Tinubu Orders Public Accounting of Nigeria’s Reform Programme

August 21, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the government to present what he described as a public account of the economic reforms introduced since he took office in 2023, seeking to quantify their achievements, costs and the consequences the administration believes were avoided.

In a national address, Tinubu said the government would publish a “Reforms Scorecard” setting out the effects of its economic programme on households, businesses and the wider economy.

“When we began this journey of reform in 2023, I promised that the difficult decisions we were making would serve the purpose of building an economy that works better for you and a country that is stronger for our children,” Tinubu said.

The president said the scorecard would detail what the reforms had achieved, the costs they had imposed and what he described as the greater economic harm that could have resulted without intervention.

Tinubu directed the finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to present the government's account of the reforms, including the economic choices made, progress recorded and the work still required.

The move places the Tinubu administration's reform programme under a more explicit public accounting framework after more than three years of sweeping policy changes aimed at reshaping Africa's largest economy.

Tinubu's government has pursued measures that have included the removal of the petrol subsidy and reforms to the foreign exchange regime, policies that were intended to address long-standing fiscal and currency distortions but also contributed to a sharp rise in living costs.

The president acknowledged the burden of the policy changes, saying Nigerians were entitled to understand what had changed and what the reforms meant for their families and businesses.

“You deserve to see the numbers,” Tinubu said. “You deserve to know what has changed and what these reforms mean for you, your family, your business and our country.”

The planned scorecard is expected to provide the government's most direct attempt to present the economic case for reforms that have reshaped Nigeria's fiscal and monetary landscape while imposing significant short-term costs on households and businesses.

The presentation by the finance ministry will focus on the data behind the government's policy decisions and assess both the progress made and the challenges that remain as the administration seeks to consolidate its reform programme.

Source: FSX Business News