President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerian media to extend critical scrutiny from the federal government to state and local administrations, arguing that increased fiscal autonomy now places greater responsibility on sub-national entities.
Speaking during an Iftar dinner with media proprietors and executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu highlighted reforms under his administration that have restored direct federal allocations to local governments following a Supreme Court ruling. He stressed that while his government has “opened up the principle of federalism,” the public and media must now closely examine how lower tiers of government utilise these funds.
“Don’t bombard me alone,” the President said. “Look at local government too, and equally, the sub-national.”
Tinubu credited his administration’s reforms—including increased crude production, enhanced revenue collection by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, and the local government autonomy judgment—with eliminating the need for states to borrow for salary payments, a chronic issue in the past. He acknowledged persistent economic hardships but asserted that Nigeria had been pulled “back from the brink” of bankruptcy, citing stabilized foreign exchange and controlled inflation.
The President directly addressed widespread criticism of his early tenure, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023. He described the decision as a necessary, unavoidable step to prevent economic collapse. “I couldn’t look back other than make corrections as I move along, save the nation, bring it back from the brink,” he stated.
Tinubu framed media criticism as constructive rather than adversarial. “I don’t categorise anybody as arch-critical. I see them as simulators who can build a nation,” he said, crediting relentless press scrutiny with challenging his administration to perform better. He revealed his daily habit of reading all major newspapers, calling it “an addiction,” and admitted initial “stubbornness” in response to negative coverage.
He also recognised operational challenges facing media organisations, noting that discussions on industry tariffs had taken place earlier that day and promising to address specific concerns. The event, the final Iftar of the Ramadan season, gathered executives from print, broadcast, and digital outlets.
The appeal underscores a strategic shift in the administration’s communications: demanding broader accountability across Nigeria’s federal structure while defending its own economic reforms as indispensable and corrective.
