‎At Last, the Presidency Agrees: Nigerians Are Hurting

For months, Nigerians have told those in power what their market baskets, transport fares and school fees already say: life has become very hard. Now the Presidency has said it too.

Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila has accepted that Nigerians face severe hardship under the current economic conditions, while defending President Tinubu's decision to press ahead with reforms.

The latest admission came as the ruling party defended the reforms ahead of 2027. At the APC 2027 manifesto presentation in Abuja, Gbajabiamila acknowledged that the reforms had been painful and had put real pressure on households. Earlier, at a good governance summit in Abuja, he said Tinubu inherited an economy dangerously close to collapse, and chose statesmanship over politics by removing the fuel subsidy despite the hardship. He has also said that fixing what has long been broken imposes costs, demands sacrifice and takes time, and urged patience.

To be fair, this is not the first acknowledgement. President Tinubu himself said in May 2026 that many Nigerians are still grappling with rising living costs. In June, Gbajabiamila accepted that fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms contributed significantly to rising living costs. What is new is the tone and timing: an open admission on a campaign platform, where pressure on households can no longer be waved away.

The Presidency's case is straightforward. Past governments avoided hard decisions out of fear of public anger, and Tinubu chose to act. The APC says economic reforms bring short-term sacrifices but long-term benefits, and that signs of easing hardship are emerging. Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Atiku Bagudu says the reforms will translate into better living conditions for ordinary citizens.

Critics reply that acknowledgement is not relief. Former minister Kayode Fayemi has said many Nigerians are suffering and may not support the government in 2027, while Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala commended the stabilisation of the economy but urged the president to fix hardship and grow the economy. For a family that cannot afford food, "temporary" is a long time.

The real test is therefore not the admission but the delivery. Nigerians will judge the reforms by what they can buy, whether jobs appear, and whether the pain visibly eases. Agreement on the problem is a start. Evidence of recovery in the household budget is what will persuade a tired public.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,

International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. (USIP)

[email protected]
+233555275880

Sources
Arise News, "Gbajabiamila: Tinubu Inherited Economy Living On Borrowed Time": https://www.arise.tv/gbajabiamila-tinubu-inherited-economy-living-on-borrowed-time/

Legit.ng, "2027: Why Tinubu Removed Subsidy Without Thinking About Next Election": https://www.legit.ng/nigeria/1674023-2027-tinubu-removed-subsidy-thinking-election-gbajabiamila-speaks

Headtopics, "Gbajabiamila and Jibrin defend Tinubu economic reforms at APC 2027 manifesto launch": https://ng.headtopics.com/news/2027-gbajabiamila-jibrin-defend-tinubu-s-economic-reforms-89722106

Nigerian Eye, "2027: Gbajabiamila, Jibrin Defend Tinubu's Economic Reforms" (10 Nov 2026): https://www.nigerianeye.com/2026/11/2027-gbajabiamila-jibrin-defend-tinubus.html

ThisDay, "No Nigerian Leader Since 1960 Has Embarked On Comprehensive Structural Reforms Like Tinubu" (10 Nov 2026): https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/11/10/no-nigerian-leader-since-1960-has-embarked-on-comprehensive-structural-reforms-like-tinubu-says-alake/

Sahara Reporters, "Tinubu Government Admits N70,000 Minimum Wage No Longer Reflects Economic Reality" (25 Jun 2026): https://saharareporters.com/2026/06/25/tinubu-government-admits-n70000-minimum-wage-no-longer-reflects-economic-reality-signals

Nairametrics, "Tinubu admits Nigerians are struggling with rising costs" (24 May 2026): https://nairametrics.com/2026/05/24/tinubu-admits-nigerians-are-struggling-with-rising-costs-amid-reforms/

Guardian Nigeria, "APC defends Tinubu reforms amid rising poverty concerns": https://guardian.ng/?p=2802202