A Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said that Nigeria’s large population is a major reason citizens are struggling to feel the impact of ongoing economic reforms.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday, June 2, Bwala said that despite improvements in government revenue, the country’s resources remain insufficient to meet the needs of over 230 million Nigerians and address long-standing infrastructure gaps.
He explained that while the administration has recorded increased revenue generation, the scale of Nigeria’s population makes it difficult for reforms to translate quickly into noticeable improvements in living conditions.
“The answer is simply population and resources. The population is over 230 million. The resources we have, however, even with the increased revenue, are not enough to match the population and the deficit in terms of infrastructure,” he said.
According to him, economic growth under the current administration will remain gradual but steady as reforms continue to take effect.
“So, growth will inevitably be slow, but it will be slow, steady, and consistent,” Bwala added.
He also argued that increased federal allocations to states have begun to reflect positively on governance and development projects at sub-national levels, suggesting that the effects of the reforms are already being felt indirectly.
“When you talk about the increased revenue, the effect of that increased revenue is the higher allocation to states, which has resulted in state administration improvements and has also impacted the people,” he stated.
The remarks come amid ongoing public debate over the cost of living, inflation, and the perceived impact of recent economic policy changes across the country.