Vice-President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu administration to inclusive governance and responsive policymaking built on empathy and robust citizen engagement.
Speaking through his representative, Dr Aliyu Modibbo, Special Adviser to the President on General Duties (Office of the Vice-President), Shettima made this known at a two-day interactive session on Government–Citizens’ Engagement, organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna.
“Instead of governing Nigeria from a distance, President Tinubu is walking hand in hand with the people through critical national reforms,” Shettima said.
He stressed that the administration does not rely solely on technocratic solutions, but rather on active consultation and collaboration with the Nigerian people.
“We are not crafting policy in solitude nor assuming that technocracy alone delivers results. We are convening conversations and institutionalising listening.”
Inclusive Approach to Policy
Shettima highlighted several areas where public input influenced final government decisions, including in tax reform, education financing, and post-subsidy economic relief measures.
On the revised Students’ Loan Law, originally passed as the Access to Higher Education Act, Shettima said the administration repealed and reenacted the law after considering widespread public concern.
“We removed income ceilings and guarantor requirements—barriers that stood between ambition and opportunity. No student should be disqualified for being born on the wrong side of poverty.”
In the area of tax reform, he pointed to the creation of the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reforms, which involved broad-based consultations with governors and other stakeholders.
“When objections arose, the President welcomed them. He ensured tax bills went through public hearings. Even inherited taxes like the 10% plastic levy and telecom tax were suspended after critical review,” Shettima noted.
Responding with Empathy
On the fuel subsidy removal, the vice-president said Tinubu’s administration approached the situation with empathy and introduced a range of measures to mitigate the impact on ordinary Nigerians.
“We met with labour unions not with threats but with empathy. We responded with wage increases, tax waivers on diesel, palliative packages, and the introduction of CNG buses to reduce transportation costs.”
He described the administration’s method as “response, not reaction”, noting that course corrections were made in real-time, guided by the lived experiences of citizens.
“Governance is not a theatre of perfection, but a process of correction. A government that listens is a government that learns. And a government that learns is a government that leads,” Shettima added.
Sustaining Democratic Legacy
The vice-president praised the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation for keeping alive the legacy of the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, describing it as “a torch of civic dialogue that must never be extinguished.”
“Leadership is not just about occupying office, but about shouldering the burden of service. What we nurture today is not just a government of the people, but a government with the people.”
