…Propaganda has bought this administration, but time is running out
By Akin Samuel Kayode (ASK)
The story of Nigeria under Tinubu’s economic reform is one of broken promises, misplaced priorities, and deliberate misinformation. Rather than usher in relief as promised during the campaigns, the so-called reform has thrown citizens into unprecedented hardship. Inflation bites harder than ever, unemployment continues to rise, and poverty deepens daily. Yet, instead of addressing these issues with sincerity, the presidency has chosen the path of propaganda, projecting images of success where only failure exists.
Propaganda has become the default communication strategy of this administration. The president’s media aides, instead of acknowledging the pain of ordinary Nigerians, are busy writing glossy speeches and issuing endless statements that paint hardship as progress. They manipulate words to label suffering as “sacrifice,” hunger as “temporary inconvenience,” and economic collapse as “transition.” This insincerity is not only insulting to the intelligence of Nigerians but also dangerous to the future of our democracy.
Numbers and statistics have equally become tools of deception. We are constantly fed figures that claim to show growth in revenue, foreign investment inflows, or fiscal stability. Yet, Nigerians cannot reconcile these so-called gains with their reality. A worker whose salary has been increased by 233% still finds that what ₦8,000 could buy in the past now requires over ₦50,000. This makes the figures paraded by government officials not only misleading but irrelevant to the lived experiences of the masses.
True economic growth is measured not by figures released at press conferences but by affordability of goods, access to healthcare, availability of jobs, and quality of life. When millions of citizens cannot afford basic food items, when transport fares swallow salaries, when businesses shut down daily, then no statistical gymnastics can prove that reforms are working. Unfortunately, this government seems more invested in winning propaganda wars than in actually fixing the economy.
The presidency’s media machinery operates like a well-funded theatre of illusions. They flood social media with half-truths, they amplify minor achievements as monumental breakthroughs, and they dismiss every criticism as opposition politics. Such an approach disconnects government from the people, as it creates a widening gap between official narratives and lived realities. In the long run, it erodes public trust in leadership and breeds cynicism towards governance.
This disconnect has been described aptly by Atiku Abubakar as “trial and error government.” A government that truly plans reforms does so with foresight, research, and careful consideration of consequences. But what Nigerians have seen is a series of rash decisions hurriedly taken and then revised when they backfire. From the chaotic subsidy removal to the confused unification of exchange rates, policies have been introduced without cushioning measures, leaving citizens stranded in the aftermath.
Trial-and-error governance is a betrayal of leadership responsibility. A nation cannot be run like a laboratory experiment where the people are test subjects. Reforms must be guided by vision and competence, not gamble and guesswork. Unfortunately, this administration appears more interested in experimenting with untested policies than in pursuing a carefully designed roadmap for development. This recklessness has made life unbearable for millions.
The hardship faced by Nigerians today is not accidental, it is a direct outcome of poor planning, insensitivity, and propaganda. Even when the truth stares them in the face, government officials remain defiant, insisting that reforms are succeeding. Yet, markets across the country echo the opposite story: escalating food prices, unaffordable rents, soaring transport costs, and collapsing small businesses.
Instead of admitting failure and revising their approach, the government has doubled down on propaganda. This creates a situation where citizens feel abandoned by those meant to protect them. Leadership is not about crafting convenient narratives, it is about confronting harsh realities and finding practical solutions. But when propaganda becomes governance, the people suffer in silence.
The hypocrisy of this government makes matters worse. Citizens are asked to endure hardship in the name of sacrifice, while government officials continue to live in extravagance. Billions are allocated for convoys, luxury cars, presidential residences, and unnecessary foreign trips. The same government that pleads for patience from citizens shows no patience in curbing its appetite for waste. This hypocrisy destroys the moral basis of leadership.
The Nigerian people deserve sincerity, not stage-managed optimism. They deserve leadership that prioritizes their welfare, not leaders who manipulate statistics to cover up incompetence. Every bag of rice, every litre of petrol, every bus fare, and every market price is a testimony louder than any government press release. Citizens know the truth in their daily struggles, and no propaganda can erase that.
The cost of falsehood in governance is dangerous. Propaganda not only undermines trust but also weakens institutions. When the government distorts facts, it denies itself the opportunity to learn from its mistakes. Worse still, it destroys the spirit of accountability, since those in power can always hide behind fabricated narratives. This leaves the nation in a cycle of policy blunders and deepening poverty.
If this government wishes to be taken seriously, it must abandon propaganda and embrace honesty. It must recognize that reforms cannot be sustained on trial and error, but on well-thought-out strategies grounded in research and public consultation. Most importantly, it must focus less on figures and more on the lived realities of citizens. A reform that impoverishes the people cannot be celebrated as progress.
Nigeria’s greatness will not be achieved by media spin or statistical deception. It will be achieved by sound economic planning, transparent leadership, and people-centred policies. Anything less is not reform but betrayal. The longer propaganda is allowed to dominate governance, the deeper Nigeria will sink into poverty and despair.
It is time for this government to stop gambling with the nation’s future. Nigeria cannot afford to be led by guesswork or sustained on propaganda. The stakes are too high, and the suffering is too real. History will not forgive leaders who chose deception over sincerity at a time when the nation needed courage and honesty the most.
The truth is that Nigerians are resilient and willing to make sacrifices if they are convinced of genuine leadership. What they reject is manipulation, dishonesty, and hypocrisy. This government must understand that no nation can be built on falsehood. Trust is the most valuable currency of governance, and once squandered, it is difficult to regain.
Propaganda has bought this administration, but time is running out. Nigerians are becoming increasingly impatient with the widening gap between promises and reality. No matter how glossy the speeches, no matter how grand the figures, the truth of empty kitchens and rising costs cannot be hidden. Propaganda may silence critics temporarily, but it cannot silence hunger.
The Nigerian people are watching, recording, and remembering. Leaders come and go, but history is permanent. Tinubu’s government has a choice: to abandon propaganda and trial-and-error policies in favour of sincere reforms, or to be remembered as the administration that betrayed its people under the guise of economic restructuring. The choice is his to make.
But for now, Nigerians are clear in their verdict, Tinubu’s economic reform, dressed up in propaganda and executed with trial-and-error, has done more harm than good to the people. And no statistic, no speech, and no press release can change that truth.
Akin Samuel Kayode (ASK) is the
Assistant Secretary, Monitoring and Feedback Committee, The Narrative Force. He wrote this article on 18.08.2025.
