Previous administrations paid lip service to reforms – Shettima
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the bold reforms being undertaken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration demonstrate the power of political will in shaping economic policy. Speaking at the opening of the 66th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) in Abuja on Tuesday, Shettima said successive governments only paid lip service to […]
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the bold reforms being undertaken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration demonstrate the power of political will in shaping economic policy.
Speaking at the opening of the 66th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) in Abuja on Tuesday, Shettima said successive governments only paid lip service to critical reforms, while Tinubu has shown the courage to act.
“Nigeria is not exempt from Africa’s economic challenges. But our silver lining is the listening ear of President Bola Tinubu. Under his leadership, we have embarked on bold and inevitable reforms to address structural weaknesses that others before us only acknowledged without action,” he said.
According to him, the reforms-though painful-are necessary to ensure long-term recovery. “A malignant disease can only be cured by painful surgery. The wounds are temporary, but the recovery is permanent,” he added.
The vice president urged African nations to embrace the knowledge economy as a bridge to economic growth and development, stressing that productivity, human capital development, and tackling unemployment are crucial.
“We live in a world where a citizen in Daura can offer services to a company in Dallas without leaving his bedroom. To catch up, Africa must reinvent its human capital and confront poverty head-on,” he noted.
He acknowledged that the administration never claimed the reforms would be easy, admitting to their inflationary impact and the effects of global crises. However, he said President Tinubu remains committed to investment-friendly measures and social protection programmes to cushion the vulnerable.
Earlier, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, commended Shettima’s role in driving reforms and assured that the NES would be integrated into the government’s development plans, including the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme.