Poor Nigerians suffering from decades of low productivity, not my reforms – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has said the hardship facing millions of Nigerians is not a consequence of his administration’s economic reforms, but the result of decades of low productivity, inadequate infrastructure and limited opportunities.

Tinubu stated this in his speech marking Nigeria’s Independence Day remembrance on Thursday.

The President acknowledged that millions of Nigerians were still struggling to afford basic necessities, including food, school fees, medical bills and transportation.

He, however, said the challenges predated the reforms implemented by his administration over the past three years.

“Some Nigerian families still struggle today for the next meal, the next school fee, the next medical bill, or simply enough money to get to work,” Tinubu said.

“Their circumstances did not begin with the reforms of the last three years. Their struggle is the accumulated consequence of decades of low productivity, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient opportunity and institutions that too often failed those who needed them most.

“We cannot erase in four years what has accumulated over generations. But we can change its course.

“We can build an economy that steadily lifts people out of poverty while ensuring that those who remain vulnerable are not abandoned along the way,” he said.

DAILY POST reports that Tinubu has repeatedly defended his administration’s economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange system, as necessary measures to reposition the Nigerian economy.