Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has admitted that many Nigerians are still struggling with the high cost of living, acknowledging that the government’s economic policies have put significant pressure on households.

He made the statement on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in Abuja, during the unveiling of the Tinubu administration’s 2027–2031 electoral roadmap, tagged From Reforms to Prosperity Agenda.

Gbajabiamila acknowledged that the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of the foreign exchange market had brought serious economic difficulties for citizens, particularly in the short term.

According to him, it would be dishonest to suggest that Nigerians are currently enjoying an easy life, given the financial challenges many families are facing.

“Nobody should have to pretend that life is easy at the moment,” he said.

However, the President’s Chief of Staff defended Tinubu’s decisions, arguing that the President chose to take difficult steps for the country’s future rather than make decisions based solely on immediate political benefits.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives maintained that the reforms were introduced with the long-term interests of Nigeria in mind, despite the hardship they have caused.

He stressed that the success of the government’s economic policies should not be measured by promises or political arguments but by their actual impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

Gbajabiamila added that the real measure of the reforms would be whether they eventually translate into better living conditions and improved economic opportunities for citizens.