2014 Independence Day Broadcast by
His Excellency, President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan,
GCFR
Wednesday 1 October, 2014



Fellow Nigerians:
1. Today marks the 54th
anniversary of our country’s
independence as a sovereign
nation. This is also the tenth
month of our journey into a
new century, having marked
the centenary of our nation
in January this year.
2. The first one hundred
years were marked by
triumphs and tribulations,
benefits and burdens,
opportunities and challenges.
We made some far reaching
advances in building a strong,
united and prosperous
nation. We also overcame
the forces of disunity that
culminated in a debilitating
civil war. We have also
renewed our faith in one
another, and in our country.
We have proven that we are
truly a resilient nation.
3. In my address to the
nation last year, I did
emphasize that we were in a
sober moment in our
country. We are still in that
mood in spite of the many
accomplishments of our
administration. Our
sombreness has to do with the
crises of nationhood
occasioned by the activities of
terrorist elements who have
done the unimaginable to
challenge our unity as a
people.
4. On an occasion like
this, it is important that we
remember all the precious
souls that have been lost in
the unprecedented war of
terror unleashed on some
parts of our country by these
individuals who want to
compel us to live our lives
their way. They will not
succeed!
5. In their mission, they
have maimed and raped.
They have killed men, women
and children, rendering
many children orphans and
several women widows.
6. They have made
violence their ideology and
are bent on destroying our
country. Dear countrymen
and women, we will not
allow them.
7. Night after night, day
after day, our security forces
continue to engage the
terrorists in battle. My
gratitude goes out to our
armed forces whose will has
been greatly challenged by
this insurgency more than
any other time, since the civil
war.
8. Yet, they have
remained undaunted and
unwearied in the face of
constant challenge and
mortal danger. Driven by
patriotic zeal, they are
turning the tide by their
prowess and determination.
As Commander-in-Chief, I
will continue to do all it takes
to enable them to keep on
inflicting devastating blows at
the heart of terror. Fellow
Nigerians, it is our collective
duty as patriots to avail our
men and women in uniform
of all the support they need to
fight and win this war.
9. This Administration
is committed to making
Nigeria safe for all Nigerians,
irrespective of our places of
birth, how we worship God
and our political persuasion.
To all those waging war
against our country, I ask that
you lay down your arms and
embrace peace.
10. To those who have
genuine grievances, I affirm
that Nigeria will listen to you,
if you bring your grievances
to the table of dialogue. To
the good people of Nigeria, let
me restate that our task of
building a better and greater
country must not waver.
11. While we continue to
deploy our resources in the
fight against the terrorists, we
do recognize the great toll the
conflict is taking on our
people.
12. This is why, to assist
the afflicted, we have
launched the Victims
Support Fund , an
independent multi-sectoral
charity, which will
aggressively solicit resources
to augment Government’s
statutory intervention, in
bringing succour to the
injured, the displaced and the
bereaved.
13. In partnership with
Nigerian business leaders and
international partners, we
have also introduced the Safe
Schools Initiative which is
aimed at promoting safe
environments for education
nationwide, starting with the
North East region.
14. The Presidential
Initiative for the North
East , a comprehensive
programme to fast-track the
economic restoration of this
region, which has been the
epicentre of terrorist activity,
has been set up.
15. Our overall objective is
to do all we possibly can, to
sustain in the North-East, the
momentum of economic
advancement, which is on-
going in other parts of the
country, despite the
machinations of the terrorists
and their sponsors.
16. It should now be clear
to anyone who was ever in
doubt that these terrorists do
not mean well for anyone, of
whatever religion or
dispensation. Their persistent
choice of the weakest and
most vulnerable in society,
for gruesome attack, provides
an insight into their
abnormal mind-set.
17. I urge every Nigerian
to put aside political,
sectional or other parochial
considerations, and support
whole-heartedly the efforts of
the government and the
military, in checking this
evil.
18. We are grateful to the
international community,
and especially our neighbours
who are working closely with
us in confronting this
challenge, for their increased
partnership and solidarity.
Our steady progress in
weakening the insurgency
has certainly justified our
cooperation.
19. Fellow Nigerians, in my
independence anniversary
address last year, I informed
you that we had taken
cognizance of the suggestion
over the years by well-
meaning Nigerians on the
need to focus attention on
rebuilding and strengthening
the ligaments of our union. It
was in that regard that we
announced the convening of a
National Dialogue on the
future of our beloved
country.
20. We have successfully
delivered on that promise as
we established the 2014
National Conference headed
by Justice Legbo Kutigi. After
months of deliberations,
which did not come without
its challenges, the conference
concluded its assignment and
has handed its Report to me.
21. I have made a firm
commitment that we would
act on the recommendations
of the conference. This, I
have started by setting up the
Ministerial Committee headed
by the Honourable Attorney
General of the Federation to
work out the modalities for
implementing the Report.
Every promise I make, God
willing, I will see to its
fulfilment. I assure you, we
shall implement the report .
22. One major lesson which
the 2014 National Conference
has taught us as a country is
that, a multi-ethnic country
like ours, must learn to
embrace painstaking dialogue
until consensus is established.
23. To me, the National
Conference is the greatest
centenary gift to our country
that we must cherish and
sustain.
24. Fellow Nigerians, our
54 year-journey as a nation
has not been easy. There have
been tough periods, but the
Nigerian spirit and the
unflagging resilience of our
people have seen us through.
We will continue to march
forward to greater heights.
25. We have been able to
sustain a big, strong and
influential country with a
robust economy. We are
currently in our sixteenth
year of uninterrupted
democratic rule, daily
improving on the
consolidation of our
democratic process.
26. Our Administration has
made a commitment to
ensure that we build and
sustain a democratic
infrastructure anchored on
free and fair elections.
International and local
observers have attested to the
positive evolution of electoral
credibility and we cannot
afford to relent.
27. We will continue to
ensure that the will of the
electorate prevails so that
political leaders would be
reminded at all times that
there is a day of reckoning
when they have to go back to
the people at the polls.
Election days must not be
days of violence and death.
We must remain vigilant to
ensure that our electoral
process is characterised by
peace, security and
transparency.
28. I enjoin the
Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC),
all security agencies,
politicians and the electorate
to work conscientiously and
peacefully, together, to
consolidate on the gains of
the recent elections. Free and
fair elections have come to
stay; nothing else will be
acceptable to our people.
29. My dear countrymen
and women, occasions such as
this present an opportunity to
thank God for our country
and to report to you, on our
journey so far.
30. Our power sector
reform is on course with the
ultimate objective of
generating enough electricity
to power our homes,
industries and businesses. We
are making giant strides in
the Agricultural Sector which
we are re-positioning to
diversify our economy. We
will continue to upgrade our
infrastructure to make life
easier for all and create an
enabling environment for
enterprise to flourish.
31. Over the last four
years, the implementation of
the Nigerian Content Act in
the Oil and Gas Sector has
ensured major increase in the
participation of indigenous
Oil and Gas companies in the
industry. Several critical
infrastructure projects have
been commissioned and
commenced. The level of
indigenous asset ownership
has greatly increased and
utilisation of Nigerian-owned
and built assets such as
marine vessels and rigs is
being progressively enforced.
32. There has been
maximised local value
addition by encouraging the
manufacture of equipment
components and parts within
the country. There has also
been massive growth in
indigenous participation in
the provision of goods and
services to the upstream
sector from 10% to 60%
within the last four years.
33. Today, following the
rebasing of our economy,
every international
monitoring and ratings
agency now acknowledges
Nigeria as the largest
economy in Africa, with a
Gross Domestic Product of
five hundred and ten billion
dollars ($510 billion) which
also places us as the 26th
largest economy in the
world. This is progress.
34. Earlier in the year, we
launched the Nigeria
Industrial Revolution
Plan (NIRP) and the National
Enterprise Development
Programme (NEDEP) with the
stated objective of fast
tracking inclusive growth, job
creation, enterprise
development and
industrialisation.
35. The success of these
policies is already evident in
the increased value addition
in the agricultural and
manufacturing sectors.
36. In line with our
objective of encouraging the
production of made-in-
Nigeria vehicles and making
Nigeria a regional hub for the
automobile industry, a
number of foreign auto
manufacturers have
established plants in Nigeria,
complementing the laudable
efforts of our local vehicle
manufacturers who have also
demonstrated great
innovation and
competitiveness.
37. We have also launched
a special support programme
for Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises with an initial
intervention fund of two
hundred and twenty billion
naira (N220 b). This is in
addition to the Presidential
Job Creation Boardwhich I
inaugurated recently with the
charge to create three million
jobs annually.
38. In demonstration of
our Administration’s
commitment to addressing
Nigeria’s housing deficit, we
have commenced the new
mortgage re-finance
programme with the
establishment of the Nigerian
Mortgage Re-finance
Company . It is expected that,
in addition to creating
additional housing units
across the country, this
initiative also represents a
huge job creation
opportunity.
39. We have recorded
notable success in the social
sector. Nigeria has been
globally acknowledged for
reducing extreme hunger by
more than half, with the Food
and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) formally presenting the
country with an award for
achieving the Millennium
Development Goal on Hunger
three years ahead of the 2015
target date set for the
Millennium Development
Goals.
40. This progress is as a
result of the deliberate policy
of government to increase
capacity in our agricultural
sector of which the first step
was to address and eliminate
the graft in our fertilizer
procurement system and
ensure that the product gets
directly to the farmer. We
are expanding our irrigation
infrastructure to ensure that
our farmers have sufficient
water supply for dry season
farming.
41. A benefit of these
combined actions is that our
national food import bill has
declined from 1.1 trillion
naira (6.9 billion dollars) in
2009 to 684.7 billion naira
(4.35 billion dollars) by
December 2013, and
continues to decline.
42. Modern hybrid schools
are being provided for less
privileged children across the
country, resulting in
significant increase in the
national school enrolment
figure.
43. In order to further
enhance access to education
at the tertiary level, fourteen
new Federal Universities have
been established; and, to
encourage persons of
exceptional abilities, our
Administration has also
introduced a Presidential
Scholarship Scheme based
strictly on excellence and
merit.
44. On infrastructure, we
are building roads, bridges,
and new rail lines to make it
easier to traverse Nigeria and
increase the integration of
our people and our ability to
do business with each other.
In this regard, we have
commenced the process of
building the Second Niger
Bridge. The Loko-Oweto
Bridge over River Benue in
Nasarawa and Benue
States, will significantly
reduce travel time by road
between Northern and
Southern Nigeria. The on-
going dredging of the River
Niger up to Baro in Niger
State is opening up large
parts of the Nigerian
hinterland to maritime
activity.
45. The Zungeru and
Mambilla Hydro-electric
power projects are on course,
and the Kashimbilla dam
which we started a few years
ago, is nearing completion.
The successful privatisation
of our power sector will in
the long run enhance
industrial growth. Policies
such as this and others have
raised Nigeria to the enviable
status of being the number
one recipient of Foreign
Direct Investment in Africa in
the past year.
46. The result of this
infrastructure drive is that
two and a half million jobs
have been created over the
past two years. This is a
record, which we are
committed to improve upon
to continue to provide jobs
for our youth.
47. An unprecedented
number of Airports across the
country, are not only being
reconstructed at the same
time, but being re-equipped
and reassessed with emphasis
on maintaining global
standards.
48. Fellow Nigerians, the
goals we set to achieve for
our country involve
expanding the frontiers of
economic freedom. Let us
therefore unite with one
heart and one mind. All our
people must have access to
the good things of life. All our
people must be empowered to
pursue the gift of life with
happiness. This is our
country ; we must build it
for our common posterity.
49. As we move into an
election year, desperate
moves to overheat the polity
are becoming a regular
occurrence. Our political
leaders in particular must
know that the contest for
power should not translate to
the destruction of the polity.
50. The contest for the
leadership of our country
must yield good governance,
and not ungovernable spaces.
The love of country should
rank higher than our
individual ambitions.
51. We must remain
committed to a united and
indivisible Nigeria within
democratic parameters. The
protection of individual
rights, liberty, equality before
the law, freedom of thought,
and a progressive pursuit of a
sound economy must be our
goal.
52. I cannot end this
address without commenting
on the deadly Ebola Virus
Disease (EVD) which was
sadly brought into our
country recently. My
directives to the Federal
Ministry of Health saw the
ministry leading the charge
in curtailing the spread of
this deadly scourge and
managing its impact. This is
how it should be: swift,
effective and
comprehensive action in
defence of citizens .
53. It must be pointed out
that the Ebola battle is still
raging elsewhere in our sub-
region. I therefore enjoin all
our citizens to continue to
adhere strictly to all the
guidelines that have been
given by our health officials
to keep Ebola out of our
country.
54. I appreciate and
welcome the spirit of
collaboration, unity and
partnership with which we
confronted the threat of the
Ebola Virus Disease. I thank
all Nigerians for working
together to prevent what
could have become a major
epidemic. I particularly
thank the medical personnel,
some of whom made the
ultimate sacrifice.
55. This is the spirit which
we must demonstrate at all
times as we face up to our
challenges as a nation: one
people, united by a common
resolve, in the pursuit of one
common national interest.
56. As we look forward to
another year in our national
life, I am more than confident
that our tomorrow will be
better than our yesterday and
today. Nigeria has got the
human and material
resources to excel and we
shall lead the way in that
journey to our manifest
destiny.
57. Fellow countrymen,
brothers and sisters, in all
our plans, and in all our
words and our actions, we
must stand together in love
and unity, as one people
under God.
58. We are one people
from the womb of one
Nigeria. We are brothers and
sisters. We are one
family. We are Nigerians.
59. God bless the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.

summary pls?