Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, describing the country’s economic situation as “organised hardship disguised as reform.” His remarks follow a recent warning from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about Nigeria’s deteriorating economic outlook, which Atiku said merely confirms the daily struggles already faced by millions of citizens.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the IMF’s assessment validates widespread concerns over worsening living conditions. “At a time when Nigerians were promised renewed hope, what they have received is renewed hardship—raw, relentless, and unforgiving,” he said. “The IMF is not breaking news; it is confirming a national emergency that this administration refuses to acknowledge.”
Atiku accused the government of being disconnected from the plight of ordinary Nigerians. While officials, he argued, rely on technical economic language, citizens are grappling with soaring food prices, high transportation costs, exchange rate instability, and the continued depreciation of the naira. He noted that despite favourable global oil prices, more Nigerians are being pushed into poverty.
“At the grassroots, the situation is even more severe,” Atiku said, citing cases of parents withdrawing children from school due to rising costs, farmers abandoning their lands over insecurity, and small businesses shutting down under the weight of taxes, electricity tariffs, and an unfavourable business environment.
He warned that Nigeria is facing not just an economic downturn but a broader erosion of living standards and human dignity. “This administration has turned sacrifice into a one-way street where the people bear the burden while the government offers explanations,” he stated. “You cannot ask a hungry population to remain patient while policies worsen their conditions.”
Atiku also raised concerns about Nigeria’s rising debt profile, cautioning that continued borrowing without visible improvements in citizens’ welfare could worsen the country’s economic outlook. “We are borrowing heavily, yet there is little evidence of impact on the lives of the people—no jobs, no relief, no measurable improvement,” he said.
He further faulted what he described as the government’s reliance on theoretical economic policies without sufficient attention to their real-life consequences. “Governance is not about abstract theories; it is about whether citizens can afford basic necessities—food, transportation, and livelihood,” he added.
Atiku called on the Federal Government to urgently adopt people-centred policies aimed at stabilising prices, supporting small businesses, reducing transportation costs, and protecting vulnerable populations. “This is not the time for rhetoric; it is the time for decisive action,” he said. “The true measure of leadership is whether the lives of the people are improving. Today, Nigerians are worse off, and that reality cannot be ignored.”
