The Special Adviser to Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has strongly defended the administration’s economic reforms, insisting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “took the bullets” to prevent Nigeria from sliding into fiscal collapse.Speaking in an opinion article titled “Bola Tinubu: the man who took the bullet for Nigeria to survive,” Bayo Onanuga argued that opposition figures have intensified misinformation campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections despite what he described as key achievements over the past three years.
According to Onanuga, Tinubu inherited a struggling economy in May 2023 marked by fuel scarcity, multiple exchange rates, weak revenue generation, rising debt servicing, and an unsustainable subsidy regime. He explained that the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, though painful, were necessary reforms that stabilised the economy and boosted allocations to states and local governments.
He added that increased federal allocations have enabled many states to pay salaries regularly and embark on infrastructure projects across the country. He further listed infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, describing them as major national developments.
Onanuga also highlighted reforms in the oil and gas sector, rail transportation, student loan expansion through NELFUND, and consumer credit initiatives under CREDICORP.
He acknowledged ongoing security challenges but maintained that government support for security agencies and international cooperation was improving the fight against terrorism and banditry. According to him, historians will remember Tinubu administration for bold reforms and infrastructure transformation aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s economy.
