Presidency faults Economist report claiming Nigerians dislike Tinubu

The Presidency has rejected The Economist's claim that Nigerians dislike President Bola Tinubu, dismissing it as "intellectual fraud." In a statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, accused The Economist of operating from a "comfortable, insulated drawing room" and pushing a false narrative about Tinubu's popularity.

The Presidency argued that Nigeria's economic challenges are the result of a "broken economic ecosystem" inherited by the Tinubu administration in May 2023, and that the President's economic overhaul is "unstoppable." They highlighted reforms such as the removal of fuel subsidies, forex rationalization, and the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as evidence of progress.

The Presidency emphasized that fair judgment of Tinubu's stewardship must be made against the catastrophic economic baseline he inherited, and that the pain of reforms is necessary for long-term growth and development.