A presidential aide, Daniel Bwala, has defended the economic reforms being implemented by the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the current hardship faced by Nigerians as part of a necessary transition rather than evidence of policy failure.
In a post shared on X on Monday, Bwala said many of the structural problems Nigerians had endured for years were more severe but had become normalised over time due to prolonged exposure.
“Yes, reform is loud. But, as Nigerians, we need to be honest with ourselves. The problems we lived with for years were even louder. We just got used to them,” he said, citing waste, inefficiency and systemic challenges as long-standing issues now being addressed.
He explained that the disruptions currently being experienced were part of broader efforts to fix entrenched structural weaknesses in the economy, stressing that meaningful reforms are rarely easy or immediate in their impact.
According to him, “Now that things are being fixed under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it won’t be quiet or easy. Real change never is. The noise you hear today is the sound of difficult but necessary change.”
Bwala further noted that nation-building requires sacrifice and resilience, adding that reform processes often involve temporary discomfort before delivering long-term benefits.
He also criticised opposition parties for failing to present alternative policy proposals on major economic decisions taken by the administration, including the removal of fuel subsidy, exchange-rate reforms and the introduction of the student loan scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
The presidential aide additionally took a swipe at previous administrations, suggesting their policies contributed to the country’s current economic challenges, while urging Nigerians to remain patient as the reforms take effect.
