President Bola Tinubu is committed to mitigating the impact of the current economic situation on the lives of the average Nigerian, the Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has said.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, the group argued that the President’s commitment to the welfare of the Nigerian people is not in doubt.
It said: “Twice in the space of one week, President Bola Tinubu has had cause to reaffirm his pledge to ease the burden of the impact of the economic reform of his administration on Nigerians.
“The first time was when he received the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund IMF Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
“We recall that President Tinubu was emphatic that he was aware of the pains the reforms have caused but added that ‘they are necessary steps for our nation’s long-term stability and growth’.
“A few days later, in his reaction to the report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of a 3.46% growth in the economy, he again referred what he described as ‘the unintended challenges’ of the reforms which he said are being addressed.
“But these two occasions are not the President’s first time of acknowledging challenges stemming from the necessary reforms. This, for us, shows that he is not cut off from reality, and neither has he attempted to paint a rosy picture of the here and now.
“And to underline his commitment to the people’s welfare, he has continually pledged, as he also did recently to assuage the pains but this time, he added that he would not rest ‘until Nigerians feel the positive impacts in their pockets and experience a better living standard.
“We see this as a reassuring promise at a time that the reforms are beginning to bear fruits, mostly in terms of foreign investment commitments. The latest being the announcement of a $2.5bn investment by JBS (SA), one of the largest meat packaging companies in the world to build six meat factories in the country as well as the €300m partnership agreement stemming from the President’s state visit to France.”
TMSG is empathic that the Tinubu administration has continued to strengthen various initiatives it introduced in line with its commitment to improving the people’s welfare.
“Beyond just making pledges, the President and his administration have introduced a slew of initiatives, numbering about 15 to cushion the effects of the reform as well as create long-term benefits for the citizenry.
“We see those initiatives as a good way of safeguarding the well-being of the people, especially the vulnerable population, while stabilizing the economy.
“This is why the student loan scheme that is targeted at ensuring that students from poor homes stay in school is considered by many is one legacy that President Tinubu would be remembered for. There were also indications from the President recently about the reintroduction of a better packaged National Social investment Programme (NSIP) as part of steps to provide social safety net for the vulnerable population.
“There is the N100bn Consumer Credit Scheme managed by the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CreditCorp) which is also a novel idea as well as the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative which although is still in a fledgling state is gradually being embraced as a cheaper,safer and cleaner alternative to PMS.
“Also ongoing is the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) project for which the federal government has committed $618 million to in order to strengthen Nigeria’s creative industry,” it added
The group urged Nigerians to trust in the capacity of President Tinubu to deliver in his promises.
