Things aren’t as bad as Nigerians claim under Tinubu – Jide Kosoko

Veteran Nollywood actor, Prince Jide Kosoko, has urged Nigerians to give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu more time to address the country’s challenges, arguing that the economic situation is not as bad as some critics have portrayed it.

Kosoko, who acknowledged the hardship faced by many citizens, defended the removal of the petrol subsidy and challenged Nigerians to reconsider their complaints about hunger, rising food prices and the government’s handling of the economy.

Speaking on the Talktobpodcast hosted by Biola Adebayo and published on Saturday, the actor questioned whether the experiences of Nigerians complaining about hunger were significantly different from their circumstances before Tinubu took office.

“When you see people saying, ‘I am hungry, I am hungry,’ go and check the majority of those people saying that before Tinubu came. What were they doing? What were they eating? Every year, things change,” he said.

He maintained that economic difficulties had not prevented everyone from earning a living, although he conceded that some people were yet to achieve financial stability.

“People make money here and there. Some people might still be unlucky, but that is not to say their own time will not come,” he said.

“Things are not as bad as some people made us understand,” he said.

Despite his defence of the administration, Kosoko acknowledged that the economic situation remained difficult for many Nigerians.

“I’m not saying things are rosy,” he said.

The actor appealed to Nigerians to allow the President and his team to complete their plans rather than dismissing the administration’s efforts.

“Let’s try and allow Mr President and his team to finish what they started,” he said.

Kosoko argued that retaining the petrol subsidy would have continued to expose the country to financial difficulties, likening the policy to borrowing money without adequately considering how the debt would be repaid.

“That’s the subsidy. The money being used to take care of you and me that we consider that subsidy is something that is putting us in problems for tomorrow,” he said.

He also suggested that money Nigerians might otherwise have saved under the former subsidy arrangement could have helped them meet expenses such as school fees.

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The actor further pointed to the student loan scheme as an intervention that could take over some of the financial responsibilities parents traditionally shoulder when paying for their children’s education.

Beyond government policy, Kosoko urged Nigerians to examine the role individuals play in worsening economic conditions, particularly through the continued increases in the prices of goods.

He questioned why Nigerians complained about rising costs without also examining the actions of traders and sellers who determine the prices of products.

“We are enemies of ourselves because when they continue to say, ‘Ah, the price is up,’ then who is hiking it? Who is putting it up? Is it not ourselves?” he asked.

Kosoko also advised Nigerians to reconsider their spending on food, arguing that eating well did not necessarily require spending large amounts of money.

“If you eat once a day and good food, you are good to go,” he said.