Sanusi Credits Tinubu’s Economic Gains, Urges Response to Hardship

Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said President Bola Tinubu’s administration deserved credit for improving Nigeria’s economic outlook, while urging the government to hear citizens’ concerns about poverty and hardship rather than treating criticism as hostility. Sanusi spoke at the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference on November 3, 2026. The former Central Bank of Nigeria governor described recent economic gains as an initial step toward stability, not a resolution of the country’s difficulties. To illustrate the progress, Sanusi cited economic growth of about 4.5% and said inflation had fallen from more than 30% to about 14.5% to 14.6%. He also put foreign reserves at about $55 billion and said Nigeria was making progress in diversifying its economy. The figures were presented as part of his remarks and were not independently verified in the accounts of the event. Sanusi said the improvements in macroeconomic indicators had not yet addressed the hardship experienced by many Nigerians. He identified poverty, hunger and inadequate access to essential services as continuing concerns, and argued that people raising those issues should not automatically be regarded as...