The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has criticised the communication strategy of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying the government often interprets suggestions and constructive criticism as attacks.

Sanusi also faulted the administration for lacking effective spokespersons capable of properly communicating its policies and achievements to Nigerians.

The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, however, acknowledged the administration’s economic reforms, saying it deserved credit for rescuing the country from the brink of economic collapse.

Speaking at the Oxford Global Think Tank conference convened by Arunma Oteh, Sanusi said the government had failed to communicate its policies effectively and was often defensive when confronted with opposing views.

He said, “This government doesn’t express itself properly. It sees every suggestion and contribution it does not like as an attack, and it doesn’t have good spokespersons.

“Despite his reservations, the former CBN governor highlighted some economic indicators which, according to him, showed signs of improvement under Tinubu’s administration.

He cited Nigeria’s 4.48 per cent Gross Domestic Product growth in the second quarter of 2026, describing it as an improvement compared with the 0.9 per cent growth recorded during the Buhari administration.

Sanusi also noted that inflation had declined from 30 per cent to 14.6 per cent, with projections indicating a further reduction to 12.5 per cent before the end of the year.

He further disclosed that Nigeria’s GDP per capita in dollar terms had increased by 47 per cent since 2023, while the country’s foreign reserves had risen to $55 billion.

The traditional ruler, however, cautioned that some of the foreign exchange inflows were driven by volatile portfolio investments, partly attracted by high oil prices and returns on investment.

On economic diversification, Sanusi pointed to the contribution of the Dangote Refinery, saying about 20 per cent of Nigeria’s exports were coming from the facility.

He maintained that although the country’s economic challenges were far from over, the reforms were laying the foundation for stability.”

I’m not a fan of politicians, but we need to give credit to President Tinubu’s administration for bringing us back from the brink,” he said.