By Otunba (Dr) Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo
There is an old African proverb that captures the fierce, unyielding love of a mother: A mother who truly loves her child does not always give the child what he wants; she gives the child what he needs. Many of us who grew up in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s remember it vividly the stubborn child refusing a bowl of pap or bitter medicine. Tears flowed. Resistance was fierce. In that moment of pain, the child was convinced his mother was cruel. Yet she held firm, knowing that short-term discomfort was the price of long-term survival and strength. That bowl of nourishment, that bitter dose, built resilience for a healthier future.
Today, Nigeria stands in that same position as a nation, as families, as parents watching our children’s eyes dim with worry over rising prices. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has taken bold, historic steps: removing the fuel subsidy and unifying the foreign exchange market. The hardship is not abstract. It is felt in empty market bags, strained household budgets, higher transport fares that make commuting a daily ordeal, and businesses fighting to stay afloat. No honest voice should dismiss this suffering. Mothers skipping meals so their children can eat, fathers working longer hours with less to show for it these stories break the heart.
But the deeper question we must confront, with courage and clear eyes, is this: Can a loving nation keep postponing bitter medicine simply because it tastes unpleasant? For decades, trillions of naira vanished into fuel subsidies that disproportionately enriched smugglers, middlemen, and neighboring countries rather than ordinary Nigerians. Multiple exchange rates bred corruption, scared away genuine investors, and eroded trust. These policies were not sustainable they were slowly bleeding our economy and our future.
History whispers hope through the stories of nations that endured and triumphed.
India’s Bold Awakening (1991):
In 1991, India faced a crisis that brought it to its knees foreign reserves nearly depleted, growth stagnant, the nation on the brink of default. Leaders implemented painful reforms: devaluing the currency, slashing regulations, and opening markets to competition. Initial backlash was fierce; inflation spiked, jobs shifted, and many suffered. Critics called it heartless. Yet India stayed the course. What followed was a miracle: GDP growth accelerated dramatically, averaging around 6% annually in the following years, with per capita growth surging. Extreme poverty plummeted from about 36% in the early 1990s to much lower levels by the early 2000s. Hundreds of millions rose out of poverty. India became a global powerhouse in technology, services, and manufacturing a magnet for investment and innovation. Today, it stands as the world’s third-largest economy by purchasing power parity. Had they reversed course at the first sign of pain, that transformation would never have happened.
Ghana’s Resilient Turnaround (1980s):
In the early 1980s, Ghana was in free fall hyperinflation, collapsing production, real wages plummeting, and economic despair. Under Jerry Rawlings, the government embraced tough structural adjustments: currency reforms, subsidy cuts, and fiscal discipline. It was deeply unpopular. Living standards dipped further in the short term. But the medicine worked. The Economic Recovery Programme restored growth, boosted private enterprise, attracted investment, and laid foundations for stability. Ghana emerged as one of Africa’s stronger and more consistent performers, regaining national pride and improving prospects for its people.
Indonesia’s Subsidy Shift:
Like Nigeria, Indonesia long relied heavily on fuel subsidies that strained budgets and distorted markets. In phases, particularly 2005, 2007, and 2014–2015, leaders reduced and removed subsidies despite public protests. Savings were redirected to infrastructure, social programs, education, and development. Short-term price shocks hurt families, but the reforms freed up massive resources billions of dollars redirected to productive investments. Indonesia strengthened its finances, improved public services, and sustained broader development gains, proving that ending subsidy dependence can unlock real progress when paired with smart spending.
Egypt’s Path to Stability (2016 onward):
Facing mounting debt, reserve shortages, and fiscal collapse, Egypt launched major subsidy cuts and currency liberalization in 2016. Inflation soared, and public frustration peaked. Yet the reforms stabilized macroeconomics: foreign reserves recovered, investor confidence returned, and space opened for infrastructure and growth initiatives. While challenges remained, the country moved away from the brink toward greater stability compared to the pre-reform fragility.
These are not fairy tales of instant success. They are real stories of nations that felt our pain and chose to persist. The lesson is clear: meaningful transformation demands temporary sacrifice to fix deep structural wounds. Reforms are not magic; they must be paired with urgent, visible actions targeted social safety nets for the vulnerable, massive infrastructure drives, support for farmers and manufacturers, job-creating policies, improved security, and ironclad transparency so every kobo saved builds Nigeria, not private pockets.
Nigerians are right to demand these supports loudly. We have endured too much to accept less. But we must also face this uncomfortable truth: If the old policies were failing draining resources, fueling corruption, and mortgaging our children’s future what is the realistic alternative? Reinstating full subsidies and multiple rates might offer fleeting relief, like giving a feverish patient only painkillers while ignoring the infection.
History warns it would recreate the same crises, perhaps worse. The greater risk is not pressing forward with determination. It is abandoning the treatment before the patient our beloved Nigeria recovers. As we look toward 2027 and beyond, voters must weigh this with the wisdom of elders: Are we willing to consolidate today’s sacrifices into tomorrow’s prosperity? Will we build industries that create dignified jobs, stabilize prices through productivity, strengthen public services, and hand our children a Nigeria bursting with opportunity rather than repeating cycles of hardship?
History will not remember these reforms by the tears they caused in the beginning. It will judge them by the jobs created, the prices tamed, the industries revived, the services delivered, and the stronger, self-reliant nation we leave behind.
Fellow Nigerians mothers and fathers, youth full of dreams, elders rich in wisdom can we afford to stop the healing before recovery takes hold? Let us draw strength from our shared resilience, demand accountability, support targeted relief, and stay the course. Painful today, yes. But a prosperous, proud tomorrow is within reach if we choose courage over comfort, for our children and the generations yet unborn.
Signed
Otunba (Dr) Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo
National Chairman AATSG.
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