Tinubu's Economic Reforms Yet to Benefit Nigerians

President Tinubu inherited an economy burdened by significant public debt, rising debt-service obligations, an expensive petrol subsidy regime, multiple exchange-rate windows, weak revenue mobilization, infrastructure deficits, and declining investor confidence. While acknowledging these inherited issues, it is crucial to assess the effectiveness of Tinubu's reforms, such as the removal of the petrol subsidy and the liberalization of the foreign exchange market.

These reforms aimed to address structural weaknesses but resulted in immediate economic shocks. The IMF's June 2026 assessment noted improvements in macroeconomic stability and external buffers but highlighted that poverty had reached 63 percent of the population, with approximately 27 million Nigerians facing food insecurity in autumn 2025.

The government has implemented various initiatives, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, infrastructure projects, and the Electricity Act 2023, but the scale and impact of these actions require independent evaluation to ensure that vulnerable Nigerians are not neglected.