Country too large, growth slow – Bwala states reasons for hardship under Tinubu 

Special adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said Nigerians may not feel the full impact of ongoing economic reforms yet because growth will take time, describing the process as slow, steady, and consistent.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV Prime News on Tuesday, Bwala attributed the continued hardship faced by many Nigerians to the country’s large population and limited resources.

“The answer is simply population and resources. The population is over 230 million. The resources we have, however, the increased revenue is not enough,” he said.

He added that while the government is making progress, expectations should be measured.

“Growth will have to be slow. But it will be slow, steady, and consistent. That is what we take pride in,” he stated.

Bwala, who defended the policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisted that the impact of government policies is already being experienced, particularly through increased allocations to states.

“The effect of that increased revenue is the increase allocation to states, which has resulted in state administering and which has also resulted in the impact on the people,” he said.

However, when questioned on how increased funding to states translates into better living conditions in a country battling corruption, Bwala maintained that some states are already implementing policies to address hunger and improve livelihoods.

“There are states you can point at tangible results… dealing with hunger by the provision of food and agricultural materials,” he noted.

He further highlighted federal interventions aimed at supporting ordinary Nigerians, including the student loan scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the compressed natural gas (CNG) transport initiative, and healthcare subsidies.

“For example, when we talk about over one million beneficiaries of NELFUND, these are not children of the rich. When we talk about transportation, the direct effect is on the poor man.”

On healthcare, he added that government support for procedures such as cesarean sections and dialysis is targeted at vulnerable citizens.

“Every policy introduced by this government, the direct beneficiaries are the poor,” Bwala argued.

He acknowledged, however, that concerns about the slow pace of change are valid, but insisted that reforms take time to translate into visible improvements in people’s daily lives.