Vice President Kashim Shettima has defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, arguing that Nigeria would have suffered an economic collapse if the administration had failed to implement its reforms.
Shettima said the difficult decisions taken by Tinubu had helped reposition the economy, insisting that although Nigerians had experienced significant hardship, the situation could have been worse without the reforms.
The Vice President spoke on Monday at a forum titled Together till 2027: An Evening with Original City Boy, organised by the City Boy Movement in collaboration with the Relax-Tinubu-Is-Fixing-Nigeria movement, both of which support Tinubu’s re-election bid.
He attributed the country’s reported economic growth and improvement in external reserves to the President’s policy decisions.
“The President took those far-reaching decisions. He had the courage of conviction and the knowledge to take those far-reaching decisions that repositioned the Nigerian economy, so that now the economy grew by 4.43 per cent in the last quarter,” Shettima said.
He added that the country’s foreign reserves had strengthened, describing the development as evidence of progress under the current administration.
“Most importantly, our foreign reserves are now hovering at the level of $60bn,” he said.
Reflecting on the country’s economic challenges, the Vice President argued that the impact of the reforms should be assessed against the alternative of failing to make difficult policy choices.
“The same people that are crying wolf. If the President had not taken those far-reaching decisions, Walahi, I am not talking to you as a politician. I am talking to you as a Nigerian, our economy would have collapsed,” he said.
Shettima also took a swipe at critics of the administration, suggesting that some of those attacking the President’s policies would have been commenting on an economic collapse had the reforms not been implemented.
“These people, by now, would be writing epistles on a collapsed economy from the comfort of their homes in Dubai, in New York, or in marriage with their young Moroccan wives. I have not mentioned anybody’s name,” he added.
Despite defending the government’s economic direction, the Vice President acknowledged the difficulties Nigerians had faced since the reforms began.
He maintained, however, that the President deserved commendation for taking decisions he described as necessary for the country’s long-term economic stability.
“Your Excellency, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the President has to be commended, not demonised. Yes, Nigerians have gone through some tough times, but it could have been worse,” Shettima said.
He also expressed optimism that the administration would introduce additional measures to address challenges in the agricultural sector and ease the cost of food.
“Be reassured that in the coming weeks, the President will come up with robust responses to agricultural challenges, and prices of foodstuff will certainly come down,” he stated.
The Vice President further cited government interventions in education and infrastructure as part of efforts to improve the economy, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
He urged young Nigerians to help communicate the administration’s achievements and policies to citizens across the country.
“I urge the youth of Nigeria. I beseech thee. I implore you to go out to the streets and tell the truth to other Nigerians,” he said.
Shettima had earlier criticised the economic proposals of opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council on October 14.
Meanwhile, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that Nigeria’s real gross domestic product grew by 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 4.23 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025.
The statistics agency also reported that headline inflation declined to 14.63 per cent in September from 15.39 per cent in August and 20.98 per cent in September 2025. Food inflation, however, stood at 19.59 per cent.
Figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria showed that the country’s external reserves stood at $55.07bn as of October 9, below the approximately $60bn cited by Shettima.
The City Boy Movement, led by its Director-General, Francis Shoga, launched its nationwide campaign in support of Tinubu’s re-election on June 11, when the Vice President received the group’s leaders at the Presidential Villa.
The movement’s organisers have said it has representatives across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The APC is scheduled to flag off its presidential campaign in Kaduna on October 24 ahead of the presidential election slated for January 16, 2027.
