Otunba Babatunde Senbanjo Writes President Tinubu, Urges Attention to Critical Challenges Facing Nigerians

Date: August 24, 2025

To:
His Excellency,
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR,
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Aso Rock Presidential Villa
Three Arms Zone,
Abuja, FCT
Nigeria.

URGENT APPEAL TO ADDRESS THE CRITICAL CHALLENGES FACING NIGERIAN CITIZENS

Your Excellency,

With sincere respect and deep patriotic concern, I humbly write to you as a citizen of this great nation to call your attention to the deepening crisis and urgent challenges currently affecting the lives of millions of Nigerians across the federation.

As our President and Commander-in-Chief, your leadership is our last hope in these perilous times. The average Nigerian today is burdened by overwhelming economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, and lack of basic amenities. The suffering has become unbearable, and the people are crying out for real, immediate, and people-centred solutions.

1. ECONOMIC HARDSHIP AND RISING COST OF LIVING

The effects of inflation, subsidy removal, Naira devaluation, and rising taxation have hit citizens hard. Food, transportation, and housing costs have skyrocketed beyond the reach of ordinary families. With no corresponding increase in wages or targeted palliatives, many Nigerians are now living below the poverty line. Urgent intervention is needed in:

Subsidised essential commodities (food, fuel, transport)

Living wage adjustments and minimum wage implementation

Support for local producers and MSMEs

Currency stabilisation policies.

2. INSECURITY AND LOSS OF LIVES

In every region, Nigerians face the constant threat of violence. Whether it is banditry in the North-West, Boko Haram in the North-East, kidnapping in the South, or communal and ethnic clashes in the Middle Belt, life has become unsafe. We urge you to:

Strengthen military and community policing capacity

Dismantle terror networks and their sponsors

Equip and motivate the armed forces and police

Involve local intelligence and traditional institutions

3. UNEMPLOYMENT AND YOUTH DISILLUSIONMENT

Nigeria’s youth are desperate. With limited jobs, unreliable power, and a stifling business environment, the country’s best brains are fleeing. We plead for:

A National Youth Employment Scheme

Support for startups and local innovation

Skill acquisition programs with real funding

Industrial growth and ICT development

4. POOR HEALTHCARE AND COLLAPSING EDUCATION

Public schools and hospitals are in crisis. Frequent strikes, outdated infrastructure, and underpaid workers have made education and health a luxury for the rich. We recommend:

Better funding for education and healthcare

Implementation of universal basic healthcare

Respect for agreements with unions (e.g., ASUU, NARD)

Free basic education for the poorest communities

5. CORRUPTION AND GOVERNANCE DEFICITS

Despite anti-corruption pledges, the average citizen sees little change. Nepotism, embezzlement, and impunity still plague public institutions. Your Excellency, we call for:

Full transparency in public spending

Independent audits of major projects

Non-partisan anti-corruption enforcement

Appointments based on merit, not connections

6. ELECTORAL AND JUDICIAL REFORM

To restore public confidence, we must strengthen our democracy:

Independent and credible electoral body (INEC)

Electoral justice and accountability for offenders

Speedy court processes and fair judicial outcomes

Protection of press freedom and civic rights

7. INFRASTRUCTURE AND NATIONAL UNITY

Roads are deteriorating, power supply is poor, and clean water is lacking. Nigerians are also increasingly divided along ethnic and religious lines. We urge:

Federal character in appointments and projects

Investment in road, power, and water systems

National reorientation and unity campaigns

FINAL APPEAL

Your Excellency, our country is in pain. Many citizens have lost faith, not only in government but in the future. Yet, we still believe that this administration can write a new story for Nigeria. You must act now with courage, empathy, and urgency.

Let this letter mark a turning point in your legacy, a shift from promises to performance, from theory to action, from elite policies to people-centred governance.

May God guide you as you lead.

Yours faithfully,
Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo (BOS)