Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Sunday called for the suspension of protests against the economic hardship by Nigerians, saying his government is open for dialogue.
In a televised broadcast, Tinubu called for an end to violence in several states since the protests started, saying he was always open to dialogue.
“My dear Nigerians, especially our youth, I have heard you loud and clear. I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests, and I want to assure you that our government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of our citizens,” he said.
Nigerians have been mobilising online to organise protests against economic hardship and bad governance and have called for a cut in petrol prices and electricity tariffs, among several demands.
Tinubu, in office since May 2023, defended his economic reforms, which have included a partial end to petrol and electricity subsidies and devaluation of the naira, as necessary to reverse years of economic mismanagement.
His government revenues had more than doubled to 9.1 trillion naira ($5.65 billion) in the first half of this year, while 68% of revenue now went to debt servicing, down from 97% before he took office in May last year.
The government was also ramping up spending on infrastructure projects, started a loan scheme for university students and was building thousands of housing units across Nigeria’s 36 states, the president said.
“But we must not let violence and destruction tear our nation apart,” said Tinubu.
