Senator Orji Kalu has assured Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu is fully aware of the nation’s ongoing economic struggles and is taking concrete steps to address the issues. Speaking on Thursday, October 17, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Kalu emphasized that the president is in touch with the suffering of the people and is committed to finding solutions.
“The president himself knows that Nigerians are suffering and hungry,” Kalu said, adding that Tinubu is familiar with the challenges many citizens face. He went on to describe the president as a “street person,” highlighting his personal connection to the everyday realities of Nigerians. “He knows the street very well,” the senator stated.
Kalu also revealed that President Tinubu actively monitors the situation by personally observing the streets of Nigeria’s capital. “The president some nights uses his car to go around and know what is happening in Abuja here,” he said, suggesting that the president takes time to assess the state of the city firsthand, a move that underscores his concern for the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
The senator also addressed the broader economic challenges facing Nigeria, including inflation, which reached 32.7 percent in September 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The recent removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira have contributed to rising prices for basic goods, intensifying the financial burden on many Nigerians. Kalu acknowledged that these factors have placed a significant strain on households across the country.
However, he sought to contextualize Nigeria’s struggles, noting that the economic difficulties are not unique to the country. “The impact of COVID-19 is still affecting economies globally,” he remarked, pointing out that the pandemic has had a lingering effect on nations worldwide. He emphasized that the global recovery from the pandemic has been uneven, with some countries experiencing less severe aftershocks than others.
Kalu explained that the difference in how nations are coping with the aftermath of the pandemic can largely be attributed to their pre-existing economic stability. “The only reason some countries are no longer feeling the COVID-19 impact the way Nigeria is feeling it is because they have built a robust economy for a very long period,” he said. He underscored that Nigeria is in the process of rebuilding its economy, which had been weakened by years of mismanagement and external shocks.
Despite the challenges, Kalu remained optimistic about Nigeria’s potential for recovery. He suggested that while the road to economic stability may be long, President Tinubu is determined to implement policies that will alleviate the hardships faced by Nigerians and steer the country toward a more prosperous future.
