Nigeria: Fact-Checking 2026 Independence Day Claims By Nigerian President Bola Tinubu

What the report says

Africa Check, in a report carried by AllAfrica from Johannesburg on 7 October 2026, reviewed claims Nigerian President Bola Tinubu made in his Independence Day address. The fact-check comes as Nigeria heads toward a presidential election scheduled for 16 January 2027, making economic performance a central issue in public debate. The review assessed Tinubu’s remarks on growth, inflation, foreign reserves, non-oil exports, oil theft and pensions using official statistics and other evidence.

According to the report, some of Tinubu’s statements were supported by available data. Nigeria’s economy expanded by a little over 4% in the first half of 2026, foreign reserves increased during his tenure, and non-oil exports reached a record level in 2025. The article also said official data indicates crude losses from oil theft have fallen in recent years, although the most recent figures cited were from 2025. Foreign direct investment also rose from 2023 through 2025, with early 2026 data slightly above the same period a year earlier.

Other claims were described as only partly accurate or needing context. Africa Check said oil-sector growth was more uneven than the president suggested, and noted that the drop in inflation was affected by the rebasing of Nigeria’s consumer price index in 2025, which made comparisons with earlier readings more difficult. The report also said there had been instances of delayed federal salary payments. On pensions, the article said reforms and higher monthly payments have been announced, but it could not immediately confirm all implementation details.