Former Senator Ayo Arise has said Nigeria’s economy is showing signs of recovery despite the hardship being experienced by citizens, citing declining inflation and renewed confidence in the country by the international community.
Arise, who spoke at the 2026 Annual Lecture and Awards organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State Council, also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies.
The lecture, themed “Internal Party Democracy, Good Governance, the Media and the Future of Nigerian Democracy,” brought together journalists, politicians and other stakeholders to examine the state of Nigeria’s democracy and governance.
Arise said the country was gradually moving in the right direction, despite the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.
“Despite the hardship Nigerians are experiencing, there are positive indices showing that the economy is on a positive trajectory. Inflation is coming down and Nigeria is gradually regaining the confidence of the international community,” he said.
The former senator also praised the Tinubu administration for its infrastructure drive, saying the Federal Government had effectively turned the country into a construction site with road projects spread across the 36 states.
He particularly commended the use of concrete pavement technology on some road projects, saying it would improve durability and ensure that roads last for decades.
“Looking at the quality of the roads, all the roads cannot be fixed at the same time. Mr President has turned Nigeria into a construction site, with projects spread across the 36 states of the federation.
“Before this administration, many Nigerian roads were an eyesore, but under this administration, roads are being constructed to last for decades,” Arise said.
He also commended the Federal Government for strengthening local government autonomy, saying the direct payment of allocations to councils would enable them to function more effectively and deliver development at the grassroots.
Arise further claimed that Tinubu had fulfilled about 95 per cent of his campaign promises and deserved another four-year term to consolidate the achievements of his administration.
He, however, acknowledged the hardship being faced by Nigerians, stressing that good governance must ultimately translate into improved living conditions.
According to him, citizens should be able to feel the impact of government through better infrastructure, education, healthcare, security, employment opportunities and other basic necessities.
Democracy, media need strong institutions
Arise said the survival of Nigeria’s democracy depended not only on the conduct of elections but also on the quality of political parties, effectiveness of government, professionalism of the media and responsible citizen participation.
He urged political parties to respect their constitutions and guidelines, insisting that party rules should not exist merely on paper.
“Membership registers should be credible. Ward, local government, state, and national structures should function properly. Primary elections should be transparent. Members should understand not only how to win elections but why democratic institutions matter,” he said.
Arise said internal party democracy was particularly important because political parties remained the major gateway through which political leaders emerged into public office.
“If democratic principles are absent from political parties, it becomes difficult to expect them to flourish in government. Good governance gives democracy practical meaning,” he said.
He also tasked the media with maintaining its watchdog role by holding public officials accountable while remaining independent, professional and courageous.
According to him, journalists must investigate matters of public interest without becoming instruments of political manipulation.
“The media must remain independent, professional and courageous. Journalists should be able to investigate matters of public interest while maintaining the standards expected of a profession that carries enormous influence,” he said.
He cautioned against deliberate misinformation and political manipulation, urging journalists to inform rather than mislead, investigate rather than persecute and question those in power without compromising professional ethics.
Arise also called on citizens to take responsibility for strengthening democracy, warning against vote-selling and the spread of unverified information for political advantage.
“We cannot demand good democracy while selling our votes. We cannot demand responsible politicians while rewarding political opportunism. We cannot demand truthful information while sharing unverified stories simply because they favour our political side,” he said.
He stressed that democracy required citizens who were prepared to defend democratic principles even when political outcomes did not favour them.
