President Bola Tinubu has said that God has granted his prayer for wisdom and resilience to continue serving Nigeria, expressing renewed determination to deliver prosperity and national development. The President made the statement on Monday while reflecting on his recent spiritual experience in Saudi Arabia, where he performed Umrah and was granted permission to enter the Holy Kaaba in Makkah to offer prayers.
Speaking to journalists after the pilgrimage, Tinubu said he prayed for Nigeria’s diverse population, asking Allah to promote unity and prosperity. He described his position as President and Commander-in-Chief as a special favour from God. Asked how the experience would strengthen his commitment to the task ahead, Tinubu said he had prayed for wisdom and resilience to continue serving Nigerians and believed the prayer had been answered. “Well, I ask for wisdom and resilience to continue to serve the people. I know that has been granted,” he said.
The President also said he made a similar prayer before the 2023 presidential election, promising to return to thank Allah if his request for a successful Umrah was granted. He said Allah is the giver and taker of power, warning that authority can be withdrawn from anyone who fails to use it according to divine dictates. He reaffirmed his commitment to bringing prosperity and developing the country, describing the economic foundation as solid and saying Nigeria had emerged from a difficult period.
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But the President’s spiritual reflections stand in stark contrast to the reality facing millions of Nigerians. Under Tinubu’s watch, the country has recorded unprecedented economic hardship. The naira has lost more than 70 per cent of its value, food inflation has pushed basic staples beyond the reach of ordinary families, and the national debt has climbed to N166.79 trillion. The government is currently seeking Senate approval for another $20.5 billion and €1.045 billion in foreign loans, even as previous loan-funded projects lie abandoned across the country.
Tinubu’s claim to divine wisdom also sits uncomfortably with his administration’s record. He has spent 261 days abroad on 52 foreign trips since taking office. He approved N1 billion for seven luxury SUVs for APC youth leaders while the hospital chaired by the party’s youth leader reportedly has no MRI machine. He has failed to secure the release of children abducted from their schools, and his government has struggled to explain how AI-generated images found their way into the voters’ register ahead of the 2027 elections.
The President’s visit to the Kaaba was a spiritual exercise, and he is entitled to his faith. But Nigerians are entitled to ask what wisdom he has gained. The economy he describes as solid is one where a bag of onions costs four times the minimum wage. The prosperity he promises is one that has not reached the millions of families skipping meals. The future he says he wants to build for young people is one where graduates cannot find jobs and health workers went unpaid for 19 months.
Tinubu says God has granted him wisdom to continue serving Nigerians. Nigerians might respond that what they need is not more wisdom from the President. They need results. They need food on their tables, security on their roads, and a government that understands the difference between a pilgrimage and governance. Until they see that, the President’s words will sound less like divine assurance and more like another promise from a leader who has run out of them.
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