President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to give him more time as his administration embarks on correcting the cumulative misdeeds of the previous governments.

Mr Tinubu made the appeal through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Friday at a special prayer session held at the National Mosque, Abuja, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

“We should give this government more opportunity for it to come back and finish the good work,” the president stated. “Citizens should look at the focus of the government of today, that the mistakes of the past—the cumulative mistakes and the missed opportunities of the past—are being corrected in this particular administration.”

Mr Tinubu assured that said peace and development were gradually returning to the country, urging Nigerians not to lose hope.

“Peace is coming back to this country. Development is coming back to this country. Things will get better as we progress in this democracy.

“This anniversary—the 66th—by all accounts signifies Nigeria has come of age. The person of 66 years cannot be called a child anymore. Nigeria has become mature, even though when we reflect on the journey from independence to date, we may say it was a mixed journey.

“Nigeria was bedevilled with a lot of issues in the past and opportunities as well. But we thank Almighty Allah for granting us the life and the peace for us to witness this very historic event today,” the president added.

Mr Tinubu said Nigeria was on the right path and citizens had made the sacrifices necessary for the country to become great again.

“And I want to categorically make it clear that Nigeria is on the right path; that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that Nigerians have finished making sacrifices for this country to be great again,” the president added.

Mr Tinubu’s appeal came amid widespread hardship in the country resulting from fuel subsidy removal and other economic policies.

His administration insisted subsidy would not return, noting that its removal was necessary to salvage the country.