Economic Hardship: Tinubu Feels Nigerians’ Pain, Says Sule

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is conscious of the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians despite the gradual improvement in some key economic indicators.

Sule made this known at the Nasarawa State All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Lafia, where he acknowledged the growing concerns over the impact of the Federal Government’s economic reforms on ordinary citizens.

The governor said the President understood that improvements in foreign reserves, the capital market and other macroeconomic indicators would mean little to Nigerians if they did not translate into better living conditions.

According to him, Tinubu had directed state governors to intensify interventions that would have a direct impact on people, particularly those living in rural communities.

“The President said these are the challenges, these are the issues,” Sule told the party stakeholders.

He said the President had urged governors to expand rural infrastructure and provide basic amenities, including roads, water and electricity, while also introducing empowerment programmes to help vulnerable citizens cope with the economic situation.

Sule noted that Nigeria’s foreign reserves had increased from below $30 billion to more than $50 billion, while the capital market had also recorded significant growth.

However, he said such achievements were difficult for ordinary Nigerians to appreciate when they were yet to feel the benefits in their daily lives.

“If you tell somebody from Angwan Takpa that foreign reserve is over 50 billion dollars, he will tell you, ‘What does that mean?’ It means nothing to him,” the governor said.

“If you tell the person that the capital market is flying, he will tell you, ‘How does that affect me? I’m not concerned.’”

Sule disclosed that the Federal Government had released $1 billion to relevant departments for direct interventions aimed at cushioning the effects of the reforms.

He said the funds would support projects and programmes covering rural infrastructure, water supply, electricity and economic empowerment.

The governor also highlighted what he described as a major improvement in Nasarawa State’s financial position, saying the state’s federal allocations had risen considerably from about N13 billion to a record level in the previous month.

According to him, the increased revenue had allowed the state government to execute more projects without resorting to borrowing.

He said the improvement in revenue had also prompted the state government to forward a supplementary budget to the Nasarawa State House of Assembly.

“Things have actually improved significantly, and that’s the reason why you are seeing all the work you are seeing without us borrowing anything from anywhere,” Sule stated.

The governor, however, stressed the need for government interventions to be felt at the grassroots, particularly by citizens who remain largely disconnected from headline economic statistics.