Nigeria: Tinubu's Economic Policies Deepened Poverty, Atiku Has Better Plan, Says Imansuaghon

What the report says

A commentary carried by This Day and distributed via AllAfrica says Kenneth Imansuaghon, a stalwart of the African Democratic Congress and a former Edo State governorship aspirant, has backed former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid as a route to economic recovery in Nigeria. Imansuaghon, speaking from the United States, argued that Atiku’s plan, especially the reopening of Nigeria’s land borders, could revive commerce, attract investors and help ease the cost-of-living crisis affecting many households.

According to the report, Imansuaghon criticized the economic direction of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying its reforms have deepened hardship, raised prices and weakened business activity. He linked the current climate to strain on companies, job losses and growing pressure on young people entering the labor market. He also cited the reported departure of ride-hailing company Uber from Nigeria as an example of the difficult operating environment, though the article did not provide further details on that claim.

The piece says Atiku has recently pledged that, if elected in 2027 on the ADC platform, he would reopen land borders with neighboring countries, including Benin Republic, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Imansuaghon argued that this could restore cross-border trade, improve supply chains and help stabilize food prices, especially as insecurity has limited farming in parts of northern Nigeria. More broadly, the report reflects a familiar debate in Nigeria over whether tighter trade controls or more open regional commerce better support growth and lower inflation.