Independence Days are usually occasions for celebration, but many Nigerians marked the 64th anniversary of the country’s independence from the U.K. on Oct. 1 with protests. For others, including President Bola Tinubu, the day was a chance to take stock and reflect on the challenges the country continues to face. Perhaps to distract from the popular discontent or give the impression he was responsive to it, Tinubu’s spokesperson announced an impending Cabinet reshuffle, just 16 months into his four-year term. But the reshuffle will likely be seen by citizens, and perhaps by the administration itself, as a Hail Mary to stave off further anger.
The aim is also no doubt to bring much-needed momentum to an administration that has largely responded to crises of its own making, distracting it from fully focusing on Tinubu’s policy objectives. So far his term has been largely consumed with taming inflation and removing the burden of the country’s fuel subsidy and multiple foreign exchange windows on an already stretched economy.
In addition to those economic priorities, however, Tinubu’s election last year exposed Nigeria’s divisions along identity lines, putting his administration on notice that it would also need to work extensively to unify the nation. And early signs do not elicit much optimism about his performance since then. To the contrary, rarely in its history has Nigeria been so divided.