10 Metrics That Define the Failure of President Tinubu’s Administration (2023–2025)

Evaluating any president should go beyond slogans, party loyalty, or abstract macroeconomic theories. The real test of leadership lies in outcomes that affect ordinary people: the cost of living, security, wages, access to basic services, and public trust in governance. Judged by these standards, a strong case can be made that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, from May 29, 2023 to December 31, 2025, ranks among the worst Nigeria has experienced in recent times.

Below are ten clear metrics that explain why many Nigerians perceive the Tinubu administration as a failure.

1. Reforms Without Protection Triggered a Cost-of-Living Shock

The removal of petrol subsidy and related economic reforms may appear sound in textbooks, but their implementation was brutally abrupt. The speed and scale of these changes plunged millions into hardship almost overnight. Reform without adequate cushioning is not reform—it is punishment. A responsible government sequences reforms and protects citizens from extreme shocks; this administration did neither.

2. Inflation Became a Household Disaster

Inflation peaking at 34.19% in June 2024 was not just an economic statistic; it translated directly into hunger, unaffordable rent, and families skipping meals. Even as inflation later moderated, the damage had already been done. Policies must be judged by their human cost, not by delayed promises of future stability.

3. Naira Volatility Punished Workers and Businesses

The unstable foreign exchange environment crippled SMEs, raised the cost of imported inputs, and wiped out the real value of salaries. Supporters argue this was a “necessary adjustment,” but the real question remains: why was the transition so poorly managed that ordinary Nigerians bore the heaviest burden?

4. Minimum Wage Increase Highlighted How Bad Things Had Become

Raising the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 in July 2024 was presented as a win. In reality, it was an admission of policy failure. When inflation has already outrun wages, an increase becomes a late patch on a deep wound rather than genuine relief.

5. Social Protection Was Too Little and Too Slow

Government palliatives and welfare schemes existed largely on paper. For many Nigerians, they were inconsistent, delayed, or simply inaccessible. In governance, perception matters: when citizens feel abandoned in a crisis, trust collapses rapidly.

6. Electricity Policy Became “Pay More, Suffer the Same”

The April 2024 Band A tariff increase forced Nigerians to pay more for electricity without a corresponding, reliable improvement in supply. Grid collapses, low generation, and outages persisted. Asking citizens to accept higher bills without visible progress is neither reform nor fairness.

7. Food Insecurity Reached Alarming Levels

With projections of over 33 million Nigerians facing severe food insecurity in 2025, this is nothing short of a governance failure. While climate and global factors matter, a serious government protects farmers, transport networks, and consumer purchasing power. This administration failed to adequately do so.

8. Insecurity Remained a Core Failure

Kidnappings, terror attacks, and mass abductions continued unabated. The first duty of a president is to ensure citizens feel safe. Persistent insecurity discourages investment, disrupts farming, and deepens poverty. On this fundamental metric, the government has clearly failed.

9. Suppression of Protests Undermined Democratic Legitimacy

Charging protesters with treason during cost-of-living demonstrations sent a chilling message about civic space. Policing peaceful dissent erodes legitimacy and signals intolerance. Human rights under Tinubu appear weaker than under the previous two administrations.

10. Governance Trust Collapsed Amid Corruption and Nepotism Allegations

From controversial tax laws and opaque policy processes to unresolved oil-sector remittance disputes, trust has eroded. Allegations of nepotism—such as the Lagos–Calabar Highway contract awarded to a presidential associate—reinforce public belief that corruption remains entrenched. A government that alters laws without transparency and bypasses due process loses moral authority.

Conclusion: A Doctor Who Worsened the Patient

The argument is not that President Tinubu introduced no reforms. It is that those reforms were experienced as widespread hardship without protection, while insecurity persisted and trust in governance deteriorated. Corruption allegations, weak accountability, and heavy-handed responses to dissent have further damaged credibility.

If anyone claims the administration is succeeding, the burden of proof lies in measurable improvements Nigerians can feel: stable prices, safer communities, reliable electricity, and transparent governance—not media narratives or selective statistics. Nigeria today is on a sickbed, and the doctor hired to heal her appears, for now, incapable of doing so.