Tinubu’s economic overhaul boldest in Nigeria’s history, says Dogara

By Kunle Sanni –

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has described President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform programmes as revolutionary and the boldest in Nigeria’s recent history.

Speaking on Tuesday at the maiden Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps in Abuja, Dogara said the reforms were necessary to revive an economy he described as “comatose” when Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.

According to a report by The Nation newspaper, the former lawmaker noted that the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of multiple exchange rates—two of Tinubu’s earliest policy decisions—marked a decisive shift in the country’s fiscal direction.

“This is a legacy that will impact generations and cement President Tinubu’s place in Nigeria’s history as the most consequential economic reformer of our time,” Dogara said in his lecture, titled “Navigating Tax Reform in Nigeria: Insights on President Tinubu’s Policies.”

Dogara argued that the state of the economy required urgent intervention, citing the N22.7 trillion reportedly printed through Ways and Means financing, which he said had eroded the value of the naira, alongside foreign loans used to artificially prop up the currency.

“From day one, it was clear something revolutionary had to be done to prevent the economy from imploding,” he stated.

The former Speaker particularly highlighted the tax reforms encapsulated in the proposed Nigeria Tax Act (NTA) 2025 and related legislation, describing them as the most ambitious restructuring of the country’s fiscal framework in decades.