Precious Nwonu, Enugu
The Presidency has rejected a recent assessment by The Economist that Nigerians dislike President Bola Tinubu, describing the publication’s position as “intellectual fraud” and defending the economic reforms introduced by the administration.
The reaction was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, titled, “Beyond the Economist Condescension: Nigeria’s Re-engineering Under Tinubu is Unstoppable.”
The Economist had, in an October 1 analysis titled “Nigerians Dislike Their President, But May Re-elect Him Anyway,” examined Tinubu’s political prospects ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The publication linked the President’s continued electoral competitiveness to factors including incumbency, opposition divisions and Nigeria’s political dynamics.
Dare, however, accused the publication of presenting a distorted picture of Nigeria and failing to adequately consider the economic conditions inherited by the Tinubu administration when it assumed office in May 2023.
The Presidency argued that the administration inherited serious economic challenges, including the petrol subsidy burden, distortions in the foreign exchange market, high debt-servicing costs and years of underinvestment in infrastructure.
According to Dare, the government chose to confront those challenges through reforms rather than defer difficult decisions.
He cited the removal of petrol subsidy and the reform of the foreign exchange market among the administration’s major policy measures, arguing that they were aimed at addressing longstanding structural problems in the economy.
The Presidency also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, local government financial autonomy, the increase in the national minimum wage and the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas buses as measures it said were intended to ease economic pressure on Nigerians.
Dare further pointed to government interventions in agriculture, including fertiliser distribution, agricultural loans and the provision of farming equipment, as part of efforts to improve food production and strengthen rural economies.
He argued that the impact of the administration’s policies should be assessed against the economic conditions that existed before Tinubu assumed office.
The Presidential aide maintained that the economic difficulties accompanying the reforms were part of the adjustment process involved in addressing what he described as longstanding structural problems.
He also rejected the suggestion that Nigerians broadly reject the President, arguing that the administration’s programmes had benefited various groups, including students, workers, farmers and local government officials.
Dare said the government remained focused on achieving economic growth, fiscal stability and greater national development despite ongoing security and economic challenges.
The Presidency’s response comes amid increasing political debate over the performance of the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 elections, with opposition parties and other critics continuing to challenge its economic policies.
While the government has defended the reforms as necessary for long-term economic stability, concerns over living costs, insecurity and the pace at which economic improvements are being felt by households remain central to public and political debate.
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