Veteran Nollywood actor Prince Jide Kosoko has urged Nigerians to give President Bola Tinubu and his administration more time to address the country’s challenges, arguing that the economic situation is not as bad as some critics portray it.
Kosoko acknowledged the hardship facing many citizens but defended the removal of the petrol subsidy, questioning whether the experiences of Nigerians complaining about hunger were significantly different from their circumstances before Tinubu assumed office.
The actor spoke on the Talktobpodcast hosted by Biola Adebayo, published on Saturday.
“When you see people saying, ‘I am hungry, I am hungry,’ go and check the majority of those people saying that before Tinubu came. What were they doing? What were they eating? Every year, things change,” he said.
Kosoko maintained that economic challenges had not prevented everyone from earning a living, adding that some people were yet to achieve financial stability.
“People make money here and there. Some people might still be unlucky, but that is not to say their own time will not come,” he said.
“Things are not as bad as some people made us understand,” the actor added, while clarifying that he was not suggesting that the economy was doing well for everyone.
“I’m not saying things are rosy,” he said.
The actor appealed to Nigerians to allow Tinubu and his team to complete their plans before judging the administration’s efforts.
“Let’s try and allow Mr President and his team to finish what they started,” he said.
Kosoko argued that retaining the petrol subsidy would have continued to expose the country to financial difficulties, comparing the policy to borrowing money without adequately considering how the debt would be repaid.
“That’s the subsidy. The money being used to take care of you and me that we consider that subsidy is something that is putting us in problems for tomorrow,” he said.
He also suggested that money Nigerians might otherwise have saved under the former subsidy arrangement could have helped them meet expenses such as school fees.
The actor pointed to the student loan scheme as another government intervention that could ease some of the financial responsibilities parents face when paying for their children’s education.
Beyond government policies, Kosoko urged Nigerians to examine how individual actions contribute to the country’s economic difficulties, particularly the rising prices of goods.
He questioned why people complained about increasing costs without considering the role of traders and sellers in setting prices.
“We are enemies of ourselves because when they continue to say, ‘Ah, the price is up,’ then who is hiking it? Who is putting it up? Is it not ourselves?” he asked.
Kosoko also advised Nigerians to reconsider their spending on food, arguing that eating well did not necessarily require spending large amounts of money.
“If you eat once a day and good food, you are good to go,” he said.
