TINUBU CLAIMS ECONOMIC TURNAROUND, BUT WILL NIGERIANS FEEL THE DIFFERENCE?

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says his administration's economic reforms are restoring investor confidence citing an 83.83% increase in capital importation to $10.37 billion in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year. Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, Tinubu says the reforms are laying the foundation for investment, business expansion and job creation. That our inflation adjusted GDP grew by 3.89% in the first quarter of 2026, compared with 3.13% a year earlier. Non-oil activities accounted for 96.08% of GDP, while manufacturing grew by 3.29% and the oil sector by 2.67%. These gains reinforce our confidence in the path of recovery and diversification, but our ambition must outgrow favorable statistics. United Nations Deputy Secretary General Dr. Amina Mohamed acknowledges the importance of reforms but urges the government to translate economic gains into tangible benefits, including affordable food, reliable electricity and better access to credits. We applaud the African Development Bank for its new financial architecture for development. It is a systematic framework which recognizes how capital and risk are deployed across African financial ecosystems using our savings. And the recent credit rating agency for Africa that was launched in Mauritius. This is important when we are seen to be part of creating the enabling environment for economies to benefit from a fairer and just rating. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele presents a proposed Nigerian economic policy framework focused on economic stability, human capital development, productivity and enterprise life. On our panel for the government, it's the price we pay for stability and that benefits everyone. So the reform is already benefiting everyday Nigerians. Our task is to accelerate it so they can see rising income faster than rising price. Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Olaniyi Jusu, calls for measurable improvements in living standards, stressing the need for reliable infrastructure, lower production costs and more effective public spending. The sources of necessity will be measured by what changes after we leave this room. The enterprises that expand, the investment commitments that we make, the jobs created, and the opportunities and prosperity that spread across our country. Growth must work for the farmer who produces our food, the manufacturer who creates value, the entrepreneur who builds the business, and the young person seeking a decent job. BUA Group Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu said improved access to foreign exchange has helped businesses, but calls for more investments in manufacturing, affordable long-term financing and local production to create jobs. Government has a responsibility. Business has a responsibility. And every Nigerian has a responsibility. What we need is the determination to turn our potential into prosperity. The summit, End Growth That Wax, Delivering Jobs, Productivity and Shared Prosperity, brings government officials, business leaders and development partners together to discuss Nigeria's economic future. For millions of Nigerians, however, the real test of these reforms remains lower living costs, better purchasing power, sustainable jobs and an improved standard of living. Maya Louie, Esther, Voice TV News, Abuja.