President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has affirmed that he was ever ready to take tough decisions in the best interest of the people, even if it will come with initial pains.
He made this known when he spoke in Hague, The Netherlands during the business session of the bilateral meeting with the Dutch team led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the President led a Nigerian delegation on a state visit to the European country.
After the meeting, The Netherlands promised an investment worth $250 million in Nigeria in the next few months, according to a statement by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale.
President Tinubu, on his assumption of office last year, declared that “subsidy is gone”, a pronouncement that was followed by the unification of exchange rates.
Speaking at the meeting, Tinubu said: “I am a determined leader of my people.
“I have and will continue to take the difficult decisions that will benefit our people, even if there is short-term pain.
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“We have gone through the worst of the storms. I am unafraid of the consequences once I know that my actions are in the best long-term interests of all Nigerians.
“The Nigerian naira is one of the world’s best-performing currencies today.
“We took the necessary risk, and all resilient Nigerians kept faith with us.
“They will be rewarded, and the reward will only be greater as we partner effectively with you on new opportunities for development.
“As leaders, we must make decisions for the benefit of our nations, and we cannot shy away from that.”
He expressed firm commitment to the developmental partnership between Nigeria and the European Union (EU).
The President noted that symbiotic economic ties remain the best long-term path to sustainable and mutual prosperity rather than one-sided relationships in which bilateral trade is skewed too much in one direction.
Acknowledging the positive impacts of the various reforms carried out by the
Tinubu administration, Rutte said: “You are promoting democratic governance and the solutions it can bring in dealing with problems of development.
“I saw how you went through democratic channels to remove an incumbent president in 2015 in partnership with President Muhammadu Buhari and how that has led to development in your country.
“I saw you take the courageous decisions to deal with fuel subsidies and other reforms, and we are interested in what allowed you to take the decisions that many before you could not take. And you took those decisions early in your term. It shows rare determination. And your stand in ECOWAS, all of these point to your commitment to leadership.”
Thrilled by the confidence triggered by President Tinubu’s reforms in the economy, Rutte unfolded plans by Dutch businessmen to invest $250 million in Nigeria.
The investments, which the PM said would be activated over the next few months, include a $100 million stake in a waste-to-wealth industrial facility in Lagos, the nation’s industrial hub.