The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has defended the performance of the Tinubu administration, saying the reforms and policies implemented in the last three years have laid the foundation for stronger economic and social development if the President secures a second term in 2027.

Bwala, however, acknowledged that the administration had not fulfilled all its promises to Nigerians, stressing that its three-year record should be viewed as the beginning of a longer-term process that would require sustained implementation, increased investment and consolidation.

He spoke on Thursday during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he assessed the administration’s performance across the economy, education, agriculture, infrastructure, aviation, security and social intervention programmes, while also addressing concerns over the impact of the reforms on the living conditions of Nigerians.

According to him, one of the major achievements of the administration was what he described as the rescue of the Nigerian economy from a critical situation when President Tinubu assumed office.

Bwala said the government’s initial priority was to stabilise the macroeconomic environment, arguing that economic stability was necessary before improvements could be felt directly by households.

He said although many Nigerians were still waiting for the full benefits of the reforms, economic experts who initially criticised some of the measures had subsequently acknowledged improvements in Nigeria’s macroeconomic position.

“The first that I would say is that one of the achievements of Mr. President is that when he came, the economy was nosediving, but he was able to rescue the economy from a very critical situation to the position where we are now, which is to move on with recovery,” Bwala said.

He explained that the government’s approach was intended to establish the foundation for improvements in household welfare, employment, education and other areas of daily life.

Bwala also claimed that Nigeria had become more attractive to investors under the Tinubu administration, citing increased activities in agriculture, technology, aviation and other sectors.

He said the country’s foreign exchange reserves had risen to more than $40 billion, while activities on the stock market had remained strong, which he attributed to increased investor confidence and the government’s economic policies.

“President also was able to put Nigeria on the map. Map in the sense that Nigeria is an attractive destination for investment,” he said.

The presidential aide said the administration’s interventions had not been restricted to the economy, noting that the government had also focused on education, agriculture, civil service, aviation, infrastructure and security.

On education, Bwala cited what he described as a reduction in the frequency and duration of industrial actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, as an indication of progress in the sector.

He also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, saying the scheme had provided financial assistance to more than one million Nigerian students to meet tuition and living expenses.

According to him, the number of beneficiaries could increase substantially if the government succeeds in expanding its revenue base.

“With the meager amount we have, we introduced the NELFUND, which is a scheme that provides loans for students to cover for their tuition and living costs and over 1 million Nigerians are beneficiaries,” he said.

Bwala also pointed to government interventions in agriculture, saying farmers had been provided with access to seedlings, financing opportunities and other support aimed at increasing production and addressing food insecurity.

He said the government was encouraging farmers to return to their farms by creating schemes that would enable them to obtain the resources required for production.

The presidential aide further disclosed that the Federal Government had introduced a credit scheme for civil servants to enable them to obtain household electronics and other basic necessities and pay gradually at what he described as low interest rates.

He said the initiative was designed to ease financial pressure on workers while improving their access to essential household items.

In the aviation sector, Bwala said the administration had cleared outstanding financial obligations to foreign airlines and strengthened Nigeria’s international air connectivity.

He cited the restoration of access to Dubai, increased connectivity with the United Kingdom and plans for direct flight opportunities to Brazil among the developments he attributed to the administration.

He said the government had also supported Air Peace’s international expansion, arguing that improved connectivity would contribute to trade, investment and economic development.

On security, Bwala said the Federal Government had strengthened cooperation with countries, particularly the United States, in the fight against terrorism, insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality.

He linked Nigeria’s security challenges partly to instability across the Sahel region, arguing that the transnational nature of terrorism required stronger international cooperation.

“We have strengthened our ties security-wise with the rest of the world, especially with the United States of America, where we do have on a regular basis, joint operations in a bid to fight these insurgents, the terrorists, the bandits, and all elements of crime that are right now at our doorstep in the Sahel region,” he said.

Despite highlighting the achievements of the administration, Bwala admitted that the government had not completely fulfilled its promises to Nigerians.

He said the administration was instead presenting its achievements as a foundation upon which a second-term government could build.

“So these are a few of the many things that this administration has achieved. But we are not by any chance suggesting that this is a fulfillment of what we promised. But we are suggesting to Nigeria that this is a foundation for many things that we will consolidate on if elected for the second term,” he said.

Bwala also acknowledged the hardship experienced by Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy and the reforms in the foreign exchange market.

He said the government understood that reforms could initially create discomfort because they required citizens to adjust to new economic realities.

According to him, the administration was not unaware that some Nigerians who were already living below the poverty line had been pushed into deeper hardship by the reforms.

He nevertheless argued that the objective was to correct structural weaknesses in the economy and create an environment capable of generating greater opportunities in the long term.

“Anytime you introduce a reform, it starts first by putting the people in a very inconvenient position because the very idea of reform, it means to reshape things,” he said.

On the issue of hunger, Bwala said the government recognised food insecurity as one of the most urgent challenges confronting Nigerians.

He described hunger as a national security issue because of its direct effect on the welfare and stability of citizens, particularly people in rural communities who struggle to afford basic necessities.

He cited the price of rice as an example of what he described as the impact of government interventions in agriculture and food supply.

According to him, rice, which he said had sold for as much as N120,000 at the height of the economic crisis, was now selling for below N40,000 in some locations and around N30,000 in others.

Bwala also said President Tinubu had opened an importation window when necessary to ensure adequate food supply, while the government had removed import duties on some essential commodities.

He said the Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, initiative was another intervention aimed at reducing the burden of transportation costs following the removal of fuel subsidy.

However, he acknowledged that the expansion of the CNG programme and other interventions remained constrained by funding.

Bwala said the government’s ability to expand programmes such as NELFUND was directly linked to the amount of revenue available to the country.

He cited economic estimates suggesting that Nigeria would require between $30 billion and $100 billion annually for infrastructure alone to meet global development standards, noting that the country’s budget was significantly below that level.

He argued that the size of Nigeria’s population, combined with limited resources, meant that government interventions could not produce immediate nationwide transformation.

According to him, the government was therefore placing greater emphasis on entrepreneurship and private-sector development because the state could not employ every Nigerian.

He said the government’s responsibility was to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, generate employment and provide opportunities for citizens.

Bwala also defended the administration’s position on increased government revenue following the removal of fuel subsidy.

He argued that the additional revenue was not meant solely for expenditure by the Federal Government but had also resulted in increased allocations to states and local governments.

According to him, the additional resources had helped sub-national governments improve their ability to pay salaries and finance infrastructure, security and other public services.

He cited the increase in the minimum wage and major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, as examples of government policies that he said would ultimately benefit ordinary Nigerians through employment, improved transportation and increased economic activity.

The presidential aide also defended government spending on official facilities, including the President’s aircraft and vehicles for members of the National Assembly.

He argued that the responsibilities attached to the offices of the President and lawmakers required adequate facilities to enable them to perform their constitutional duties.

Defending the purchase of the presidential aircraft, Bwala said the President, as Commander-in-Chief and Nigeria’s chief representative in international engagements, required a reliable aircraft for official travel.

He also argued that the President’s international engagements were partly aimed at attracting investment into Nigeria and therefore required dependable facilities.

On the controversial acquisition of SUVs for members of the National Assembly, Bwala described such provisions as part of the privileges associated with their offices, while stressing that all three arms of government required adequate resources to function effectively.

He, however, pointed to measures taken by the Tinubu administration to reduce certain aspects of the cost of governance.

He cited the executive order reducing the number of escort vehicles attached to public officials, as well as the redeployment of some police officers previously assigned to VIP protection to areas where they could contribute to combating criminality.

Bwala maintained that while Nigerians remained concerned about food prices, employment, education, transportation and security, the government’s reforms were targeted at addressing some of the structural problems responsible for the country’s economic difficulties.

He said the administration understood that improvements in macroeconomic indicators would mean little to ordinary citizens unless they eventually translated into better living conditions.

The presidential aide therefore maintained that the next phase of the administration, if re-elected in 2027, would focus on consolidating the foundation established during its first term and expanding programmes that had already been introduced.

He said increased revenue, private-sector investment, agricultural production, education financing, entrepreneurship, infrastructure development and stronger security cooperation would remain important components of the government’s development strategy.

Bwala’s comments come amid continuing debate over the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, with the government highlighting improvements in macroeconomic indicators and revenue while critics continue to question the extent to which those gains have translated into improved living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.