By Cleaver Daniels

The economy is picking up, and if that is noticeable, the credit should go to the sitting president and his cabinet.

For a better part of the year, the Naira has stabilised at 1,532 to a dollar, and that should force down the prices of some commodities in the market.

For example, the price of rice has dropped considerably to ?60,000 per bag, and local farm products are steadily coming into markets. However, transportation is affecting prices due to bad roads abandoned by past governments.

In the Niger Delta, farms are constantly affected by floods every year, reducing the yield of crops entering the markets.

There are numerous sectoral and institutional changes. More funds are flowing into states and local governments.

The state governments, being the dispensers in the regions, should be the points of pressure for development, welfare, and the security of the people – rather than the Federal Government. However, the templates must come from the federal level.

On manpower development, the FGN has established seven more universities and formalised automatic bursaries for students in all federal universities.

On welfare, the FGN has encouraged states to implement pension increases across the country.

On security, a review of internal state and regional security architecture is underway, which may eventually dovetail into state policing. On regional development, an initiative is underway to understudy and draft development blueprints for the six geopolitical zones.

On the economy, a Credit Scheme Commission has been established, headed by Dogara. It will ease access to capital credit, loans, and mortgages.

All federal roads in the South-South are to be reconstructed using concrete superstructure bases for durability and to reduce the need for constant repairs – and to save lives.

Fuel availability has improved year-round, with falling prices, working refineries, and the expansion of retail outlets to consumers by Dangote and other private investors. A new housing policy is also in the works. Let’s be a little more patient with Tinubu and demand more accountability from our state governors and local government leaders.

For the first time, we have a president who is proactive, businesslike, and knows his onions.

In eight years, a lot more will be achieved. Tinubu is an indigenous president – not under mafias or cabals. 

He is a principality of sorts and has a roadmap. Let’s give him a chance for a fair assessment after his complete tenure.

We allowed Buhari to rule for eight years; it will be only fair and equitable for Tinubu to serve eight years as well, to enable a proper comparative analysis of the two administrations.

Daniels, a Public Policy Analyst, writes from Lagos.