Nigeria’s election campaign begins with Tinubu’s reform test

What the report says

Nigeria’s 2027 presidential race is beginning with President Bola Tinubu under pressure to defend the economic reforms he introduced after taking office in 2023. Al Jazeera reports that the end of fuel subsidies and foreign-exchange changes were intended to improve public finances and attract investment, but many households are still feeling the effects through higher food, transport and basic living costs.

In the article, small business owners and workers described how rising prices have reduced demand and made day-to-day life more difficult. One shop owner in Ilorin said customers are buying less because common goods have become much more expensive, while an Abuja ride-hailing driver said fuel costs are squeezing earnings. The report also notes that the International Monetary Fund has said Nigeria’s reforms have improved macroeconomic stability, even as living conditions remain difficult for many people.

Al Jazeera says insecurity is another major political issue, with concerns over kidnappings, banditry and farmer-herder violence continuing in several parts of the country. Opposition figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi are still in the mix, but efforts to build a united front have not succeeded.

Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera said Tinubu’s advantage may come less from broad popularity than from the ruling APC’s organisation and the fragmentation of the opposition. The article argues that the election could become a test of whether voters are willing to wait for promised benefits from reform, or instead judge the government by the immediate pain they feel now.