Vanguard columnist Adekunle Adekoya has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s October 1st Independence Day address, arguing that the speech failed to directly address some of the immediate economic pressures confronting Nigerians.
In his column published by Vanguard, Adekoya said he had expected the President’s national address to offer stronger assurances about the challenges affecting households, particularly the rising cost of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and electricity.
Instead, he argued that the speech placed greater emphasis on the administration’s economic reforms and initiatives, including NELFUND and CREDICORP, without providing specific relief measures on the cost of essential goods and services.
Adekoya recalls Nigeria’s past
The columnist also reflected on Independence Day celebrations during his childhood in the 1960s and 1970s, when, according to him, schoolchildren were given meals as part of the celebrations.
He contrasted that period with the current economic environment, arguing that government services and social conditions have deteriorated in several areas.
Adekoya also recalled a school excursion he undertook to Kanji Dam in 1976, saying students were able to travel for several days and return safely.
He used the experience to highlight his concerns about Nigeria’s current security situation, suggesting that similar school excursions would now face significantly greater security considerations.
Calls attention to workers’ concerns
A major part of Adekoya’s criticism focused on the concerns raised by public-sector unions over the rising cost of living.
He referenced a September 21 letter from the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, in which the unions reportedly urged the President to take steps to reduce petrol prices to ₦500 per litre, introduce a wage award and begin negotiations towards a new national minimum wage.
Adekoya said he supported the unions’ demands, arguing that lower fuel prices and improved wages could ease pressure on households and increase workers’ purchasing power.
He questioned why the issue did not feature prominently in the President’s Independence Day message.
Concerns over cost of living
The columnist argued that Nigerians were looking for clearer indications of how government policies would translate into immediate improvements in their daily lives.
He also pointed to issues such as poor roads and waste management as examples of public-service challenges that, in his view, remain unresolved.
Adekoya concluded that the President’s Independence Day message did not provide the level of reassurance he and many other Nigerians had hoped for.
His assessment was presented as a commentary on the President’s speech and the broader state of governance, rather than as an official government response to the issues raised.
