As the clock ticks towards May 29, the second-year anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is preparing to roll out the drums in celebration of what it terms a wonderful performance. While introduction of the student loan scheme, increased federal allocation highlight his achievements, the citizenry want reduction in cost of living and improved security. ONWUKA NZESHI reports.

The leadership of the ruling party and the government it produced are already blaring the trumpets from the balconies and rooftops, announcing to the whole nation and the world, how wonderful the last 24 months have been and how much accolades they deserve from the citizenry.

It was that feel-good mood that resonated last Thursday at the APC Renewed Hope Agenda Summit held at the Conference Centre, State House, Abuja. At the summit were party leaders, members of the National Working Committee (NWC), the leadership of the National Assembly, members of the Federal, Executive Council and the Progressive Governors’ Forum, which comprises 22 governors. The party convened the summit to review the administration’s two-year performance across key economic sectors. The conference reviewed key sectors, including health, infrastructure and security.

Self-rating

Addressing the gathering, the President was full of praises for his party men and women, associates and appointees. The President thanked members of the Federal Executive Council for assisting him in pursuing the vision of a better Nigeria. He also expressed his appreciation to the leadership of the party as well as the leadership of the National Assembly for their support.

“I thank every one of you. I am thoroughly inspired. We are just halfway through the journey that started 24 months ago. Together, we pledged to confront Nigeria’s challenges head-on by rebuilding the trust, fostering prosperity and restoring our nation’s economic quest.

“Today, I am proud to affirm that our economic reforms are working. Nothing good comes easy in life. All of you have been through life, and sometimes, only hard decisions can make things easy in the future.

“We couldn’t just afford to spend the future of our children and unborn babies. Through our Renewed Hope Agenda, our administration pledged to tackle economic instability, improve security nationwide, reduce corruption, reform governance, and lift our people out of poverty.

“How fast could you have rebuilt this country? If you allow the arbitrage in the exchange rate to continue, that is the grandfather of corruption. You could see EFCC recover over seven hundred and fifty-something houses from one person,” he said.

The President admitted that the reforms were tough decisions but assured Nigerians they were necessary.

“Yes, we encountered challenges when we assumed office in May 2023, but we have made progress by implementing difficult, long overdue but necessary economic reforms.

“We have eliminated the arbitrage-driven multiple foreign exchanges, and our far-reaching tax reforms are coming. Because of the reforms, our country now attracts foreign direct investments that will ultimately create jobs and produce much-needed goods and services that will significantly improve the standard of living of our people,” he said.

Applause and endorsements

Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, said the President had provided inspiring and visionary leadership and deserved a second term in 2027. He thus moved a motion passing a vote of confidence in the President and endorsing him for the 2027 race. Governor of Kaduna State, Sen. Uba Sani, seconded the motion.

President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas also praised the President for purposeful and inclusive leadership.

The leaders of the National Assembly also said they would support the President for a second term in office and also moved a motion to endorse him.

Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, who led the NWC members to endorse President Tinubu for a second term, said the President would be the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 presidential elections. Ganduje urged members to avoid internal sabotage but to renew their commitment to the principles that united the party and inspired its formation.

Eight-point agenda

Two years ago, when the administration took over the reins of power, President Tinubu rolled out an Eight Point Agenda which outlined priority areas of governance and development that he would focus on. These Strategic Development Initiatives were said to be in alignment with Tinubu’s campaign document – the “Renewed Hope Agenda.” These priorities, Tinubu said, were a reflection of his commitment to driving sustainable growth, ensuring security, and enhancing the quality of life for all Nigerians.

In summary, the 8-Point Agenda included the reformation of the economy for sustained and inclusive growth; strengthening national security for peace and prosperity; boosting agriculture to achieve food security and unlocking energy and natural resources for sustainable development. Others were to enhance infrastructure and transportation, education, health, and social investment; accelerated economic diversification and improved governance fir effective service delivery.

According to the government, the Eight-Point Agenda was not just a document but a vision that was designed to build a better country. “These Eight Priority Areas are not just goals but a commitment to the Nigerian people. Through rigorous tracking of progress, engaging with stakeholders, and leveraging on our collective strengths, we are determined to transform these priorities into tangible realities that uplift every citizen. Join Us in this transformative journey as we work hand in hand to lay the foundations for a brighter, more prosperous future for Nigeria,” the policy document beckoned,

Tangible gains of the administration

One of the tangible realities is that subsidy removal has led to a huge increase in the Federal Allocation to states of the federation. Counting the gains of the Tinubu administration, Minister of Information and Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris said on the average, federal and state governments share an average of N1.7 trillion in the last two years with subsequent impact on delivery of good governance.

Besides, Nigeria now produces about 1.7 million barrels of oil per day after the courageous, and visionary leadership had removed fuel subsidy and eliminated fuel scarcity which rocked the country for several years.

Idris also alluded to the introduction of the Students Loan Fund and the Consumer Credit Corporation, two institutions targeted at putting more resources in the pockets of the Nigerian people, empowering them to turn their dreams into opportunities. Over N20 billion has been disbursed to 192,206 students across the country.

“With the Students Loan Fund, we are seeing, for the first time in decades, Nigerian students at tertiary level, getting targeted federal assistance to pursue their academic ambitions, through long-term loans (and stipends) that are designed to not be burdensome in any way. In less than one year, more than 300,000 Nigerian students have already benefited,” Idris said.

Also worth mentioning is the Presidential Initiative on CNG marked its first year of implementation recently, with the number of vehicle conversion centers in the country rising from fewer than 10 to more than 120. The goal is to make CNG a fuel of choice for private and commercial transportation in Nigeria, bringing down costs by as much as 50 to 60 percent. We are already seeing enthusiastic uptake of the initiative, and the government is supporting this by way of fiscal incentives and subsidized conversions.

However, Nigerians want to see improvement in their living conditions. There seems to be a disconnect between the lofty vision encapsulated in the agenda and its actualisation. Although. cabinet ministers and other government officials have seized every opportunity to showcase the achievements, the citizens are hardly impressed because oftentimes, the statistics of growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and reduction in inflation do not tally with the skyrocketing prices of essential goods and services.

Concerns

However, the reason for this disconnect in some quarters is not farfetched. The government of the day needs to address the needs of the people where it matters most because the primary essence of government is the security and welfare of the citizens. Some believe that from the way the government has tackled socio-economic issues in the last 24 months, more needs to be done on the welfare of the people.

Many Nigerians believe that President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration day speech particularly, the “subsidy is gone” did an incalculable damage to the psyche of the average Nigerian who had thought that the administration was on a messianic mission. No doubt, the issue of fuel subsidy and appropriate pricing of petrol has been a controversial one for many years. It was a major campaign issue in the build up to the 2023 General Election as many presidential candidates promised they will do away with the fuel subsidy if they get to Aso Rock. However, what was not placed on the table was the modality for the much-touted removal of this feeding bottle from the mouth of the people.

Therefore, its sudden removal without a clear strategy on how to re-channel the accruals to productive sectors of the economy are the greatest undoing of the current administration. The removal of fuel subsidy without clear plans to mitigate the shocks it would unleash on the economy set the tone for all the economic woes of the last 24 months. It is responsible for the instant hike in the pump price of petrol, the increase in transport fares and the inflation in the prices of basic food stuff in the markets.

Even when the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) posts that food inflation is on the downward trend, that positive development has been felt only on a few goods such as beans and tomatoes during their harvest seasons. A 50 kg bag of rice which sold at below N20,000 before May 29, 2023, now goes for as much as N120,000.

Under security, the administration may be awarded a pass mark for launching a decisive fight against the bandits and kidnap kingpins, but the rise of the Lakurawa terrorist group in the North West and the resurgence of Boko Haram in Borno State appear to have made a nonsense out of the earlier gains made on the counterterrorism war in the country. The invasion of several communities by armed herders and the mass murder of the inhabitants of these communities in Plateau and Benue states have left the rich agrarian lands of the Middle Belt region soaked in blood. While we commend our security forces for their efforts in stemming the tide of insecurity, a lot needs to be done in terms of the security of lives and property of citizens.

The way forward

No doubt, this administration has initiated several reforms in nearly every sector and facet of the economy. Though the has been flying on the wings of promise and renewed hope but it needs to listen to the anguish of the people who bear the brunt of these policies and reforms. The political elite must live by example. They must be champions of their own policies and programmes. We must all walk the talk of patriotism by practicing what we preach.

In the area of governance, many Nigerians want the various levels of government to be committed to serving the people. They commend the recent local government autonomy sponsored by the Tinubu administration even when it drew the angst of the state government. They see is a potentially beneficial to restore confidence in government at the grassroots.

However, the recent mass defection to the ruling party is seen as dangerous to the polity, putting the motives of the political class into question. Cletus Uwakina, lawyer, political strategist and President, Crusaders Advocacy Initiative said: “The reasons behind mass defections in Nigerian politics are deeply rooted in the nature of the country’s political culture. Politics in Nigeria is largely driven by personal ambition rather than ideology. Many politicians see political parties as mere platforms for winning elections rather than as vehicles for governance based on principles.”

However, the Information Minister quoted earlier calls for patience from Nigerians, because the “important indices such as foreign reserves position, trade surplus, oil production, and GDP growth are set to continue rising, even as greater work goes into permanently taming inflation. The 2025 budget – the very fittingly-themed “Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity” – is a convincing pointer of the Federal Government’s commitment to maintaining the positive course in which we are headed as a nation.”

The government is positive that the sacrifices of Nigerians will surely be rewarded as the nation moves “surely and steadily advance towards our desired destination – a country where a progressively better life will be guaranteed for everyone, regardless of where in the country they happen to reside.”