TINUBU HAILS PROGRESS AMIDST HARDSHIP

A nation's economic progress is best measured by how many of its citizens have full bellies–or not.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is seeing improved economic data by neo-colonial entities like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, all while grappling with its worst cost-of-living crisis in 40 years.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is touting the IMF's numbers, highlighting his radical reforms as a key factor in producing Nigeria's best economic data in a decade. He ended a fuel subsidy and devalued the national currency twice. But the benefits have not trickled down to ordinary Nigerians, who are angry with the government over high inflation and widespread poverty. 

Two years into his presidency, Nigerians are struggling to put food on the table. Ongoing issues with banditry and kidnappings exacerbate daily challenges, casting doubt on Tinubu's assertion that the West African nation is heading in the right direction.

Dubbed the 'tourist-in-chief' due to his extensive travels, since coming into power in May 2023, Tinubu has embarked on 36 foreign trips, with over 15 occurring in his first six months as president, costing $2.2 million. In November 2023, his government faced criticism for funding the attendance of more than 400 Nigerians at the Cop28 Climate Summit in Dubai. Notably, affluent members of his All Progressives Congress Party have backed him for a second term in the upcoming 2027 general elections.

But for Nigeria's starving majority, the ultimate judgment on Tinubu's economic reforms hinges on whether their stomachs are full or empty.