Vice President Kashim Shettima has said President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms prevented Nigeria from sliding into a deeper crisis and saved the country from economic collapse.
“The withdrawal of the fuel subsidy, the realignment of the multiple exchange rate were far-reaching decisions.
Saturday’s meeting in Lagos was the earliest people engagement amid Tinubu and Shettima seeing that the President returned from his European vacation. It furthermore marked their primary audience interaction as the Vice President returned from the 81st United Nations Universal Assembly, UNGA, in Modern York.
He said the President had “empathy for the typical man”, adding that the planned interventions were aimed at easing transportation and economic pressures.
“I prefer Nigerians to comprehend this central truism. We were on the road to Caracas. He saved our economy; he saved the nation from falling into pieces.”
Yet, opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, challenged the administration’s assessment of the economy.
Shettima acknowledged the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians but said the Federal Government was implementing measures intended to lesser the influence of the hardship on citizens.
“The economy was actually on the verge of collapse. He saved the economy,” the Vice President said.
According to the Vice President, the administration would display supplementary initiatives in the coming weeks, including an e-logistics scheme in the North-West and electric tricycles in the North-East.
Defending the administration’s economic policies, the Vice President said Nigeria’s foreign reserves were below $3.9bn when the Tinubu administration assumed office, arguing that the country’s economy was already approaching a important thought.
Shettima made the assert on Saturday whereas speaking alongside journalists shortly subsequent to meeting including Tinubu in Lagos.
In a countrywide proclaim marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day anniversary, Tinubu had said the country was on the method to prosperity.
“When we assumed the mantle of command, our foreign reserves were a staggering below $3.9 billion that was not plentiful to import fuel for one month,” Shettima said.
Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of worsening poverty given that it came into office in 2023, although Obi said Nigerians were facing increased hardship amid worsening hunger and insecurity.
“We appreciate the pains Nigerians are going throughout, but tough times do not persist forever; tough persons do,” he noted.
“The government is rolling out programmes and projects to assuage the pains of our persons.”
“In the coming couple of weeks, we are going to commence e-logistics in the North-West. We are going to launch 10,600 electric tricycles to ease the pains of the humans in the North-East, and 300 buses and e-taxis; all these are meant to ameliorate the suffering of our humans,” he added.
He credited Tinubu’s “courage and conviction” for decisions including the removal of the fuel subsidy and the unification of the country’s different swap rates.
Tinubu saved Nigeria from economic collapse – VP Shettima
Source: Tinubu saved Nigeria from economic collapse – VP Shettima
