President Bola Tinubu has urged public institutions, businesses, civil society groups and faith-based organisations to partner with the government in building a prosperous and united Nigeria. 

Mr Tinubu said governments alone could not deliver on the people’s aspirations, stressing that sustainable development required collective commitment and shared responsibility. 

He said achieving the Nigeria of citizens’ dreams required contributions from public institutions, the private sector, faith-based organisations, civil society and individuals. 

According to him, all stakeholders must deploy their expertise, resources and influence to strengthen education, promote good governance and foster national unity. 

The President spoke on Saturday during the inauguration of the new national headquarters of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria in Lagos.

Mr Tinubu was represented at the event by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi. 

The President added that such collaboration would accelerate socio-economic progress and improve the welfare of Nigerians across the country. 

Mr Tinubu commended the Okunnu family and the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society for their enduring contributions to national development over several decades. 

“Nigeria remains eternally grateful for the family’s legacy of service and the society’s impactful contributions to education, healthcare and humanitarian interventions,” he said. 

He described the organisation as a steadfast partner in national progress, noting its longstanding role in moral development and community service. 

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, urged Nigerians to remain committed to the nation’s core values as foundations for sustainable development and unity. 

Mr Hamzat said no nation could thrive without a strong moral compass, stressing the importance of integrity, discipline, patriotism and mutual respect. 

He called on citizens to preserve those values and pass them to future generations to sustain Nigeria’s progress and resilience. 

“While buildings will inevitably age, the ideas upon which the society was founded must be preserved and strengthened for future generations,” he said. 

The deputy governor also urged religious leaders to continue championing education, noting that meaningful national development depended on an informed citizenry. 

Speaking earlier, the Grand Chief Imam of Lagos, Sheikh Sulaimon Abou-Nolla, praised the widespread presence and contributions of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society across Lagos State. 

He highlighted the society’s numerous educational and healthcare institutions, describing them as evidence of its commitment to community service and moral development. 

Mr Abou-Nolla said the organisation had consistently contributed to educational advancement and social welfare in different parts of the state. 

In his address, the National President of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society, Alhaji Mosediq Kazeem (SAN), reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to national development. 

Mr Kazeem said the society would remain a dependable partner of government in promoting unity, peace, security and prosperity through education and character building. 

He described Ansar-Ud-Deen as one of Nigeria’s foremost faith-based organisations with a century-long legacy in education, healthcare and humanitarian services. 

According to him, the new national headquarters symbolises the society’s renewed determination to strengthen its institutions and expand its impact nationwide. 

“The commissioning of this headquarters represents more than the unveiling of a building. It symbolises our renewed commitment to national service,” Mr Kazeem said. 

The new headquarters, named after the late Alhaja Hassanat Abebi Okunnu, was inaugurated amid renewed calls for collaboration in advancing national development.

(NAN)