Tinubu's reforms are working but we are suffering, which one do we believe?

So today June 14th is Democracy Day and the IMF just dropped a report saying over 60% of Nigerians now live below the poverty line. Meanwhile Minister Mohammed Idris and Senator George Akume were on TV yesterday listing achievements like N184 billion student loans, FATF grey list removal, and GDP growth. Both sides are talking about the same country but the reality on ground is different.

The IMF admitted our economic reforms have strengthened stability but they also warned that food insecurity is widespread and inflation is killing households. The government is celebrating macro indicators while we are calculating how to afford garri. I get that fuel subsidy removal was necessary because previous governments kept postponing it but the adjustment cost is too heavy for ordinary people.

President Tinubu deserves credit for finally confronting problems that past leaders avoided but good economics does not automatically mean good living conditions. The question is not whether reforms were needed but whether the gains are reaching us fast enough. Be honest, are you feeling any improvement in your pocket since 2023?