Babalola
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has defended the administration’s economic reforms and infrastructure drive, saying the President “took the bullet” to save Nigeria from fiscal collapse.
In an article released on Friday, Onanuga accused opposition politicians of intensifying what he described as campaigns of misinformation and calumny ahead of the 2027 general election in a bid to undermine the achievements of the Tinubu administration.
According to him, while criticism of the government may have resonated during the difficult early months of the administration’s reforms in 2023, the situation had since changed as the government could now point to tangible economic and infrastructural gains.
Onanuga said the impact of the administration’s policies was most visible at state and local government levels, noting that many states that struggled to pay salaries before May 2023 were now executing major infrastructure projects due to increased allocations from the Federation Account.
He said governors across party lines had acknowledged that the removal of fuel subsidy and other fiscal reforms had improved state finances.
The presidential aide cited governors of Kwara, Ebonyi, Enugu and Nasarawa states as examples of leaders who publicly credited Tinubu’s policies for enabling development projects in their states.
He argued that when Tinubu assumed office in 2023, the country faced acute petrol scarcity, multiple exchange rates, low government revenue and an unsustainable subsidy regime, while debt servicing consumed nearly all federal revenue.
According to him, the administration responded by removing petrol subsidy, floating the naira, declaring a food emergency and introducing fiscal and tax reforms aimed at restructuring the economy.
Although he acknowledged that the policies initially triggered hardship and rising living costs, Onanuga said the government remained committed to reforms despite public criticism and opposition attacks.
“Two years after the first challenging year, the story has changed for good,” he said.
The presidential spokesman pointed to the performance of the Nigerian stock market as evidence of economic recovery, claiming that market capitalisation had risen significantly since Tinubu took office, while major companies were declaring record profits and foreign investors were returning to the country.
Onanuga also highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, describing them as some of the most ambitious road projects undertaken since independence.
He said the administration was also investing heavily in rail transportation, including the Kaduna-Kano-Maradi rail project and proposed city rail systems in Lagos, Kaduna, Kano and Enugu.
The presidential aide further defended reforms in the oil and gas sector, saying the government had attracted fresh investment from international oil companies while domestic refining and the naira-for-crude policy were helping to strengthen energy security.
On electricity, Onanuga accused critics of distorting Tinubu’s campaign promises on power supply, insisting that electricity distribution companies were responsible for delivering power to consumers.
He said the federal government had instead focused on strengthening the national grid, addressing debts owed to generation companies and expanding metering programmes.
Onanuga also praised government programmes such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and Credicorp, saying they had improved access to tertiary education and consumer credit.
According to him, about 1.6 million students had benefited from NELFUND, while reforms in the education sector had reduced disruptions caused by university strikes.
Despite listing the administration’s achievements, Onanuga admitted that insecurity remained a major challenge, particularly attacks by bandits and kidnappers in vulnerable communities.
He, however, said the government was continuing to provide security agencies with resources and international support needed to tackle terrorism and criminality.
“The man who has taken the bullets to make Nigeria survive a fiscal disaster is even more willing to take additional bullets to make all Nigerians safe,” he stated.
