By David Lawani, Abuja
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying Nigerians must endure the immediate hardship associated with the policies before the benefits of economic restructuring become fully visible.
Alake likened the reform process to the pains experienced by a pregnant woman in labour, arguing that the discomfort was part of a necessary process leading to a stronger economy.
Speaking during a briefing with journalists, the minister said the Federal Government inherited a badly distorted economy in 2023 and had chosen to confront problems that previous administrations had repeatedly postponed because of their political implications.
According to him, the removal of fuel subsidy was one of the difficult decisions required to correct longstanding economic distortions.
“There is no shortcut. They say, our elders say, when you are in a hole, what do you do? You stop digging. Because the more you dig, the deeper you sink,” Alake said.
He argued that successive administrations had recognised the problems associated with fuel subsidy but avoided removing it because of concerns over elections and the possible political consequences.
Alake said Tinubu decided to absorb the political cost of implementing reforms, rather than allowing unsustainable policies to continue damaging public finances.
He acknowledged the hardship caused by the measures but insisted that major economic restructuring could not be achieved without difficult adjustments.
“Like the President himself always says, and the women here will bear it out, when a woman is in the labour world, she goes through excruciating pain. We call it labour pains. It is natural,” he said.
According to him, the pain eventually gives way to the joy of childbirth, just as the benefits of economic restructuring would emerge after the necessary adjustments.
“That is the process of restructuring an economy. You must go through the pain, and then the gains will start to manifest,” he said.
The minister rejected arguments that the reforms were taking too long to produce results, explaining that government policies have a gestation period involving formulation, mobilisation of resources, implementation, monitoring and adjustment.
“You can’t announce a policy today, conceptualise a policy today, and expect the results to manifest tomorrow,” he said.
Alake further defended the subsidy removal, saying the previous regime encouraged smuggling and allowed petroleum cartels to profit from subsidised products moved across Nigeria’s borders.
He also argued that wealthier Nigerians with several vehicles benefited disproportionately from subsidised petrol, while citizens without vehicles derived little direct benefit.
The minister said the subsidy regime had placed enormous pressure on government finances, with resources that could have been deployed to infrastructure and productive sectors being consumed by subsidy payments.
He compared Tinubu’s national reforms with changes introduced in Lagos State when the President was governor.
Alake recalled that Lagos generated about N600 million monthly in internally generated revenue in 1999, while its civil service wage bill exceeded N1 billion.
He said payroll computerisation and biometric verification subsequently helped the government identify leakages and save about N350 million in the first month.
The minister said the Lagos experience showed that consistent reforms could improve public finances and create resources for development.
Alake cited NELFUND as an example of an intervention already benefiting Nigerians, particularly students and their families.
He urged Nigerians to judge the reforms by their long-term impact and called on the media to subject government policies and claims to deeper scrutiny.
