ECONOMY: Tinubu Is Doing Nothing But Occupying Space, Lying To Nigerians — Onyekpere

Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, has accused President Bola Tinubu of failing to deliver meaningful economic growth, saying his administration is merely “occupying space” while misleading Nigerians about the state of the economy.

Onyekpere argued that the economic growth figures being reported by the government and international financial institutions did not reflect meaningful improvements in the living conditions of Nigerians.

Speaking on the country’s economic performance, he questioned the description of Nigeria’s growth as resilient, arguing that it remained inadequate relative to population growth and the government’s failure to implement its capital budget effectively.

“The World Bank is simply justifying the projects they have downloaded on Nigeria, and an unthinking government simply adopts it hook, line and sinker. That’s why they say resilient. What is resilient about the growth?” he asked.

The public finance management analyst said Nigeria’s economy was growing at approximately 4.23 to 4.4 per cent while the population was increasing by more than two per cent annually.

He argued that the reported growth was being recorded despite the government’s failure to release sufficient funds for capital projects, which he described as a critical channel through which economic expansion could improve citizens’ welfare.

According to him, government spending on salaries, debt servicing and overhead costs does not directly benefit the wider population in the same way as investments in roads, hospitals and other public infrastructure.

He maintained that capital expenditure was essential to translating economic growth into tangible benefits for ordinary Nigerians.

“The major transmission mechanism to touch the people is capital expenditure, where you cut new roads, hospitals, these things. You are doing less than 10 to 20 per cent of it,” he said.

Onyekpere also expressed concern over what he described as the slow implementation of the capital budget, questioning the government’s progress on the 2025 budget while discussions about subsequent budgets continued.

He argued that without effective implementation of capital projects, the benefits of economic growth would remain limited for ordinary Nigerians.

## Questions Tinubu’s Choice Of Officials

The Centre for Social Justice director also criticised the calibre of officials appointed by Tinubu, arguing that the administration had fallen short compared with previous governments, particularly that of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Drawing on his experience as a public finance management analyst since the Obasanjo administration, Onyekpere said he had observed a decline in the quality of people representing Nigeria in international engagements.

“When I look back, even the quality and calibre of people you bring, can you compare the calibre of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala going before international organisations, or even ambassadors?” he asked.

He cited the prominence given to Nigerian representatives at international meetings during previous administrations as an example of what he considered a higher standard of representation.

Onyekpere’s criticism comes amid continuing debate over the impact of Tinubu’s economic reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange market.

The administration has defended its reforms as necessary to stabilise public finances and create the foundation for sustainable economic growth.

However, critics have continued to question whether the reported economic improvements are translating into better living conditions, increased employment and improved public infrastructure.

Onyekpere maintained that economic growth figures alone were insufficient to demonstrate progress if government spending failed to deliver visible improvements in the lives of citizens.

He said his assessment of the administration had become increasingly critical after years of analysing public finance management in Nigeria.

In his words, “There is nothing he is doing. He is simply sitting down, occupying space and doing nothing.”

## The Real Test Of Economic Growth

Onyekpere’s criticism centres on a fundamental question confronting the Tinubu administration: whether the country’s reported economic growth is translating into improved welfare for Nigerians.

While gross domestic product growth measures the expansion of economic activity, its impact on households depends partly on population growth, inflation, employment, income distribution and the effectiveness of public spending.

Capital expenditure is one mechanism through which governments can translate public resources into infrastructure and services that support economic activity and improve living standards.

However, determining the extent to which the administration has underperformed requires examining actual budget releases, capital project implementation and independently verified economic indicators.

For Onyekpere, the central issue is that Nigerians should be able to see tangible benefits from government policies and expenditure rather than rely solely on economic growth figures.