Tinubu saved Nigeria from economic collapse – Soludo

‎Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has said President Bola Tinubu’s administration rescued Nigeria’s economy from collapse and restored the country’s public finances to a path of solvency.
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‎Speaking on Thursday at The Platform Nigeria event in Lagos, the former Central Bank Governor said Tinubu inherited an economy on the brink, and praised his “audacious structural reforms” for averting a crisis.

The full remarks were shared by the State House in a statement issued on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
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‎Soludo said, “In 2023, I had described the state of the economy when this government assumed office as akin to a standing dead horse, and public finance was about to tip from solvency, with potentially catastrophic consequences, including possible mass retrenchment of workers and/or arrears of salaries and pensions. Public finance is back on a solvency path, and macro fundamentals are recovering positively.”
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‎He said Tinubu’s reforms had earned international recognition, citing positive reports from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and global credit rating agencies like Fitch and Moody’s.
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‎Although he acknowledged the mixed reactions to such endorsements, Soludo said the trajectory of reforms showed that the praise was deserved.
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‎The governor urged Nigerians to approach economic criticism with evidence and rigour, rather than opinions alone.
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“Many analysts have interesting ‘opinions’, but I urge them to go deeper: conduct rigorous counterfactual analysis and provide credible alternatives!

“As a friend said recently, the task is always easy, especially if you are not the one doing it,” he said.
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‎Beyond economic policies, Soludo emphasised the need for ethical reorientation and ideological realignment across Nigeria’s political and social systems.
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He said, “We must deliberately create a critical mass of ‘new Nigerians’—who believe in her and are ready, if necessary, to die for her.

“The struggle for liberation from colonialism would not have been possible without the nationalists of the time, and the current struggle to liberate her from underdevelopment cannot be sustainable with ‘neo-nationalists’ of today.

“No nation has prospered sustainably without a critical mass of patriotic, vigilant and actively participatory citizenry.”

‎He cited the Federal Government’s student loan programme and his administration’s youth and education-focused initiatives as steps toward creating a more patriotic and engaged citizenry.
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‎Calling for a national conversation, Soludo said the country must intentionally promote values that encourage productivity, integrity, and civic responsibility.
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“We must break this vicious ‘culture’ and intentionally promote ethical-value rebirth. This is a national emergency requiring urgent national conversation,” the governor said.
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‎The event was hosted by Pastor Poju Oyemade and The Covenant Nation to mark Democracy Day.