In many parts of Nigeria, conversations about the economy now happen almost everywhere — inside buses, at market stalls, in banking halls, and during long evening discussions outside neighbourhood shops. Fuel prices, food costs, electricity bills, and rent increases have gradually become part of daily survival calculations for millions of households.
Those realities have also intensified political scrutiny around President Bola Tinubu’s administration as economic reforms continue reshaping public life less than three years into his presidency. Still, the presidency insists public confidence in Tinubu has not collapsed under the weight of those pressures.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said Nigerians still believe in Tinubu’s leadership despite the economic difficulties facing the country. Gbajabiamila made the remarks during an event in Lagos while speaking on the administration’s policies and public response to ongoing reforms.
According to him, many Nigerians understand that the administration inherited deep structural problems and that some of the current hardship is tied to decisions aimed at preventing wider economic collapse in the future. “Nigerians still believe in President Tinubu despite the economic challenges,” Gbajabiamila said during the event.
His comments come at a delicate moment politically and economically. Tinubu’s government continues defending major reforms introduced shortly after taking office, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market. Government officials argue those policies were necessary to stabilise national finances and attract long-term investment.
Public reaction, however, has remained divided. Food inflation has climbed sharply over the past year, transport costs have increased across cities, and many small business owners continue struggling with operational expenses linked to energy prices and currency instability.
Those pressures have created visible frustration in several parts of the country, even among citizens who previously supported the ruling party.
Gbajabiamila nevertheless maintained that the administration remains focused on long-term recovery rather than short-term political popularity. He also suggested that public understanding of the president’s direction remains stronger than critics often portray.
“People know the president means well for the country,” he added. Inside government circles, officials increasingly frame the current phase as a painful adjustment period rather than policy failure. Supporters of the administration often point to signs of increased investor interest, infrastructure spending, and attempts to strengthen revenue generation as evidence that reforms are beginning to take shape beneath the immediate hardship.
Critics see the situation differently. Opposition figures and labour groups have repeatedly argued that ordinary Nigerians are carrying the burden of reforms without sufficient social protection or immediate relief. Rising living costs continue dominating public sentiment more visibly than long-term economic projections.
This gap between official optimism and everyday experience has become one of the defining tensions surrounding the administration. Political observers say statements like Gbajabiamila’s are also part of a broader effort to steady public perception ahead of deeper political conversations expected to build toward 2027.
Within the ruling APC, party loyalists continue emphasising patience and continuity, while opposition voices increasingly frame the economic climate as evidence of failed governance. Public opinion itself appears far more complicated than either side sometimes presents.
Some Nigerians remain hopeful that current reforms could eventually improve the economy. Others have grown deeply skeptical after months of rising prices and shrinking purchasing power. Many simply appear exhausted by the uncertainty surrounding basic living costs.
For now, the presidency continues insisting the reforms require time. Whether public patience lasts long enough for those promised results to become visible remains uncertain. Across the country, the pressure of daily survival still speaks louder than most political messaging.
