Is Tinubu also among the motivational speakers?

” Politicians are the same all over. They promised to build a bridge even where there is no river ” …Nikita Khrushchev

Anyone who patiently read President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s letter to Nigerians or watched his media chat in Lagos will be tempted to ask the question: “Is President Tinubu also among the motivational speakers?” This question arises because his claims, including that his government is doing very well, seem detached from reality.

For clarity, motivational speakers use affirmations to build self-confidence, often without grounding in reality. In the book Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, the following positive affirmations can be found on page 17: “I think prosperous thoughts and become even more prosperous. My prosperity makes everyone better off and no one worse off. I am attracting all the right people into my life.” Such affirmations can go on endlessly, and you may even create your own if you follow this trend of thought.

Even in churches, Pentecostal pastors often function as motivational speakers. They teach their congregants to think positively, confess positively, and avoid negative thoughts or speech, even when reality points to dire circumstances. They preach miracles, prosperity, and wealth without work. The message is simple: just have faith in God, and it is a done deal. These pastors encourage their followers to claim cars, houses, and millionaire status, often without engaging in projects or winning contracts.

Thank God for practical Christians like James. In James 2:14–20, he delivers the brutal truth about faith and deeds. The Bible, New International Version, puts it this way:
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?”

This brings us back to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s media chat in Lagos, which, to this writer, is full of motivational speeches. I ask again: “Is Tinubu also among the motivational speakers?” How can the President, in good conscience, claim that his government is doing very well when Nigerians are hungry and inflation is skyrocketing? Governance is not about motivational speeches; it is about the economy, particularly making sound economic policies that drive growth. It is about good politics, the political economy, and the institutions that shape government policies. It is about the constitution, ensuring the welfare and safety of citizens, and upholding the rule of law to maintain a peaceful and orderly society.

These are the issues Nigerians want their President to focus on—not motivational speeches and raising false hopes. The present miserable situation in the country proves that while lies and propaganda may win elections, they cannot sustain governance. The facts will stare you in the face, leaving no room to deceive anyone.

Let us examine two critical aspects of governance: the economy and the political economy, specifically the institutions that drive governance.

To succeed economically, policies must align with Nigeria’s economic structure, and the right personnel must be appointed to implement these policies. Unfortunately, President Tinubu did not appoint competent economic managers. Nigeria has a wealth of technocrats, experts, and professionals well-versed in public finance and central banking. However, in the name of politics, he chose inexperienced individuals for critical roles.

While some of these appointees may have excelled in managing Lagos State’s economy, Lagos’s economy differs significantly from Nigeria’s. For example, stockbrokers primarily deal with stocks and shares in Nigeria’s stock exchange, a small segment of the economy. Their expertise in market trends and forecasts does not translate to proficiency in public finance or central banking.

Is it any surprise, then, that Nigeria’s economy seems to be run on a trial-and-error basis? The government appears to have outsourced the management of the exchange rate and broader economic policies to the World Bank and IMF. These institutions’ policies, based on formal economies, are unsuitable for Nigeria, a largely informal trading economy. Furthermore, such policies have consistently failed in developing countries that adopt them.

Yet, President Tinubu assures us that a bright future lies ahead and that his government is performing well. Something does not add up.

When youths protested against hunger and hardship resulting from government policies, what practical steps were taken to address these issues? Instead of tackling hunger head-on, the government arrested protesters—some of them minors—on charges of treasonable felony and attempting to overthrow the government. These protesters were detained for nearly three months until public outcry and international pressure forced their release and the withdrawal of charges.

This scenario mirrors the #EndBadGovernance protest, where the core demand was accountability and effective governance.

President Tinubu’s letter to Nigerians is full of faith, but as James said: “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” For example, claims that the exchange rate will improve lack concrete policies to achieve this objective.

To be fair, the government has attempted to address some issues, including a cabinet reshuffle. While this is commendable, further action is needed, particularly in the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Ministry of Finance, to steer the economy toward prosperity.

Chris Enyinnaya Fellow Chartered Institute of Bankers : [email protected]