Nigeria: Buhari, Other Past Presidents Refused to Take Tough Decisions - Tinubu

What the report says

President Bola Tinubu used his Independence Day address in Abuja on Thursday to argue that Nigeria’s economic problems were deepened by years of delayed reforms under earlier administrations, including those of former presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan. In remarks carried by Premium Times and distributed by AllAfrica, Tinubu said his government inherited an economy weighed down by petrol subsidies and a complex foreign-exchange system, and that decisive action was unavoidable.

He defended the removal of the petrol subsidy and the merging of official exchange-rate windows, saying the measures were painful but necessary to stabilise the economy. According to the report, he said past leaders had avoided difficult choices, allowing distortions to build up, while his administration chose to act despite the immediate strain on households and businesses. The changes have been linked to higher fuel, transport and food costs, and to a sharper fall in the naira.

Tinubu also said the savings from the reforms were being redirected toward education, health care, security, agriculture, roads, power and broadband infrastructure. The article notes that questions remain over how the funds have been used, with government officials saying some of the money has gone to debt servicing and other obligations. The president’s message reflects his administration’s broader argument that the reforms are needed to create fiscal space and support longer-term growth, even as many Nigerians continue to face a severe cost-of-living squeeze.