Tag: tinubu

• By Bamidele Atoyebi

One really wonders why the hullabaloo about the frequent travels of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu without checking the boxes of what those travels have yielded, leaving one with the impression that those dwelling on it do so in just playing opposition politics. Or do we then take it that seeing nothing more to complain about with the numerous successes of his recovery policies, they have to latch on to every minute and mundane issue as a handle to not being blown into oblivion, maybe, something to keep them in the limelight?

I guess the best objective approach is to interrogate with facts and figures where the situations were before the travels and where they presently are which when plotted in a graph would have seen a steady upward trajectory on all indices of recovery.

While being minded on looking at the gains, one is in a quagmire on how to explain it without listing the gains  as capturing all of them in a single narration will be an exercise in futility and leaving anyone out will be a disservice to Mr. President’s efforts and report card.

However, we have to advert our minds to few of them which will in all ramifications not be exhaustive.

The statistics of the opposition may look good on.paper but is dwarfed by the performance indices. They argue that in January, the President spent only 10 days in Nigeria and some say 22 while others say 23 days outside. They failed to see the silent declaration of emergency on the issues that take him away from the comfort of his domain to go to even areas with well known conflicts just to extract the best for the country.

It is an aphorism that spectators always escape with the impression that they can do better from the sidelines till they are physically in the fray where they realise that they gasp for air without any tangible performance which reduces their opinions and criticisms to mere huffing and puffing- hot air. On the diplomatic front, President Tinubu has been hitting the bull’s eye with consistent rapidity or who would have thought that the “gun ablazing” Donald Trump threat will quickly transmogrify into the closest diplomatic relationship the country has ever had with the United States of America? Whereas when the country was in dire need of defence products for use to deal with its security challenges, we were denied on flimsy excuses but what we couldn’t get when relations were rosy, Tinubu has navigated it and we are getting all we want and can pay for…a rate feat.

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While Obama blocked Nigeria’s attempt to acquire U.S.-made fixed wings and armaments via Israel, citing Nigeria’s anti-LGBTQ stance and human rights concerns, those same helicopters are now being built in American factories for the Nigerian Air Force with some already delivered and inducted into service with visible effects. Biden suspended the sale of Super Tucanos to Nigeria over alleged human rights concerns, but Trump with all his threats  has been made by Tinubu to lift the ban and approve the deal. Added to that is the prized resumption of intelligence sharing with Nigeria, but significantly expanded it. Something that would have been unthinkable during the Biden and Obama eras.

Not since the Bush and Obasanjo era have defense ties between the two countries been this close. It appears Republican administrations take a more pragmatic approach to defense relations with Nigeria than Democrats.

On the Turkiye visit that opposition has taken umbrage on, a lot have been achieved as the  first Turkey bank has concluded plans to open office in Nigeria in furtherance of deepening trade and financial relations. That will come with jobs for Nigerians as well as businesses that would leverage on the operations for their lines of businesses. In that visit, Tinubu inked a total of nine agreements on defence, energy, military training and equipment, intelligence sharing, health, education and prized trade investment valued at about $5 billion and in reality, Nigeria- Turkey trading crossed five billion. That definitely were not lightly considered given the military advancements of that country and it’s experience in tackling insurgency. Perhaps what the opposition should have applauded is the delicate balancing between defence agreements with America and Turkiye, as each country rarely allows mixing their defence knowledge with countries opposed to their systems but Tinubu has leveraged on both without the usual rancour associated with it.

The strident gains of the Nigerian military against insurgents and terrorists are undeniable gains from the frequent trips which have made capacities and positive policies to favour the country. Drones, shared intelligence and availability of real time information that has led to decimation of terrorists and insurgents.

As it stands, there is no home in Nigeria without Turkish products while a lot of investments of Turkey citizens in Nigeria with over 44 companies and a combines business value of nearly $10 billion. The interface between Nigeria’s private sector and that of Turkey will bouy manufacturing and assist Nigeria in its quest for industrialisation.

Back home, salaries of civil servants have been increased and taxes on incomes below certain figures  are exempted while inflation has been on a steady decline thereby increasing the purchasing power of the ordinary Nigerian. He has successfully enthroned the policy of progressive tax which takes more from the rich to provide services for the poor. Food inflation has been on the decline which all prove that Tinubu is adroitly combining repositioning Nigeria globally while easing pressures on Nigerians on the inside.

His consultations and execution of policies in the financial sector has led to the removal of Nigerian from the financial grey list which shows global confidence on the Nigerian economy which has manifested in unprecedented increase in our foreign reserves to an all time high, nearing the $50 billion mark.

Now, the international Monetary Fund has put the projected growth rate of the Nigerian economy at over 4.4 percent  and  classed Nigeria among the 10 most economic contributors to global growth. All these are just within two years.

Tinubu should be commended instead of villified over these strides that we now take for granted but hitherto were above expectations.

•Bamidele Atoyebi is the Convener of BAT Ideological Group, National Coordinator of Accountability and Policy monitoring and a publisher at Unfiltered and Mining Reporting.

By Jude Obioha

In Nigerian politics, perception often travels faster than facts. Few issues illustrate this better than the chorus of criticism surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s foreign trips. For months, critics have framed his diplomatic engagements as excessive travel, as political optics over substance. But that narrative is increasingly collapsing under the weight of tangible outcomes. The truth is that Tinubu’s foreign engagements are not leisurely excursions; they are deliberate economic and geopolitical missions, and Nigeria is already harvesting the dividends.

Democracy indeed demands scrutiny, and no president should be immune from public questioning. Yet accountability must be grounded in evidence. After nearly three years in office, the president’s diplomatic drive has begun to reshape Nigeria’s global standing, unlock investments, deepen security cooperation, and reposition the country as a confident actor on the international stage. What critics dismiss as frequent travel is, in reality, a recalibration of Nigeria’s foreign policy, moving from its hitherto passive diplomacy to assertive economic statecraft.

Consider the administration’s approach to global partnerships. Tinubu has revived Nigeria’s relevance as a strategic player across multiple power blocs by working simultaneously with the United States, China, the European Union, Türkiye, Brazil, and the Gulf states, amongst others, without surrendering national autonomy. For decades, Nigeria oscillated between dependence and isolation. Under Tinubu, engagement is now transactional but mutually beneficial and balanced, guided by national interest rather than old master–servant dynamics. The renewed geopolitical confidence is evident in security cooperation, intelligence sharing, and the willingness of global partners to treat Nigeria as a regional anchor in West Africa’s fragile security landscape.

The economic dividends are equally compelling. The president’s visit to China delivered more than ceremonial handshakes; it secured billions in investments aimed at industrialisation and job creation. The $3.3 billion Brass Industrial Park and Methanol Complex alone has the potential to reduce petrochemical imports and strengthen local manufacturing capacity. Agreements with automotive and technology giants are advancing local vehicle assembly, smart city development, and digital infrastructure, which are practical steps toward modernising Nigeria’s urban economy. Added to these are currency cooperation initiatives designed to ease pressure on the naira, making the picture clear: diplomacy is being weaponised for economic stabilisation.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Tinubu’s diplomacy resolved a tense standoff that had grounded flights and restricted visas for Nigerians. The restoration of travel ties was only the beginning. A sweeping economic partnership now offers the UAE duty-free access to thousands of Nigerian products as well as new infrastructure financing and investment frameworks across defence, agriculture, and logistics. The symbolism was powerful: Nigeria negotiated from a position of strength, securing concessions without immediate conditions for debt repayment; an outcome that restored confidence among investors and citizens alike.

Brazil provided another strategic breakthrough. The $1.1 billion Green Imperative Project promises agricultural mechanisation on a scale Nigeria has long struggled to achieve. At the same time, direct Lagos–São Paulo flights under a renewed aviation agreement could unlock billions of dollars in investment at the same time, by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, partnerships in renewable energy, biotechnology, and local drug manufacturing position Nigeria to reduce import dependence and expand its technological capacity.

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Türkiye, often overlooked in public discourse, represents one of the most consequential security partnerships. Agreements covering advanced drone technology, intelligence cooperation, and specialised military training directly strengthen Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations. Trade relations are also projected to more than double, reflecting a pragmatic blend of defence and economic diplomacy.

Beyond the numbers, Tinubu’s diplomatic posture has demonstrated crisis management. When tensions escalated with the United States over Nigeria’s “Country of Particular Concern” designation, the administration chose dialogue over confrontation. Through structured engagement coordinated by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria secured deeper defence collaboration and access to much-needed security equipment, as well as training, logistics, and intelligence sharing. It was diplomacy with measurable outcomes.

None of this suggests that criticism should cease. Nigerians are right to demand transparency, cost-efficiency, and clear metrics for every foreign trip. But fairness requires acknowledging results. The administration’s travels have delivered investments, restored diplomatic bridges, opened markets for Nigerian products, and strengthened security alliances at a time when global competition for capital and influence is intense.

The gloves may be off in Nigeria’s political discourse, but facts must remain the referee. Tinubu’s foreign trips are not a distraction from governance; they are a core instrument of his diplomatic, economic and security strategy. In a rapidly shifting global order, a president who stays home risks leaving his country behind. By contrast, Nigeria’s current diplomatic offensive is gradually yielding a bounty, one that could define the nation’s economic and geopolitical trajectory for years to come.

•Obioha is the Director of Strategy, Hope Alive Initiative (HAI), a group dedicated to good governance in Nigeria