The Nation Newspaper

Category: Columnists

  • Calling on governors: Variant of herdsmen terrorism is taking over Southwest streets

    Calling on governors: Variant of herdsmen terrorism is taking over Southwest streets

    Or how come, to quote a trending WhatsApp chat, that they  are the only ethnic group in Nigeria that is at war with the  Eggons in Nassarawa, the Tivs in Benue, the Idomas of Agatu, the Beroms of Plateau, the Adaras of Southern Kaduna, the Mumuyes & June 4 District on the Mambilla, the Hausas of Zamfara, the Igbos of the South East, and the Yorubas of the Southwest?” – the columnist in:

    ‘Rampaging Fulani Herdsmen: The Akure High Level meeting should have done more, of January 31, 2021.

    “Good morning, Uncle Femi,

    I came across this in a group chat and I read with interest and alarm. I read every word and keenly too. I don’t know who Adedamola Adetayo is but he sounded neither flippant nor unknowing”.

    The immediate quote above is from my dear brother and friend, a Professor of Igbo extraction who I have quoted severally on these pages. Though non – Yoruba, what he read in  one of Adedamola Adetayo’s writings on the menace of Aboki’s in Yoruba land jolted him so much he sent it me, not because I can  do anything to the seemingly untouchable Northern urchins who were trucked  down South by the powers that be in that region during the Buhari years, but at least to allow, through this medium, those we voted into office to ensure our safety in the Southwest not only aware, but do something about them.

    Studies, like that by the China Achebe Foundation, have shown that senior Northern military officers deliberately stand down the rank and file from confronting Fulani herdsmen whenever they attack and it is doubtful if same isn’t happening in the Nigerian police. Add to that the preponderance of Northern DPO’s in the police and you’ve blown the cover of why Abokis are now ravaging the Southwest literally unchallenged.

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    Aboki’s  are some hoi polloi, Northern urchins exported to Southwest Nigeria by Northern governors who, in the name of dividends of democracy, bought them thousands of glittering, brand new okadas and trucked them with these characters, complete with cows, AK 47 and sundry arms and ammunition.

    Readers of this column would remember my oft- quoted Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM)directive to these rootless Northern youths:

    “Northern youths should move enmass to Southern States. Relaunch the mass movement in ways they have never seen … If the towns and cities are hostile, hang out on the street corners, in uncompleted buildings, occupy the forests, pitch tents, make any where available as your abode, your rest places, your home. We urge you to be armed as the infidels may want to attack you”.

    One day soon, Yorubas will sing panegyrics to Adedamola Adetayo, the  tireless chronicler of the menace of these Northerners in Southwest Nigeria.

    Below is what space will permit of his recent capture of the horrendous bestiality of these Northerners in Yoruba land as detailed in a WhatsApp post titled: “Before Tomorrow Comes, a Warning”:

    “Just yesterday, I received a report from the IJEGUN area of IKOTUN in Lagos State. It was so troubling that I couldn’t sleep until about 4.30am:

    A shop in the area was burgled in the night. It was a phone shop where some youths sell phones, accessories and do repairs.  Thieves broke into the shop and cleared out all the phones in sight, including the ones for repairs.

    Not long after, an Aboki came into the shop with a phone to repair. It turned out it was one of those stolen. He made to delay the Aboki while he placed a call to the nearest Police post which was Isheri-Osun.

    While he waited for the police, the aboki, sensing danger, wanted to leave.

    He was prevented and trapped inside the shop.

    Next thing he did was to call his kinsmen and gave them his location.

    In a flash they were there in huge numbers brandishing different types of dangerous weapons. They TORE DOWN  the shop, took him out and made away with him before the Police came.

    The report says they encountered the approaching Policemen on the way but it was a non-issue as they openly challenged the police. The Policemen were coming on bikes but had to beat a retreat when they saw the menacing Abokis.

    In fact, two of the Okada riders who brought the Policemen were reportedlyh stabbed.

    What happened, I later learnt, is the standard and regular practice of the Abokis in the area just as it is the practice in Abeokuta and all over the SW right now.

    Indeed, as I also found out, there is  at a location in the ÈJẸDÒDÓ area in the axis, called BOWLER which is the central dump site for all the bowler-bowler Abokis of that area. It  is seething with the lowest dredges of humanity; and terribly dangerous. Equally

    About 80 per cent of Okada riders in the axis ,  just as it is all over Lagos State and Yoruba land, are  Abokis.

    ONDO STATE: Very recently we got news that at least three corpses were seen at different locations in front of the Ondo State Government House. Citizens had come to protest the killings of their Kinsmen by so-called Herdsmen who had killed them in cold blood. Somewhere in Okitipupa came another report that a man identified as an Aboki attacked the grandson of Madam Comfort Ọmọ́gè, the musician and, with a knife, slit his throat in broad daylight.

    Ditto in the Ikare and many other areas of  Ondo State.

     OYO STATE – There is a video all over the internet now in which a truckload of people  was intercepted somewhere on the Ọ̀YỌ́- IBADAN road. It was loaded to the brim with people, motorcycles and was full of arms and ammunition, hidden underneath. The truck was heading for either Ibadan or Lagos.

    And that was just ONE TRUCK out of hundreds which pass that route everyday and  night, most of them unchecked.

    In SASA market in Ibadan, the report was that a group of  Aboki traders killed a Yoruba trader in the course of an argument. By the time the dust settled, there had been a casualty on the side of the Abokis too.

    All hell broke loose and Governor Makinde of the State was later seen receiving a high-powered delegation from the North who treated him as if he was caught red handed in a shameful act. The reader would recall a similar visit to a governor of Oyo state by then General Buhari even when they were the aggressor.

      OGUN STATE – In Ijebu-Igbo, a regular pattern of the most despicable mode of killings repeatedly happens. Innocent citizens, Ijebus, are kidnapped and their families extorted through ransom payments. Yet the victims are later killed, thrown into wells full of water. The few who escaped usually tell their story.

    In  the same Ogun State, a Yoruba Okada rider had an altercation with an Aboki rider and before he knew it, fellow Abokis had surrounded him, beat him silly and thereafter took him and his bike with them to their Leader who forced him to pay the offending Aboki before his bike was released to him and  set free.

    Lllp

    I had a personal encounter in Abeokuta in 2018 in front of my business premises. Two Yoruba youths were in an argument with a single Aboki Okada rider. Before they knew it, about 20 other Abokis had swarmed on him ready to pounce.

    I made an effort to dowse the tension. Before I did that, and that was what saved my life, I placed a call to the nearest Police station for help. The two Yoruba youths had used the opportunity of the distraction to slip out of the crowd and I was the only one left. They were getting ready to MOB me when the police arrived.

    Even at the police station I became the accused and I was going to get locked up in the cell for, apparently, allowing the two youths to escape jungle justice in the hands of the Aboki murderous mob.

    6.  LAGOS STATE – Mr Olatunji Bakare wasn’t as lucky in Apapa.

    He was the LASTMA commander of the sector covering Mile 2, Ijora and Apapa.

    On that fateful day in December of 2016, the Abokis had an argument with some LASTMA operatives.

    In a flash, as they always do, the entire area was swarming with Abokis and they were going to attack the LASTMA operatives.

    Mr. Bakare very unfortunately came from Ijora into the fray to mediate.

    These guys descended on him, and in broad daylight at a location a  mere stone throw from the Army DMI, the Navy Hydro graphics, Police Area B and, in front of many soldiers doing guard duties on Liverpool road, that man was LYNCHED to death!!!

    They beat and pushed him into the gutter and stoned him to death..

    I haven’t gotten over the shock till today, 8 years after. It was that traumatic..

    C: REALITY ON GROUND

    1. There is an unreasonably huge population of Abokis all over the Southwest.

    2. These people are strategically placed in heavily populated  areas of our state capitals, parading  as Okada riders, scrap collectors, beggars, shoe makers etc..

    3. They live in packed colonies on  any available open spaces where they don’t pay any rent.

    4. They seem to be very organised, very mobile and are usually located within close proximities of security installations such as Army or Police Barracks.

    They are excessively aggressive, instinctively violent and all armed.

    5. They are so confident they treat Police with utter disdain and are not  bothered by the presence of soldiers.

    6.They do their washing, toileting, bathing, eating, indeed, everything right on the street thereby constituting an environment nuisance.

    8. If you ever have an argument with them and it lasts for too long it is an invitation to a mob action which will most likely cost you your life.

    9. They are on constant reconnaissance of our neighbourhoods. They know practically every nook and cranny of their areas of operation.

    10. These people have ALL the trappings and resources for TERRORISM”.

    D: WHAT TO DO

    Although Adetayo made some suggestions in this regard, I would rather leave this to our  SOUTHWEST governors and their security councils, our Kabiyesis and  ALL OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES in the SOUTHWEST to seriously ponder and rescue, not only this generation of Yorubas, but those ones coming behind us.

  • Renewed Hope @ Year 2: Tinubu Still Bringing Water Out of The Hard Rock

    Renewed Hope @ Year 2: Tinubu Still Bringing Water Out of The Hard Rock

    Two years into his presidency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has begun to etch a recurring pattern into Nigerian political history—one that seems to surface each time he stands on the cusp of major national transformation. Like a consistent drumbeat preceding the march of progress, resistance, coordinated opposition, and elite sabotage converge just as he pushes forward with policies that seek to change the fundamentals of governance, economics, and public accountability in Nigeria. But if the story of his presidency so far is any indication, this pattern isn’t a sign of regression. Rather, it is the birth pangs of progress—a signal that Nigeria might finally be breaking its old cycles.

    When Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, Nigeria was teetering on the edge of a fiscal cliff. Years of populist but unsustainable economic policies had created an illusion of normalcy, powered by a petrol subsidy that cost over a trillion naira annually and a foreign exchange regime that rewarded arbitrage over productivity. Most new presidents might have delayed tough decisions until after securing a second term. Tinubu did the opposite. On day one, he axed the petrol subsidy. Weeks later, he unified the naira’s exchange rate system, allowing market forces to prevail. These were not just administrative tweaks. They were systemic corrections—actions that required audacity and clarity of purpose.

    This wasn’t the first time Tinubu had chosen the difficult path. During his tenure as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, Tinubu clashed with the then-federal government under President Olusegun Obasanjo over constitutional questions and fiscal autonomy. His administration’s creation of new Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) was blocked by Abuja, and Lagos was punished with the withholding of statutory allocations. But rather than buckle, Tinubu re-engineered Lagos’ internal revenue generation, built lasting institutions, and set the state on the path to becoming West Africa’s economic nerve center. That story, once doubted and derided, is now widely celebrated.

    History, it seems, is rhyming once again.

    From his first week in office, Tinubu became a target of opposition maneuvering. The political chorus that includes familiar voices—former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Governors Nasir El-Rufai and Peter Obi—coalesced early in what is clearly a premature coalition against his presidency. Their tactics have been textbook: ethno-regional baiting, scaremongering, and relentless attacks designed to derail public confidence. In times past, such orchestrated hostility has succeeded in distracting presidents and stalling reforms. But Tinubu, calm and unyielding, appears to be unmoved.

    This unshaken demeanor is not born of political naiveté; it is a product of experience and strategic patience. Rather than spar with his critics, he has stayed focused on the work of governance, ensuring his administration hits milestone after milestone. And there have been many. Like they say, he who has an appointment does not wait to argue over nothing with someone who has nothing to lose.

    His reforms, painful as they are, have begun to yield concrete results. Nigeria’s foreign reserves have rebounded dramatically, jumping from $4 billion in 2023 to over $23 billion in 2024. The fiscal deficit has narrowed, the country’s debt service-to-revenue ratio has improved from nearly 100% to below 40%, and inflation—though still a pressing concern—is beginning to ease. Oil rig counts have surged by over 400%, and the economy is projected to grow by 3.7% in 2025, a rate not seen in nearly a decade.

    The administration has also settled a massive N30 trillion Ways and Means loan from the Central Bank, a move that signals a commitment to monetary discipline. With over $8 billion in fresh oil investments and a reenergized drive for tax reforms—raising the tax-to-GDP ratio from 10% to 13.5% in a single year—Nigeria is reclaiming credibility in the eyes of investors. Essential goods like food, education, and healthcare are now exempt from VAT, and low-income households are being buffered through new credit lines, student loans, and expanded nano-business grants.

    The presidency has not ignored the social and human angles either. Over 1,000 primary health centers have been revitalized, with more than 5,500 undergoing transformation. Free dialysis, subsidized maternal care, and a jump in health insurance coverage are now defining features of Tinubu’s health sector strategy. In education, the approval of N95.6 billion in student loans is helping indigent students stay in school, while nationwide programs are skilling up youth for the digital economy.

    This is not a portrait of a passive or distracted government. It is one of deliberate action, even under intense political fire.

    Yet, the more he delivers, the louder the opposition chorus becomes. It almost seems paradoxical. But if we return to the Lagos template, the same paradox was present then. Tinubu’s reforms were radical and transformative—but at every juncture, they invited resistance from entrenched interests. Today, those very reforms form the backbone of modern Lagos.

    In many ways, what Tinubu is doing nationally is Lagos 2.0—but at a far more complex scale. He is dismantling patronage networks, eliminating leakages, and pushing forward with decentralization in critical sectors like power. The Electricity Act of 2023, which allows subnational entities to generate and distribute power, is a game-changer that mirrors the autonomy Lagos once fought for.

    The regional development commissions now established across all six geopolitical zones are reshaping the national development framework. Infrastructure projects are springing up in every zone, from the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway. Meanwhile, over N570 billion in subnational support has gone directly to the states to fund livelihood programs and stimulate local economies.

    Tinubu’s critics often underestimate how methodical his governance model is. The President is not reacting; he is engineering. He is laying down systems that are built to last—often quietly, often without fanfare. Whether it’s the introduction of a Tax Ombudsman to ensure equity in the new fiscal regime or the pivot to compressed natural gas (CNG) to reduce import dependency, there is a long-game strategy in motion.

    So why does he face so much resistance?

    The answer may lie in what Financial Times recently called Nigeria’s “shock therapy.” No one likes surgery—especially without anaesthetic. Tinubu’s reforms, though necessary, have forced elites to give up privileges, and they’ve shaken the status quo. The subsidy regime, the forex manipulation, the excessive central bank lending—these were not just policy errors; they were profit centers for well-connected actors. Dismantling them creates enemies.

    But the President appears to understand the moment. He knows that political backlash is not a referendum on reform but a symptom of it. He knows that Nigeria cannot become a prosperous, functioning state without first becoming an honest one. And he is willing to pay the political price to get there.

    That, ultimately, is the recurring pattern. Tinubu leads with reforms, the system fights back, but history vindicates him.

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    The opposition may mass and the voices may grow louder. But if the Lagos story is any guide, then Nigeria may be witnessing the difficult, painful, but necessary path toward renewal. Tinubu is not merely navigating Nigeria’s current challenges—he is positioning the country for future prosperity. And as he enters the third year of his presidency, the signs are increasingly clear: water may indeed be coming out of this hard rock again.

    Tinubu is at it again. And history, once more, is watching.

    A Week of Reflection and Regional Leadership at Midterm

    The just-concluded week was not only momentous for President Tinubu but also for the Nigerian people, it was a natural moment for pause, reflection, and assessment for all. As Nigerians reviewed two years of the Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu remained characteristically immersed in governance, diplomacy, reform, and symbolism.

    If the past two years have been defined by bold decisions and structural realignments, then the President’s activities this week embodied both the spirit of review and the resolve to press forward. From the Presidential Villa in Abuja to the glittering halls of Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, the President demonstrated continuity in leadership, clarity of vision, and unwavering focus on both domestic and continental obligations.

    Governance at Home

    The President began his week with critical administrative engagements, notably a closed-door meeting some governors, Ministers and some heads of agencies, among whom was the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji. It came amidst a controversy involving the Federal Capital Territory Authority’s sealing of a FIRS office over alleged unpaid ground rent. On Tuesday, President Tinubu stepped into the political arena with the presentation of the APC governorship flag to Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, the party’s candidate for the Anambra 2025 election.

    Children’s Day provided a moment of solemn national reflection. Tinubu’s launch of the “See Something, Say Something, Do Something” campaign demonstrated his administration’s deepening focus on social protection systems. With all 36 states now domesticating the Child Rights Act, Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is making inroads into building a more secure and inclusive society. “Stand Up, Speak Up” wasn’t just the theme of this year’s celebration—it was the ethos of a government that wants children to thrive free from fear and violence.

    The President’s Tuesday also saw a string of goodwill messages—congratulating political elders and corporate trailblazers alike. From Hajia Raliat AbdulRazaq at 95 to oil industry leader Mutiu Sunmonu at 70, Tinubu’s tributes often doubled as reminders of Nigeria’s broad legacy of service and excellence.

    But it was in Lagos on Wednesday that President Tinubu seized the continental stage with grace and gravitas. As Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, he graced the golden jubilee celebration of the Economic Community of West African States—ECOWAS@50.

    His keynote address was more than ceremonial. It was a sweeping reaffirmation of the bloc’s founding ideals and a call to renew them. “Our region has pioneered free movement, expanded intra-regional trade, and deepened integration,” Tinubu declared. “Let us renew our compact—with courage, clarity, and conviction.”

    The President’s speech was rich with policy substance. He paid tribute to the legacy of founding leaders like Gen. Yakubu Gowon, celebrated ECOWAS’s achievements in peacekeeping, trade liberalisation, and democratic governance, and urged fellow leaders to place youth and women at the centre of future integration efforts.

    The ECOWAS gathering wasn’t just about history; it was a vision-setting moment. President Tinubu reminded the region that African unity isn’t merely a philosophical aspiration—it is a strategic imperative. With notable absentees like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, the President’s inclusive tone was deliberate: “Don’t push them away. They will come back,” echoed General Gowon—a sentiment Tinubu visibly embraced.

    The latter part of the week saw a flurry of activity aimed at deepening institutional reform. On Thursday, President Tinubu established the National Credit Guarantee Company with ₦100 billion in seed capital—another powerful signal that his administration is serious about unlocking credit access for MSMEs and industrial players.

    He also announced appointments to 36 new governing councils across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, following earlier appointments to key universities. These moves reinforce Tinubu’s intent to strengthen leadership across education, the foundation of any nation’s long-term prosperity.

    Crowning the week, the President signed an Executive Order to slash costs in Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector, promising tax incentives for efficient operators. The directive, coming at midterm, was no coincidence—it reflected a government ready to transition from foundation-building to consolidation.

    In a week steeped in symbolism and substance, President Tinubu did not simply mark time—he used the moment to deepen reforms, rally West Africa, and reaffirm his administration’s trajectory. As Nigeria steps into the second half of his first term, one thing is certain: the President is not looking back.

    And for a nation as dynamic as Nigeria, neither should we.

  • Tinubu is two!

    Tinubu is two!

    Just like yesterday, the President is already two years in the saddle. How time flies!

    After what looked like an impossible mission, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu survived all booby traps and defeated all foes, culminating in his swearing in as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29, 2023. Two years down the line, how has he fared?

    To do justice to this question, we must examine some of his programmes and policies during the period. I am going to start with the Student Loan Scheme probably because it is the one that fascinates me most.

    This initiative is revolutionising access to education in the country. The scheme, being administered by NELFund, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, is collaborating with about 218 institutions, with 608,955 registered students, out of whom 565,039 of them are currently enjoying the facility. That is to say their tuition fees are being taken care of with the loan, interest-free, while each beneficiary enjoys a monthly stipend of N20,000. The scheme is all about equal access to higher education for all eligible candidates and reduced financial stress on students and families.

    This is really something to cheer, especially in a country where there are no more scholarships as in the days of yore, and even bursaries that were taken for granted back then are also now elusive. Many of the professors and highly educated elites in the country enjoyed both several years back.

    Infrastructural development is another critical area the present administration has made significant incursions. Here, the monumental 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway that aims at connecting Victoria Island in Lagos to Calabar, readily comes into mind. Despite criticisms from certain quarters, the road would open up many unserved or underserved rural communities along that corridor for more economic activities, thereby fostering regional integration and boosting tourism.

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    Other vital road projects include the 1,000-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which is expected to connect Sokoto to Badagry, traversing Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, and Oyo states; the 46-kilometre Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Road, which will traverse Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa states, terminating at the Federal Capital Territory; and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 330 roads and bridges across the six geo-political zones of the country.

    On power supply, the government is trying too. Just that things had gone so bad in the sector for decades such that two years repair job cannot ensure stable power supply. We have attained the 5,000MW plus generation but we are still unable to wheel it all. We still experience national grid collapse. However, with the gradual decentralisation of the power sector, it is expected that more players would continue to show interest in the sector, thus engendering competition and boosting efficiency.

     But the energy sector is where the Tinubu administration has also recorded a major breakthrough. The Port Harcourt Refinery was able to come on stream again after years of downtime, in spite of billions sunk into its turn-around maintenance. Although it would seem there are still issues with aspects of its production, the fact is that it is still significant that the moribund plant could work again. The coming on stream of the Dangote Refinery has also helped in some ways to modulate fuel prices. Although fuel prices remain relatively high, there is the hope that things would get better when the competition in the sector gets keener. The good news for now is that the Federal Government is no longer paying subsidy on fuel that is imported into the country. That is a lot of savings for the country.

    Yet, fuel subsidy withdrawal has been a contentious issue in Nigeria for decades, with several governments carefully avoiding it. Although the full effect of the subsidy withdrawal might not be obvious now, state governments are some of the major beneficiaries of this policy, as their allocations have increased ever since.

    Another policy of the Tinubu government that has come under heavy attack is the merging of the multiple exchange rates in the country. I want to believe that many of those who might not have agreed with this policy must have seen the need for it after the disclosure of the mind-boggling 753 mansions that Godwin Emefiele, the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), could no longer own. Emefiele made a kill through the multiple exchange rate windows. That is no longer possible under the new arrangement.

     As they say, ‘’necessity is the mother of invention’’. Tinubu’s cancellation of fuel subsidy necessitated the search for cheaper alternatives to run vehicles. Nigerians naturally groaned as a result of the hike in transport fares, which also meant higher transportation costs, both for passengers and goods, agricultural produce inclusive. The Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGI) was launched in October 2023, to promote the use of CNG as a cleaner and more affordable alternative to petrol and diesel. It is aimed at facilitating the adoption of CNG and electric vehicles (EVs) in Nigeria, as a response to the removal of fuel subsidies and the rising cost of transportation.

    Commercial vehicle operators are to have the CNG kits fitted free of charge with the expectation that this would trickle down and ultimately reduce transportation costs, and positively impact the prices of foodstuffs. Private vehicle owners who wish to convert their vehicles to CNG use are also to be provided loans for the purpose.

    Aside some teething problems associated with such ideas, the initiative has made some progress. But its drivers have to run faster, in view of its importance in the scheme of things, particularly as it pertains to the transport sector.

    Then, the credit scheme. President Tinubu believes every hardworking Nigerian should have access to social mobility, with consumer credit playing a pivotal role in achieving this vision. He therefore initiated the Consumer Credit Scheme, which is well popular in many countries. It facilitates crucial purchases, such as homes, vehicles, even education, and healthcare, essential for ongoing stability for people to pursue their aspirations.   Many Nigerians are today happy beneficiaries of the scheme.

    In spite of the efforts of our military men, insecurity remains a serious issue. The government has to work more on this. If it means bringing in mercenaries again, at least in the interim, so be it. Security is the essence of any government. While those of us who feel the situation is getting better are looking at the figures, the families of victims are counting their losses in human terms.

    In the same vein, there is still the need to further bring down the price of food items. Rice is getting better; the same with beans, gari, etc. But eggs, chicken, beef, palm oil, groundnut oil, etc. are still on the high side in terms of price. The government must continue to work towards reducing transport cost and ensuring the safety and security of farmers on their farms. That is one of the reasons security is germane. It is not only about being able to sleep at home with two eyes closed; insecurity also affects food security if not wrestled to its knees.

    One other area the government must continue to work on is the exchange rate. This is at the root of the high prices we are experiencing that seem to be weakening whatever achievement the government has made. Petrol price, for instance, would go down if the value of the naira improves, and that is what Nigerians want to see. It is not enough sweet music in their ears that we are now producing fuel in the country; they want to feel this in terms of reduced pump price, among other things.

    The government has also made some progress in the health sector. President Tinubu, in December 2023, launched the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII). The administration is building several health infrastructures across the country. Just last August, the President approved the free Caesarean Section for the most vulnerable pregnant women across the country under the National Health Insurance Scheme, with over 2,000 pregnant women having benefited so far.

    One good thing about the government is that it has never denied the fact that the fuel subsidy withdrawal and merging of the exchange rates are impacting painfully on Nigerians, hence it came up with palliative measures to ease these pains. Indeed, President Tinubu in his speech late July 2023 acknowledged the economic challenges but expressed confidence in the effectiveness of his measures to improve the country’s economy and citizens’ wellbeing.

    About two months after his inauguration, the president enunciated an eight-point agenda towards this objective. These include a new national minimum wage, N125 billion for MSMEs, nine percent interest for SMEs and startups, food price stabilisation and N200 billion for farming. Others are infrastructure support for states, N100 billion for mass transit and funding of student loans. The president regretted this “…unavoidable lag between subsidy removal and these plans coming fully online,” in a speech he delivered late July 2023.

    It is important to stress at this juncture that for so long; many state governments did not play the role expected of them in easing the pains of the economic measures on the people, even when they had the Federal Government’s support in diverse ways to ensure this. They are closer to the people and should therefore be able to more meaningfully impact their lives to cushion the effects of the harsh economic climate, especially with more cash coming in monthly into their coffers from thee Federation Account.

    Perhaps I should seize this opportunity to mention an observation concerning some board appointments that the government has announced but are yet to be inaugurated. Here, one can mention those of the boards of essential parastatals like the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), whose chairman, Dayo Adeyeye, the proponent of the South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA), was named as far back as July, last year. Adeyeye’s SWAGA, it would be recalled, was one of the early believers in the Tinubu presidency, even at a time many could not see it becoming a reality. Another such parastatal is the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), whose chairman, Alhaji Umar Ganduje, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was also named about six months ago; nothing has been heard since then, concerning their inauguration. There are several others.

    The story of the Tinubu presidency at two is like that of the typical fowl that is sweating but its feathers would not allow people to see. There is no doubt that but for the high exchange rate, the impact of the policies of his government’s Hope Initiative would have had more salutary effect on Nigerians. The economy, truly stupid!

    This is the main reason many Nigerians, understandably, are still not happy with the government. But then, the familiar road that the Tinubu administration did not travel would have been far worse than the one taken by his government. His is a government with many game changers within so short a time, but it is a matter of time for the effects to be felt.

  • The rise, rise and rise of capitalism (XXI)

    The rise, rise and rise of capitalism (XXI)

    Immediately after WWI, it became clearly apparent that all other national economies outside the USA had all but collapsed completely. For the first time in history, a unipolar economic world had been created with the USA in as perfect a control of it as was possible to be at that time. Anxious to project her anti-imperial tendencies however, the USA took care not to be seen as overbearing as she could very well have been. She deferred as much as possible to both Britain and France when the Treaty of Versailles which brought the war to an end was being prepared. It is on record that those countries had come out from the war with their respective empires enhanced by the addition of territories to their colonial possessions  in Africa and the Middle East.

     US participation in the process leading up to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, unlike what we got from the other members of the victorious alliance was, on balance moderate and could even be considered to be positive. Whilst the Europeans were fiercely vindictive, the USA fought to tone down the demands which the victors inflicted on the vanquished. In the end, the crushing weight of these demands ensured that the war was resumed with heightened ferocity only twenty years after the guns fell silent on the muddy Western front. The British, more than anything else wanted to eliminate the threat of German naval power. After all, it was the build-up of the German Imperial Navy that led to the ruinous arms race that put a huge dent into the pre-war British economy and has been described as one of the major causes of the war. To satisfy British interest in this direction, all the vessels which made up the German Navy were handed over to Britain as a way of fulfilling the relevant articles of the treaty. As soon as the Armistice which marked the end of hostilities was signed, all the ships of the line in the German Imperial Navy were interned in Scraps Flow off the coast of Scotland, awaiting the signing of the Treaty after which the vessels were to be handed over to the British as war booty. On the day the Treaty was signed however, the German High Command, in a final act of defiance sent the entire German fleet down to the bottom of the sea. This was to prevent the ships from being used to augment the already formidable British naval power. On their own, the French also regained the territories of Alsace and Lorraine which they had lost to the Germans in 1871. On top of these, the victorious allies heaped all the blame for starting the war on Germany and her allies and slapped a heavy indemnity on them. In appreciation of the need to restore the German economy as quickly as possible however, the Americans granted loans to Germany to pay those war debts. It is interesting to note that Germany only managed to pay off those loans long after the reunification of East and West Germany in 2010, fully ninety years after those loans were contacted.

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    Woodrow Wilson, the bookish American President in an effort to prevent another world war tried to tone down the harsh conditions which the Allies insisted on imposing on Germany. Beyond that, he wanted to promote world peace into the distant future. One of the mechanisms with which this was to be done was the setting up of the League of Nations which was designed to find peaceful resolutions to international grievances as soon as they arose. Unfortunately, Wilson failed to get the ratification of this aspect of the treaty past his own Congress which refused to ratify it in an attempt to restore American isolationism in world affairs. This being the case, the USA was never a member of the League of Nations. Although virtually all independent nations joined the League, the absence of the USA was fatal to its intentions and its contribution to world peace was insignificant. After all, it failed miserably to prevent the outbreak of WW II. Before that, the League was unable to prevent the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, neither was it able to respond positively to the desperate pleas of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) when she was attacked and occupied by Italian forces in 1937. Czechoslovakia was similarly abandoned to her fate when she was attacked by Nazi Germany in 1938.

    Throughout the twenties, the US economy dominated the world in every aspect. This was due to the power of her capitalists. Beginning from the turn of the century, American industrialists led the world on all fronts. Her engineers pioneered the production of household appliances which took the drudgery out of housework and gave washing machines, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners sewing machines and other such tools to the world. At the other end of the scale, the American motor industry was on song. Henry Ford had not only produced a car, the Model T Ford, more than fifteen million of which were produced over the years but had also introduced the assembly line to his factory. This mode of production made it possible for Ford cars to roll off the line swiftly. Ford was a great innovator who believed in making it possible for the workers to have easy access to his cars which were as lowly priced as to be made universally affordable and put America on wheels. He also paid decent wages to his workers even though he was implacably opposed to unions which he excluded from his factories. He was also colour blind as he not only employed black workers but paid them the same wages as their white counterparts. Black workers who were fleeing blatant racial injustices in the South flocked to the Ford factories in Detroit making that city the auto capital of the USA and the world. The glory may have now departed from Detroit but her place in the history of vehicle manufacture remains secure. Henry Ford was a model, a massive employer of labour whose contribution to labour relations was way before his time, which is why the Ford Motor Company remains important to the rise and rise of capitalism today. Henry Ford has disproved the notion that it is necessary to screw the workers in order to make a healthy profit. Unfortunately, too many industrialists are not convinced of the merits of paying their workers a living, not to talk of generous wages.

    The American economy boomed as never before in the roaring twenties but it seems everything on earth is susceptible to the pull of gravity. Anything that goes up, must come down; eventually. Given that dictum, it may be said that it was inevitable that the American economy which was merrily cruising above the stratosphere had to come crashing down, back to earth. In any case, that is what happened when the great depression struck in the closing weeks of 1929. Many books have been written as to what was the cause of the great depression but what is apparent is that the great depression was brought about by a combination of factors each of which was weighty by itself. For several years prior to the crash, the stock market had been overheating even though there did not seem to be any foundation for the deals being made by a bevy of speculators. When the bubble finally burst, the whole rotten edifice came crashing down. Another, perhaps an additional source of instability is thought to be the imposition of the infamous Smoot-Halley tariffs. They were supposed to protect the American economy against foreign competition but the foreigners fought back with tariffs of their own to the detriment of the American economy which was consequently blown down like the proverbial house of cards. Whatever the cause, the immediate effects led to bank closures, bankruptcies and the wholescale loss of jobs. The country was broke overnight.

    The effects of the great depression was first felt in the USA but the ripples were soon felt all around the world. Times had been rough in Britain and this led to the general strike of 1926. The price of coal began falling in 1924 and in response, the mine owners decided not only to reduce wages but in addition to lengthen the working hours in order to maintain their profits. A typical capitalist response to the threat of a drop in profit. The miners rejected this proposal and the mine owners promptly locked them out. The miners went out on strike and were followed by members of other unions making it a general strike. But after only nine days the strike was broken and normal work was resumed. The general strike failed because members of the middle class and even the odd archbishop lined up  behind the mine owners. The miners continued their strike for another six months but in the end they caved in and went back to work on reduced wages and longer working hours. The capitalists won a complete victory, their precious profits adequately protected. There was no way that the miners were going to be allowed to delay the rise and rise of capitalism.

  • Tinubu and two years of ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’

    Tinubu and two years of ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’

    Two years later, it is evident that Nigerians made a wise choice. It is also clear that they never voted for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in vain. Despite the constraints, the country now faces the future with confidence and an assurance of a new lease of life.

    Through the implementation of the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’, a solid foundation has been laid for a brighter tomorrow.

    Most Nigerians did not doubt his competence, patriotism, and capacity to make the country recover from its challenges. Even his rivals were well-versed in his antecedents, battles, triumphs, networks, and pedigree as a thinker, strategist, tactician, dynamo, and risk-taker. They would have underrated him to their political peril.

    Many obstacles were thrown in his path. He was rejected by the nation’s self-proclaimed power brokers. He was disowned by influential leaders in the ruling party. Midway, he was deserted by some friends and subverted by close allies.

    The naira change sparked protests that were injurious to his bid for power as candidate of the ruling party. Many thought the cash scarcity was orchestrated by the government of the day to inflict pain on the hoi polloi. Leaders in the top echelon of his party suddenly denied the existence of a presidential zoning agreement in a bid to scuttle his chances. He was severely abused on social media by miscreants recruited to peddle lies about his health and wealth. The ignoramuses campaigned against his strategic option of a Muslim/Muslim ticket. Unable to find a rational ground, they labelled it a religious war, an Islamisation agenda.

    Ethnicity was also thrown up, as it is being attempted now, to incite tribes against one another. Ethnic felons invaded his home base. They infiltrated the state’s political space with the desperation of a hungry hyena. They ganged up for a defeat.

    After the inauguration, the opposition unleashed its media onslaught. The bad losers intensified efforts to distract him. The litigation battle was fierce.

    Akin to the infamous twelve two-thirds of the Second Republic, the self-appointed mathematics teacher of politics misinterpreted the FCT votes for a stand-alone calculation in the aggregated ballot. There were so many issues they filed before the tribunal for determination. The court tutored them how not to interpret the Electoral Law from the pedestrian’s pedestal.

    In the end, he survived the plots, the tricks, and the evil machinations of his foes.

    The opposition gang knew from the beginning that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would live up to expectations. They knew that even if he touched ashes, they would turn to gold. This reality of competence and capacity for performance has compounded their frustration and limited the effectiveness of their propaganda, prevarication, and falsehood in the media.

    They still build castles in the air about weakening the administration through virulent attacks, with the aid of a section of compromised and adversarial media, deluding themselves into believing that they could cajole Nigerians, who are the mass beneficiaries of the bold reforms, laudable policies and verifiable people-friendly programmes.

    As they gaze towards 2027, the coalition curators fear that after four years, the President would be unstoppable, having earned the full trust and undiluted respect of voters, who now reassess his administration realistically, based on its feats, despite the mounting socio-economic and political challenges.

    An experienced politician, President Tinubu knew where he was heading. He could not be teleguided by the forces of a principality – the cabal that had held the county by the jugular for decades.

    The President set out by setting up a cabinet of talents. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) is a reflection of the country’s political diversity. Indolence is not condoned among the members. A year and a half later, a corrupt minister and others who could not measure up were relieved of their positions.

    Never afraid to make tough decisions, the President, right on the inauguration ground at Eagle Square in Abuja, exhibited rare courage and dared the public enemies by removing the fuel subsidy. He could not be intimidated by the barons. They, therefore, regressed into the outdated campaign of calumny and cheap blackmail.

    Read Also: Infrastructural development in FCT monumental under Tinubu – Ortom

    The inexplicable subsidy usually drained over $10 billion each year. Within two months of its removal, Nigeria’s savings exceeded ₦1 trillion.

    Later, the forex was overhauled and much later, tax reforms were initiated. The harmonised exchange rates have been aligned. The pain of inflationary pressures was real. But it is transient. The bold step drew over $6 billion in foreign inflows and confidence in the currency was restored.

    In all his decisive steps, President Tinubu has been guided by a national interest. He is also not afraid of the judgment of history. But in sticking to the protection of collective interest, he has also motivated Nigerians to make a joint sacrifice because reforms require patience, time, and resilience.

    To his credit, the President consults widely; he is accessible and there is no blockage of feedback on his policy and programme implementation. He is not the President of APC but the leader of all Nigerians. He does not discriminate. Due to his style and method, he has been able to work smoothly with the governors and National Assembly members who now understand him as a symbol of unity.

    The synergy between the Executive and the National Assembly has contributed greatly to the smooth running of government, unlike the cat-and-dog relationship of the past when the Executive and the Legislature never saw eye to eye. It was as if the primary duty of the parliament was to bring down the Executive, and vice versa.

    This Executive/Legislative harmony has been uncritically confused with rubber-stamping by the lawmakers. But to right-thinking citizens, it underscores a dose of maturity critical to democratic stability. The mutual understanding has not led to the violation of separation of powers and checks and balances. It has doused conflicts and contributed to the prevailing peace in his administration.

    President Tinubu combines the experience of a senator, pro-democracy activist, governor, national party leader, opposition arrowhead, and president in steering the ship of state in a challenging time. His major opponents lack these rich credentials.

    The unique presidential style of wide consultation has heralded improved inter-governmental relations, exchange of ideas, conflict resolution, and consensus building. Under his watch, the President and heads of the sub-national units, irrespective of political leanings, share a joint vision of development. They are working harmoniously as partners in progress.

    Governance is demarcated, to a certain extent, from politicking, thus preventing a diversion of attention from state business. President Tinubu is endowed with irresistible social skills. Thus, the rapport between him and the governors from the opposition camp is confounding to opposition leaders who have been used to the hullabaloo of the past and the tension it unleashed on the polity.

    The increased allocations to states and local governments should foster development at the state and grassroots levels at a faster rate.

    Unlike in the past, the hands of the central government are not heavy on the other tiers that form the federating units. Gone are the days of ruptured and acrimonious federal/state relations that were characterised by federal bullying and seizure of state and council allocations.

    Neither is any anti-graft agency deployed as a malicious tool of oppression, suppression, blackmail, witch-hunting, and victimisation of perceived political opponents.

    A culture of equity is also being promoted. In resolving the crisis of distribution, the novel model of fairness and justice has given birth to six development commissions that are equivalent to the number of geo-political zones. Huge resources would be channelled to these agencies to meet the peculiar needs of the zones. It is now up to each region to ensure that the commissions meet the targeted objectives of regional development.

    President Tinubu has also given impetus to electoral reforms by ensuring that post-2023 off-cycle governorship and parliamentary elections substantially complied with the Constitution and the Electoral Act. He has shown that election is neither a war nor a do-or-die affair. That is the hallmark of statesmanship.

    The twin challenges inherited by the current administration are insecurity and a dilapidated economy. President Tinubu has fought terror with renewed vigour. Over 13,500 terrorists have been neutralised in the Northeast and Northwest. The no-go areas, particularly the Abuja/Kaduna axis, have been liberated from hoodlums.

    It is expected that other forms of violence will be curtailed when state police structures come on board. Border security has to be reinvigorated and the communities have to play their roles in combating insecurity through intelligence gathering and sharing. More policemen and soldiers should be recruited to fill the shortfall in the security architecture – at all levels.

    Also, it is expected that the ‘Nigerian Forest Security Service’ will harness local knowledge to secure rural frontiers and safeguard natural resources.

    The economy is a work in progress. But the hardship is coming to an end. The government has reported that over $10 billion FX debt has been cleared; a 3.84 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was recorded in the last quarter of last year, the highest in three years. Foreign exchange reserves have increased from $3.99 billion in 2023 to $23.11 billion last year. It should be pointed out that the GDP is also driven by the resilient non-oil sector.

    The government has attracted investment in the new oil and gas sector. Over 900,000 are beneficiaries of the Presidential Loan and Grant Scheme.

    However, much still needs to be done. Inflation is a big threat. The standard and quality of living need a lot of work to improve. Electricity supply is stabilising, but at a huge cost under the ubiquitous shylock service providers. The huge government support has not fetched many benefits to the citizens. The service providers still shortchange the industries, households, and individuals while smiling to the bank.

    The President recently approved ₦32.7 billion for the National Social Investment Programme (SIP). Fifteen million households are targeted for direct support.

    Also, the President has reinstated the conditional cash transfers to 12 million vulnerable households and launched the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation to expand formal lending to women and young citizens. If these schemes are implemented well, they would boost socio-economic adjustment and expand relief across the national social strata.

    Yet, three achievements still stand out: the N70,000 minimum wage payment to workers, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), and the successful infrastructure battle.

    More universities, polytechnics, and colleges are springing up across the country, thereby expanding access to tertiary education among the youth. But the upgrading of polytechnics to universities has provoked some debates. Are polytechnics not making enough contributions to technological development?

    The injection of more funds to the federal technical colleges is laudable. It is good news that technical college students would now be entitled to monthly stipends. In the nation’s quest for technological development, these colleges have big roles to play so that Nigeria would no longer rely on artisans from Benin Republic and Togo and Chinese technicians who have become highly prized expatriates.

    To the delight of Nigerians, Labour agitations for a minimum wage yielded results under the Tinubu administration. It is the baseline for earning a living wage. Now, labour tensions have drastically reduced. It is gratifying that some states, taking a cue from the Federal Government, are paying more. This is a positive signal to seeing an effective federalism in action.

    Indeed, no fewer than 300,000 students have benefitted from student loans. It is one scheme of equality and equity. The burden is being lifted off parents, guardians, and indigent students whose education was hitherto threatened by low socio-economic status.

    President Tinubu is constructing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. He has reiterated his administration’s commitment to completing the Lagos/Sokoto Highway and the Lagos–Ibadan standard-gauge railway. Recently, the President decided to make Nigeria a huge construction site. According to the Works Ministry, 440 road projects are ongoing. There is no geo-political zone that is left out. Through these projects, employment is generated. There will also be ease of movement, the market will be integrated and business will boom. It would be more pleasant if many governors could replicate these feats in their states.

    It is just half time in the time of this administration’s first tenure. So far, there is transparency and there is accountability. The President has two more years to do more and consolidate. Nigerians expect more giant strides across the sectors. The CNG conversion initiative is relatively slow. Yet, the gains would be enormous, if the initiative is fully embraced.

    Local government autonomy raised hopes. If it is delayed, they melt away. Nigerians have to decide whether the country should be a two-tier federation of one general, central, national, or federal government with the 36 states as coordinate units or a three-tier system comprising federal, state, and local governments. Either of the two is good, but the operators matter.

    The need for state police should no longer hang in the air. The Bill for its creation is taking too long and thirsty for presidential assent.

    It is gratifying that President Tinubu has been endorsed for a second term by his party. The opposition has pushed the country to a situation where Nigerians now earnestly anticipate 2027. There is a need for critical balance. Politics should not be allowed to divert attention from governance.

  • ‘Tinubunomics’ as last chance for the Nigerian bourgeoisie? (1)

    ‘Tinubunomics’ as last chance for the Nigerian bourgeoisie? (1)

    It is difficult to comprehend why the Financial Times titled its otherwise brilliant and nuanced editorial on two years of the President Bola Tinubu administration, published on May 29, as ‘Nigeria’s shock therapy’. The editorial did not disguise the newspaper’s fascination with the free market, neoliberal economic policies aggressively marketed and at times imposed especially on financially beleaguered, heavily indebted and chronically dependent third world countries by major international financial institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). But President Tinubu is no reflexive, unthinking afficiando of free market extremism. His support for neoliberal capitalist policies, an inclination noticeable even from the mid-eighties during the implementation of military President, General Ibrahim Babangida’s introduction of the Structural Adjustment Programme, (SAP), was not rigidly ideological. Rather, it was strategically pragmatic and understandably informed by his studying in the United States, his training as an accountant, his working in the public sector in America and rising to become Treasurer of Mobil Nigeria before his fateful foray into politics.

    Unlike those opposition political leaders who claim to be blind and deaf to any achievements of the Tinubu administration and insist that the administration has zero performance levels, thereby exhibiting their intellectual dishonesty and lack of moral integrity, the Financial Times in its editorial demonstrates a commendable grasp of pertinent issues in Nigeria’s political economy.  According to the newspaper’s Editorial Board, “On day one Tinubu removed a ruinously expensive fuel subsidy. More important still, the Central Bank has restored monetary policy orthodoxy after a shambolic era in which only cronies with access to cheap dollars benefitted. After a dangerous overshot, the Naira has stabilized, with the gap between the official and black market shrinking to almost nothing. The Central Bank has stopped printing money to pay for government profligacy. Politicians still spend too much, often on fripperies like an extravagant presidential Jet, but at least the government has begun to increase tax receipts”.

    According to the newspaper”Halfway through the first presidential term of Bola Tinubu, who completes two years in office this Thursday, Nigeria is in better shape than at any time in the past decade. That may come as a surprise -or even sound like a sick joke – to tens of millions of Nigerians who af living crisis in a generation. That may come as a surprise – or even sound like a sick joke- to tens of millions of Nigerians who are suffering the worst cost of living crisis in a generation. Yet, a former governor of Lagos and the country’s wiliest politician in a generation, has stabilized the economy and laid the groundwork for a broader recovery”.

    To build on this performance, the newspaper advised that the administration should tackle inflation with more urgency, build on tax reform by achieving its stated aim of doubling the ratio of tax collected to 18 per cent of GDP, spend envisaged higher tax revenue on neglected schools and clinics and confront Banditry and terrorism with the single-mindedness as it did monetary policy because “The army needs cleaning up as urgently as did the Central Bank”

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    The Waziri Adamawa stridently condemns what he describes as the reckless borrowing spree of the Tinubu administration while conveniently ignoring the explanation by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, that “There is no such thing as a $25 billion borrowing plan over six months or even over one year, what was laid before the National Assembly in line with the law and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework is project-linked borrowing to be disbursed over five to seven years”. Again, a case of unfortunate intellectual dishonesty.

    Alhaji Atiku accuses the Tinubu administration of implementing policies that only enrich a few and impoverish the majority of Nigerians. But the Waziri is least placed morally to raise such questions. He forgets how his former boss, General Olusegun Obasanjo, took him to the cleaners most vehemently and viciousl in his book, ‘My Watch’, for his alleged fraudulent role in the auction of some of Nigeria’s most prized public assets to his friends at give away prices far below their market values. When asked on national television to clarify the issue, Atiku  cynically wondered whether he should have sold the assets to his enemies! The fraudulent privatization programme undertaken by the PDP during its 16 years in power was a key factor in Nigeria’s protracted economic crisis. Was it not under the PDP administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan that the then Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) was unbundled into Distribution and Generating Companies and handed over to private operators who as it turned out had neither the financial capability nor the professional expertise to effectively discharge the responsibility thrust on them. That remains a key causal factor today in the conundrum that continues to plague Nigeria’s power sector.

    Most of the criticisms of the Tinubu administrasation’s two years in office have focused on the hardships engendered by the President’s harsh but inevitable economic reforms. But this is a cheap play on the emotions of Nigerians. The question is would the economy not have headed for a greater disaster, possibly terminal collapse, but for the clinical surgery that had to be performed on the patient through the reforms? For instance, the respected and cerebral Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan,  at the 2025 Catholic Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) Communications Week Public Lecture, called on President Tinubu to urgently address the severe economic hardship as well as the deteriorating security situation in the country which is obviously not an illegitimate demand.

    According to the cleric, “I do not think we are unfair to government if we say that in the last two years, our level of living has crashed considerably. The government is there to make sure that the level of well-being of Nigerians is maintained and if possible, improved. If he continues like this for the rest of his term, if we have a free and fair election, he will not win. Because how can the country bring him back, if we are not feeling good?”. Unfortunately, the problem with this type of criticism is that it assumes that the problem with the Nigerian economy was created in the last two years of the Tinubu administration. But the structural distortions at the root of Nigeria’s protracted economic crisis long predated the current administration.

    The problem with the import-substitution industrialization mode adopted during the colonial era and sustained by successive post-colonial governments, according to Professor Bayo Olukoshi, is that as it developed, “it became clear that its sustainability depended on the ability of the state to earn sufficient foreign exchange to met its needs, namely, raw materials, spare parts and machinery”. For as long as the state was awash with abundant foreign exchange earnings largely from munificent oil sales, there was no problem. This was why General Gowon as Head of State boasted in the early 1970s that Nigeria’s problem was not money but how to spend it. By the late seventies to early eighties, the bubble burst. Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings plummeted substantially and the manufacturing sector suffered a severe decline at a time when agricultural productivity and earnings had plunged abysmally. The military administration of General Obasanjo, the civilian administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari and the military regime of General Muhammadu Buhari were all forced to adopt different variants of austerity measures that left the fundamentally distorted structure of the economy unaddressed.

    By 1984, Nigeria’s economic and development planning had reached a veritable dead-end. Refusing to accept the IMF and World Bank conditionalities such as removal of fuel and other subsidies as well as the devaluation of the Naira, the Buhari-Tunde Idiagbon regime became isolated from the international monetary system while its policies such as drastically stepping up the amount of national resources expended on servicing debt to win the confidence of international creditors or the adoption of counter-trade to barter Nigeria’s crude oil for critical raw materials were largely ineffectual. In August 1985, Babangida stepped in as military President and radically changed the direction of Nigeria’s economic developmental trajectory by reaching an accommodation with the International Financial Institutions and implementing the Structural Adjustment Programme which met all of the IMF/World Bank conditionalities although it did not obtain the IMF loan due to fierce public opposition.

    Babangida fundamentally deregulated the economy especially prices and interest rates,  devalued the Naira, removed import controls, substantially reduced fuel subsidies, embarked on an elaborate privatization and commercialization programme of public enterprises among other essentially market-driven policies. But ultimately the outcome of these policies was to lead to massive de-industrialization of the economy with many formerly flourishing manufacturing companies shutting down, worsening unemployment, deteriorating infrastructure and services in health and education, escalating inflationary spirals and deepening poverty levels. Despite this, all governments after Babangida with the exception of the General Sani Abacha junta, adopted varying degrees and components of SAP. Perhaps Nigeria has no choice. In terms of policy articulation, enunciation and implementation, we are really not much different from a one-party state.

    It is in the interest of the political class, in spite of partisan differences, for the Tinubu administrasation’s Renewed Hope Agenda to succeed. This may be the last opportunity for the bourgeois class to demonstrate its capacity to lead Nigeria effectively and capably and avert the instigation of revolutionary pressures that may move Nigeria in a radically different direction. Luckily, the administrasation’s reform agenda is beginning to yield fruit. There has been a substantial increase in foreign reserves, inflationary spirals are gradually coming down as agricultural productivity picks up, our debt obligations are being steadily offset boosting confidence in the management of the economy, sub-national units of government earn markedly increased revenue accruals enhancing their capacity to deliver democracy dividends and ameliorate poverty, there have been impressive trade surpluses over the last three quarters, foreign direct investment is steadily growing while significant number of Nigerians are being positively impacted by such programmes as the Student Loans Scheme and the Presidential Loan and Grant Scheme to name just a few successes of the administration.

    But the administration cannot afford to rest on its oars. The President cannot allow any of his functionaries to lapse into complacency arising from self-satisfaction. As Professor Okwudiba Nnoli noted of the Babangida regime, its SAP actually met the targets it set for itself between 1986 and 1989. But in spite of this, this momentum was not sustained. IBB’s SAP ultimately failed. How can President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda’s successes be sustained and have an enduring and sustainable impact on the Nigerian economy?

    The Financial Times gives an important advice: “As Nigeria’s election cycle edges towards 2027, Tinubu May be tempted to slow the pace of change. That would be a mistake. He should forge ahead, with the overriding aim of making ordinary Nigerians – not just investors – feel the benefits of shock therapy”. But ‘Shock Therapy’ again? This was a phrase coined by the Canadian radical and progressive writer, Naomi Klein, in her best selling book, ‘The Shock Doctrine’. It is a term she uses to describe what she calls ‘disaster capitalism’. It is built on the economic philosophy of the late influential economist of the University of Chicago, Milton Friedman, who believed that natural disasters or even deliberately instigated occurrences such as wars provide great opportunities for private interests and corporations to take over public assets and turn them into profitable ventures in a way that governments can never do. That certainly is not the spirit of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

  • Wanted: Nigeria’s sports calendar

    Wanted: Nigeria’s sports calendar

    The 22nd National Sports Festival in Abeokuta lived up to Ogun State executive governor Prince Dapo Abiodun’s promises to make the games spectacular. Abiodun also provided the platforms for people in Ogun State to key into the different levels of economic activities before and during the games. This allowed the state to appreciate the extent of economic gains the festival created for their businesses. It was heartening that Abiodun bought into the suggestion of having a functional night activity during the games. This singular act brought bountiful harvests for those who provided the goods and services at night, as it ensured that the state government secured the city throughout the competition.

    Prince Abiodun, whilst reeling out how he planned to make the festival the benchmark for subsequent editions, took time to celebrate the state’s arts and cultural heritage potentials, not losing sight of the gains associated with making the Olumo Rock a sight-seeing adventure for visitors. Indeed, Ogun State is the heaven of admired clothing, and it was quite a spectacle watching how athletes and their officials scramble to buy them for personal use and as worthy gift apparel when they get home at the end of the games.

    Thank you, Prince Abiodun, for accepting to host the sports festival for the second time with the gains of the laudable way the games went not lost on critical stakeholders. The National Sports Festival is the premium competition of the National Sports Commission (NSC). And it amounted to good thinking by the immediate past Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, when he accepted the Ogun State’s offer to host the 22nd of the festive, which is easily one of the best editions of the multi-sports competition.

    It gladdens my heart that the next hosts of the competition are the Enugu State people where I did my NYSC in the early 1980s, although the State was known as Anambra State, From the hilltop of Awgu the NYSC camp to Awka, fond memories of Igwebuike Boys High School to Enugu State Sports Council, where I had a close relationship with great Enugu Rangers FC players such as the late Ogidi Ibuabuchi. I also remember ace cricketer Mbamalu (where are you now?).

    Read Also: Reps committee rejects WAEC delegation, insists on head of national office

    Interestingly, the Enugu State Government has promised to organise a quality 23rd  National Sports Festival (NSF) in December 2026 in the state. Lloyd Ekweremadu, Commissioner for Sports in the State, said this at a news conference in Abeokuta on Thursday.  

    “I must say that Ogun has done well, we assure you that you can expect a better deal in Enugu,” he said.

    One of the best federations in the country is the table tennis federation – easily the federation that has a calendar of activities that keeps the kids busy. What is missing in this deluge of competitions is adequate training and retraining of the coaches who teach them. When pitched against better-exposed stars, they start the process of losing games from the way they stand behind the table. Every stroke offered is decoded by the

    opponents who have taken their time to watch past tapes of their foes, a practice we hardly do here.  No one goes to battle blindfolded, not knowing what to expect. This is the biggest problem with Nigerian athletes. Too much guesswork. No proper grooming.

    It is important to stress here that immediately after the 1984  Los Angeles Olympic Games, the Jamaicans went back home to re-strategise using the American models of grooming athletes from the schools. The Jamaicans sent their sportsmen and women to America and even brought good coaches from America to create the structures for growth which they stuck to religiously.

    One of the greatest female sprinters in the world was a Jamaican, Merlene Ottey before the Jamaicans took the challenge to the Americans. In the 1980 Moscow Games, Ottey became the first female English-speaking Caribbean athlete to win an Olympic medal when she took the bronze. In the 2000 Olympics, at age 40, Ottey became the oldest female track and field medallist when she anchored the Jamaican women’s 4×100 metres to a silver medal. With the disqualification of Marion Jones, she was awarded the bronze medal in the 100 metres, making her the oldest individual medallist.

    The Jamaicans have stolen the thunder of the Americans in the sprints and even other track and field events. The myth surrounding the Americans in world athletics (track and field events), especially in the sprints was broken by the Reggae boys and girls.

    This is the kind of attitude Nigeria’s athletics needs to adopt if we truly want to return to the glory days of yore.

    The question to ask the NSC chieftains rests on the fact that this festival held in Abeokuta has propped up several potential athletes who, with adequate preparations, could make the medals’ podium at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Therefore, what should Nigerians expect from the NSC’s templates to ensure that the country breaks her duck at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games? At the root of whatever template there is at the NSC and the urgent need for a sports calendar for Nigeria which everyone can follow, especially the private sector and deep-pocket sports enthusiasts.

    But does the NSC have the coaches to groom those discovered in Abeokuta to stardom at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games? It remains to be seen. Frankly speaking, our coaches are ill-equipped for the job, especially with the derelict conditions of most of the stadiums in the country. With rustic facilities around the country, there is little these coaches can do. They are left with the tardy option of making good of what they can get. We are left with only one option – always going to Europe to set up camping sites and paying heavily in hard currencies to train for weeks leading to the major sporting tournaments. The sore point is that these endless trips to foreign countries to train have remained the norm, leaving the facilities worse than they were with every turn of sporting events.

    For Nigeria to catch up with the others, she must cultivate the habit of hosting major sporting competitions. That is the only way the Nigerian government can fund the repair works of the rustic facilities in the country.

    A blueprint is sacrosanct for sports to thrive and it must be anchored on the dire need to resuscitate moribund grassroots competitions that engage youths, taking them away from the vices of the society.

    The emergence of a sports policy endorsed by the government will create jobs, such that this industry could, in the next 10 years, become the highest employer of labour.

    The policy should challenge local government chairmen to build at least four mini-sports centres that would serve as playgrounds for their constituents in the absence of such structures in the schools in the 774 local government areas.

    Multiply four mandatory mini-sports centres by 774 local governments, and what you get (3,096 mini-sports centres) would set the platform for the industry to grow. Blue-chip companies will then leverage their products and services on this enterprise since their target audience is the masses who will throng the centres to watch competitions.

    The spiral effect of blue-chip firms identifying with this new initiative is that the local government areas could recoup their investments because they could offer to name these facilities after the firms alongside other marketing windows that the initiatives offer, such as kitting and moulding the career paths of athletes discovered to stardom. 

  • Between JAMB and WAEC, what oversight from the National Assembly?

    Between JAMB and WAEC, what oversight from the National Assembly?

    “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”—Nelson Mandela

    Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school (OOS) children in the world with about 20 million across the country. About 12.4 million never attended school at all while about 5.9million dropped out of school too early. This, according to statistics means that Nigeria alone accounts for about 15% of the global total. What this means is that the population of educationally disadvantaged children in Nigeria in a 21st century world is almost the population of about three or more countries combined.

    This startling statistics have been the object of discussion at United Nations education agencies like UNICEF and UNESCO. The implications are dire. Education has no alternatives in our modern world where technology and Artificial intelligence (AI) have become the order of the day. Education according to Malcolm X, “…is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today”.

    Nigeria’s successive governments seem not to fully appreciate the value of education in development. There is a seeming ignorance about the impact of illiteracy in the Nigerian political economy. Nigeria has a staggering number of about 137 million citizens living in multi-dimensional poverty.  A huge percentage of the problem of poverty is illiteracy in a world ruled by ideas polished through education. Nigeria has never met the UN annual budgetary benchmark of 26% for education. In fact, it has never even hit 20% in any given year.

    This has very huge implications. The education system doesn’t seem to serve the maximum number of people. So many socio-religious issues seem to be on the way.  There is lack of total appreciation for the prime value of an educated population.  Successive governments  seem to pay lip service to education and the result is what we have at the moment where things seem to go from bad to worse.

    Most times, those at the helm of education do not appear to put emphasis on the right requirements. Teachers are some of the least paid public servants. This sadly is why very few young people have the ambition of being teachers. Teachers are treated as second class workers as their salaries are often too poor especially in public schools. Infrastructural development is equally poorly managed across the country as some pupils and students still study in very pathetic environments like under trees and barely roofed classrooms. No one knows how much is invested by government in teachers’ training schools to make it more attractive.

    Early marriage, insecurity and poverty are some other factors that affect school enrolments and there seems to be little attention paid to enforcing child enrolment at least for the basic primary education that is compulsory and free across the nation.  The proliferation of private schools that are often out of the reach of many parents came as a result of lack of government attention to public schools which ironically today’s politicians gained from in their days, most even with either state or federal scholarships. Paradoxically, most Nigerian politicians in contrast to the teachers that groomed them live in obscene luxury.

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    The Roundtable Conversation had in the last few weeks discussed the unfortunate muddled up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that is the organizing body for the exams. More than three hundred thousand candidates had had to retake the examination because of what the registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede alleged was a technical glitch caused by some individuals in the organization.  A 19 year old female candidate had out of frustration for the poor marks she received from the exam body committed suicide. She might not be the only one but her case came to limelight through the media. Some other affected students might not commit suicide but both them and their parents are traumatized and might be forever impacted by that singular mishap. Many others might drop the idea of tertiary education completely even if they are super talented.  Those would be loses to the nation.

    Just as Nigerians tried to take the JAMB tragedy in their stride while waiting for full investigation and disclosure by the organization, videos of West African Senior School Certificate Examination  (WASSCE) students writing their English language exams with torch lights in several examination centers flooded the media. Students were seen struggling to write exams in very horribly dark examination centers with all sorts of improvised lighting. Some parents and guardians were seen around expressing their outrage and discomfort.

    The question is, what is really the value the nation puts on education? This is not a problem with budgeting or infrastructure, this is purely the failure of those in charge to plan and to be sensitive to what ought to be normal course of events.  Let’s assume for anything that there were logistical problems, why did the West African Examination Council (WAEC) not postpone the exams in the affected centers to a later date? Why should children be subjected to such an tacky examination environment? What kind of mental torture were those children subjected to and what results no matter how brilliant a student is can be expected to be produced under such conditions?

    These two incidents with JAMB and WAEC are testimonies to how careless Nigerian agencies can be with education. Even if JAMB can be excused based on possibly technical issues which is normal with human processes, what excuses does WAEC have for making students write examinations with torch lights and candles in 2025? By the way, the exam is a regional one and Nigeria seems to be the black leg.This is very telling of a dysfunctional system where people do not care for consequences of their actions. We expect heads to roll.

    Then the question is, why do these things happen in a country with the most educated and talented Africans in the world? Lack of reward and punishment easily comes to mind. These recent incidents are not isolated cases. There have been a litany of dysfunction in both exam bodies over the years but sadly not many if any heads had rolled in punishment. Who are those whose negligence normally causes exam malpractices and fraudulent centers to thrive? What attempts have been made to nail perpetrators?

    The Roundtable Conversation knows that there are Committees both at the House of Representatives and the Senate that have Oversight functions over the Ministry of Education and affiliate agencies. What do they assume is their job? Do their duties just end at appropriating funds to these agencies? What diligence do they bring to the table in a country that should be number one in education in the world? It seems they are mainly reactionary when cases  of incompetence or negligence is highlighted by the media.

    The essence of the third tripod of Oversight as the function of the legislature in a democracy is for them to be actively a supervisory body that takes detailed interest in the executive arms and the agencies under them. The Nigerian legislature possibly assumes that their only job is to take care of their own welfare and grandstand as the second arm of government  without much active participation through stringent oversight functions.

    The Nigerian legislators seem to misunderstand their legislative roles. They are the ones with the proverbial sword of Damocles that should fall on any erring executive ministry or agency. Rather what happens is that they almost always react following public outrage. This is why it does appear like there are no barricades and ministries and agencies often do not act in the interest of the people.  A good party loyalty route should be in making sure that the ministries and agencies work for the people of Nigeria.

    On the face of it, the tragedies with JAMB and WAEC would appear as minor issues that can be swept under the carpet but a good analysis of the issues involved shows that such issues contribute to the decline of interest in education in the country and Nigeria cannot afford to slide down the education slope given the already bad state of illiteracy in Nigeria. Institutions like JAMB and WAEC as academically inclined agencies must like Ceasar’s wife, be above reproach.

    The impact of these pitfalls can be far reaching. More young people would drop out as the agencies stumble through carelessness and negligence through trust deficits. Academic achievements don’t come easy. To create extra huddles for students and parents just exacerbates the problems in the education sector. The two examination bodies through all the systemic tackiness merely discourage interest in scholarship in young minds.

    Underdevelopment is not a national disaster. It is a result of lack of planning and prioritizing human development. The metaphoric Singapore that Lee Quan Yew created emerged because he invested in the human capital of his country. Today, a country of less than 6million people with very few natural resources is in the first world. It was not a divine miracle. The leadership of the country and many of the Asian Tigers are where they are today because of investment in education of their human capital.

    Sadly, Nigeria with all its human and material resources is still an underdeveloped economy with millions in the abject poverty index. There must be a concerted effort to take education more seriously in the country and prioritize the sector along with healthcare. This is why donor agencies and individuals like Bill gates invest so much money in the health and education sector. Nigeria has a decision to make!

    •The dialogue continues…

  • Ukraine: Warning to the West

    Ukraine: Warning to the West

    As an historian, I can’t fault the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in its effort to support Ukraine in its determination to defend itself against Russia, the bully neighbour who, in the last 14 years, has been gradually invading the country; first of all, by seizing Crimea on the basis that most of the people living there are Russian speaking. After getting away with this, Russia invaded the Eastern part of Ukraine some 14 years later, on the basis of protecting “Russia abroad “and stopping NATO expansion towards Russian western borders.

    If Russia is allowed to get away with this, it will be dangerous for the world where there are “language diasporas,” such as French speakers inhabiting some parts of Belgium, Switzerland in Europe, German speakers inhabiting some parts of Italy, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and Austria.

    These facts of history do not have to constitute “linguistic determinism,” or territorial irredentism, the kind that Adolf Hitler championed leading to disastrous consequences of the Second World War. The world is right when it recalls that Neville Chamberlain kowtowed to Adolf Hitler by thinking a piece of paper signed by the German dictator would guarantee peace in Europe. This, of course, did not guarantee peace and that this kind of “Appeasement “is what the Western world should avoid in its policy towards Putin.

    They argue that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.  The presence of Russian speakers in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia should not be a reason for Russia to invade those countries. This is a powerful argument. But in these days of nuclear weapons, can one pursue the same policy that made sense in the pre-nuclear weapons world that Russia must be resisted by all means ?

    I don’t always agree with President Donald Trump, but his point is that if Putin is pushed to the wall and he feels that Russia would have to go down fighting, he may be tempted to use nuclear weapons and NATO would have to retaliate in an unwinnable war.

    Recently, Herr Friedrich Merz, the new German Chancellor leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), issued a statement that the previous restriction placed on the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine by Germany for defence within Ukraine no longer applies, and that Ukraine is free to use the weapons within Russia.  Putin quickly reminded the Germans that old and young Russians remember their country being levelled by German panzer tanks during the Second World War. The Germans are apparently following what the British told the Ukrainians about eight months ago, that they were free to use British drones and tanks within Russia. But the Russians are particularly historically sensitive about their losses at the hands of the Germans in the Second World War.

    President Biden restricted the use of American weapons to within Ukraine. Apparently, the Europeans are changing tactics because of Russia’s irresponsible military attacks on Ukraine in recent times following missile and drones attack on the country, even during President Trump’s so-called mediation.

    The Russian leader has warned that any NATO weapons attack on Russia would be welcomed with retaliation in kind. If this were to happen, the NATO doctrine is “attack on one would be regarded as attack on all.” In a case like this, a world war would break out and each of the nuclear armed camps would be eager to deliver the first blow, even though this would not matter because both the USA and Russia have Second Strike Capability. This is a terrible situation to contemplate; it is a terrible scenario to imagine.

    Even those of us in the undeveloped countries in Africa would perish as a result of nuclear fallouts.  This is what informed President J.F. Kennedy’s warning to the world in 1961 that “in the event of nuclear war, the living would envy the dead.”

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    I remember, years ago, discussing this possibility of Armageddon in my International Relations class, and a young lady followed me to my office crying. I was worried and asked her what was wrong, and she unabashedly told me I upset her. I asked her to sit down and drink a glass of cold water, and asked her what I said that upset her so much.  I was amused when she said it was OK for an old man like myself to talk about the end of the world so casually. She said what would happen to them, young and unmarried ones, who hope to marry and have their own families. Then I told her the scenario I painted need not happen if intelligent people are at the command of global politics.

    Recently, President Trump sacked the 100-manned USA Council of National Security on the basis of redundancy and economic considerations, and was satisfied with running US foreign policy alone. This scared me because, to be sincere, the man’s “one-man foreign policy” is dangerously heading towards the rocks!

    I can agree with Trump sometimes that the Russian strong man Vladimir Putin is determined to create a Russia that is neither inferior to the USA nor China in a triumvirate of global powers, and is ready to bring the global edifice down on all our heads if he cannot achieve this! And that we need to be careful how we treat him, with understanding and some kind of dignity.

    What is to be done.? I suggest that NATO, including the USA, should arm Ukraine, especially with air defensive weapons, including drones, missiles and aircraft and anti-aircraft weapons, to make the constant air attack by Russia of no account. NATO should ensure artillery and tanks superiority for Ukraine and encourage NATO nationals who want to fight the Russians to go to Ukraine as people volunteered to fight the Francisco Franco dictatorship in Spain in the 1930s, so as to wear the Russians down.

    The sanctions against Russia should be so tightened as to include sanctions against those trading with Putin like China, India and Brazil.  Russia has reduced itself to a third world country exporting raw materials alone, particularly gas, wheat, and oil; and these are available in many countries. If Russia cannot export these, it will run out of money to pay its soldiers and mercenaries, including North Koreans. 

    A policy of isolation will drive home the policy of global ostracism to the average Russian so that they would be restive in their opposition to their own government and the entrenched oligarchy supporting the policy of language determinism, irredentism and armed-fist imperialism in Europe.

  • Tinubu: Two years on

    Tinubu: Two years on

    Today, the President turns two in office. It has not been a smooth ride since Asiwaju Bola Tinubu got into office on May 29, 2023. The campaigns and his election were tempestuous. There was a determined bid by his own party and its top echelons to stop him, even before the race began. There was no let up during the race itself as the party and the opposition almost coalesced to work against his election.

    The Jagaban of Borgu (Jagaban for short) has not known respite despite being President in the past two years. The opposition is still beating the drums of war, belching out threats of a coalition, the same arrangement that failed in 2023, to stop him in 2027. This is no time to talk about that major event coming up in two years. It is time to look at what President Tinubu has done in the past two years when the kingmaker became king. But then talking about the last two years will lead us to what to expect in two years time, precisely the 2027 elections.

    Tinubu came into office prepared. This is why he often says that he begged for the job and must deliver, and as such there cannot be any excuses for failure. He was determined from Day One to take hard decisions and the first one he took is still rocking the polity.  His ‘fuel subsidy is gone’ remark at his inauguration at the Eagle Square is the stuff of which legends are made. It was a bold and audacious statement not contained in his address but brought in at a moment only known to the President. It was a statement that showed that this President is not going to be one that played by prepared texts only.

    It will be a Presidency that breaks away from the norm, now and again, in order to achieve its objectives. Nigerians have seen that from his way of handling issues in the past 24 months. He is focused, knowledgeable and insightful. He does not play Mr I-Know-IT-ALL, and at the same time, he does not allow himself to be led by the nose. As expected, the ‘fuel subsidy is gone’ remark has come to be what his antagonists use to harangue him. To them, subsidy removal has become the nation’s headache because the price of petrol shot through the roof.

    They accuse the President of implementing the agenda of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which advocated subsidy removal before coming to the country’s economic aid. The truth is only the President can explain why he took that decision on the spur of the moment, so to say. No matter how you look at it, it has turned out to be a wise decision, after the initial protests against it. Though its price is high, petrol is now available all-year round, without the usual queues seen at filling stations at festive seasons. This is the result of the liberalisation (or is it deregulation?) of the downstream sector, which allows market forces to determine price.

    Though some are not comfortable with this principle of market forces, there is no doubt that in this circumstance, it has worked to the extent of ensuring regular availability of the product across the country, something that was strange before Tinubu’s coming. Tinubu’s flotation of the exchange rate almost at the same time with subsidy removal was also considered economically suicidal, with certain experts wondering how both policies could work simultaneously. The President listened to all these complaints, but stuck to his guns. Leaders are not known for allowing themselves to be blown here and there by the wind.

    They are known for their surefootedness and steadfastness. Taking a decsion and standing by it is the hallmark of a leader, but at the same time, he must also be prepared to admit it when he is wrong. But the fear of being wrong should not stop him from having the courage of his conviction. A leader should not be deterred by fear, but propelled by the will to do what is right for the common good. That the economy is bouncing back today is as a result of his keen foresight on what to do. The exchange rate may still be high at over N1500 to the dollar, but Tinubu is not resting on his oars to marry the fiscal and monetary policies to address the imbalance. But it will not happen overnight.

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    The public, according to analysts, are impatient. They want to see things corrected in no time. This is understandable considering what they have gone through. There are no quick fixes to any nation’s problems. These challenges are addressed with time. Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA) is restoring hope in various facets of life. With infrastructure springing up here and there, the President has in 24 months done what his predecessors could not do, even during their two terms of eight years. Virtually rebuilding an economy from scratch the way he has done since 2023 is not easy. As he says, he is not in it for the blame game, but to turn atound the fortunes of hapless Nigerians.

    This is what his programmes on student loans, conditional cash transfer, power subsidy, youth empowerment, road construction and rehabilitation, healthcare delivery and affordable drugs, widening the tax net to get the rich to pay more in order to subsidise the poor, diversification from oil to non-oil economy and ease of doing business, amomg others, are about. It will take time for some of these policies and programmes that are in their gestation period to germinate. The results of some are already manifesting. For instance, over 500,000 students have benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), helping many students who would have dropped out of school to continue their education, without fear of where the funding would come from.

    As proof that Tinubu is building a resilient economy, the country has paid the $3.4 billion IMF COVID-19 loan, raising its status in the comity of nations and among multilateral institutions. The external reserve is about $40.19 billion, which is over $6 billion higher than what it was in 2023. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) also rose to $6.2 billion last year, reflecting a $1.4 billion increase in two years, while the gross domestic product (GDP) shot up by 4.6% last year, indicating the highest rise in 10 years. All these in the space of two years.

    Without being told, the President knows that it is not Uhuru yet. More still needs to be done, especially in the area of security. Insurgency has resurged in the Northeast, especially in some parts of Borno and Adamawa states. The military must step up the fight against insurgents and bandits who are making life difficult for the people. Whether by symmetric or asymmetric warfare, or whatever other action, the military and its sister agencies cannot and should not allow any part of Nigeria to be in the hands of non-state actors. They should be flushed out, no matter what it takes.

    It is only by so doing that the people can enjoy the dividends of democracy and the President will have the peace of mind to concentrate on their welfare, which is the primary duty of government.