President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged Nigerians to support his administration’s economic programme, arguing that reversing its policies would revive longstanding problems despite the hardship they have caused.
In his Independence Day address on October 1, 2026, marking 66 years since independence, Tinubu said the changes were intended to correct structural weaknesses that had accumulated under successive governments.
He argued that earlier administrations had postponed difficult decisions, relying instead on measures that preserved an inefficient system and allowed economic pressures to grow.
The President likened the situation to treating the pain of a serious illness without addressing its underlying cause.
His government, he said, had chosen a more demanding course, while recognising that the transition had brought significant consequences for Nigerians.
President Tinubu cautioned against calls to restore subsidies and reverse the changes, saying such a move could return the country to the conditions that prompted reform.
He urged the public to focus on the longer-term goal of economic recovery.
He said poverty had increased and public confidence had weakened by the time he took office in 2023, making substantial policy changes necessary.
President Tinubu said the programme was ultimately intended to build a more prosperous country and expand opportunities and dignity for its people.
He presented the effort as part of a broader attempt to realise the promise of Nigeria’s independence.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong