President Bola Tinubu told Nigerians in his last Independence Day address that economic improvements were “undeniable,” despite widespread poverty and hunger. He said the economy had grown by “over four per cent this year.”
His reelection bid is approaching. Yet the article notes he remains unpopular among young Nigerians.
Tinubu credited growth to both the oil and non-oil sectors. Oil theft had declined, he said, and inflation had fallen “substantially from its peak.” He promised citizens would soon benefit from the growth and described a country where young people could find work.
The Reforms and Their Cost
Tinubu opened his administration with sweeping changes. At his inauguration in May 2023, he announced an end to the decades-long fuel subsidy. Later, he ended the distorted foreign exchange rate and floated the naira, triggering a major devaluation of the currency.
His government argues the reforms saved the economy and gave the state more money. Investors welcomed the changes. But they also sent inflation soaring, a cost that hits hardest for households already struggling to afford food.
Tinubu won election in 2023 after campaigning on promises to build on his predecessor’s efforts to deliver democratic dividends to citizens. Three years on, he says the benefits of growth are still to come. Nigeria, meanwhile, continues to face deadly security crises, government corruption, widespread poverty and hunger.
Security Gaps Widen
The security picture hasn’t improved. Nigeria’s security problems persisted in recent years, bringing more mass kidnappings and killings. Violence has spread into regions once spared. Families there face a basic question of safety alongside the promise of economic growth.
A Crowded Race for January
Tinubu is running for reelection on January 16, 2027. Eighteen opposition candidates are challenging him. Analysts, though, predict a three-man race.
Two likely leading contenders are men Tinubu defeated in 2023. One is Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, described as a serial presidential candidate. The other is Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, a former state governor whose mass appeal among young Nigerians blew the last race wide open.
That detail matters. Young voters are the group Tinubu says will find work in the country he envisions, and they’re also the group among whom he remains unpopular.
Why This Matters:
A four per cent growth rate and falling inflation make headlines, but they don’t show by themselves who is better off. The article describes widespread poverty and hunger, inflation that soared after subsidy removal and the currency float, and kidnappings and killings spreading into new regions. Those are the conditions in which voters will judge the government’s promise that benefits are coming soon. For young Nigerians, central to the contest, the question is whether growth turns into jobs. With the election set for January 16, 2027, the debate over who carries the cost of economic reform, and who is protected from it, will shape the vote.