President Bola Tinubu has revealed how close he came to distancing himself from the media shortly after taking office, overwhelmed by the weight of Nigeria’s economic troubles. While addressing a crowd in Katsina State over the weekend, Tinubu admitted that the pressure almost made him avoid newspapers and TV entirely.
“I almost ran away from watching or reading the newspapers,” he said. “Nigeria is a success, the economy is turning around, it has bent the corner.”
Despite the discouragement, Tinubu said he held firmly to his policy decisions.
“I got discouraged and stayed put on my decisions, believing that the ability of a leader to take decisions at the right time is the hallmark of leadership. We took it and stayed with it, and it will be rewarding, it’s already bearing fruits.”
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As Tinubu speaks with optimism, Akinwumi Adesina, outgoing President of the African Development Bank, offered a sobering contrast.
At the 20th anniversary dinner of investment firm Chapel Hill Denham in Lagos, Adesina raised concerns over Nigeria’s GDP per capita, pointing out that the country has fallen behind nations like South Korea despite once being on similar footing.
He attributed this backslide to the absence of consistent and strategic economic planning by past governments, adding that more Nigerians live in poverty today than they did in 1960.
Adesina called for a clear, long-term vision to reposition Nigeria as the economic engine of Africa.