“HOW DOES TINUBU SLEEP AT NIGHT?” — UTOMI

Renowned political economist and former presidential candidate, Professor Pat Utomi, has launched a blistering attack on President Bola Tinubu’s administration over its economic policies.

Utomi describes the current reality as a “moral outrage” and questions how the President sleeps at night while millions of Nigerians struggle to survive.

The criticism, made in a video address shared on his X handle on Friday, contrasted Nigeria’s dire economic indicators with those of other oil-producing nations .

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THE COMPARISON

Utomi presented a stark comparative analysis.

“A litre of fuel in Libya costs ₦32, while the minimum wage in the country is $208, which is roughly ₦276,000,” Utomi said. “In Saudi Arabia, a litre of fuel costs approximately ₦823, while the estimated monthly minimum wage is ₦1.4 million”.

He contrasted those figures with Nigeria’s reality: a minimum wage of ₦70,000 and petrol prices between ₦1,300 and ₦1,900 per litre in some locations.

“That minimum wage amounts to a mere $52,” Utomi said. “A young chap flipping burgers at McDonald’s in the US makes more than a Nigerian bank manager”.

THE QUESTION

Utomi posed a direct question to the President. “Anyone earning ₦100,000 a month in Nigeria is still struggling to make ends meet and may be closer to the poverty line than their counterparts in these countries. But does the President care? How does he even sleep at night, knowing that millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive in a country blessed with abundant natural resources?”.

THE PROFESSOR’S PLIGHT

Utomi also lamented the erosion of purchasing power for university lecturers.

“They work for some government university. It’s probably at best for N500,000 in a month. And they probably live in an area where power will take up N150,000, maybe N200,000 of that money. How is it possible that people are still alive and going?” he asked

THE DATA

Utomi cited research indicating worsening poverty and rising costs.

A report by Agora Policy found that the national poverty headcount rose from 49.8 per cent before the reforms to about 63.3 per cent afterwards.

The average cost of a healthy meal rose from N515 in June 2023 to N1,611 by July 2025, while intercity bus fares increased from about N4,000 to N7,700 during the same period.

The World Bank estimated that by 2025, 63 per cent of Nigerians, about 152 million people out of an estimated 240 million were below the poverty line.

WHY IT MATTERS

Utomi’s intervention adds a prominent voice to the growing criticism of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies.

His comparison with other oil-producing nations is particularly pointed. Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer, yet its citizens pay far more for fuel and earn far less in minimum wage than countries with similar or smaller oil reserves.

The Presidency has previously defended its reforms as necessary for longer-term economic stability, while acknowledging short-term hardship.

But Utomi’s question, “How does he even sleep at night?” captures the moral dimension of the debate that statistics alone cannot answer.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Utomi made the remarks in a video address on X. The Presidency has not responded directly to his comments.