The National Chairman of the Action Development Party (ADP), Eng. Yabagi Sani, says President Bola Tinubu’s administration will go down as one of the worst in Nigerian history for inflicting ‘hunger and pain’ on citizens.

A report by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), indicates that over seven million businesses shut down in Nigeria in the two years of the current administration.

The report, according to Dr. Segun Omisakin, Chief Economist and Director of Research at the NESG, says during this period, Nigeria recorded an estimated N94 trillion loss due to multinational divestments and business closures and that the economic downturn has led to the closure of approximately 7.2 million businesses between 2023 and 2024.

He said additionally, 30% of Nigeria’s 24 million Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) shut down during this period, underscoring the country’s economic vulnerability.

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But President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last Thursday, while receiving a delegation of former National Assembly colleagues, explained that Nigeria has started benefitting from the reforms he introduced.

He said: “We faced serious headwinds when I took over; very challenging times. Nigeria would have been bankrupt if we had not taken the actions that we took, and we had to prevent the economy’s collapse.

“Today, we are sitting pretty on a good foundation. We have reversed the problem; the Exchange rate is stabilising. Food prices are coming down, especially during Ramadan. We will have light at the end of the tunnel”.

Speaking on Trust TV’s Sunday Politics, Sani, who was the presidential candidate of the ADP in the 2023 election, expressed divergent views on the state of the economy.

He called on the federal government to address inflation, exchange rate, and cost of transportation among others.

He said: “Nigeria’s economy is a promise of greatness and I believe we can do much more beter with what is happening today. Yes, the government took certain decisions that one would say is a necessary so that the challenges we have in the economy can be addressed.

“Today, Nigerians are not happy. They are going through what is called ‘Hell’ because looking at Nigeria before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took over power, it wasn’t anything good, but today we are worse off.

“I understand that you must go through pains before enjoying but don’t let the pains be prolonged otherwise by the time all the goodies come, there will be nobody available to enjoy them.

“So, it is expected for this government to do more than what it is doing. The reality is that the current inflation in the country is too high.

“The government should tackle the issue if corruption because it is there. Government should ensure that direct measures should be taken to ensure that the cost of transportation is addressed.

“Another factor the government should address is the exchange rate. It also plays a big role in what becomes inflation. Nigeria imports a lot of things, therefore the strength of naira is crucial, that is what we are asking government to look at this.”

He continued: “Government should take bold step to ensure that the manufacturing sector is alive and active, to ensure that they are able to produce at a price that Nigerians can afford.”

But a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comr. Samuel Danjuma, countered Sani’s submissions.

He said: “By the time the previous administration was leaving in 2023, that budget had no provision for removal of subsidy.

“One thing we should give to this administration is that from the inception of democracy in 1999 till date, I think if there is any administration that has pulled through with policies of government aimed at bettering the lot of the people and positioning the economy on the right track of recovery and prosperity, we should give it to the Bola Tinubu-led administration.”

On the continued high cost of transportation despite the reductions in the pump price of petrol by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Dangote Group, he said: “We should begin to search our conscience to see if we are really doing what we are supposed to do as individuals. If the reason for the increase was because fuel price was at this rate and fuel price has dropped, it should automatically reflect in the cost of transportation.

“Nigerians are the problem of their own self and not the government. The government is doing everything humanly possible to alleviate the sufferings of the people.”

He added that: “The government has released funds to assist the manufacturing industries to be able to mitigate the removal of fuel subsidy. But are they really using the funds judiciously?

“As the government has a role to play, so do citizens. We should also look at our responsibility.”