The Noise of Hunger and the Silence of Understanding
Everywhere you turn in Nigeria today, one chorus fills the air – ‘things are hard.’ From the markets to the offices, from social media to the streets, frustration has become our national language. And truly, things are hard. Prices are climbing, salaries are shrinking, and people are exhausted. But amid this struggle, we must hold on to one truth: Nigeria is not collapsing – Nigeria is correcting.
What we are experiencing is not the death of our economy, but its rebirth. It is a difficult transition – a period of restructuring after decades of imbalance.
‘You cannot plant a new tree without first uprooting the old one.’ – African Proverb
For years, we built comfort on broken systems – fuel subsidies that rewarded waste, currency distortions that killed productivity, and an import culture that weakened our own industries. Those old systems are now being torn down. The noise of hunger we hear today is the sound of new foundations being laid beneath us.
Reforms Are Not Miracles – They Are Processes
No country becomes great without discomfort. Every transformation requires time, patience, and pain.
The removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of exchange rates – bold decisions by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration – are not punishments. They are the hard medicine Nigeria has avoided for far too long.
When India faced an economic crisis in 1991, it embraced tough reforms that seemed unbearable at the time – but those same decisions turned India into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. When Germany reunited in the 1990s, it went through years of economic strain to create the strong and unified powerhouse we admire today.
‘Reform is not punishment; it’s correction. And correction is never comfortable.’ – Solomon Ogo-Oluwa Oyerinde
President Tinubu has chosen to face the truth rather than delay it. History often rewards leaders who dare to confront discomfort for the sake of future generations.
‘No matter how long the night, the day will surely break.’ – African Proverb
The Difference Between Pain and Progress
It’s easy to mistake suffering for failure, but they are not the same. When a doctor operates on a patient, there is pain – yet healing is taking place. That is what Nigeria is going through: transformational pain, not destruction. It is the sting that comes before renewal.
‘When you clean a wound, it stings – but that sting saves the body.’
The subsidy burden that swallowed over ?10 trillion every year has finally been stopped. The currency system is being reset to restore trust and transparency. Investors are watching again. Yes, it hurts now – but this pain is the soil in which progress grows. Look at China. In the 1980s, millions suffered short-term hardship during economic reforms – but those same reforms built the modern China that leads the world today.
Why Investors Need Stability, Not Sentiment
Investors don’t go where there’s noise. They go where there’s order, policy, and predictability. That’s why Nigeria’s new direction matters. For the first time in years, the message to the world is clear: Nigeria is ready for serious business. But investors also listen to us – the citizens. If we speak hopelessness, we chase opportunities away. When we constantly declare that nothing works, we send fear to the very people who can help rebuild our economy. You cannot attract investors by insulting your own economy. Confidence begins at home. An Akan proverb says, ‘The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people.’ Let’s project confidence – not blind optimism, but firm belief that we can rise.
Politicians Weaponizing Pain
Every period of reform attracts opportunists. When people are hurting, some politicians see it as a chance to stir anger instead of offering solutions. But we must be wise. Many of the loudest critics today were silent when they had the chance to fix things.
Let’s remember Singapore’s story. When Lee Kuan Yew introduced tough economic reforms in the 1970s, people resisted. But he stayed focused. Today, Singapore stands as one of the cleanest, most efficient economies in the world. If he had listened to the noise of politics, that dream would have died. A politician who feeds on people’s pain is not leading, he’s exploiting. Patience, they say, can cook a stone. Let us give this process time to cook.
Citizens’ Role in Recovery
President Tinubu has started the restructuring but the real success of this reform will depend on Nigerians. Now is the time to support local businesses, to buy Nigerian products, and to believe in our industries. We must grow what we eat, produce what we wear, and export what we create. ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,’ says an African Proverb.
Nations like Ethiopia and Vietnam grew rapidly not just because of government policies, but because citizens took ownership of their economies. Nigerians must do the same. A nation doesn’t grow by complaint, it grows by contribution.
Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Gain
Every major reform in history began with hardship. The early months always sting but the harvest comes later. Already, the removal of subsidies is freeing up funds for roads, education, and youth empowerment. The new exchange policy will support manufacturers, exporters, and digital innovators. You can’t climb a tree from the top. That’s why this administration is building from the roots – one policy at a time. That’s how true nations grow: not through shortcuts, but through steady, honest work. Even the United Arab Emirates (UAE) started with sand and oil, but transformed through consistency, planning, and vision. Nigeria has what it takes to do the same – human capital, creativity, and resilience.
The Economics of Hope
Hope is not denial; it is the fuel of endurance. It is what keeps a people going when the road is rough and the destination is far. According to Chinua Achebe, ‘Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.’ It’s time we take control of Nigeria’s story. The world must see not a nation in collapse, but a nation rebuilding itself with courage. Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this reform era will test us, but it will also transform us. Hope is not denial, it’s direction.
The Seed Beneath the Soil
Nigeria today is like a seed – buried, pressured, and unseen. But beneath the soil, roots are forming. Growth is happening in silence. ‘Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors,’ says an African proverb. This is our testing season, but it will not last forever. Let’s not let anger or despair drown out our sense of purpose. History will remember this era – not as the time we broke, but as the time we began to rebuild. Reform is never pleasant. But nations that endure the discomfort of correction enjoy the comfort of prosperity.
*Solomon Ogo-Oluwa Oyerinde is a Political Strategist and Advocate for Positive National Branding. He writes to promote national understanding and balanced patriotism. The piece reflects Nigeria’s ongoing economic renewal under the Bola Tinubu Administration, which the writer describes as ‘a record of truth that time will vindicate.’