Nigerian media personality Oseni Rufai has reacted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Independence Day address, expressing concern over the hardship being experienced by Nigerians.

Rufai shared his reaction in a post on X on Thursday, shortly after Tinubu addressed Nigerians as the country marked its 66th Independence Anniversary.

“Another speech to tell us, ‘It is well’,” Rufai wrote.

SEE ALSO: Reno Omokri Praises Tinubu’s Independence Day Address, Says Nigeria Is in ‘Sound Hands’

He then criticised what he described as the country’s political class, saying the situation was different for ordinary Nigerians facing economic difficulties.

“It is only well with the glutinous political class,” he added.

Rufai concluded his post with a direct appeal to the President.

“Nigerians are suffering, President Tinubu heal Nigeria,” he wrote.

His comments came after Tinubu, in his Independence Day address, defended his administration’s economic reforms and outlined measures aimed at moving Nigeria from what he described as an era of reform into an era of prosperity.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has acknowledged that Nigeria’s poverty and economic difficulties cannot be eliminated within four years, saying the challenges accumulated over several generations.

Tinubu made the statement on Thursday in his Independence Day address to Nigerians as the country marked its 66th anniversary.

The President said millions of Nigerians still struggle with basic needs, including food, school fees, medical bills and transportation.

SEE MORE: ‘I Want More Nigerians Making Things, Selling Nigerian Goods Globally’ – Tinubu

According to him, their difficulties did not begin with the economic reforms introduced by his administration but were the result of decades of low productivity, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient opportunities and institutions that had failed many citizens.

“We cannot erase in four years what accumulated over generations. But we can change its course,” Tinubu said.

He said his administration would focus on building an economy capable of steadily lifting people out of poverty while ensuring vulnerable Nigerians receive support.

Tinubu highlighted measures including stronger direct support for poor households, improvements to the National Social Register and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

He also pointed to consumer credit through CREDICORP and continued investment in primary healthcare, basic education and other essential public services.

The President said defeating poverty would require time, discipline, sustained economic growth and the creation of millions of productive opportunities across the country.

“We will defeat it,” he said, while urging Nigerians to look ahead as his administration moves from what he described as the “age of reform” into an “age of prosperity.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for a stronger production-driven Nigerian economy, saying he wants more Nigerians making goods locally and Nigerian businesses selling their products to markets around the world.

Tinubu stated this in his Independence Day address to Nigerians on Thursday, as the country marked its 66th anniversary.

According to the President, Nigeria’s young population must become an engine of production rather than a source of despair, with jobs, enterprise and industrial growth placed at the centre of government policies.

SEE MORE: Tinubu Departs Paris for Lagos, Set for Abiola Tribute

“I want to see more Nigerians making things. I want to see more Nigerian farms feeding our cities and supplying our factories. I want to see Nigerian businesses selling Nigerian goods to the whole world,” Tinubu said.

He also expressed his desire to see young Nigerians building technology companies capable of becoming global “unicorns” while creating opportunities for others within the country.

Tinubu said his administration would use Nigeria’s gas resources to power new industries, support businesses working to revive factories and expand digital connectivity to communities that have been left behind.

He added that government would invest in skills demanded by employers while providing Nigerian businesses with infrastructure and financing needed to expand.

The President said the focus of the next phase of his administration would be on creating widespread prosperity, lowering production and transportation costs and expanding productive opportunities for Nigerians.

He said increased local production, improved infrastructure and a stronger business environment would help reduce the cost of goods and create a more productive economy.

Tinubu urged Nigerians to look beyond the country’s economic difficulties and work towards building an economy capable of producing for both domestic and international markets.