It is becoming increasingly concerning to witness the politicisation of sensitive national economic matters by some opposition figures seeking electoral advantage from the genuine hardship confronting our people. Constructive criticism is indispensable to democracy, but Nigeria’s economic future demands something more serious than political convenience. It demands patriotism, intellectual honesty, credible alternatives and the courage to tell Nigerians not only what they want to hear, but what is economically sustainable.
 
Our people are going through a difficult period. The rising costs of food, transportation, energy and other necessities are realities that no responsible political leader should dismiss or trivialise. But precisely because these hardships are real, they must not become instruments of political manipulation. Nigerians deserve solutions, not slogans; credible alternatives, not convenient reversals; and leadership that respects their intelligence rather than exploits their difficulties.
 
It is against this background that the recent statement credited to former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, pledging to restore fuel subsidy, deserves serious scrutiny. This position raises an obvious question because of his previously expressed support for subsidy removal during the 2023 electoral cycle. If his position has now fundamentally changed, Nigerians deserve a clear explanation of what has changed economically and how the enormous financial commitment associated with restoring subsidy would be sustainably funded.
 
Leadership is not merely about identifying what is popular at a particular moment. It is about confronting difficult realities and explaining the consequences of every policy choice. Anyone proposing the restoration of fuel subsidy must therefore answer fundamental questions: What would it cost the federation? Where would the money come from? Would government borrow more? Would expenditure on infrastructure, healthcare, education or social protection be reduced? And how would Nigeria avoid returning to the fiscal pressures that made reform necessary in the first place?
 
The same standard should apply to the reported proposal to forgive student loans obtained through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Helping Nigerian students is a worthy objective, but every major fiscal commitment must have a credible funding mechanism. Promising simultaneously to restore a costly subsidy, forgive public loans and maintain or expand essential government services requires more than political rhetoric. It requires a coherent economic programme explaining how these commitments would be financed without imposing another unsustainable burden on the country.
 
This is the standard to which every government and every opposition party should be held. Democracy is strengthened when the opposition challenges government with better ideas. It is weakened when difficult national questions are reduced to promises designed primarily for immediate political applause.
 
At the same time, those of us who support the broad direction of the current economic reforms must be equally prepared to speak about where government needs to do more. Supporting reform must never mean ignoring hardship or defending every aspect of implementation without question. The Nigerian people have made enormous sacrifices, and those sacrifices must increasingly produce visible and measurable improvements in their
lives.
 
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration must therefore continue to make the reduction of the cost of living an overriding priority. Food security deserves particularly urgent attention. Farmers need improved access to affordable inputs, credit, irrigation, mechanisation, storage facilities and secure access to their farms and markets. Nigeria must produce more of what it consumes, reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen the entire agricultural value chain so that increased production translates into lower food prices for ordinary families.
 
Transportation and energy must also receive sustained attention. Affordable mass transit can reduce one of the largest pressures on household expenditure, while more reliable and affordable electricity can lower production costs across the economy. Small and medium-sized businesses need an environment in which they can survive, expand and employ more Nigerians. Our young people need skills, investment, industries and genuine opportunities—not merely temporary relief from economic hardship.
 
Social protection must equally become more targeted, transparent and effective. Assistance intended for vulnerable Nigerians must reach vulnerable Nigerians. Government must continue pursuing policies capable of moderating inflation, stimulating domestic production and restoring household purchasing power. Reform cannot be considered successful merely because government finances improve; those improvements must eventually be reflected in the markets, workplaces, businesses and homes of our people.
 
There is also a responsibility that must not be ignored at the state and local government levels. Increased resources available to subnational governments must translate into better roads, schools, primary healthcare, water supply, agricultural support, transportation and other essential services. Nigerians must demand accountability not only from Abuja but from every governor, local government chairman and public institution entrusted with public resources.
 
Greater revenue must mean greater responsibility, greater transparency and greater accountability.
 
Government must also continue to listen. Where implementation produces unintended hardship, appropriate adjustments and stronger cushioning measures should be introduced without abandoning the fundamental objectives of necessary reforms. Correcting weaknesses in implementation is not an abandonment of reform; it is evidence of responsive governance.
 
Our people are resilient, but their resilience must never become an excuse for government complacency. Nigerians cannot be endlessly asked to make sacrifices without seeing the dividends of those sacrifices. As government revenues improve and reforms mature, citizens must increasingly feel the difference through affordable food, improved purchasing power, better infrastructure, accessible healthcare and education, sustainable employment and expanding economic opportunities.
 
This is why our national economic debate must move beyond the false choice between blindly defending every government policy and recklessly promising to reverse difficult reforms. There is a more responsible path: sustain necessary reforms, correct their weaknesses, protect vulnerable citizens, demand accountability for increased public revenues and relentlessly pursue policies that translate macroeconomic progress into household prosperity.
 
The opposition has every constitutional right to criticise the government. Indeed, Nigeria needs a strong and constructive opposition. But anyone seeking to govern this country must present Nigerians with credible, costed and sustainable alternatives. It is not enough to promise what will be restored, cancelled or distributed. Nigerians deserve to know how it will be funded, how it will be sustained and what consequences will follow.
Likewise, those of us supporting the administration have a responsibility beyond defending its policies. We must demand better implementation, greater accountability and faster delivery of tangible benefits to the people. Political loyalty must never replace our obligation to speak for the welfare of Nigerians.
 
Ultimately, economic reform is not an end in itself. Its purpose is to build a Nigeria where families can live with dignity, workers can enjoy the fruits of their labour, businesses can prosper, farmers can produce profitably and young people can look towards the future with genuine hope.
 
The true success of economic reform will not be measured merely by how much government saves, how much revenue increases or how impressive the statistics appear. It will be measured by how much better Nigerians live.
That must remain our common objective—government and opposition alike.
Nigeria must reform, but Nigerians must also feel the reform.
 
~ Dr. Adewale Kolapo Kareem (AKK)
Former Oyo State Governorship Aspirant
APC… PROGRESS!
AKK! Aseyori ni tiwa
AKK!! Ajọṣe, Ajoje
AKK!!! A Task That Must Be Done.
Monday, September 14 2026.