Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has defended the Federal Government’s economic reforms.

He said the President made difficult decisions to prevent Nigeria from sliding into fiscal crisis.

In an opinion article released on Friday to mark Tinubu’s third year in office, Onanuga said the administration implemented painful but necessary reforms to stabilise the economy and reposition the country for growth.

The presidential aide described Tinubu as a leader willing to endure criticism for the sake of national survival.

“The man who has taken the bullets to make Nigeria survive a fiscal disaster is even more willing to take additional bullets to make all Nigerians safe,” Onanuga stated.

President Tinubu, who assumed office on May 29, 2023, introduced major policy changes shortly after inauguration, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira.

According to Onanuga, the measures were necessary to address longstanding economic challenges inherited by the administration.

He noted that the government met an economy struggling with petrol scarcity, multiple exchange rates, low revenue generation, rising debt servicing obligations, and an unsustainable subsidy regime.

Onanuga argued that despite the hardship associated with the reforms, they had significantly improved federal allocations to states and local governments.

This has enabled subnational governments to undertake development projects and meet salary obligations.

“In every state I have visited, I have seen this development. Ogun, Oyo, Nasarawa, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, and others have witnessed development projects spring up, thanks to President Tinubu’s re-engineering of the federation’s finances and increased allocation to the states,” he said.

He added that local councils would also benefit more from governance reforms when direct allocations from the Federation Account commence.

“When local councils begin to receive their allocations directly from the Federation Account, the Tinubu effect will ensure that more governance cascades down to the 774 local councils,” he added.

The presidential spokesman further claimed that some governors had publicly acknowledged the impact of the reforms on state finances.

“Many opposition PDP governors who joined the APC did so for this reason — not for the baseless claim that President Tinubu bribed them,” Onanuga said.

He cited governors in states including Kwara, Ebonyi, Enugu and Nasarawa as examples of leaders who had praised the Federal Government’s policies and their impact on infrastructure and development.

Onanuga also highlighted improvements in economic indicators, claiming that the Nigerian stock market had recorded substantial growth under the current administration.

He further pointed to major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway as evidence of the administration’s commitment to national development.

The aide said reforms in the oil and gas sector, expansion of student loan access through NELFUND, consumer credit initiatives, and electricity interventions were among efforts aimed at improving living conditions and strengthening the economy.

While acknowledging insecurity as an ongoing challenge, Onanuga maintained that the Federal Government was equipping security agencies and strengthening international partnerships to tackle terrorism and banditry.

He expressed confidence that the Tinubu administration would be remembered for what he described as “historic reforms” and transformative infrastructure initiatives.