Sanusi, Onaiyekan and the Growing Critique of Tinubu’s Economic Policies

A meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria turned tense after the bishops raised concerns about economic hardship, insecurity and the risk of a one-party state. Cardinal John Onaiyekan later said the delegation had a duty to speak plainly because Nigerians are suffering. Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II had similarly warned that economic policies cannot be judged successful if they do not improve people’s welfare. For me, these interventions should prompt reflection, not dismissal. The administration appears increasingly insulated from domestic criticism, treating opposing views as political hostility or ignorance. With institutions such as the legislature, opposition parties, labour, civil society and the media weakened or less vocal, the government may be too comfortable with its own reading of reality. The government often points to GDP growth, stock-market performance, exchange-rate stability and higher FAAC allocations as evidence of success. But these indicators do not fully reflect the pressure on households. The article argues that GDP growth remains historically unexceptional, higher FAAC allocations largely reflect naira devaluation, and lower headline inflation after rebasing may mask the severity of the cost-of-living crisis. Stabilisation measures such as subsidy removal, exchange-rate unification and higher electricity tariffs are not enough on their own. Nigeria also needs clear industrial, agricultural and social-protection policies, backed by capable institutions. Without these, the gap between positive macroeconomic figures and the daily realities of Nigerians could undermine the entire reform agenda.

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