Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has acknowledged that the administration’s economic reforms pushed more Nigerians into poverty, while insisting that the country has recorded significant progress since the reforms began.
Bwala made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he defended the government’s economic policies introduced since Tinubu assumed office in 2023.
The reforms, which include the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market, have contributed to higher living costs, affecting transportation, businesses and household expenses.
According to Bwala, the hardship experienced by Nigerians was an expected consequence of implementing major economic reforms.
He acknowledged that more Nigerians became poor during the process but argued that the government had made progress over the past three years.
Bwala said the administration could not ignore the number of Nigerians still living in poverty but maintained that the reforms were beginning to produce positive results.
He also expressed confidence that Tinubu would perform better in the 2027 presidential election, predicting that the President would defeat his opponents by a wider margin than he did in 2023.
Bwala attributed his optimism partly to the growing support for Tinubu among governors elected on opposition platforms, noting that more governors could back the President ahead of the 2027 election.
