Hardship: You’re Better Off Than Other Africans, Tinubu Tells Nigerians

President Bola Tinubu has asked Nigerians to count their blessings amid mounting economic hardship, saying the country is faring better than many other African nations despite the bite of rising fuel prices.

Speaking at a civic reception in Yenagoa on Friday, Tinubu acknowledged widespread suffering but urged citizens to look beyond Nigeria’s borders for perspective.

“Yes, I hear you from various angles of the economy. The fuel prices are biting hard. But look around. Let’s thank God that we are better off listening to what is happening in other African countries, what they are going through,” Tinubu said.

He added that his administration remains committed to easing the burden on the most vulnerable and pledged to work with the Ministry of Finance to review the numbers.

“This is a government that cares. We will look at the numbers with the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning,” he said.

Tinubu also ordered development of relief measures to cushion the impact of global economic headwinds on Nigerians, particularly those tied to the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The remarks came on the sidelines of the inauguration of infrastructure projects executed by Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri.

Tinubu was accompanied by governors Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Umoh Eno of Akwa Ibom, and Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, according to a statement by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga.

The president used the occasion to reaffirm that the All Progressives Congress’s (APC) is committed to translating governance into tangible development.

“Regardless of their (opposition’s) shenanigans, the All Progressive Congress (APC) believes that the people deserve to see governance translated into roads, bridges, power, jobs and real opportunities that affect human beings. That signals the development of our country,” he said.

He commended Diri for projects aligned with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, including roads, bridges, and a 60-megawatt independent power plant, stressing that federal-state collaboration was key to accelerating development.

“Development advances further, faster when the federal government and the state government work in partnership and towards a shared purpose,” Tinubu said.

In his remarks, Diri said federal government’s support, including presidential waivers for the importation of turbines and equipment, enabled the delivery of the power project, expected to boost electricity supply and economic activity in the state.

Projects inaugurated during the visit include the 630-metre Angiama-Oporoma Bridge, described as closing a six-decade connectivity gap in one of Nigeria’s key oil-producing areas, and a dualised road linking New Yenagoa City. Others still under construction include a 30,000-seat international stadium, a nine-storey state secretariat, and rural road and bridge projects.

Tinubu also observed a minute of silence in honour of fallen military personnel and late former Bayelsa governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.