Baptist Convention President Backs Economic Reforms, Citing Inherited Mismanagement of National Resources

Rev. Israel Akanji supports President Tinubu's economic reforms, stating they are necessary to fix an inherited mismanaged economy despite current hardships.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 18, 2026, 3:54 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Sun Nigeria

Defense of National Economic Restructuring

The leadership of the Nigerian Baptist Convention has weighed in on the current fiscal direction of the country, offering a defense of the federal government’s controversial reform agenda. According to Rev. Israel Akanji, the President of the Convention, the economic measures introduced by President Bola Tinubu were necessitated by the state of the economy he assumed upon taking office. Speaking ahead of the 113th Nigerian Baptist Convention, Akanji asserted that the current administration inherited a mismanaged economy that required drastic intervention to stabilize.

Acknowledgement of Public Hardship and Cushioning Efforts

While supporting the long-term vision of the reforms, the religious leader conceded that the immediate impact on the Nigerian citizenry has been severe. According to Rev. Akanji, the reforms have undeniably inflicted pain and financial hardship on the populace. However, he commended the President’s efforts to introduce palliative measures intended to cushion the blow of these policy shifts, maintaining that the ultimate goal is a revived economy where every citizen can eventually become a beneficiary.

Demands for Accountability Across Tiers of Government

A central theme of the Convention’s message was the need for rigorous oversight of how these new policies are executed at local and state levels. According to Rev. Akanji, it is essential that the three tiers of government are strictly monitored to ensure the adequate implementation of economic relief and development policies. He suggested that without transparency and accountability, the intended benefits of the federal reforms might fail to reach the masses who are most in need of economic stability.