During the coronation ceremony of the new Olubadan of Ibadanland, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu used a vivid metaphor to address the economic hardship pressing Nigerians, urging patience and persistence.
Standing before dignitaries, traditional rulers, and citizens at Mapo Hall in Ibadan, Tinubu acknowledged that his administration’s reforms had brought strain on ordinary Nigerians. He likened the collective hardship to a “painful surgery,” insisting that just as surgery brings pain before healing, the sacrifices being made will lead to a better future. (“Your suffering is a pain, a pain of a painful surgery, but it is now returned to the moment of growth and prosperity that awaits us ahead.”)
He framed the moment as a turning point. “The economy has turned the corner,” Tinubu said, adding that there is “a bright light at the end of the tunnel.” He thanked Nigerians for their perseverance, endurance, and understanding amid heavy economic reforms.
Tinubu’s speech came in the same event where Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja received the Staff of Office as the 44th Olubadan. That gathering also saw calls by the new monarch for the creation of Ibadan State — a demand he reiterated to Tinubu himself.
Critics and observers are likely to question whether the metaphor will ring hollow to many Nigerians already groaning under inflation, unemployment, and high costs of basic goods. But for now, the president is framing the narrative: the pain is temporary, and recovery is just ahead.
