₦airaland Forum

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu’s fresh declaration, while hosting media executives at the Presidential Villa during Ramadan, that “Nigeria is back from the brink”, rings hollow. For millions of Nigerians grappling daily with hunger and hardship, it sounds less like reassurance and more like rhetoric.

It is not the first time the President has stretched optimism over a grim reality. In his October 1, 2025, broadcast, Tinubu told a bewildered country: “I am pleased to report that we have finally turned the corner. The worst is over.” That assertion, like the latest, struggles to withstand the weight of lived experience.

Clearly, the President is measuring the country’s health through the narrow lens of fragile macroeconomic gains, as Nigeria continues to bleed from deeper wounds—raging insecurity, grinding poverty, policy missteps, and a climate of governance uncertainty.

To be fair, Tinubu inherited a battered economy, but the economic reforms introduced at the outset of the administration in mid-2023, viz., the removal of petrol subsidy and the floatation of the naira, did yield measurable gains after the initial shocks, volatility, and instability.

Monthly allocations from FAAC surged past N2 trillion. Foreign reserves climbed to over $50 billion by late 2025, the highest in 13 years, with net reserves exceeding $34 billion, up sharply from $3.9 billion when Tinubu took office. Nigeria also secured a symbolic boost when the Financial Action Task Force removed the country from its Grey List.

After a bruising period that saw the naira tumble to about N1,738 in the official market and N1,900 in the parallel market by late 2024, down from N460/$ in mid-2023, the currency has since steadied, hovering between N1,350 and N1,450 in early 2026.

Yet, macroeconomic indicators, however encouraging, do not define progress. They are, at best, a fragment of the national story.


The true foundations of progress—security, massive investment in energy, logistics, infrastructure, health, and education—remain dangerously weak. Economic diversification, productivity, and value addition cannot take root without reliable and affordable electricity.

Nigeria still generates less than 5,000 MW, while the national grid continues its embarrassing cycle of collapses. In such conditions, growth is not merely constrained; it is throttled.

Little wonder, then, that the progress touted in official circles finds no echo on the streets. For ordinary Nigerians, life is a daily siege of rising prices, shrinking incomes, and deepening poverty that is fraying the fabric of families and communities.

It is therefore difficult for the average citizen to identify with the President’s claim that Nigeria is back from the brink. If anything, many feel the country is edging closer to the precipice.

Inflation may be easing on paper, but its sting remains sharp in markets and homes. Until the so-called improvements in macroeconomic indicators cascade into tangible relief—cheaper food, stable power, accessible healthcare—the narrative of recovery will remain detached from reality.

The business environment tells its own bleak story. Small and medium-sized enterprises are suffocating under the weight of high operating costs, limited access to credit, and punishing interest rates. Meanwhile, the productive sectors, those that should drive real growth, remain starved of investment.

The exodus of more than 15 multinationals, including Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, and GSK, between 2020 and 2025, underscores a deeper loss of confidence. The departure has reportedly cost the country no less than N94 trillion and about 20,000 jobs, both direct and indirect.


For the youth, the picture is even bleaker. Underemployment and informal work rates exceed 92 per cent, despite the revised methodology adopted by the National Bureau of Statistics in line with International Labour Organisation metrics. This is not a labour market recovering; it is one barely holding together.

Then there is security, the fundamental test of any state.

Barely three months after the Independence Day assurance that “the worst is over,” the Sokoto airstrikes of December 25 shattered that claim, exposing once again the government’s struggle to fulfil its primary duty: protecting lives.

Since then, terrorist groups have adapted, dispersing into forests and launching hit-and-run attacks on vulnerable communities. The pattern is chillingly familiar: strike, kill, vanish.

Nigeria ranks fourth in the Global Terrorism Index. The National Human Rights Commission recorded 2,266 killings in the first half of 2025, up from 2,194 in all of 2024. Vice-President Kashim Shettima has estimated that over 100,000 Nigerians have been killed, with millions displaced.

No country bleeding lives at that scale can credibly claim to be “back from the brink”.

Nor can one with 18.3 million children out of school and over 141 million people living in abject poverty. These are not just statistics; they are indictments.


The contradictions deepen in the social sector. Nigeria accounts for between 10 and 30 per cent of global maternal deaths, with estimates ranging from 576 to 1,047 per 100,000 live births.

This is staggering. It is not recovery; it is a system under a brutal strain.

The President must confront this reality squarely. Nigeria’s socio-economic fabric is frayed, its citizens weary, its promises overstretched. The macroeconomic picture may be improving, but a country cannot clap with one hand.

Until growth translates into security, jobs, stable power, and dignity for the majority, declarations of a comeback will remain what they are today: premature, disconnected, and unconvincing.

Gunmen have killed nine soldiers and one police officer, along with some civilians, in an ambush at Giro Masa community in Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, confirmed the incident while speaking to journalists after visiting the mortuary and the Accident and Emergency unit of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Birnin Kebbi, on Wednesday, where victims of the attack were taken.

The attack, which occurred on Tuesday night, also saw the assailants set ablaze two military gun trucks.

Reacting to the incident, Governor Idris described the attack as tragic and assured that the state government would cover the medical bills of the injured and provide support to the families of the deceased security personnel.

“This is a sad incident. These are the soldiers who protect the lives of Kebbi residents, yet they found themselves in this situation. The Kebbi State Government will not relent in its efforts to protect the lives of its citizens,” he said.

The governor prayed for the souls of the deceased and reiterated his administration’s commitment to strengthening security across the state. He has since proceeded to the scene of the attack for an on-the-spot assessment.

Boko Haram Attacks: 'Nigerian Soldiers Withdrew From Borno Towns Over Shortage Of Ammunition' — Senator

Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has raised the alarm over what he described as critical ammunition shortages among Nigerian troops, warning that soldiers are increasingly being overwhelmed by insurgents in parts of Borno State.Politics news Nigeria.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the lawmaker cautioned that Nigeria risks losing territories in the North-East if urgent steps are not taken to strengthen military capacity, particularly in frontline communities.

Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, said troops were recently forced to withdraw from Ngoshe and Pulka communities following sustained attacks by insurgents due to inadequate ammunition.

"I am calling on the federal government to double its efforts in equipping the Army with sophisticated arms and ammunition,” Ndume said.

“I gathered that our soldiers lacked adequate ammunition and had to withdraw from Ngoshe and Pulka because they were overwhelmed. It was only after reinforcements arrived that they reclaimed the areas. Nothing was left standing in both communities by the attackers,” he added.

The senator’s remarks highlight growing concerns over the operational readiness of troops deployed in the insurgency-hit region, where communities continue to face repeated attacks.

Describing the aftermath of the attacks, Ndume painted a grim picture of destruction in the affected areas.

"I have seen Ngoshe, and it is beyond description. The destruction is total—reduced to ground zero, with nothing left except a small mosque.

“The people are resilient, and the governor is determined to rebuild. There is an urgent need for federal government intervention,” he said.

Ndume stressed that without immediate reinforcement in terms of arms, ammunition, and logistical support, the military may struggle to sustain gains against insurgents, leaving vulnerable communities exposed to further devastation.

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that no fewer than 23 persons were confirmed dead, while 108 others sustained varying degrees of injuries following multiple bomb explosions that rocked Maiduguri last Monday evening.

The coordinated attacks occurred at three separate locations across the city, throwing residents into panic and prompting a swift response from security agencies and emergency services.

A statement issued by the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso last week Tuesday confirmed the casualty figures.

He revealed that investigations were ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the attacks.

The statement read, “Following the devastating suspected suicide IED explosions that occurred at about 7:24pm on March 16, 2026, at (1) Maiduguri Monday Market, (2) University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital gate, and (3) Post Office Flyover area, Maiduguri."

“Preliminary investigation reveals that the incidents were carried out by suspected suicide bombers. Regrettably, 23 persons lost their lives, while 108 others sustained varying degrees of injuries.”

Daso added that security agencies responded swiftly to contain the situation and prevent further harm.

“The scenes were immediately secured, cordoned off, and subjected to thorough sweep operations by Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit Base 13 Maiduguri to rule out the presence of any additional threats,” he added.

He further noted that a combined team of police tactical units, the military, and other security operatives had been deployed to the affected areas.

Victims of the explosions were promptly evacuated by emergency responders, including the National Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Management Agency, to nearby medical facilities where they are currently receiving treatment.

“He commiserated with victims and their families, while assuring the public of the command’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and property,” he said.

Authorities also reassured residents that calm has returned to the city.

“The Borno State Police Command wishes to state that normalcy has been fully restored in the affected areas."

“Meanwhile, security operatives have heightened their presence and surveillance across Maiduguri and its environs to prevent any further occurrences,” he added.

Last week Monday, SaharaReporters reported that there was tension in the capital of Borno State, Maiduguri, going by a series of explosions, one of which occurred at the entrance of the Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, causing panic and fear across the city.

SaharaReporters gathered that the first explosion occurred around 7pm last Monday, during iftar, the evening meal that marks the breaking of the Ramadan fast.

In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, some security personnel were seen using torchlights to inspect a car parked at the entrance of a gate.