Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, says the achievements recorded by the Tinubu administration in the last three years have laid the foundation for further development if the President is re-elected for a second term. 

He said the government was not claiming to have fulfilled all its promises to Nigerians but had instead established a foundation that could be consolidated through continued implementation of its economic and social policies.

Bwala made this known on Thursday during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he assessed the performance of the Tinubu administration, the impact of its economic reforms on Nigerians, security, education, agriculture, infrastructure and the prospects of the President’s re-election in 2027. 

In his defence, Bwala said one of the administration’s major achievements was rescuing the Nigerian economy from what he described as a critical situation and moving it towards recovery, arguing that the macroeconomic stability being recorded was necessary before the benefits of the reforms could reach households. He acknowledged that Nigerians were still waiting for the full effect of the reforms but said experts who initially criticised some of the government’s measures had subsequently acknowledged improvements in the country’s macroeconomic environment.

“The first that I would say is that one of the achievements of Mr. President is that when he came, the economy was nosediving, but he was able to rescue the economy from a very critical situation to the position where we are now, which is to move on with recovery. And although I'm not an economist, but we have listened and we have read about experts in the field who, at the beginning, have criticized, hinted to our reform, and all of them at the moment said that Nigeria is doing well in terms of setting the macroeconomy, and that they said this is the foundation for the micro, which is the effect of the economy on the table and the school fees and everything of the Nigerian citizen.”

The presidential aide also said the administration had repositioned Nigeria as an attractive destination for investment, citing increased activities across agriculture, technology, aviation and other sectors as evidence of growing investor confidence. He added that the country’s foreign exchange reserves had risen to over 40 billion dollars while activity in the stock market had remained strong, developments he said were connected to the administration’s broader economic policies.

“President also was able to put Nigeria on the map. Map in the sense that Nigeria is an attractive destination for investment. And we have seen, over the last three years, massive investment across all fields. Investment in agriculture. I'm talking about direct foreign investment in agriculture, in the tech, in aviation, and in other aspects of the economy. Our foreign exchange has gone up very high, over 40-something billion dollars at the moment. Our stock exchange, too, is very much alive, which is why people are investing here and there.”

According to Bwala, the administration’s interventions had extended beyond the economy to education, agriculture, civil service, aviation, infrastructure and security, with the government attempting to address some of the longstanding problems affecting those sectors. He specifically cited the reduction in the frequency and duration of industrial actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities as well as the introduction of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as examples of what he described as progress in education.

“We look at education, security, infrastructure, and all of these areas that we promised to the Nigerian people. For example, with education, we are able to, to a large extent, in the last three years, suppress what seems like the incessant strike by ASUU. In those days, you have quite a number, multiple strikes, but I don't think we have had more than twice or three times over the period. And each time they went on strike, it didn't last. We also have invested in education.”

Bwala said NELFUND had provided loans for students to cover tuition and living expenses, adding that more than one million Nigerians had benefited from the scheme since its introduction. He said the government would be able to expand the programme to reach more beneficiaries if it succeeded in increasing its revenue base.

“With the meager amount we have, we introduced the NELFUND, which is a scheme that provides a grant, I mean, that provides loans for students to cover for their tuition and living costs and over 1 million Nigerians are beneficiaries. We are hoping that when we're able to increase the revenue, we'll expand that.”

On agriculture, the presidential aide said farmers across the country had been supported through different government schemes designed to encourage production and improve access to finance. He said the interventions included the provision of seedlings and opportunities to obtain loans, describing agriculture as an important part of the administration’s response to food insecurity and the rising cost of basic commodities.

“We have intervened in the area of agriculture. Agricultural farmers across Nigeria have had the opportunity now to go to their farms, very, very encouraged and mobilized, because there are so many schemes available to them, from seedlings to investment in accessing loans from the bank.”

Bwala also disclosed that the Federal Government had created a credit scheme for civil servants through which workers could obtain household electronics and other basic items and pay for them over time. He said the scheme was intended to ease some of the financial pressure on workers by allowing them to access the items without making full payments upfront and at what he described as very low interest rates.

“For the civil servants, we have created a credit scheme where they don't have to worry. If you don't have electronics or you don't have the basic things a family needs, you can access it through the scheme, and then you pay overtime and very low interest on that.”

In the aviation sector, Bwala said the government had cleared outstanding obligations owed to foreign airlines and improved Nigeria’s international air connectivity through partnerships with airlines across the world. He specifically cited the restoration of access to Dubai, increased access to the United Kingdom and a new direct flight opportunity to Brazil as examples of the administration’s efforts to expand Nigeria’s aviation links.

“In the aviation, we have restored the aviation industry. We've paid the backlog for the foreign airlines. Now, we have partnered with a lot of airlines across the world. Nigeria has had its door open to the Nigerian airline, Airpeace, which the government of Nigeria is backing it, has had access into Dubai, restored access to Dubai, and increased access to the United Kingdom. And then we also have a new opening for direct flight from here to Brazil. And many of these other opportunities are coming.”

He said the administration had also strengthened Nigeria’s security cooperation with other countries, particularly the United States, as part of efforts to tackle insurgency, terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality. Bwala linked the country’s security challenges to the wider instability across the Sahel, saying Nigeria had been compelled to deepen international cooperation because terrorist groups operating within the region continued to pose threats across national borders.

“We have strengthened our ties security-wise with the rest of the world, especially with the United States of America, where we do have on a regular basis, joint operations in a bid to fight these insurgents, the terrorists, the bandits, and all elements of crime that are right now at our doorstep in the Sahel region.”

Bwala, however, stressed that the achievements highlighted by the administration did not amount to a complete fulfilment of all the promises made to Nigerians, saying the government recognised that there was still considerable work to be done. He argued that the reforms and interventions of the first three years should instead be regarded as the foundation for a broader programme that the administration would consolidate if Tinubu secured a second term.

“So these are a few of the many things that this administration has achieved. But we are not by any chance suggesting that this is a fulfillment of what we promised. But we are suggesting to Nigeria that this is a foundation for many things that we will consolidate on if elected for the second term.”

Addressing concerns that Nigerians were yet to feel the impact of the reforms despite increased foreign reserves, government revenue and allocations to states and local governments, Bwala acknowledged that the economic changes had created significant discomfort for citizens. He said the removal of fuel subsidy and the naira reforms were designed to restructure the economy but inevitably required Nigerians to adjust their lifestyles as the government attempted to correct what it considered longstanding distortions.

“As a Christian, there’s a verse I'm always inspired by where it says, you take your roots downward and you bear the fruit upward. Anytime you introduce a reform, it starts first by putting the people in a very inconvenient position because the very idea of reform, it means to reshape things. It means people will have to adjust their way of life. And that adjustment cut across all levels, right? Economically, you will have to adjust because if your income is not much or not matching up with inflation, that is, you know, caused by this reform, then you have to adjust how you live your life.”

The presidential aide admitted that the reforms had further pushed many Nigerians who were already living below the poverty line into greater hardship, saying the government was not under any illusion about the immediate consequences of its policies. He nevertheless maintained that the administration expected the reforms to create wider opportunities through entrepreneurship, job creation and increased economic activity as the process matured.

“Maybe you're used to eating three square meals, going to the movie with your family every weekend and every year on vacation. You will have to, you know, leave out one or two things because it's a reform process. So we understand that. And we also understand that doing this reform, definitely because already a large number of the Nigerian people were under poverty line. Now with this reform, it further threw a lot further down the poverty line. So we understand that we are not under that delusion.”

Bwala said addressing hunger remained one of the administration’s major concerns because of its direct relationship with the welfare and security of citizens, particularly those in rural communities who struggle to afford basic necessities. He said President Tinubu had repeatedly emphasised the need to deal with hunger and argued that government’s agricultural interventions were aimed at increasing food production while reducing pressure on household budgets.

“Now what we are concerned, to be honest with you, which is what the president has always talked about. Every day the president spoke with people he always told, I mean, I've had to tell them that we understand that we have to deal with hunger, right? Because hunger is the very foundation of the minutest of the last common man. Like the way they would say justice should go to the last common man is referring to people in rural areas, people who cannot afford basic necessities of life. So hunger is a national security.”

Using rice prices as an example, Bwala claimed that the commodity, which he said had previously sold for as much as N120,000, was now available for less than N40,000 in some places and about N30,000 in others. He attributed the reduction to government efforts to support farmers and increase production, while also noting that the President had opened an importation window when necessary to ensure that the country could meet basic food requirements.

“But over the last three years you will know or you must have reported the programs of the government in agriculture that has increased. Like, for example, when the reform was started, you remember at the time rice went for as much as 120,000? Rice is less than 40,000. In some places 30,000. Because we've been able to work and ensure that not only did we provide the opportunity for farmers to increase, but the president said whatever I needed to do. So he went as far as even opening up the importation window so that we would be able to meet up with the basic necessities of life.”

He further said the government had removed import duties on some essential items as part of efforts to make them more affordable to ordinary Nigerians, while the Compressed Natural Gas initiative was introduced to reduce the pressure of transportation costs following the removal of fuel subsidy. Bwala acknowledged that the expansion of such programmes across the country required substantial investment, saying inadequate funding remained one of the major limitations to achieving a wider and faster impact.

“And I'm sure you may be aware, if you're not, I'm just going to tell you that the president has actually removed import duties on the items that are very, very necessary to the common man so that it will get to the common man. For example, the CNG initiative that was introduced, it was introduced to ameliorate the hardship of transportation system for people. And there's a need for massive investment because the problem we have at the moment for the lack of expansion in a sporadic manner is just the funds.”

Bwala said the government’s ability to expand programmes such as NELFUND was directly tied to the amount of revenue available to the country, arguing that greater resources would allow more Nigerians to benefit from government interventions. He also cited estimates suggesting that Nigeria would require between 30 billion and 100 billion dollars annually for infrastructure alone if it was to meet global development standards, noting that the country’s budget was significantly below that level.

“NELFUND. If we had money, we wouldn't say one million. We'd probably say five million Nigerians as beneficiaries. And there was this economic analysis by experts who say that given the situation of Nigeria at the moment, if Nigeria must meet up with the global challenge, that Nigeria must have investment of 30 to 100 billion dollars every year only on infrastructure, not to talk of other areas. And the budget for last year was less than 35 billion dollars. So we understand the challenges.”

On the removal of subsidy and its impact on government revenue, Bwala said the policy had increased allocations to states and local governments and had consequently improved their capacity to pay salaries and finance public projects. He argued that the Federal Government’s increased revenue should therefore not be assessed only in terms of what it spends directly but also by the extent to which the resources transferred to sub-national governments eventually fund services and programmes used by ordinary Nigerians.

“When the president came and removed subsidy, you do know the concomitant effect? It created a lot of revenue for the president to ensure that that increased revenue impacted on all the states of the federation. By the time he came, 27 states could not pay salary. Not a single state is unable to pay salary now because of the increased revenue. Now, when states are given much money, what do you think they are supposed to do to identify for the benefit of their members? That means at the state level, they will do infrastructure. They will improve security. They will increase the salary of workers. All of this effect, who is it going to affect? It's still the common man, my brother.”

He cited the increase in the minimum wage and infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar coastal road as examples of policies he said would eventually translate into direct benefits for Nigerians through employment, trade and improved mobility. According to Bwala, the government’s argument was that ordinary Nigerians remained the ultimate beneficiaries of such policies because they depended on salaries, transportation, food and economic activity to meet their daily needs.

“The increase of the minimum wage, what are the federal and state, who does it affect? The common man, take for example the infrastructure in Lagos to Calabar. It is boosting trade, creating job employment and reducing the risk of accidents and other crimes. Who is the beneficiary? My brother is still the common man. Ordinary man that travels every day. Ordinary man that needs his salary to pay the school fees of the children. Ordinary man that needs his fees to be able to buy food for his children. So all of these policies that are introduced, the direct effect on them.”

Bwala attributed the slow pace at which some Nigerians were experiencing the benefits of the reforms to the country’s large population and limited resources, saying programmes could take considerable time before producing a nationwide impact. He compared the process to research sampling, arguing that while a policy might demonstrate positive results within the areas where it had been implemented, extending those gains across Nigeria would require significantly greater investment.

“But I will tell you today, sir. Why it seems as if with all of these things we are not seeing a radical change? I said it the other time in a program. It's because the population is very large, the resources is small. So that type of breakthrough or whatever program we are talking about is happening but it will take a while to have a very wide reaching impact.”

The presidential aide said the administration was therefore placing greater emphasis on entrepreneurship because the government could not employ every Nigerian, particularly with the country’s rapidly growing population. He argued that the Federal Government’s responsibility was to create the conditions for private businesses to thrive, generate employment and provide opportunities that would reduce dependence on government jobs.

“Which is why the president is focusing on entrepreneurship. Making sure that entrepreneurs in Nigeria have access to opportunities because government cannot employ everybody but government must create the environment for people to thrive in their private sector thereby creating the job that is required. So the common man is affected, my brother.”

Bwala also defended criticism over government spending on the President’s aircraft, official vehicles and the SUVs acquired for members of the National Assembly, saying the public debate had focused heavily on the optics of the expenditure rather than the responsibilities attached to the offices involved. He argued that the costs of such items should be considered against the resources required to keep the government functioning and enable senior public officials to carry out their constitutional responsibilities.

“Okay, so, you know, to be honest with you, my brother, it is the optics that the media tend to project. These particular items you mentioned, if you put them together and bring them to a monetary value, it will be nothing compared to the means on ground that Nigeria has, and for which we need to resolve. But let me respond to them because it's our duty to be accountable to Nigerians.”

Defending the purchase of the presidential aircraft, he said the President, as Commander-in-Chief and Nigeria’s chief representative in international engagements, needed a reliable aircraft that would not develop operational problems during official trips. Bwala argued that Tinubu’s international travels were also part of efforts to attract investment into Nigeria and therefore required the President to have dependable facilities for carrying out those responsibilities.

“If you remember, during the administration of Buhari, on many occasions, he did it that he was using hard drugs and it will have to be taken for some other major repairs. On one occasion, it escaped an accident, you know, on a journey. And so, if number one, the president who is the commander-in-chief, number one, who is a symbol of the authority of the federation, if you look at Section 5 of the Constitution, who is also the chief marketer of Nigeria, will have to go around the world and bring in investment and get people. It will have to be in an aircraft that will not have issue. That was what informed the decision to buy the jet.”

He similarly defended the SUVs provided to National Assembly members, describing them as privileges attached to their positions as lawmakers and arguing that the executive, legislature and judiciary all required adequate resources to function effectively. Bwala compared the privileges of public officials to those enjoyed by senior officials in educational institutions, saying certain distinctions existed because of the responsibilities attached to particular offices.

“You also talked about the SUVs for the National Assembly. It's their entitlement. This is because they are lawmakers. The executive branch, the legislative and the judiciary ought to be in a situation and in a position where they will function effectively. You know the reason why people don't talk about the judiciary, because they too have SUVs and some of these things, but the reason why people don't talk about it, because the judiciary tends to enjoy a bit of sympathy from Nigerians.”

The presidential aide, however, said the administration had taken measures aimed at reducing some aspects of the cost of governance, including an executive order reducing the number of escort vehicles attached to public officials. He added that police officers previously deployed to protect VIPs had also been redirected to forests and other areas where they were needed to combat criminality, saying such steps demonstrated that the government was also making adjustments in areas where savings could be achieved.

“But those areas that require sacrifices, for example, the president has signed an executive order and reduced the number of what we call escort cars for public officers. And that created a lot of opportunity to raise revenue. He did the same with the police VIP that are attached to VIP. Now if you are a VIP, you are entitled to access the civil defence. The police are to be sent to the forest and to places to fight crime.”

On the broader question of whether Nigerians should expect a faster improvement in their living conditions, Bwala said the government understood that citizens were primarily concerned with food, jobs, education, transportation and security rather than macroeconomic indicators alone. He nevertheless maintained that the administration’s reforms were designed to address those needs through increased revenue, investment, entrepreneurship and infrastructure, even if the effects would take time to spread across the country.

Bwala said the government’s position was not that the economic reforms had solved Nigeria’s problems but that they had begun addressing some of the structural weaknesses that contributed to the country’s economic difficulties. He maintained that the next phase would require greater investment, stronger implementation and the expansion of existing programmes if the benefits were to reach a larger proportion of the population.

He said the administration’s three-year record should therefore be understood as part of a longer-term process rather than as the final measure of its performance, particularly because some of the interventions were still being expanded. According to him, the government would continue to pursue increased revenue, investment, entrepreneurship, agricultural production, education financing and infrastructure development as part of its effort to strengthen the economy.

“So these are a few of the many things that this administration has achieved. But we are not by any chance suggesting that this is a fulfillment of what we promised. But we are suggesting to Nigeria that this is a foundation for many things that we will consolidate on if elected for the second term.”

Bwala’s defence of the administration comes as the Tinubu government faces growing scrutiny over whether its economic reforms, despite improvements in some macroeconomic indicators and government revenue, have translated into meaningful improvements in the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.