Nigeria, Oct. 1 -- In his Independence Day address to Nigerians on Thursday, Tinubu said his administration had completed what he described as the emergency phase of its economic reforms and was now entering an "age of prosperity."

The President said Nigeria's economic situation was "darker than ever" in 2023, with rising poverty and diminishing hope forcing his administration to take what he described as difficult but necessary decisions.

He likened the country's economic challenges to a cancer diagnosis, arguing that previous governments had treated the symptoms instead of confronting the underlying problems.

"For too long, Nigeria's leaders chose morphine while praying for a miracle that never came."

According to Tinubu, his admin...