant: My Nigeria, My Responsibility.
Thank you.
Mohammed Idris, fnipr
Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation.
Monday, December 8, 2025
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