The director of research and documentation of the Nigeria First Project Initiative, Bashir Dauda, says President Bola Tinubu is committed to making Nigeria great.

He urged Nigerians to continue supporting his policies and give him the benefit of the doubt.

Mr Dauda stated this in an interview on Friday in Katsina.

According to him, Mr Tinubu has consistently implemented what he promised Nigerians by initiating policies in line with his ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.

Mr Dauda said, “I am calling on the citizens to give Mr President the benefit of the doubt by supporting his good policies and persevere with the current economic hardship. The president has just marked one year in office, has additional three years to work for the betterment of the country and its people.

“It is not good to say Nigerians have exercised too much patience because some of these policies will yield results after some years. Most of the developed countries in Europe have passed through such difficult and trying moments we are experiencing now in Nigeria. They are now enjoying the sacrifices of their great grandparents.”

He further called on Nigerians to hold their governors responsible for developing their areas and improving their well-being.

“State governments were created to complement the federal government. So, if things are working effectively, lives of the citizens will be better improved,” he said.

Mr Dauda explained that the Tinubu administration has recorded some successes in the security sector, saying that over 9,000 high-profile criminals were eliminated within one year. According to him, over 6,000 terrorists were arrested and rescued over 4,000 hostages during the period under review.

On education, he stated that the government introduced a student loan scheme to support students from poor families in continuing to pursue their education. That, he said, was in addition to the creation and upgrading of some tertiary institutions and the construction of a number of classrooms for Tsangaya Qur’anic schools, among others.

Meanwhile, some Katsina residents interviewed complained of economic hardship.

Sani Abdullahi, a commercial vehicle driver, urged the government to take more measures to address the country’s rising inflation.

He stated, “It is unfortunate that if you buy a commodity in the market today, tomorrow you find out that its price has increased. The government should do something about it. Our concern is the poverty and inflation that are biting harder.”

Kabir Ahmed, a labourer, explained that people like him faced hardship, particularly in rural areas. He urged the government to ensure that people in rural areas also benefit from palliative measures to cushion the poverty rate.

Musa Garba, a vulcaniser, lamented that due to the poverty and the inflation, “it is hard for people like him to eat three square meals a day.”

He urged the government to focus on further alleviating the suffering of the masses.

Mr Garba also advised the government to subsidise fertilizers and other inputs for farmers to boost agricultural productivity and bolster food security.

(NAN)