President Tinubu goofed comparing Nigeria to Kenya

 

My school principal at Bishop Onabanjo High School, Bodija, Ibadan, Mrs Dupe Adeleke, said to us during our valedictory service in 1985 that “comparism is odious”. A Yoruba proverb has it that adanwo se ototo, which means individual challenges are different. President Bola Tinubu committed a gaffe in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, last Friday when he asked Nigerians to be thankful because, in his opinion, we were a lot better than Kenyans and many other Africans.  The PUNCH, in its April 10, 2026, online edition, reported that “President Bola Tinubu on Friday urged Nigerians to count their blessings relative to Kenya and other African countries, which he said were grappling with deeper economic crises. This was as he acknowledged that fuel prices were inflicting hardship on citizens and promised measures to ease the burden on vulnerable Nigerians.”

I had the pleasure of dissecting this statement on News Central TV news at 10pm last Friday. I minced no words in calling out President Tinubu for his insensitivity to the plight of fellow compatriots. Nigerians are not Kenyans or citizens of other countries. What other countries are going through is their business, not ours. Truth be told, Nigerians lives have been worsened by Tinubu’s administration in the last three years of coming to power. The spike in the price of petroleum products as a result of the Middle East conflict involving Israel, the US, and Iran just worsened a bad situation for us. I will prove that in a bit, but let me share an excerpt from what The PUNCH’s columnist on Saturday, Stephen Angulu, wrote in a piece titled “Mr President, comparison is the thief of succour”.

“Speaking in Bayelsa, he told Nigerians that, despite the current hardship, they are still better off than Kenyans and other Africans. Now, the data, for what it is worth, is not entirely on his side. For context, the current petrol pump price in Kenya is KSh177.20 per litre, which is about N1,900 per litre. Ghanaians are paying the equivalent of N1,800 per litre of petrol, and Ugandans, as of Friday, paid over N1,900 per litre. However, when adjusted for purchasing power parity, the comparison does not flatter. Whatever increase Kenyans have to bear is only eating into an already higher minimum wage, which stands at roughly KSh15,201 (about N176,000 at current exchange rates) for Nairobi-based workers. Ghana’s minimum wage translates to about N135,000 per month. Nigeria’s N70,000 federal minimum wage, approved in July 2024, is still a struggle for many states to fully implement.”

Approximately 43 per cent of Kenyans live below the poverty line, with roughly 23 million people facing, or being highly vulnerable to, economic hardship. While overall poverty was recorded at 39.8 per cent in 2022 by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, recent reports indicate higher, more recent figures where over 23 million people struggle to meet daily needs.  Vanguard newspaper of April 10, 2026, reported that “Poverty in Nigeria rose to 63 per cent in 2025 despite a slowdown in inflation, underscoring the limited impact of recent macroeconomic improvements on household welfare, the World Bank has said. The bank disclosed this in its Nigeria Development Update (April 2026) titled “Nigeria’s Tomorrow Must Start Today: The Case for Early Childhood Development,” released in Abuja on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

According to the Global Terrorism Index 2026, Nigeria is ranked the fourth most affected country in the world by terrorism, climbing from its previous sixth position. The report highlights a 46 per cent surge in terrorism-related deaths, reaching 750 in 2025, driven by extremist groups and local militia activity.

Nigeria is ranked 112th globally in the 2026 World Economic Governance Index with a score of 33.9, placing it in the “poor” governance category. The report indicates worsening socioeconomic conditions, failing institutional effectiveness, and a widening disconnect between the political elite and citizens, although some economic reforms have been initiated. As of early 2026, Nigeria is ranked 95th globally in the ease of doing business.

As of early 2026, Nigeria’s Human Development Index is commonly reported to be around 0.560, placing it within the “medium” human development tier. Nigeria has consistently ranked in the lower tier (around 150th–161st out of approximately 190 countries) in recent UNDP reports, indicating significant challenges in life expectancy, education, and standard of living. Nigeria is frequently ranked outside the top 10 most developed nations in Africa.

I have taken time to research our development indices, and we all can see that we are not faring well. All the aforementioned data were collected by reputable international organisations. So, Nigerian leaders need to roll up their sleeves to justify their election. No past or present leader can beat his or her chest about delivering on security and welfare to Nigerians, which is what Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as amended, tasks them to do.

I have repeatedly said that President Tinubu alone cannot carry the can for Nigeria’s development challenges. There are three arms of government and three tiers of government, which have to work in sync to deliver national development. The three arms of government, namely the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, are distinct and separate institutions that get annual budget to run their activities.

For the three tiers of government, namely, federal, state and local governments, they gather in Abuja monthly to receive their share of FAAC allocation. The Federation Account Allocation Committee in Nigeria is the body responsible for monthly distributing revenue generated from oil and gas royalties, taxes, and other sources to the three tiers of government: federal, state, and local governments.

President Tinubu is seeking reelection in the 2027 general elections and should be prepared to answer the people’s questions on how he has been able to implement his eight-point Renewed Hope Agenda. What resonates with Nigerians are the excuses of government officials. They continue to ask us to tighten our belts while they loosen theirs from their pot bellies. They promise light at the end of the tunnel, and I ask, why should the light be at the end of the tunnel and not at the entrance for us to see our way through?

The electricity conundrum is yet unresolved. Road infrastructure remains largely deplorable. Public hospitals continue to be mere consulting clinics. Many public schools are bereft of a conducive learning environment; what with dilapidated classrooms, empty libraries and sparsely equipped laboratories. Teachers and lecturers are inadequate, and school fees are generally hiked. President Tinubu should lead the charge to fix Nigeria and stop this needless comparison with other countries, which, to all intents and purposes, are far better and more secure than Nigeria.

I.G: @jideojong