President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerian media organisations to extend their oversight beyond the Federal Government by closely monitoring the activities of state and local governments, noting that sub-national authorities now enjoy greater financial autonomy under recent reforms.
The President made the remark on Friday night during an Iftar gathering with media proprietors and senior executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to mark the end of the 2026 Ramadan season.
Tinubu explained that reforms introduced by his administration had strengthened the country’s federal structure, particularly by ensuring that local governments receive their allocations directly.
According to him, the responsibility now lies with the media to monitor how those funds are utilised at the grassroots level rather than directing scrutiny solely at the Federal Government.
The President also stated that no state government currently borrows funds to pay workers’ salaries, attributing the improvement to fiscal reforms and increased revenue distribution.
For several years, many states had struggled to meet salary obligations and relied on federal bailouts or loans, especially during periods of declining oil revenue.
The administration, however, said improved allocations to states and local governments have resulted from higher crude oil output, better tax collection by the Federal Inland Revenue Service—now renamed the National Revenue Service—and the implementation of local government fiscal autonomy following a July 2024 Supreme Court ruling.
Tinubu also defended key economic decisions taken since he assumed office in May 2023, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy, which generated significant public debate.
He argued that the move was necessary to prevent the country from sliding into financial crisis and insisted that the policy helped pull Nigeria back from the brink of economic collapse.
The President acknowledged that his administration faced intense criticism in its early days but said such feedback helped sharpen leadership decisions.
Tinubu noted that he does not regard critics as adversaries but as contributors to national progress, adding that the media’s scrutiny has helped challenge his administration to perform better.
He thanked media owners and editors for their role in holding government accountable, saying their criticism had inspired him to remain focused on delivering results for the country.
