Tinubu’s reforms painful but necessary— group says

By Abubakar Yunus

The Grassroots Mobilisation Initiative has defended the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu, saying although the policies have brought hardship to many Nigerians, they were necessary to rescue the country from economic collapse.

The group said the administration had taken difficult but bold decisions that previous governments avoided, insisting that the reforms were laying the foundation for long-term national growth.

The National Coordinator of GMI, Samaila Musa, stated this in a statement issued on Monday to mark President Tinubu’s third anniversary in office.

According to him, the administration deserved commendation for confronting deep-rooted structural challenges despite the political and economic consequences.

“Our conclusion is clear: No leader in recent history has had the courage to take on Nigeria’s toughest problems head-on like President Tinubu. He didn’t come to play politics with our future; he came to fix the country from the ground up,” Musa said.

The group acknowledged that millions of Nigerians had struggled with the impact of the reforms but argued that the sacrifices were unavoidable.

“We will not pretend that the journey has been easy. We fully acknowledge that some of these reforms have been very tough and hard on millions of Nigerians across the country.

“But medicine is often bitter before it heals. Going through that painful phase was necessary to save our country from total collapse, and we are confident that the hardest part is finally behind us now,” he added.

GMI also applauded the Federal Government’s policy requiring value addition before the export of strategic minerals, saying the initiative would encourage industrialisation, create jobs and retain more value within the Nigerian economy.

The organisation further welcomed ongoing discussions on the establishment of state police, describing the proposal as a critical step towards strengthening community security and tackling insecurity across the country.

It also praised the administration’s infrastructure drive, citing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Expressway and Ibadan-Ilesha Road as strategic projects capable of boosting trade, improving connectivity and enhancing agricultural productivity.

The group defended the removal of fuel subsidy and reforms in the foreign exchange market, saying the measures had helped to block waste and improve public finances.

“Stopping the corrupt fuel subsidy and stopping foreign exchange round-tripping wasn’t easy, but it was necessary to save Nigeria from bankruptcy,” Musa said.

He also claimed that increased allocations to states and local governments, improved external reserves, expanded student loan access, higher minimum wage and ongoing security reforms reflected the gains of the administration’s policies.

Musa urged Nigerians to remain patient and continue supporting the Federal Government, expressing confidence that the benefits of the reforms would become more evident in the coming years.