‘Worst Is Over’: Umahi Says Nigeria’s Economy Is Growing Faster Than Population
Works Minister urges Nigerian students to support Tinubu, says infrastructure projects show reforms are yielding results
ABUJA — Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, says Nigeria’s economic outlook is improving, declaring that the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is now growing faster than its population.
Umahi made the statement on Monday, August 10, 2026, in Abuja, shortly after he was formally inducted as Patron of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
“I was enthused to find out that our GDP is growing more than our population. That means we have a future,” the minister said.
The minister’s remarks came as NANS leadership, led by its President, Dist. Comr. Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, honoured him for what the association described as his contributions to national infrastructure and development.
NANS described Umahi as “one of the finest” public servants in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying the recognition was based on the minister’s visible impact on road infrastructure.
NANS: Roads directly affect students
According to the students’ body, road projects under Umahi’s supervision have direct implications for Nigerian students, particularly in transportation, access to schools, examinations, internships, businesses and employment opportunities.
The association cited the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, Abuja-Kaduna-Minna route, Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway and Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as some of the projects it said demonstrated the Federal Government’s infrastructure drive.
Afeez said NANS had reviewed Federal Ministry of Works project reports covering May 2023 to May 2026 and planned nationwide tours to inspect completed and rehabilitated projects.
He said the association would also use its platforms to communicate the impact of the projects to students and the wider public.
Umahi challenges students to ‘take a side’
Responding, Umahi urged Nigerian students and young people to assess the Tinubu administration beyond political sentiments and examine its policies and achievements objectively.
He challenged critics of the administration to provide alternative solutions rather than simply condemning government policies.
“If you say that the President is not doing well, what is your alternative?” Umahi asked.
The minister also urged young Nigerians to take a position on issues affecting the country, saying neutrality should not prevent citizens from supporting policies they believe are producing results.
“This is the time to take sides in our national affairs. It is time to take a stand,” he said.
Umahi subsequently made a direct appeal for support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
“I want you to take a side… we have to take a stand to vote for the President in the coming election,” he said.
‘Where is the subsidy money?’ Umahi explains
The minister also defended the Federal Government’s infrastructure spending while responding to questions over the removal of fuel subsidy and the deployment of the resulting resources.
He pointed to major road projects across the country, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano corridor.
Umahi said the 375-kilometre route, measured as a dual carriageway, represents 750 kilometres of roadway. He said more than N200 billion had already been spent on the project, with 480 kilometres of the dual carriageway completed.
He also said 118 kilometres of concrete pavement had been completed within 30 months, describing the feat as unprecedented.
According to him, the remaining works are expected to be completed by November, while the two projects on the route have a combined cost of N752 billion, with more than 80 per cent already paid.
Umahi defends Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway
The minister also mounted a strong defence of the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, insisting that the project would be completed despite criticism.
“I do not know why people are attacking the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway,” Umahi said, arguing that the project was strategically important to the Niger Delta and the wider Nigerian economy.
He disclosed that more than 50 per cent of the entire stretch was already under construction.
Umahi also highlighted projects in the Southeast, including the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway and Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, saying the administration was deliberately integrating the region into the national infrastructure network.
He further disclosed that President Tinubu had approved the re-scoping and reconstruction of the 401-kilometre Lokoja-Benin-Warri corridor.
‘The worst is over’
On the wider economy, Umahi acknowledged that the macroeconomic recovery was still at an early stage but urged Nigerians to compare the current situation with the conditions inherited by the Tinubu administration.
“Everybody agrees that the macroeconomy is being fixed. It is up to you to dissect the ongoing reforms and take a position,” he said.
He also pointed to what he described as greater stability in the education sector, claiming that students had not experienced nationwide strikes under the current administration.
On food prices, Umahi said the price of a 50-kilogramme bag of rice had fallen from more than N80,000—and at one point N100,000—to about N58,000.
“The worst is over. The darkest part of the night is an hour before dawn,” he said.
Ministry opens projects to scrutiny
Umahi said the Ministry of Works had opened its infrastructure projects to scrutiny by anti-corruption agencies as part of efforts to promote transparency.
According to him, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had already inspected projects, while the ministry had also invited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to inspect its projects.
“We have nothing to hide in this administration,” he said.
Umahi invites students to debate government policies
The minister challenged NANS to organise zonal engagements where students could question government officials directly about policies, projects and the economy.
“Ask your questions, and we will answer them,” he told the students, promising to attend such engagements alongside other ministers and presidential aides.
He also urged young Nigerians to protect public infrastructure and contribute to national development.
“See something, say something. Together, we can take back our country because it belongs to us,” Umahi said.
NANS inducts Umahi as Patron
The NANS President said the association considered Umahi worthy of its patronage because of his record in public service and infrastructure delivery.
Afeez said the roads being constructed under Umahi’s leadership would outlive the current administration and continue to serve future generations.
“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 said.
The association formally welcomed Umahi as its Patron, describing the partnership as an opportunity to bring government projects closer to Nigerian students and deepen informed engagement between young people and government.
