Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has given President Bola Tinubu’s administration a 34 per cent rating, saying it has made progress in some areas but has not done enough to tackle Nigeria’s broader challenges.
Makinde gave the assessment in an interview with ARISE News on Friday. He said the score reflected the share of voters who supported Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
“It’s just about the same percentage of the people that supported him in 2023. Thirty-four per cent,” Makinde said.
He argued that Tinubu needed to win over Nigerians who voted against him to successfully implement his policies.
“You need the 67 per cent of Nigerians that were against him in 2023 to be on board
This is a massive number,” he said.
Makinde praised the administration’s efforts to establish state police, an idea he has long supported. He said states should be able to set up their own police services according to their capacity and readiness.
“The President has done well with the formation of the state police,” he said.
The governor also acknowledged the Federal Government’s student loan scheme but said financial assistance was only one part of the education reforms needed.
“Having money for students to go to school… is a small fraction of what they’re supposed to do,” Makinde said.
“You need the teachers that are motivated. You need even security” for educational institutions, he added.
He said education policy should also improve teaching conditions and campus safety, while ensuring young people gain skills and knowledge that can lead to employment or entrepreneurship.
“If you have three or four pockets and one is being addressed, I would say it’s a movement in the right direction.
“But that alone will not solidly ensure that our children have skills and knowledge that can either make them employable or turn them into entrepreneurs,” Makinde said.
Makinde has criticised Tinubu’s economic policies, arguing that they have yet to deliver enough jobs, higher incomes and improved living standards. While acknowledging signs of macroeconomic stabilisation, he called for more coordinated action on the economy, security and education. He has promoted his “Reset Nigeria” agenda as an alternative approach.