The Traffic

Osinbajo Sends Subtle Warning to Tinubu: Urgent Action Needed on Nigeria’s Economic Hardship

By Achimi Muktar

In a stirring address at the 2024 Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ) conference, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made a pointed call to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to prioritize the welfare of Nigerians amid the mounting economic crisis.

With the country facing severe economic hardship, Osinbajo emphasized the urgent need for social welfare programs and accessible healthcare, underlining the overwhelming cost of living that is squeezing Nigerians’ hopes for survival. In his remarks, Osinbajo painted a grim picture of the struggles faced by ordinary Nigerians, from the soaring costs of food and transportation to the burden of inadequate housing.

“The cost of living is overwhelming Nigerians’ hope for survival,” Osinbajo said, highlighting the growing food insecurity that particularly affects the nation’s children. “We must do more to ensure that basic needs are met and that our people are supported through these trying times.”

But it wasn’t just the economic struggles that concerned Osinbajo; he also turned his focus on Nigeria’s education crisis. In particular, he lamented the high illiteracy rates in the northern region, where over 67% of women are unable to read or write. He warned that such a staggering deficit in education would hinder the country’s development, asserting that “a country where half the population is socially and economically disempowered due to illiteracy will find development difficult, if not impossible.”

To address these deeply ingrained issues, Osinbajo advocated for large-scale social interventions that would target the root causes of economic hardship and illiteracy. This call for action aligns with ongoing efforts, such as the World Bank’s support for Nigeria’s National Social Safety Net Program Scale-Up (NASSP-SU), designed to provide critical safety net support to Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens.

Osinbajo also praised the work of WIMBIZ, commending the organization’s resilience in pushing for impactful change despite Nigeria’s challenging environment. He spoke about the pressures faced by Nigerian entrepreneurs, many of whom are forced to project an image of success that often does not reflect their financial reality, a stark reminder of the difficulties faced by those trying to thrive in Nigeria’s current economic climate.

In what many interpreted as a cryptic commentary on Nigeria’s broader struggles, Osinbajo lamented the growing scarcity of integrity in the country, noting that people of moral standing are becoming increasingly hard to find. He underscored the importance of integrity in building trust and strong institutions, citing the examples of former South African President Nelson Mandela and the late Nigerian lawyer Justice Kayode Esq.

Osinbajo’s remarks serve as a subtle but powerful message to Tinubu’s administration, urging immediate action to address the challenges that continue to hinder Nigeria’s progress. Whether the president takes heed of this call for greater focus on social welfare remains to be seen, but Osinbajo’s words certainly suggest that the stakes have never been higher.