Former Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, has urged Nigerians to allow President Bola Tinubu to complete the economic reforms introduced by his administration
He said the measures require time to produce their full benefits
Lalong made the appeal while speaking as a guest speaker at a National Forum of Former Presiding Officers of state Houses of Assembly in Nigeria
The forum, which also brought together former legislative leaders from across the country, was held against the backdrop of the economic changes introduced by the Tinubu administration since it assumed office in May 2023
Tinubu’s first major economic decision came in his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, when he announced the removal of the petrol subsidy
The decision was followed by a sharp increase in petrol prices and higher transportation and living costs
Households and businesses bore much of the immediate impact of the adjustment
The administration also embarked on major foreign exchange reforms, including the move towards a more market-driven exchange-rate system
The decision was explained as part of efforts to address distortions in the currency market and improve the country’s external position
The World Bank and International Monetary Fund subsequently identified these steps as significant components of Nigeria’s macroeconomic stabilisation efforts
The reforms, however, have come with substantial short-term pressures
The World Bank said in its April 2026 Nigeria Development Update that macroeconomic stability had improved, but household incomes had not fully recovered and poverty remained high
It called for the gains from stabilisation to be accompanied by stronger investment in people and more inclusive growth
The World Bank has also reported improvements in Nigeria’s external and fiscal position
It said inflation and the high cost of living continued to weigh on households, particularly poorer Nigerians
But according to Lalung, the country had reached a point where continuity was necessary to consolidate the changes already initiated by the Federal Government
Tinubu’s administration, he said, opted to confront difficult structural challenges rather than prioritise political convenience
He described the removal of the petrol subsidy in 2023 as “one of the most difficult and consequential economic decisions” taken in recent years
He said successive administrations had grappled with the subsidy issue because of its impact on the country’s finances
He said this is so while the arrangement continued to direct resources towards consumption
The former governor argued that Nigeria’s dependence on subsidised petrol had meant that resources that could have been invested in productive capacity were instead used to sustain consumption
He said the subsidy removal was painful but necessary
The former governor stressed that the significance of the policy should be considered beyond its immediate consequences
“It was not an easy decision It was not a politically convenient decision. But sometimes, leadership is tested not by the decisions that are easy to make, but by the courage to make decisions that the moment demands,” he said.
Lalong said the country now needed to translate the resources freed by the reforms into investments capable of strengthening production and improving the economy
“For decades, Nigeria consumed what we did not produce We succeeded in making our future children pay for cheap petrol. Everyone knew the truth but no leader had the courage to confront it,” he said.
He urged Nigerians and other stakeholders to support efforts aimed at helping the public understand the rationale behind the reforms and their intended long-term benefits
“Our duty today goes beyond assessment Our duty is to be ambassadors of this difficult but necessary reform,” Lalong said.
“President Tinubu has done his part by taking the bold decision Our part is to help our people understand that the pains of today are the gains of tomorrow.”
He maintained that the next phase should focus on ensuring that the resources released through the reforms are channelled into productive investments
Lalong said Tinubu had demonstrated the willingness to take difficult decisions and should be allowed to complete the reform process
The former governor added that the president had “exemplified those bold steps and come 2027, Nigerians will reward him to complete the great work”