Tinubu’s reforms will deliver long-term benefits, says PBAT Door-2-Door Movement

The PBAT Door-2-Door Movement has expressed optimism that the socioeconomic reforms initiated by President Bola Tinubu will yield long-term benefits for Nigeria, despite the difficulties associated with their implementation.

The group said the ongoing reforms, including fuel subsidy removal, tax restructuring, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and financial autonomy for local governments, were designed to address structural challenges and lay the foundation for sustainable national development.

The Secretary of the Central Planning Committee for the forthcoming book presentation, Engineer Jethro Annum, stated this on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja ahead of the unveiling of a book titled The Courage to Reform: Architecture of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Beyond 2027 — Statecraft and Vision for National Renewal, scheduled for Thursday, November 5, 2026, in Abuja.

Annum explained that the publication examines the major policy decisions and structural reforms undertaken by the Tinubu administration, highlighting their objectives, implementation challenges and implications for Nigeria’s long-term development.

He listed the key initiatives covered in the book as fuel subsidy removal, comprehensive tax reforms, the establishment of NELFUND, financial autonomy for local governments, the creation of forest guards, the proposed establishment of state police and market liberalisation measures.

According to him, the reforms reflect the administration’s stated commitment to restructuring public finance, expanding access to education, strengthening grassroots governance, addressing insecurity and creating a more competitive economic environment.

He said the book explores the leadership decisions and policy choices behind the initiatives, emphasising the importance of institutional reforms and economic renewal beyond immediate political considerations.

He urged the media and other stakeholders to engage with the issues raised in the publication, describing the forthcoming presentation as an opportunity to deepen public understanding of the policies shaping Nigeria’s future beyond 2027.

Also speaking, the group’s Director of Protocol, Abah Samuel, defended the administration’s reform agenda, arguing that significant structural changes require time and difficult adjustments before their benefits become evident.

“Just like the name sounds, reform. Whatever is formed, that is what you can reform. And to reform anything to another shape takes pain, takes time. So reform is not something that will come easy,” he said.

Samuel cited NELFUND as an example of a policy intended to expand educational opportunities for students from low-income households who might otherwise struggle to finance their studies. He argued that the student loan initiative could enable young Nigerians from poor and average-income families to pursue higher education.

He also defended fuel subsidy removal, arguing that the policy was necessary to address longstanding pressures on public finances, including the challenges associated with financing subsidies and meeting salary obligations.

“Even though it’s painful now, it is pain to gain,” Samuel said, expressing confidence that sustained support for the reforms would provide Nigeria with a pathway to prosperity.

He further argued that financial autonomy for local governments could contribute to addressing insecurity by empowering the third tier of government to respond more effectively to challenges at the grassroots.

Samuel urged journalists to promote informed public debate about the reforms, insisting that Nigerians needed access to reliable information to assess the policies critically.

“It is good to criticise, but why are you criticising? What are you criticising without being informed?” he asked, describing the book as an effort to educate citizens about the objectives and implications of the administration’s policies.

Stressing the importance of data and national planning, he said Nigeria needed reliable population and socioeconomic data to develop effective policies and allocate resources appropriately. He added that inadequate data could undermine development planning, leading governments to invest in programmes that might not adequately address the population’s needs.

He acknowledged the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians but maintained that sustained commitment to reforms, coupled with public support and responsible leadership, could help the country overcome its challenges.

In his remarks, the Director of Events and Programmes, Thompson Makollo, described The Courage to Reform as a storytelling initiative designed to document the leadership decisions behind the administration’s policies and encourage Nigerians to reflect on their own responsibilities in nation-building.

Makollo said the courage to reform should not be limited to the President, stressing that citizens, public officials and other stakeholders also had responsibilities in shaping the country’s future.

“No nation rests on one man,” he said, adding that national development required collective commitment, constructive questioning and accountability at every level of government.

He also defended the administration’s tax reforms, arguing that the changes were intended to reshape the country’s revenue system and encourage production. He called for wider public education to help Nigerians understand the new framework.

He maintained that citizens should scrutinise how public resources were utilised by federal, state and local governments rather than concentrating their demands for accountability on the Federal Government alone.