66 Years Of Independence: Let The Gains Of Reform Reach The People
@66 Years Of Independence: Let The Gains Of Reform Reach The People As Nigeria marks 66 years of independence, we must celebrate not only the freedom we inherited, but also the nation we are still building. There are genuine flickers of hope in our economic journey. Recent data indicate stronger macroeconomic stability, improved fiscal and external positions, and continued economic growth. Yet, as the World Bank has observed, household incomes have not recovered fully and poverty remains high. The uncomfortable truth is that an economy can look healthier on paper while the ordinary citizen is still struggling to put food on the table. Macroeconomic stability is important, but its ultimate test must be whether it progressively translates into better lives for the people. Nigeria's bold reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy and foreign-exchange reforms, were undertaken to correct deep distortions and create fiscal space. They should not be casually reversed. However, refor...