Independence Days are often events for celebration, however many Nigerians marked the sixty fourth anniversary of the nation’s independence from the U.Ok. on Oct. 1 with protests. For others, together with President Bola Tinubu, the day was an opportunity to take inventory and replicate on the challenges the nation continues to face. Maybe to distract from the favored discontent or give the impression he was aware of it, Tinubu’s spokesperson introduced an impending Cupboard reshuffle, simply 16 months into his four-year time period. However the reshuffle will seemingly be seen by residents, and maybe by the administration itself, as a Hail Mary to stave off additional anger.
The purpose can be little question to deliver much-needed momentum to an administration that has largely responded to crises of its personal making, distracting it from absolutely specializing in Tinubu’s coverage aims. Up to now his time period has been largely consumed with taming inflation and eradicating the burden of the nation’s gas subsidy and a number of international change home windows on an already stretched economic system.
Along with these financial priorities, nonetheless, Tinubu’s election final yr uncovered Nigeria’s divisions alongside id strains, placing his administration on discover that it could additionally have to work extensively to unify the nation. And early indicators don’t elicit a lot optimism about his efficiency since then. On the contrary, not often in its historical past has Nigeria been so divided.