Vice President Kashim Shettimahas urged the Federal Government to provide clear evidence of progress from its economic reforms, warning that public confidence will remain difficult to secure unless Nigerians can see and understand the results of government policies.
Shettima said the administration must improve how it communicates its economic decisions, listen to citizens’ concerns and respond to the difficulties they experience as the reforms take effect.
He spoke on Thursday, October 29, at The Duke’s Masterclass 2026, held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. He was represented at the event by his Special Adviser on Economic Affairs, Dr Tope Fasua.
The Vice President maintained that the success of the economic policies introduced by President Bola Tinubu would depend not only on their implementation but also on the government’s ability to demonstrate tangible benefits to the public.
“Government must continue to communicate, however, its policies clearly, demonstrate progress with credible evidence, and listen attentively to the experiences of citizens,” he said.
Shettima defended the administration’s major economic measures, including petrol subsidy removal, foreign exchange market liberalisation, fiscal restructuring and revenue mobilisation, describing them as efforts to correct longstanding economic distortions and strengthen productive capacity.
According to him, the reforms are intended to attract investment, improve business confidence and promote more effective use of public resources.
However, he stressed that explaining policy objectives without addressing public concerns would be insufficient to build trust.
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He called on professionals, the middle class and other influential Nigerians to contribute to a balanced national conversation by recognising the economic pressures facing ordinary citizens rather than dismissing their concerns or defending every government decision.
“Your role is not to defend every government action uncritically, nor to dismiss the concerns of citizens. It is to help create a more informed and constructive national conversation,” he stated.
He added that public scrutiny and participation were essential to accountable governance.
“Constructive scrutiny strengthens governance. Informed public participation strengthens democracy,” Shettima said.
The Vice President also emphasised that policymakers should be prepared to adjust how reforms are implemented when evidence and changing economic conditions require it, while maintaining their broader objectives.
Beyond economic policy, he warned that artificial intelligence and social media were making misinformation increasingly difficult to contain, urging public institutions to verify information, correct false claims transparently and communicate through trusted channels.
“A photograph can be manipulated, a voice can be cloned, and a video can be fabricated just with a simple prompt on social media to make an individual appear to have said or done something that never happened,” he warned.
Shettima identified agriculture, banking, financial technology, oil and gas, construction, real estate, commodity exports and the creative industry as potential sources of investment and employment.
He acknowledged persistent barriers, including unreliable electricity, poor transportation, insecurity, limited access to finance and weaknesses in education and public institutions.
He called for stronger domestic production, expanded exports and support for small businesses, with greater efforts to extend economic opportunities to women, young people and rural communities.
His remarks underscore the administration’s need to demonstrate measurable outcomes from its reforms while addressing the hardship and uncertainty experienced by Nigerians.