Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the Federal Government to shift its focus from defending Nigeria’s debt profile to confronting the deepening economic hardship and insecurity facing citizens.
Reacting to recent comments by the Presidency that Nigeria’s borrowing level compares favourably with that of some African countries, Atiku said such arguments reveal a troubling disconnect from the daily realities of ordinary Nigerians.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president argued that economic policy must be judged by its impact on people’s welfare, not by abstract statistics or international comparisons. He insisted that borrowing can only be justified when it is tied to productive investments that improve infrastructure, agriculture, security, and long-term growth.
Atiku noted that millions of Nigerians are struggling with soaring food prices, rising inflation, and failing businesses, while families are forced to withdraw children from school as living costs spiral. Against this backdrop, he described the Presidency’s celebration of debt figures as “astonishing and insulting,” questioning what tangible benefits citizens have seen from the mounting loans.
He warned that insecurity has become a major driver of the economic crisis, as banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping continue to disrupt farming and trade across large swathes of the country. In many communities, he said, travelling by road has become “a gamble with death,” with families living in constant fear of abductions and night-time attacks.
Atiku stressed that Nigerians are less interested in how their country’s debt compares with others and more concerned about whether they can afford food, keep their families safe, and find meaningful economic opportunities. He argued that responsible governments borrow to expand productivity, create jobs, and secure critical infrastructure, not to finance consumption or sustain wasteful lifestyles in public office.
Recalling the debt relief achieved under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, in which he served as vice president, Atiku said that period showed how disciplined economic management can restore investor confidence and create room for growth-oriented policies.
He urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to abandon what he called “propaganda and statistical gymnastics” and instead confront Nigeria’s economic and security emergencies with sincerity, competence, urgency, and compassion, warning that failure to act decisively could push the country deeper into social and economic instability.
