Jide Kosoko Defends Tinubu, Says Nigeria’s Hardship Not As Bad As Critics Claim
Veteran Nollywood actor Prince Jide Kosoko has defended President Bola Tinubu’s administration over Nigeria’s economic situation, saying the country’s challenges are not as bad as some critics have portrayed them.
Kosoko made the remarks during an interview on Talk To B, a podcast hosted by actress Biola Adebayo, where he urged Nigerians to give the President more time to address the country’s problems.
The actor acknowledged that many Nigerians were experiencing hardship but argued that the country’s economic difficulties were partly caused by previous administrations’ failure to plan adequately for population growth.
According to reports by Premium Times and The Punch published on Saturday, Kosoko questioned the circumstances of some Nigerians complaining of hunger, asking what they ate and how they earned a living before Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
“When you see people saying, ‘I am hungry, I am hungry,’ go and check the majority of those people saying that before Tinubu came. What were they doing? What were they eating? Every year, things change,” he said.
Kosoko maintained that the country’s situation was not as bad as some people had made it appear.
“Things are not as bad as some people made us understand,” he said.
The actor attributed some of Nigeria’s economic challenges to previous governments, arguing that they had failed to make adequate preparations for the country’s growing population.
He said the Tinubu administration was now trying to address those problems.
Defends subsidy removal
Kosoko also defended the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that retaining it would have continued to place pressure on the country’s finances.
He acknowledged that the policy had contributed to the difficulties Nigerians were facing but maintained that the country needed to confront its economic problems rather than continue with an arrangement he considered unsustainable.
The actor cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one of the government’s initiatives, arguing that student loans could help reduce the financial burden on parents and guardians.
He urged students and other beneficiaries of government programmes to speak about their experiences so that Nigerians could better understand the impact of the policies.
Kosoko also argued that the government should not be expected to distribute food items such as rice and yams directly to citizens to secure their support.
Despite defending the administration, he acknowledged that the country was still experiencing difficult economic conditions.
“I’m not saying things are rosy,” he said, according to Tribune Online’s report.
Calls for Tinubu’s re-election
Kosoko urged Nigerians to give Tinubu another chance in the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the President should be allowed to complete the programmes his administration had started.
He also criticised the opposition, suggesting that political ambitions influenced some of the criticism directed at the government.
The actor maintained that the administration was working to address problems inherited from previous governments and appealed to Nigerians to remain patient.
His comments come as economic conditions and the effects of government reforms remain important issues in public discussions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
