Nigerians have reacted to President Bola Tinubu’s first presidential media chat on Monday on the Nigerian Television Authority and other national television networks. A cross-section of Nigerians said there was no significant takeaway from the media parley.

The media chat, announced by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, featured the President addressing some concerning economic issues and defending his administration policies in the coming years.

Since his inauguration on May 29th, 2023, Nigerians have experienced economic hardship and a high cost of living, which emanated from the removal of fuel subsidies and devaluation of the naira. The effect of these policies has left Nigerians in agitation, and some have taken to the streets to demand an end to some of these policies.

The President defended his actions, insisting that fuel subsidy removal was his best decision. The policy was only advantageous to the few Nigerians and some neighbouring countries benefiting from smuggling and was not economically tenable for the country.

Nigerians have, however, taken a variety of stances on the presidential chat. Some have stated that the President has not addressed the significant problems that ordinary citizens face and that his policies are harsh on the nation. On the other hand, some commended the President for being articulate to address the country.

Adeleke Babatunde, a student, said the media chat did not address the country’s burning issues. He added that the President was also not asked some questions about the country’s economic hardship. He also stated that politicians must try to avoid ordinary talks without actions.

“To begin with, the media chat was a sham – all the journalists in the room were sympathetic to the President.  Quite rich, coming from the man who said he shouldn’t be pitied, that he asked for the job. The chat itself yielded nothing new to the nation. The overall feel was that of a journalist cosying up to the presidency: no hard questions or even an attempt at it.  

“I was worried that he sidestepped the stampede question.  The others, we know he has the talks.  Since his first address, we have added “baby steps of pain” to our vocabulary. But we must transcend talks into delivering action, and the political elites must be at the forefront.

It is like every corrupt and inept ruling elite to praise their ruinous policies even when a majority of the country’s population is opposed to those policies because those policies are anti-poor, anti-development, and anti-people.

Taiwo Hassan Soweto, the National Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign, expressed his dissatisfaction with the President’s comments on hunger and hardship in the country. He noted that the President is not in touch with average Nigerians struggling to provide basic amenities for themselves.

Mr Soweto appealed to the President to undo the policies that have caused the majority of Nigerians to live in poverty, claiming that since the President took office, the country’s citizens’ fortunes had drastically changed.

“So, in essence, the comment made by President Tinubu at the media chat yesterday only shows that he lives in another Nigeria that is different from Nigeria, which all Nigerians are familiar with. In this world of fantasy and privilege wherein all bills concerning his and his family’s feeding, drinking, accommodation, clothing, entertainment, fuelling, medicals, and the like are picked by our national purse while he junkets the globe, President Tinubu is inoculated from the harsh reality of his failed government. 

“I do not have to go over the data of misgovernance since everyone knows this, but what I can say in summary is that in all respect, we can say without prevarication that the past 19 months or thereabout of President Tinubu’s administration has been an absolute calamity for the country and its people. His coming to power has been a curse to everyone and the country. There is hardly any honest and hard-working Nigerian person who has not seen a huge reversal in their fortunes since the President came to power”, he said.

Also, Taofeek Raimi,  an economist, commended the President for the confidence and boldness he exuded in presenting his achievements and how he anticipated the coming years to lead the country through his renewed hope agenda. He, however, expressed his expectation that the President’s promises during the chat would be accomplished subsequently.

“The President’s presidential media chat came to me as very assertive. The President spoke confidently and boldly and focused on his renewed hope agenda. He delved into his achievements in the past 18 months and discussed what is currently at work. He also mentioned that there are lots of hopes for Nigerians to believe going forward. 

“He talked about how insecurity has greatly reduced and how our citizens can travel from one place to another. The President’s speech rekindled hope amongst Nigerians. I’m expecting more realistic strategies towards achieving most of the laudable plans he mentioned,” he said.

Charles Omole, a lawyer and Security consultant, also lauded the President for engaging with the media yesterday and called for more engagement between the President and the media to increase citizens’ awareness and understanding of developments across various sectors.

“My primary observation about President Bola Tinubu’s media chat yesterday is that it was commendable overall. However, I strongly recommend that such engagements become a regular monthly or quarterly feature. There is critical information that only the President can share without fear of personal backlash, addressing matters others might hesitate to disclose.

“The chat demonstrated a reassuring level of cross-sector awareness, highlighting the President’s understanding of developments across various sectors. It’s comforting to see that he is well-informed about the thrust and impact of his policies on the economy,” he opined.

The President also addressed the controversial tax reform bill, which has stirred debate among stakeholders in the country about insecurity, fighting corruption, and revenue generation, among other national discourse.

He also praised his administration’s progress over the last 18 months as a path to prosperity, stating that his government would lead the country in the right direction.