President Bola Tinubu’s recent remarks at the commissioning of a new road project in Abuja, the nation’s capital, where he promised that ‘every Nigerian will feel the impact of good governance’, sound reassuring on paper, but not in reality.
Development Diaries reports that President Tinubu, during the inauguration of the Collector Road in Abuja recently, said that his administration will ensure that every Nigerian feels the impact of good governance.
According to media reports, the president said his administration will continue to work tirelessly to deliver infrastructure projects that will enhance the quality of life for the citizens.
In his words, ‘I assure you that we are committed to making sure that every Nigerian feels the impact of good governance’.
But for many Nigerians across the country, such promises feel increasingly out of touch with reality.
While infrastructure in the capital city continues to receive attention and accolades, the vast majority of citizens in other regions remain trapped in cycles of poverty, insecurity, and neglect.
The truth is, good governance cannot be measured by road inaugurations alone, especially when hunger, fear, and frustration define daily life outside Abuja’s city limits.
Take food insecurity, for instance. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), over 133 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor, with food inflation surging to 40.66 percent as of May 2025.
While a new road may reduce commute time in the FCT, it does nothing for families in Kebbi State or Cross River State struggling to afford one decent meal a day.
Farmers are abandoning farmlands due to insecurity, transportation bottlenecks remain unaddressed in rural areas, and agricultural outputs are being wasted because of poor storage and market access.
These are issues that no number of ribbon-cutting ceremonies in the capital can solve.
The state of healthcare tells a similar story. Many Nigerians still rely on underfunded primary healthcare centres, with maternal and infant mortality rates among the highest globally.
The World Bank estimates that only 43 percent of Nigerians have access to quality basic healthcare services. People in rural communities travel hours for care that is often unavailable or unaffordable.
Security, arguably the most pressing concern for ordinary Nigerians, remains a glaring gap in the governance landscape.
Massacres, kidnappings, and banditry persist in parts of Benue, Zamfara, and Kaduna States, with citizens losing faith in both local and federal responses.
The recent Yelewata killings, where over 200 people were murdered despite prior intelligence, highlight not just operational failures but also a crisis in leadership accountability.
While Mr President talks about a greater Nigeria, many feel increasingly abandoned and unsafe in the country they call home.
Mr President, Nigerians are not asking for fancy speeches or handshakes at project sites, they are asking for leadership that listens, acts, and delivers across all regions, not just the capital.
Development Diaries calls on President Tinubu to ensure that the ‘impact of good governance’ becomes a lived experience, not a slogan.
Let his administration’s legacy be one of equity, where rural roads are fixed, schools function, hospitals save lives, and Nigerians sleep with both eyes closed. Until then, the promises will remain just that: words, waiting to match reality.
