Former Senator Abiodun Olujimi has appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the economic reforms introduced by the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu.
Olujimi, who represented Ekiti South in the Senate from 2015 to 2023, said the reforms had helped stabilise the economy and that Nigerians would soon begin to see improved conditions.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, the former lawmaker cited the unification of the foreign exchange market as one of the measures she believes is yielding results.
She recalled an experience while trying to increase her stock, saying she asked where she could obtain foreign exchange for the transaction, only to be told that she needed naira because people abroad were now accepting the Nigerian currency.
According to her, the development showed that the country was moving in the right direction.
Olujimi acknowledged that the reforms had brought difficulties for Nigerians, particularly following the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira.
She said the cost of petrol had risen significantly since the subsidy was removed, while critics and opposition figures had continued to call for a reversal of some of the policies.
However, she backed the Federal Government’s position that the reforms were necessary to address longstanding economic problems.
“Now the thing went bad. There is a government that is trying to see how we can turn it around, and then the struggle begins all over again. But I believe we can bear it. And if we bear it, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
Olujimi added that Nigerians should allow the reforms more time, expressing optimism that the country would eventually experience greater prosperity.
“If we allow it for a bit, we’ll just turn around the corner, and then we’ll be able to see prosperity, because prosperity is staring us in the face,” she said.
She also argued that the reforms had reduced opportunities for foreign exchange round-tripping, saying, “Business now is strictly naira-based.”