President Bola Tinubu’s Presidency will likely be defined by the sweeping reforms he unleashed from his very first day in office.
Though he has repeatedly acknowledged the hardships caused by his economic and structural policies, the President once again celebrated his scorecard on the penultimate Sunday when he accepted the All Progressives Congress’ mandate to run in the 2027 elections.
In a statement marking the third anniversary of his administration, Tinubu highlighted what he considers key achievements in Nigeria’s highest political office. These include the Nigerian Education Loan Fund disbursements, improvements in power supply, increased foreign reserves, and investments in infrastructure.
According to the President, the signs of recovery are becoming evident across agriculture, power, technology, manufacturing, and industry.
On the surface, there is some basis for optimism. The economy now appears to have a clearer direction. The naira has enjoyed relative stability, while non-oil revenue has overtaken oil earnings, a remarkable shift for a country that has depended on crude exports for decades.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s GDP grew by 4.23 per cent year-on-year in real terms in the second quarter of 2025, up from 3.48 per cent in the corresponding period of 2024.
In concrete terms, the economy was valued at N100.73 trillion in Q2 2025, compared to N84.48 trillion in Q2 2024. Although the oil sector drove much of the expansion, the non-oil sector contributed 95.95 per cent of real GDP. That is encouraging and suggests a gradual diversification of the economy.
Infrastructure development has also been a major focus. Across the country, roads are being constructed, reconstructed, and rehabilitated. The President says over 2,700 kilometres of highways and major roads are currently under construction. The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway are the administration’s flagship projects.
Yet many Nigerians question whether these mega-projects are the most urgent priorities at a time when countless existing roads have deteriorated into death traps. Others argue that investments in rail infrastructure would deliver greater economic benefits and ease transportation costs more effectively.
Indeed, while the economy may be posting impressive numbers on paper, the gains have yet to reach most households.
It is true, as the President noted, that “public finances are improving. States and local governments have greater resources to invest in their people.”
Yet the ordinary Nigerian sees little evidence that these improved revenues have translated into a better quality of life.
The reforms remain incomplete. More importantly, they remain largely disconnected from the daily realities of citizens. For many Nigerians, they still lack a human face.
Poverty has deepened. More than 60 per cent of Nigerians are estimated to be living in poverty. Food, transportation, and energy prices, as well as rent, remain elevated.
The minimum wage of N70,000 can barely purchase a 50kg bag of rice. In 2024 alone, about 11 million Nigerian children under five experienced severe food poverty.
Tinubu demonstrated political courage by removing the petrol subsidy on his inauguration day, May 29, 2023.
However, the timing and execution proved problematic. Adequate measures were not put in place to cushion the devastating impact on citizens. The simultaneous floating of the naira further accelerated inflationary pressures and triggered a sharp depreciation of the national currency.
Curiously, the President claimed his administration was tackling power sector challenges by clearing legacy debts, expanding transmission infrastructure, investing in renewable energy, and strengthening the national grid.
That assessment appears detached from reality.
Frequent national grid collapses continue to plunge millions into darkness. Businesses remain burdened by exorbitant energy costs.
The country reportedly lost an estimated N94 trillion to multinational divestments and business closures between 2023 and 2024, with erratic electricity supply playing a significant role.
The Aso Rock Villa itself has abandoned the grid and gone solar.
The President also avoided dwelling on the growing debt burden. The administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo substantially reduced Nigeria’s debt profile.
By contrast, the country has returned to aggressive borrowing. As of December 2025, Nigeria’s public debt stood at N159.28 trillion, equivalent to about $110.97 billion.
Servicing these obligations is consuming a substantial portion of national resources. Tinubu recently disclosed that Nigeria would spend approximately $11.6 billion, or about N18 trillion, on debt servicing in 2026 alone. Such a trajectory is difficult to sustain.
Meanwhile, wasteful spending persists.
Within two years, the Presidency spent at least N34.39 billion on foreign exchange for foreign trips and related expenses. In addition, N43.20 billion was allocated to the State House Headquarters in the 2026 fiscal year.
To struggling citizens, such expenditures send the wrong message.
For the masses, the promised benefits of reform remain elusive. Healthcare has become prohibitively expensive, while the public health system remains in a comatose state.
Political elites routinely travel abroad for treatment, but millions of ordinary Nigerians are left to contend with poorly equipped hospitals, inadequate personnel, and preventable deaths.
About two million Nigerian children under five suffer from acute malnutrition. Between January and September 2025, more than 20,811 maternal and child deaths were recorded, one of the highest figures globally.
Yet allocations to healthcare remain woefully inadequate. Out of the N218 billion appropriated for capital expenditure in the Federal Ministry of Health in 2025, only a paltry N36 million was released.
Health workers continue to embark on strikes over welfare concerns, while thousands of skilled professionals emigrate in search of better opportunities.
Tinubu awarded his administration high marks in education, citing the N282 billion disbursed through NELFUND to more than 1.5 million students.
Nevertheless, many public institutions remain in a deplorable condition. Modern libraries and laboratories are scarce. Hostel facilities are dilapidated, while accommodation provided by private operators is often exploitative. ASUU continues to threaten industrial action over unresolved welfare and funding issues.
Security remains perhaps the administration’s weakest point.
Yet the President insists that “many communities and highways are becoming safer and more economically active.” He maintains that his government is strengthening the capabilities of the Armed Forces and security agencies while restoring state authority wherever criminality threatens peace and order.
But the reality tells a different story.
Large-scale killings, kidnappings, and terrorist attacks continue unabated. In fact, they appear to be escalating. Terrorists and bandits have wreaked havoc across Kwara, Oyo, Borno, Kebbi, Niger, and several other states.
One of the most disturbing recent incidents occurred on May 24 when gunmen invaded the Yashikira community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, burning the emir’s palace and abducting several residents, including the emir’s wives, women, and children.
Similarly, more than two weeks after the abduction of over 80 schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states, most had yet to regain their freedom.
The country’s standing in the Global Terrorism Index has also worsened. Nigeria ranked as the world’s fourth most terrorised country in 2026, compared with eighth in 2024 and sixth in 2025.
Politically, Tinubu awarded his administration another pass mark. But in a democracy, what matters is not self-appraisal; it is the verdict of the people.
Unfortunately, Nigerians have witnessed some of the worst forms of political manoeuvring in these three years. Public trust has declined, voter turnout remains low, and citizen participation is weakening.
Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election with fewer than nine million votes. Yet he reportedly secured about 10.9 million votes in the recent APC primary election. Such figures naturally raise questions. Is the APC selling a dummy to Nigerians?
Nigeria’s democracy is suffering.
Many politicians appear unwilling to learn from past mistakes. While citizens struggle, the political class continues to thrive. The Electoral Act 2026 still falls short of public expectations, particularly in its failure to guarantee only real-time electronic transmission of election results.
The administration’s record on free speech is equally troubling.
Journalists continue to face threats, arrests, and detention under the guise of enforcing the Cybersecurity Act.
Recently, the National Broadcasting Commission threatened sanctions against presenters and broadcasters accused of bullying guests or violating the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. It alleged that some presenters were presenting personal opinions as facts.
Taken together, these developments do little to reassure Nigerians about the health of democratic freedoms.
Ultimately, the path to a brighter future remains uncertain. The government appears increasingly disconnected from the everyday struggles of the people. It is the extraordinary resilience of Nigerians, rather than the effectiveness of public policy, that has kept the country afloat.
Going forward, the administration must move beyond macroeconomic statistics and focus squarely on improving living conditions.
A robust and transparent social safety net is urgently needed to support the unemployed, the elderly, and the poorest households. Food assistance programmes should be expanded and insulated from political manipulation.
The government must invest aggressively in primary healthcare centres, equip public hospitals, and improve the welfare of medical personnel to stem the exodus of health professionals.
Affordable housing schemes should be revived, while access to clean water, sanitation, and reliable electricity must become national priorities rather than campaign promises.
In addition, support for small businesses should go beyond rhetoric. Lower borrowing costs, targeted tax relief, stable electricity, and easier access to credit would stimulate job creation and put money in the pockets of ordinary Nigerians.
Above all, accountability must become the cornerstone of governance. Wasteful spending should be curtailed, corruption punished without fear or favour, and public resources directed toward programmes that directly improve the lives of citizens.
The reforms have not achieved their intended impact largely because accountability has been weak and implementation uneven.
Unless the government puts the welfare of Nigerians at the centre of its policies, economic reforms may continue to produce impressive statistics while leaving millions trapped in hardship.
