2027: Opposition yet to offer alternatives on subsidy, Nelfund, others – Presidency

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has accused the opposition of failing to present concrete alternatives on key national reforms, saying they have yet to offer viable options on fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange rate reconciliation, and student support programmes like Nelfund.

In a post on social media platform X, Bwala argued that while reform efforts may be “loud, uncomfortable and difficult,” they remain necessary for Nigeria’s prosperity and that critics have not put forward credible policy substitutes.

“As Nigerians, we need to be honest with ourselves. The problems we lived with for years were even louder. We just got used to them,” he wrote, noting that the waste, inefficiency, and struggle for basic services became “the normal.”

Bwala stressed that true nation-building “demands courage, sacrifice, and honesty,” and criticised the opposition for focusing on criticism rather than offering alternatives.

He added that key challenges such as subsidy reform, exchange rate alignment, and support for young Nigerians through initiatives like Nelfund require substantive policy proposals, not just rhetoric.

The presidential aide also questioned the political direction the opposition would take the country, arguing that their past governance did not provide a clear roadmap for sustainable national progress.