In the current debates over Nigeria’s economic future an influential political group has come out to challenge the government’s interpretation of an important international figure’s recent remarks. It is the African Democratic Congress has directly addressed the president Bola Tinubu to emphasize the need to pay more focus on the vast insight shared by Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, rather than focusing on only positive aspects.
The party’s position is based on worries that the administration’s focus is only on Okonjo-Iweala’s acknowledgement of efforts to stabilize the economy but ignoring her crucial recommendations to encourage real growth, creating employment opportunities and building solid social support systems that ease the burdens of millions of citizens. This strategy as per the party, is indicative of the desire for external validation instead of a true determination to address the underlying economic challenges.
In a long declaration, the party’s national publicity secretary stressed the need for stability in the economy to go beyond the superficial indicators; it has to be a tangible expansion that is driven by higher productivity and employment as well as ensuring the basic quality of life for everyone. He noted that Okonjo Iweala’s fundamental message that has been omitted is a warning of an economy which is unsteady in employment and growth as well as widespread hardship, which is made worse due to recent policy changes implemented without proper preparation.
To emphasize those points, the declaration highlighted specific economic indicators that show the limits of progress currently made. For instance, the gross domestic product growth was 3.13 per cent in 2025’s first quarter, and barely surpassed three percent during the 2nd quarter. This was short of the accelerated recovery that was expected due to the reforms of the government. Inflation rates are another indicator of the stress, averaging 22.22 percent in June 2025, and the cost of food rising up to 21.97 percent. Costs for everyday items have increased and are evident by the price of gasoline prices averaging N1,037.66 per liter and exchange rate of the naira at around N1,530 for a dollar.
The party blamed a large portion of the problem to policies that were implemented in the Tinubu administration such as the elimination from fuel subsidy, devaluation the naira, as well as increases in the cost of electricity and transportation. These policies, although meant to transform our economy have actually required immediate and efficient social safety nets, programs which have been implemented at random, paused in a few instances, or have produced little or no results.
In direct reference to Okonjo-Iweala’s explanation of Facebook, social media and the likes of it. The party reaffirmed her call to take proactive measures and stated that, in addition to stabilization, it’s crucial to focus on initiatives that boost economies, provide jobs and offer financial assistance to families. A balanced view is, according to the party, is essential to avoid the dangers of celebrating stability that is not real, that could distract attention from the urgent tasks that are required.
In the end in the end, it is clear that the African Democratic Congress views Okonjo-Iweala’s open analysis as an essential signal that the administration must step beyond narratives of promotion and put in place concrete policies that deal with the actual issues facing Nigerians. By fully accepting these lessons and embracing them, the administration can pave the way to an equitable and sustainable economic development path that will benefit the country in general.
