Subsidy: Tinubu Could Have Passed Problems To Next Generation But He Confronted Them – Minister

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, on Tuesday said President Bola Tinubu could have passed the economic problems he met upon the assumption of office to the next generation but he choosed to confront them.

According to the minister, one of the big problem -petrol subsidy was draining the resources meant for schools, hospitals and roads while tax system weighed most heavily on the people it should have protected.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim spoke at a national press conference organised ahead of the launch of a book on Tinubu’s reform agenda in Abuja where she
defended the president’s economic reforms.

She said the were necessary and courageous decisions that are beginning to yield results, despite the economic hardship experienced by Nigerians.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim said President Tinubu had chosen to confront longstanding economic challenges rather than pass them on to the next generation.

The book, titled The Courage to Reform: Architecture of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR — Beyond 2027: Statecraft, Vision for National Renewal, is being promoted by the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement to highlight the administration’s policies and achievements over the past three years.

The minister emphasised that Tinubu inherited difficult economic conditions upon assuming office on May 29, 2023, which required decisive action to address structural weaknesses in the country’s economy, revenue system and public finances.

“When Mr. President took the oath of office on 29 May 2023, he inherited hard choices that could no longer wait. A petrol subsidy was draining the resources meant for our schools, our hospitals and our roads, and our tax system weighed most heavily on the people it should have protected. He could have passed the problem to the next generation. He chose to confront it,” she said.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim acknowledged the hardship occasioned by the reforms, saying the government recognised the sacrifices made by Nigerian families.

She however said the measures were beginning to produce positive outcomes, including stronger external reserves, easing inflation and renewed investor confidence.

“Those decisions came at a cost, and Nigerian families have felt it. No one in this government takes that sacrifice lightly, least of all Mr. President. But I say to you today, with conviction, that the sacrifice is not in vain. The results are beginning to show,” she stated.

The minister said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), new tax laws and financial autonomy for local governments are some of the policies designed to ensure that the benefits of economic reforms reach ordinary Nigerians.

She maintained that the education loan scheme was expanding access to higher education for students from less privileged backgrounds, while the tax reforms were designed to protect low-income earners and small businesses from excessive tax burdens.

“Under the new tax laws, low-income earners and small businesses are protected, so that those with the least are asked to carry the least. And with financial autonomy for local governments, resources now flow closer to our communities,” she said.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim further said the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda had prioritised social protection and economic opportunities for women and girls.

“I judge every reform by one test. Does it reach the woman in the market, the girl in the classroom and the family at the margins? On that test, I can say with pride that our leader and father has kept women at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” the minister said.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim argued that Nigeria needed substantial investment in productive sectors and critical infrastructure to accelerate economic development.

“Show me a country that has developed, that has a strong economy, that is not in debt. I think the most indebted country in the world is the United States of America. And they’re still borrowing,” she said.

The minister insisted that borrowing should be assessed in relation to the economic value of the projects being financed.

She however, called for prudent management of borrowed funds, saying resources must be channelled into areas capable of generating measurable economic returns.

“One thing I can assure you of is Mr. President will take us to the promised land. He means well for the Nigerian people,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim stated.

She also said government was tackling the challenge of out-of-school children beyond conventional classroom education, paying more attention to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

The Minister said the government had increased attention to early childhood education, skills development and investment in the education sector, adding that a coordinated, whole-of-government approach was being adopted to address educational challenges and improve children’s access to learning.

“Mr. President is a thinking President, so we’re running a thinking government. We’re very deliberate,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim said.

She also urged Nigerians to recognise that the benefits of reforms and government announcements might not materialise immediately, explaining that implementation often required funding arrangements, administrative adjustments and coordination among relevant institutions.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim expressed confidence that the administration would fulfil its commitments, while urging the media to provide Nigerians with factual information about the reforms as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“As 2027 approaches, the national debate will grow louder. Let it also grow wiser, and let it rest on facts. I urge you, the press, to carry those facts to every corner of this country,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim said.

President Tinubu is expected to grace the book launch as Special Guest of Honour, with Aliko Dangote as Chief Launcher and Abdul Samad Rabiu as Co-Chief Launcher while High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, is the Chief Host.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is the Host, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, state governors and other prominent political and business leaders are amongst the guests expected at the occasion.