Tinubu to deliver Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day broadcast

President Bola Tinubu will address Nigerians on Thursday morning as part of events marking the country’s 66th independence anniversary, according to his media aide, Bayo Onanuga. The broadcast is scheduled for 7 a.m. on October 1, 2026, and will be transmitted live on Channels Television and other electronic media outlets.

It will be Tinubu’s fourth Independence Day address since he became president in May 2023. The Federal Government has organised a “low-key” programme for the anniversary. An Inter-Ministerial Committee was inaugurated to plan and deliver the approved events, document the activities and coordinate with organisations or individuals considered relevant to the celebrations.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, who chairs the committee, said the anniversary should provide an opportunity to reflect on the contributions and sacrifices of the country’s founding figures. He said Nigeria’s achievements since independence had been built on the foundations laid by nationalists who worked to end colonial rule. Akume made the remarks at the committee’s inaugural meeting in Abuja.

He was represented by Bekearedebo Warrens, permanent secretary in the Political and Economic Affairs Office. The anniversary programme began with a world press conference on September 24. It continued with a Juma’at service on September 25 and a church service on September 27.

The scheduled presidential address is the central national broadcast in the anniversary programme. The source material does not provide details of the issues Tinubu will discuss or announce in the speech. Nigeria became independent on October 1, 1960.

The committee has said the anniversary is intended to encourage reflection on the country’s journey since independence and on the legacy of those who contributed to the struggle for self-government.