The next government is going to be a very unpopular one. There is no scenario where the government that succeeds the Buhari administration will be popular. If the government turns out to be mediocre, it’d easily become even less popular than its popularity at the inauguration.
If it goes on to do what it must do to lift Nigeria out of its economic doldrums, the immediate outcome of those decisions will leave a lot of pain and anger in its wake. Amid such pain and anger, logic would take the backseat, so arguments for the future benefits of those decisions will not land as intended.
Nigeria’s 5.5 per cent tax-to-GDP ratio is one of the lowest in Africa, collectively holding the world’s lowest tax-to-GDP ratio. According to the OECD, the African average is 16 per cent. A lot has been said about Nigeria’s historic lack of priorities in public expenditure. Successive governments have mouthed their willingness to fight corruption, and everyone knows…
