Barau faults Osinbajo’s gloomy assessment of Nigeria’s economy, democracy

By Henry Umoru, Abuja

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, APC, Kano North has taken a swipe at former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo over the gloomy picture he painted of Nigeria’s economy and democratic governance.

Senator Barau Jibrin, who noted that Osinbajo got it wrong, said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is taking steps to address what he described as longstanding challenges confronting the country.

According to Jibrin, while Osinbajo’s concerns, particularly those drawn from Afrobarometer surveys on Nigeria and other African countries, were valid, the government needs to improve communication with the people to highlight ongoing efforts to address the challenges.

The Deputy President of the Senate made the remarks in Yola, Adamawa State, during a public lecture titled “Democracy and Development: Rethinking the Leadership Question,” organised to commemorate the 59th birthday of Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.

Osinbajo, who served as vice-president under former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023, expressed concern in his lecture about the failure of democratic governance among citizens across Africa after almost three decades of uninterrupted democratic rule in several countries.

Citing Afrobarometer surveys, the former vice-president, who was defeated by President Tinubu during the APC presidential primary ahead of the 2023 general elections, highlighted widespread dissatisfaction with democratic institutions, economic hardship, declining public confidence in government and diminishing youth participation in electoral politics.

He noted that although 64 per cent of Africans preferred democracy to other forms of government, only 38 per cent were satisfied with the way democracy was working in their respective countries.

Osinbajo also cited findings indicating that 59 per cent of Africans considered their national economies to be in bad shape, while 51 per cent said their economies had deteriorated.

He further expressed concern over the rising cost of living, unemployment, inadequate access to healthcare and declining voter turnout, warning that persistent hardship could weaken public confidence in democracy, particularly among young people.

In a statement from his Media Office on Wednesday, Jibrin, while responding to the presentation, described Osinbajo’s lecture as thought-provoking and intellectually stimulating but said the gloomy picture painted by the surveys was being addressed and that the gaps were partly attributable to inadequate communication between governments and citizens.

He said, “I know he is a very good orator, a good public speaker and an intellectual to the core,” Barau said, adding that he had initially decided not to prepare a speech to avoid turning the birthday celebration into an occasion for speeches.

“Having said that, I am compelled to make some comments on the paper. It is a very beautiful and thought-provoking paper.

“What I want to say is this: one important reason for the gloomy picture portrayed by the surveys, particularly those conducted by Afrobarometer, is what the professor talked about and specifically observed: the issue of communication between the leaders and the led.

“There is no proper communication.”

The Deputy President of the Senate maintained that governments at both the federal and state levels were taking steps to address the challenges identified by the former Vice-President, particularly in the areas of education, infrastructure and economic development.

In education, Barau Jibrin, who noted that the government was expanding access to education to address the challenges posed by Nigeria’s growing population and its large youth demographic, said that providing educational opportunities for children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, remained critical to addressing the country’s long-term development challenges.

“Before now, it was very difficult for a child who did not have the means to go to school. Now, everyone, except a child who does not want to go to school, can go to school in Nigeria with the NELFUND introduced by this administration,” he said.

Barau Jibrin also stressed the importance of infrastructure development in driving economic prosperity, noting that roads, water supply and other essential facilities were necessary to improve living standards and stimulate economic activities.

He cited ongoing road projects across the country, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Badagry-Sokoto Highway and several projects in the North-East and North-West, as evidence of the government’s efforts to address infrastructure deficits.

“When we talk about economic prosperity, you cannot achieve it without a certain level of infrastructure, including road networks, water supply and other essential infrastructure.

“This is what is happening currently in this country under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Roads are being constructed everywhere to propel the process of bringing economic prosperity. That is being done.

“It is a long journey, but it is being done. Yet, there is no proper communication,” he said.

The Deputy President of the Senate called for sustained public engagement to ensure that Nigerians were adequately informed about government policies, projects and interventions.

On the economic challenges facing the country, Barau argued that Nigeria’s rising cost of living should also be understood within the context of global economic pressures.

He attributed the increase in the cost of energy, goods and services to international conflicts and disruptions in global supply chains, particularly those affecting major food-producing regions and energy markets.

According to him, the conflicts involving Russia and Ukraine, as well as tensions in the Middle East, have contributed to rising energy prices and increased the cost of production globally.

He also cited disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, a major international oil transit route, as one of the factors contributing to the volatility in global energy markets.

“The fact is that these challenges are not peculiar to Nigeria; they have an international dimension. The rising cost of living is partly attributable to conflicts in different parts of the world, including the Middle East, as well as the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. These conflicts have disrupted global supply chains, driven up energy prices and increased the cost of goods and services worldwide,” he added.

Barau, who is the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, said that the resulting economic turbulence had affected countries across the world, noting that Nigeria could not be insulated from global economic developments.

Barau called on political leaders, public officials and other stakeholders to take responsibility for communicating government policies and interventions more effectively, stressing that improved communication was essential to bridging the gap between citizens’ expectations and their understanding of government performance.

He said Nigerians needed to be adequately informed about the challenges confronting the country, the measures being taken to address them, and the progress being made towards economic recovery and national development.

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