Tinubu’s economic reforms prevented collapse, Nigeria now on path to recovery — Sunday Dare

The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has defended the economic reforms introduced by the Federal Government, insisting that the administration’s policies have stabilised Nigeria’s economy and placed the country on the path to long-term recovery.

Dare spoke on Saturday during a Northern Stakeholders Town Hall engagement held in Kaduna State and organised by supporters of President Tinubu under the platform of the Tinubu Door-to-Door Movement.

The presidential aide described the reforms initiated by Tinubu, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and foreign exchange market reforms, as painful but necessary decisions aimed at preventing economic collapse and repositioning Nigeria for sustainable development.

According to him, President Tinubu demonstrated courage and leadership by taking difficult economic decisions shortly after assuming office.

“We have a president who, right from the beginning, rolled up his sleeves and started to work for this country. A president who is courageous, who is bold in his steps, and who has a vision. But added to that vision is a clarity about the direction he intends to move this country,” Dare said.

He maintained that despite initial hardship experienced by Nigerians, the reforms were already producing visible results across different sectors of the economy.

“Tinubu’s reforms are working, and Nigeria is moving in the right direction,” he declared.
Dare argued that the administration had succeeded in addressing fundamental economic distortions inherited over the years, adding that recent policy interventions were beginning to yield measurable impacts at both macro and grassroots levels.

According to him, the government’s social investment and empowerment programmes were evidence that the reforms were translating into direct support for ordinary Nigerians.

“The fundamentals of the economy have been nailed down. We have 9.7 million of our young, vulnerable people benefiting from the N75,000 being given. That’s micro. Our young people are getting their funding loan. That’s micro. The health facilities. That’s micro,” he said.

The presidential spokesman further described Tinubu as “the reformer-in-chief,” insisting that no nation could attain meaningful development without undertaking difficult structural reforms.

“But I want to call him the reformer in chief. Without reforms, no country can make the transition to recovery,” he added.
Dare also described the administration’s policy direction as a “silent revolution,” saying the government was laying a solid foundation for future national growth and economic transformation.

“We have a country that has the foundation needed to push forward. So there’s a silent revolution, impactful, that has been taking place,” he stated.

“Without reforms, no country can make the transition to developing every part of the country. Without reforms, a leader lacks vision.”

The town hall engagement attracted political stakeholders, government officials, policy experts and supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, from across the northern region.

Organisers of the programme said the initiative was designed to deepen public understanding of government policies and create direct interaction between citizens and government representatives ahead of the 2027 general elections.

National Coordinator of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Sunday Adekanbi, said the engagement would help bridge communication gaps between the government and grassroots communities.
According to him, the platform was created to provide citizens with opportunities to ask questions, express concerns and receive explanations on ongoing government policies and programmes.

Other speakers at the event also defended the Tinubu administration’s reforms and highlighted what they described as achievements recorded since the president assumed office.

Among them was the Head of the Centre for Financial Economics at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Professor Solomon Gushibet, who spoke extensively on the long-term economic implications of the Federal Government’s reforms.

Gushibet argued that although the policies had created short-term economic pain, they were necessary to address structural weaknesses in the economy and improve fiscal sustainability.

Representing Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani at the event, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, linked the gradual restoration of peace in parts of Kaduna State to governance reforms and improved security strategies introduced by the state government.

Maiyaki also said the removal of fuel subsidy had increased revenue available to subnational governments, enabling states to execute more development projects and social programmes.

Participants at the town hall expressed support for continuity in economic reforms and governance policies, with several stakeholders openly backing Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Some participants argued that policy consistency was necessary to sustain economic recovery efforts and prevent disruptions to ongoing reforms.

Organisers disclosed that similar stakeholder engagements would be held across other geopolitical zones as part of efforts to sustain dialogue between the Federal Government and citizens on governance, economic reforms and national development.