Veteran Nollywood actor Jide Kosoko has urged Nigerians to endure the current economic hardship and give President Bola Tinubu another term in office, insisting that the administration is working to address problems inherited from previous governments.
Kosoko made the appeal during an interview on Talk To B, a podcast hosted by actress Biola Adebayo, where he defended the President’s economic reforms and challenged public perceptions of the country’s situation.
The actor acknowledged that Nigerians were facing difficult times but argued that the situation was not as bad as some critics portrayed it.
He attributed part of the country’s economic challenges to decades of inadequate planning by previous administrations, particularly their failure to prepare for population growth and increasing national demands.
According to him, the Tinubu administration is attempting to correct longstanding problems that successive governments failed to address.
Kosoko also questioned the economic circumstances of some Nigerians complaining about hunger, asking what their sources of livelihood had been before Tinubu assumed office.
He maintained that economic conditions had continued to change under successive administrations and urged citizens to recognise the challenges involved in implementing government policies.
On the removal of the petrol subsidy, the actor admitted that previous leaders, including members of his generation, had failed to take the decision, which he believes contributed to the country’s present difficulties.
He argued that although subsidy removal had increased the burden on Nigerians, the government needed to redirect resources towards other areas of national development.
Kosoko cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as an example of a government initiative that could ease the financial burden on families by helping eligible students finance their education.
He urged beneficiaries of government programmes to speak publicly about their experiences, saying their testimonies could help Nigerians better understand the impact of the policies.
The actor also dismissed expectations that the government should distribute food items such as rice and yams directly to citizens to secure their support, insisting that policies and investments should be assessed by their long-term impact.
He further argued that Nigeria’s economic difficulties had attracted renewed investment interest and expressed confidence that the country was moving in the right direction.
Describing the current period as difficult but necessary, Kosoko called for patience and collective sacrifice, saying the country needed to address its longstanding challenges for the benefit of future generations.
He also urged Nigerians to re-elect Tinubu in the next presidential election, arguing that the President should be allowed to complete his agenda.
Kosoko maintained that criticism of the administration could help identify areas requiring improvement but accused some political opponents of attempting to discredit the President for their own ambitions.
He expressed confidence that the administration would eventually overcome the country’s challenges and urged Nigerians to cooperate with the government as it pursues its economic reforms.
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