By Chukwuma Umeorah
The immediate past president of the Nigerian-Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Olayinka Ogunmekan, has called on Nigerians to exercise patience, remain hopeful, united and support President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda.
In his New Year message, Ogunmekan described Tinubu’s initiatives as “unprecedented in the history of the country” and emphasised the need for collective effort to achieve national progress.
“Nigeria needs a bold leader, and we should give full support to President Bola Tinubu and suggest ways of improving the lot of Nigerians instead of just running the government down all the time,” he stated.
Acknowledging citizens’ eagerness for rapid improvements, Ogunmekan urged patience to fully reap the benefits of the administration’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.
“As human beings, I know we are very anxious to see things turnaround overnight, but let us be patient to enjoy the full benefits of the Renewed Hope. You cannot build a skyscraper overnight. There are processes that must be followed, failing which the whole structure would collapse.”
Ogunmekan highlighted key policies such as subsidy removal, tax reforms and exchange rate adjustments, noting their long-term potential for economic growth. He observed that increased revenue allocation to states from subsidy removal would soon translate into tangible benefits, including lower fuel prices.
“The exchange rate has been very beneficial to exporters, thereby encouraging local production for exports. We need to support this to discourage our dependence on imports,” he added. On tax reforms, Ogunmekan appealed for “proper understanding” and warned against condemning reforms due to personal interests, asserting that the policymakers “mean well for all of us.”
Ogunmekan also lauded Tinubu’s foreign trips, which he believed were essential for attracting investments. “You might not achieve much when you only stay indoors in your house as goodies might not come your way. Most of our 5-star hotels are always full of foreigners. They are not here for jamboree but for business. That’s the way I take our president’s foreign trips,” he remarked.
Calling Nigeria a “blessed country,” Ogunmekan stressed the importance of harnessing its potential for collective prosperity. “Policies do not actualize like miracles. They take some time to be effective and beneficial to the populace,” he noted.