LAGOS — Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged Nigerians to be “generous” towards President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the President took difficult but necessary economic decisions that prevented Nigeria from sliding into deeper economic crisis.
Shettima made the remarks in Lagos after meeting with President Tinubu, who recently returned to Nigeria following his annual vacation.
According to the Vice-President, he and Tinubu remained in regular communication throughout the President’s time abroad, stressing that advances in science and technology have made effective leadership possible regardless of location.
“We are quite thrilled that he’s back on the beat,” Shettima said.
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Defending the administration’s economic policies, the Vice-President said Tinubu inherited an economy that was already “teetering on the verge of collapse.”
He cited the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange rates as some of the difficult decisions taken by the administration to avert a more severe economic crisis.
“It is absolutely essential that Nigerians need to be generous to this poor man,” Shettima said, referring to President Tinubu.
He claimed that Nigeria’s foreign reserves stood at approximately $3.9 billion when the administration assumed office, arguing that the amount was insufficient to finance fuel imports for even one month.
“He had the courage and the conviction to take power-reaching decisions,” the Vice-President said.
Shettima went further, declaring that Tinubu had saved Nigeria from economic collapse.
“He saved the economy. I want Nigerians to understand this fundamental truism. We were on the road to Caracas; he saved our economy; he saved the nation from falling into pieces.”
While acknowledging the economic hardship currently confronting many Nigerians, Shettima said the difficult period would not last indefinitely.
“We appreciate the pains Nigerians are going through, but tough times do not last forever; tough people do,” he said.
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The Vice-President also highlighted several government initiatives aimed at easing the impact of the economic crisis on citizens.
Among the interventions, he mentioned the planned deployment of 10,600 electric tricycles in the North-East, the introduction of e-logistics in the North-West, and the deployment of 300 buses and e-taxis as measures designed to reduce transportation pressures.
Shettima also described the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as a major intervention for students from low-income families, saying the Federal Government remained committed to programmes aimed at supporting vulnerable Nigerians.
According to him, President Tinubu remains concerned about the welfare of ordinary citizens and has “a lot of empathy for the common man.”
The Vice-President assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would continue implementing measures designed to cushion the effects of economic hardship.
2027 Politics
On preparations for the 2027 elections, Shettima said the administration would continue to focus on governance while also participating in political activities.
“Politics is in the air, but we’ll combine politics and governance,” he said.
