President Bola Tinubu has urged media executives to scrutinize state and local governments as closely as they do his administration, saying subnational authorities now enjoy greater financial autonomy under recent reforms.
Tinubu made the call Friday night while hosting media proprietors and executives at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money,” Tinubu said. “But how they use it is in your hand, so don’t bombard me alone. Look at local government too, and equally, the sub-national.”
The president also said no state in the country is currently borrowing money to pay workers’ salaries, attributing the development to reforms introduced by his administration.
“Today, there is no state that is borrowing to pay salaries of employees,” he said. “Yes, we can complain it’s not enough. We can complain we are not where we should be, but we have to manage what we have to sustain today, survive tomorrow and make progress.”
Nigeria’s 36 states have historically struggled to meet salary obligations, often relying on bailouts and loans from the federal government during periods of low oil revenue and economic downturns.
The administration says allocations to states and local governments have increased due to higher crude oil production, improved revenue collection by the National Revenue Service and direct payment of local government allocations following a Supreme Court of Nigeria judgment in July 2024 granting fiscal autonomy to local governments.
Tinubu also thanked media proprietors for what he described as relentless criticism of his government, saying it challenged him to perform better despite harsh commentary during the early days of his administration.
“Thank you for inspiring me and challenging me in critical moments of my life,” he said. “You didn’t spare me, but you challenged me and provoked that intellectual curiosity of a leader that must perform.”
The president said reading newspapers daily has become a habit.
“There is no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction,” he said.
Tinubu acknowledged he was initially “a little stubborn” at the start of his administration amid intense criticism from newspapers and opinion leaders.
He defended major policy decisions, including the removal of petrol subsidies shortly after taking office in May 2023, a move that drew widespread public backlash.
“The problem is leadership with the responsibility of taking decisions at the time it is to be done,” Tinubu said. “Otherwise, it’s a failure. At the time, we had to confront the subsidy. Nigeria was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.”
He said the government had since stabilized the economy and pulled the country back from potential collapse, citing improvements in foreign exchange management and inflation control.
“Today, I can stand proudly before you that we are back from that brink,” he said.
Tinubu said he does not view critics of his administration as enemies but as contributors to national development.
“I don’t categorize anybody as arch-critical. I see them as stimulators who can build a nation,” he said. “We all want good for this country.”
The president also acknowledged the difficult operating environment facing media organizations, particularly challenges related to funding.
“I know you are challenged. It’s very tough out there,” he said. “Source and application of funds is almost impossible to acquire in a time of challenges.”
Tinubu said tariffs affecting the media industry were discussed earlier Friday and promised to review the matter.
“The question of tariff was discussed this afternoon,” he said. “If I missed that, I’ll go back to rectify.”
He commended media proprietors for introducing innovations despite economic challenges and pledged to continue working to improve the country.
“I promise you that this job I’ll continue to do with patriotic dedication to improve Nigeria,” Tinubu said.
Friday’s gathering was an iftar — the meal that breaks the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan — and marked the last such event of the 2026 season, attended by media executives from print, television, radio and digital platforms.
