Nigeria’s economy recovering, says Gumi, urges Tinubu to protect vulnerable citizens

Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has said Nigeria’s economy is showing signs of recovery under President Bola Tinubu, urging the Federal Government to strengthen social protection programmes to ensure vulnerable citizens benefit from the gains.

Gumi said increases in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), government revenue and allocations to states and local governments indicated progress at the macroeconomic level, while calling for greater investment in education and other social services.

The cleric made the remarks in an interview with the online platform PAPShow, where he discussed the Tinubu administration’s economic policies and the impact of its reforms on Nigerians.

“At the macroeconomic level, GDP has increased, government revenue has increased, and allocations have also increased. Virtually all the major indicators suggest that the Nigerian economy is recovering,” he said.

However, he noted that the gains had yet to translate into sufficient relief for ordinary Nigerians, arguing that the government needed to do more to protect people affected by the economic adjustments.

“The ordinary people are still bearing the consequences of the adjustment. What the government needs to do is establish effective social safety nets. I know it is making efforts in that direction, but the scale of intervention is not commensurate with the level of hardship,” he said.

Gumi said the economic measures introduced by Tinubu were not unusual, noting that they were consistent with recommendations many economists would make.

He also said the International Monetary Fund and other international institutions had welcomed some of the reforms, including removing petroleum and electricity subsidies.

Asked whether Tinubu was getting his economic policies wrong, Gumi said: “No. I am not saying the economic measures themselves are wrong. You may find very little fault with the economic direction in principle.”

He said, however, that the government needed to pay greater attention to the amount of public funds devoted to social protection and how effectively the money reached intended beneficiaries.

“The government has introduced poverty alleviation programmes and other interventions. I am comfortable with them in principle, but the devil is in the implementation. You can have the best policy in the world, but if it is not properly implemented, it will not achieve its objectives,” he said.

The cleric argued that Nigeria has sufficient resources to provide free education at the primary and secondary school levels, saying access to education should not depend on a child’s family’s financial circumstances.

“Today, Nigeria has sufficient resources to provide free education not only at the primary level but also up to secondary school. Why should any Nigerian child be denied education when the country’s resources can support such a programme?” he asked.

He added that the country should invest more in ordinary citizens, noting that many Nigerians with professional qualifications had excelled abroad but the country had yet to create similar conditions for people to thrive at home.

“Education is the foundation of development and progress in every nation,” he said.

On the removal of petrol subsidy, Gumi described the decision as inevitable, although he would have preferred the government to establish adequate social safety nets before implementing the policy.

“Removing the subsidy was an inevitable consequence of the circumstances in which Nigeria found itself. However, I would have preferred the government to establish strong social safety nets before removing it,” he said.

He also cited construction work on the Abuja-Kaduna Road and the establishment of new federal, state and private universities as developments that should be acknowledged.

Gumi said the Tinubu administration had introduced some measures to support vulnerable Nigerians but had not done enough to address their needs.

“I cannot be unfair to the government. It has introduced some interventions to support vulnerable Nigerians. But has it done enough? No,” he said.

He called for greater scrutiny of the funds allocated to social protection programmes and how many beneficiaries are reached, particularly those in remote and underserved communities with limited access to education, healthcare and other basic services.

https://meet.google.com/call?authuser=1&hl=en&mc=KAIwAZoBFDoScGludG9fZ2U2YndnZzZ2Y3RnogE3MgJQADoCEAFKBAgBEAFaAggAagIIAXICCAF6AggCiAEAkgECEAGaAQQYASAAogECEADiAQIIALIBBxgDIAAqATHCAQIgAdgBAQ&origin=https://mail.google.com&iilm=1794232454434

Abuja doctor reveals a unique way to permanently cure weak erection, small and shameful manhood, and infertility issues without side effects within a short period. Click now to see!!

Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow The Nation Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don’t miss a headline — join now!