Former presidential aide and Ambassador-Designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, Reno Omokri, has listed 12 major challenges he said Nigeria has either overcome or significantly reduced under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Omokri, in a statement highlighting what he described as the administration’s economic and security gains, argued that the Tinubu government’s achievements were being overshadowed by what he called opposition propaganda and persistent negative narratives about the country.
Among the challenges he listed were prolonged university strikes, salary-payment crises, fuel scarcity, crude oil theft, Niger Delta militancy, Ogoni agitation, economic recession, foreign exchange scarcity, executive-legislative confrontations, alleged budget padding, Boko Haram attacks around Abuja, and attacks on police formations in the South-East.
He also cited improvements in Nigeria’s economic indicators, including gross domestic product growth, foreign exchange reserves, petroleum-product exports and the expansion of the country’s security architecture.
According to Omokri, Nigeria’s economy grew by 4.43 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, up from 3.89 per cent in the first quarter.
The National Bureau of Statistics figures confirm the 4.43 per cent Q2 growth, with expansion recorded across the oil, non-oil and services sectors.
Nigeria’s external reserves have also climbed sharply, crossing the $54 billion mark in September 2026, the highest level in about 18 years. CBN data put reserves at approximately $54.08 billion as of September 3.
Omokri further pointed to the changing dynamics in Nigeria’s petroleum industry as evidence of structural economic transformation.
Data from the United States Energy Information Administration showed that Nigeria’s seaborne petroleum-product shipments averaged 561,000 barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 79,000 barrels per day in 2023. Product exports have increased sevenfold since 2023, while petroleum-product imports have fallen substantially.
The development has been driven largely by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which has significantly increased Nigeria’s refining and export capacity. The refinery has also exported refined petroleum products to several African countries, including Ghana, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon.
On security, Omokri highlighted the President’s recent approval for the Nigerian Army to expand from eight to 12 divisions, alongside the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel.
The four new divisions are to be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City, with the restructuring designed to strengthen military response and national security coverage.
He also cited the NELFUND student-loan programme, saying about one million Nigerian university students are benefiting from the initiative.
However, Omokri’s assessment comes against a backdrop of continuing economic and security challenges.
While Nigeria has recorded stronger growth and improved foreign-reserve accumulation, the economy is still contending with high living costs, unemployment and pressure on household incomes.
Similarly, security threats have not disappeared. Boko Haram and ISWAP remain active in parts of the North-East, while banditry and attacks continue in parts of the North-West and North-Central regions. In July 2026, for instance, at least 30 people were reportedly killed in an attack on Naridon community in Kaduna State.
Southern Kaduna has also continued to experience insecurity, with reports of fresh attacks and displacement of communities in 2026.
Likewise, claims that ASUU strikes have completely disappeared would be difficult to sustain. In August 2026, the ASUU branch at Nasarawa State University declared an indefinite strike over unresolved agreements, while another university branch in Jigawa later issued a strike ultimatum.
Consequently, Omokri’s broader argument is better understood as a claim that the scale or character of some longstanding national problems has changed, rather than that all of them have completely vanished.
Nigeria’s economic performance has undoubtedly improved in several measurable areas under Tinubu, particularly GDP growth, reserves and refined petroleum-product exports. But the sustainability of those gains, their impact on ordinary Nigerians and the government’s ability to resolve the country’s persistent security and social challenges will remain central to the assessment of the administration.
Omokri maintained that Nigeria’s problems cannot be solved overnight but insisted that the country is making measurable progress.
«“Nigeria will not overcome her challenges overnight. But under President Tinubu, we are overwhelming our issues over time,” he said.»
