https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN0WSiKK1zs

Yesterday when I heard that Tinubu was going to address Nigerians over the nationwide protests, I reiterated my stand that Nigerians should not expect any meaningful response from Tinubu as he has nothing to offer in resolving the current economic crisis his government plunged the country. Tinubu’s national address did not offer any thing new, in fact he doubled down on the same policies that Nigerians were protesting against. Basically, Nigerians want an urgent intervention that will tackle the rising cost of food and services, any new government policy that does not address this issue is simply a waste of time….

After reading Tinubu’s speech, there is no doubt that the protest will continue as he failed to show empathy or demonstrate an understanding on how severe the situation is for Nigerians through his speech…

If the government really cares about addressing the issues, below is a list of what I believe should be done to restore hope to Nigerians.

Economy
When it comes to improving Nigeria’s economy, there are 3 main subjects that should be tackled that will bring immediate relief to protesting Nigerians, these are….

- Agriculture
There is need to declare a state of emergency on food security, to crash the prices of food, the government in collaboration with the military must initiate and execute proactive security measures to protect farmers especially in the northern part of the country…. If farmers are empowered and protected then there will be an increase in harvest leading to a crash in the price of food stuff in the market. Tinubu’s government has failed consistently to address the incessant killing of farmers all over the country….

- Fuel Subsidy And Floating The Naira
There is no doubt that the removal of fuel subsidy and floating of the naira has had a negative impact on the economy. In Tinubu’s address, he falsely claimed that only a powerful few benefited from the subsidy program as that was one of the reasons he gave for ending it. For many Nigerians, fuel subsidy was the only way they felt the impact of government as it is evident by the huge number of protesters demanding for it to be reinstated. In order to ease the cost of doing business especially for manufacturers and stabilize Nigeria’s economy, the government must as a matter of urgency reinstate fuel subsidy, reduce fuel price to at least N300 per litre. They should also stop floating of the Naira and peg it at N400 to $1, while also declaring a state of emergency on the repair of one national refinery (PH refinery) to ensure that it starts producing petroleum products within a month time. The refinery can complement the efforts made so far with the deploying CNG powered systems and vehicles to ease the pain that Nigerians are facing. These policies I mentioned if implemented will lead to immediate reduction in transportation costs, reduce production costs, reduce unemployment as it will ensure that more manufacturing businesses don’t shut down. Tinubu’s address failed to provide any evidence as to how much funds his government has saved through removal of subsidy or floating of the naira.

- Cut government cost
Tinubu’s national address did not highlight any move by his government to cut costs. There are news circulating that billions of Naira have been spent on buying a new presidential private jet, what effort is he making to reduce costs and government borrowing? Regarding National Assembly, what moves are the legislators making to cut costs as well? If Tinubu is asking Nigerians to bear the burden of this terrible economy then he ought to lead by example by cutting cost of his government and also reduce rate at which his government collects foreign loans. Financial prudence appears not to exist in his government. Cutting costs will enable the government free up funds that can be used to invest in critical projects that will benefit Nigerians. I will ask one last time, can Tinubu tell Nigerians how much he saved from fuel subsidy removal?

Education
Tinubu in his public address boasted about how his government has improved the educational sector by providing loans to students. I wonder how this is an achievement because many schools have been closed for months especially in the northern part of country due to the activities of bandits, also why can’t government provide the funds as grants instead of loans to students. If truly Tinubu is sincere about making education accessible to Nigerians then provide grants to students and implement an emergency intervention program that help in addressing the security challenges schools are facing all over the country as that’s the primary responsibility of any government.

Infrastructure
On the issue of infrastructure, I did not see any program or mega projects that will bring about massive boost to Nigeria’s economy in Tinubu’s national address. Instead of investing on new roads that will not provide any immediate positive impact to Nigeria’s economy like the Calabar Lagos highway that is estimated to gulp over N15 trillion that will be sourced mainly through borrowing, why not use this N15 trillion to invest massively in electricity generation and distribution. Why not also invest massively in the construction of a cargo rail line that will connect the 6 geo political zones of the country. These are projects that a serious government should consider, if executed will improve Nigeria’s production capacity.


Conclusion
Tinubu’s national address has once again shown that the government is incapable of implementing the demands of protesters. I did not expect much from his speech as it is only clear to any sensible person that this government is all about spreading propaganda, it lacks the capacity to make any meaningful reforms that will benefit Nigerians….

Na wah oo

So this one na the watery address wey dem dey talk about? Make we no forget say some people just dey wait for any small chance to splash water for Tinubu's side. Meanwhile, Peter Obi still dey find wetin he go talk wey go make sense. E be like say na him get the monopoly of sense for this matter.

Wail more harder. We can't hear you from the back

helinues:
Wail more harder. We can't hear you from the back

Stale.

Is Obi the president, why drag him into this matter? You can remain silent if you’ve nothing meaningful to say….

Chinkoalhaji34:
Na wah oo

So this one na the watery address wey dem dey talk about? Make we no forget say some people just dey wait for any small chance to splash water for Tinubu's side. Meanwhile, Peter Obi still dey find wetin he go talk wey go make sense. E be like say na him get the monopoly of sense for this matter.

I did not criticize for no reason I highlighted critical points that should’ve been addressed by the government. You helinues is always on Nairaland attacking everyone but don’t proffer any solutions to the problems. Can you provide one point in Tinubu’s speech that addressed the issues raised by protesters?

helinues:
Wail more harder. We can't hear you from the back

Bebigiby1:
I did not criticize for no reason I highlighted critical points that should’ve been addressed by the government. You helinues is always on Nairaland splashing everyone but don’t proffer any solutions to the problems. Can you provide one point in Tinubu’s speech that addressed the issues raised by protesters?

No time to check time.

Tinubu is a fool and blessed with evil heart

Nigerians are resilient and will always stand firm in support of president TINUBU despite the noise. Every leader faces challenges, but it's the vision and action that truly matter. Let's focus on the progress being made!

Please list the progress that has been made by Tinubu’s government…. Why do you think Nigerians protesting?

trutharena:
Nigerians are resilient and will always stand firm in support of president TINUBU despite the noise. Every leader faces challenges, but it's the vision and action that truly matter. Let's focus on the progress being made!

There are so many lives that have been lost as a result of what you and so many others are doing on Nairaland by spreading tribal hate and defending bad government policies…. You will also bear the consequences of these deaths for the part you are playing here on Nairaland… If you do not have any meaning points to make on how to resolve the issues facing the country, it is better to remain silent then to engage in personal attacks and instigating tribal hateful propaganda online….

helinues:


No time to check time.

Nigerians need to give Tinubu a chance to prove himself. Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Let’s focus on constructive dialogue instead of just protests. Change takes time, and I believe he’s capable of delivering if we support him.

When Tinubu protested and demonized Jonathan’s government where were you to say what you’re saying now…. When APC led a nationwide protest just because Jonathan wanted to increase fuel price by N10 one year into his government, you did not see any thing wrong with what Tinubu was doing to Jonathan back then…. Now the situation is far worse and you pretend not to see how bad things are for Nigerians under this government…. Tinubu got a notice weeks to this protest and did nothing to address the issues…. He will not, can not change the corrupt and nepotistic status quo that brought him to power…. In my opinion, asking Nigerians to give his government time means giving the government additional time to kill more Nigerians…. Cost of living is already unbearable for many Nigerians, this is why they are protesting and won’t stop until their demands are met….

Salewa97:
Nigerians need to give Tinubu a chance to prove himself. Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Let’s focus on constructive dialogue instead of just protests. Change takes time, and I believe he’s capable of delivering if we support him.

It is obvious that Tinubu doesn’t care about Nigerians he is only after his selfish political ambitions….

Wutinky:
Tinubu is a fool and blessed with evil heart

Tinubu is trying to unite us with his words, even if some don’t see the vision. Let’s not forget that every leader has their style. Criticism is easy, but building a nation takes more than just talk. Let's support the journey ahead!

Make we just lead tinubu government and focus on building ourselves oo