Exactly three years since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, his administration faces a complex and often contradictory assessment, marked by both bold structural reforms and significant public hardship. While the government and its supporters point to improved fiscal numbers and a foundation laid for recovery, opposition parties and civil society groups highlight deepening economic woes, persistent insecurity, and a widening gap between official pronouncements and the lived experiences of ordinary Nigerians.

President Tinubu has consistently defended his administration's sweeping economic reforms, declaring that Nigeria is undergoing a historic national test requiring sacrifice and difficult decisions to avert economic collapse. He stated that he inherited a nation burdened by profound structural distortions, including crippling fuel subsidies, exchange-rate manipulation, rising debt, declining revenues, and worsening insecurity. According to the President, decisive policies introduced since May 2023 were crucial to prevent fiscal breakdown, deeper poverty, and severe economic uncertainty. He acknowledged the pain caused by reforms, particularly the sharp rise in the cost of living, but insisted that these sacrifices are yielding results across critical sectors, emphasizing a choice of “reform over ruin” and “decisiveness over hesitation.”

Among the key achievements highlighted by the administration and its proponents are the removal of the petrol subsidy, which was draining as much as N18.4 billion daily and over N4 trillion in 2022. This move, though painful, was deemed necessary to rescue the country from fiscal collapse. The unification of Nigeria’s multiple exchange-rate windows, previously characterized by significant disparities, speculation, and capital flight, has been credited with restoring greater transparency and stability. The administration also claims to have cleared a foreign exchange backlog estimated at over $7 billion, earning positive ratings from global agencies. Another significant step has been a comprehensive tax reform agenda, aimed at consolidating tax laws, restructuring administration, and addressing issues like multiple taxation and weak compliance to bolster economic resilience.

Furthermore, the government points to the Student Loan Bill, signed into law in the President's first 30 days, which has seen the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) disburse over N282 billion to support 1.5 million indigent students. Infrastructure development remains a priority, with over 2,700 kilometers of highways and major roads under construction or rehabilitation, alongside progressing rail modernization projects. In the oil and gas sector, reforms are said to have attracted billions in fresh investments, with the $5 billion NLNG Train 7 project nearing completion and improved domestic refining capacity reducing reliance on imports. Investments are also being made in the power sector to address debts, weak transmission, and expand renewable energy. Other interventions include agricultural support for millions of farmers, major housing projects under the Renewed Hope Cities initiative, revitalized healthcare centers, and the expansion of health insurance. The President also emphasized investment in digital skills and technical education for youth.

A significant push for clean transport energy has seen the inauguration of four major Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure projects across Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri. These include the Portland Gas CNG Mother Station and the IBILE Oil and Gas Corporation (IOGC) CNG Refuelling Station in Lagos, a high-capacity CNG Daughter Booster Station in Abuja, and the FEMADEC CNG Daughter Station and Conversion Centre at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. These initiatives, part of the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF) and the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV), aim to expand domestic gas utilization, reduce transport costs, and offer affordable alternatives to petrol, with financing options available for vehicle conversions.

Governors across the country have largely expressed support for the President’s reforms. The Nigeria Governors’ Forum, led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, affirmed that states are no longer struggling to pay workers’ salaries or borrowing for interventions, attributing increased revenue to the fuel subsidy removal and fiscal reforms. Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, noted the nation was