Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has argued that Nigeria is moving in the right direction under President Bola Tinubu, even though many citizens are yet to feel the benefits of recent economic reforms.
Speaking on Sunday, January 25, during an interview on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, the lawyer defended Tinubu’s record in office and stressed the importance of sustaining ongoing policies.
Responding to questions about whether the president has delivered on his campaign promises, Dogara said Tinubu made core commitments centred on economic recovery, improved security, and deep structural reforms.
“I think we are on the right track, even if people are not feeling it. When we talk about the challenges relating to security, that’s taken us how many years to get to the point where President Tinubu took over,” Dogara said.
“There’s nobody with a magical wand that can make everything disappear overnight. But from the time he assumed office until now, we have seen leadership in areas that were previously neglected,” Dogara added.
The former speaker acknowledged that progress was uneven, explaining that the scale of the problems inherited by the administration meant results would take time to reflect in everyday life.
Recalling the depth of insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria, Dogara said the system was fragile when Tinubu assumed office and required steady rebuilding.
“In those days, if you were asked to travel to Kaduna, you would hesitate. Travel to southern Borno, Adamawa, or other northern regions for Christmas or any holiday was unthinkable. But today, we are beginning to see improvements,” Dogara said.
Turning to the economy, he argued that the severity of Nigeria’s previous decline was often underestimated.
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“In terms of the economic collapse of this nation, I don’t know whether we sincerely appreciate where we were coming from.
“The president does not share blame; he believes apportioning blame is not the path an effective leader takes,” Dogara said.
Dogara maintained that while reforms have been painful, they were unavoidable and necessary to halt years of institutional decay.
“If we were to really articulate where Nigeria was at the time he took over, to what has been achieved so far, you would give him below 60%.
“Although an argument can be made that some people are feeling the pinch, reforms are absolutely necessary,” Dogara said.
“Things that have suffered years of decay cannot be fully reversed within two years. But we have seen that there is light at the end of the tunnel if these reforms are allowed to endure. Some of these reforms will take time before they yield results,” Dogara added.
He also noted that steps taken to reduce corruption and financial leakages were beginning to produce measurable outcomes.
Since taking office in May 2023, Tinubu has rolled out wide ranging economic policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies, the floating of the naira, and major tax reforms.
Although the measures are intended to stabilise the economy, they have intensified economic pressure on citizens.