Tinubu’s Economic Vision Finds an Unlikely Student in Donald Trump
By Bamidele Atoyebi
I wasn’t surprised when I read Donald Trump’s latest post on Truth Social. I’ve always thought he needed to take a lesson from his supposed rival. What surprised me, though, was how much it sounded like something straight out of President Bola Tinubu’s reform manual like he’s been taking secret lessons from the best.
On 8 November, Trump wrote that the billions of dollars currently sent to what he called “money-sucking insurance companies” under ObamaCare should instead go directly to the people, so they can buy their own healthcare and still have money left over.
I read that and laughed. I said to myself, Trump is learning from the best.
This is the same Trump who once threatened to send American troops into Nigeria over alleged Christian persecution. At that time, I thought, instead of threatening to attack us, he should come and learn from Tinubu’s diplomacy. If Trump were not American, he would probably have enrolled long ago in Tinubu’s School of Political Strategy.
Now, look at him unconsciously quoting from Tinubu’s economic gospel.
Since taking office, President Tinubu has built his leadership on the bold idea of taking from the rich to give to the poor, not through force, but by breaking systems that favoured the privileged and returning fairness to national wealth.
He ended the fuel subsidy that enriched a few at the expense of millions, redirected the savings into social programmes and palliatives, and started a national student loan scheme to help young Nigerians chase their dreams. This alone has reawakened the hope of a better tomorrow in them because education they say, is power.
He unified the foreign exchange rates, cutting off those who exploited arbitrage for personal gain. He tightened tax loopholes, reduced government waste, and expanded direct welfare interventions.
He expanded technical education access with direct stipends, which aims to make vocational/technical training attractive and accessible, especially for youth who might otherwise struggle to afford such training.
In the health sector, Tinubu’s administration also introduced a sweeping dialysis reform aimed at easing the financial burden on kidney patients. The government slashed the cost of dialysis sessions in federal hospitals from about ₦50,000 to ₦12,000, an 80 per cent subsidy that immediately expanded access to life-saving treatment.
By subsidising critical healthcare services and investing in essential medical equipment, the initiative reinforces the administration’s “take from the rich to give to the poor” narrative, ensuring that low-income Nigerians benefit directly from redirected public funds.
These are reforms that challenge comfort zones and power blocks. They hurt at first, but hold a long-term promise: that Nigeria’s resources should serve its people, not a protected elite.
So, when I saw Trump’s post about diverting funds from corporate giants to ordinary Americans, I couldn’t help but smile. Whether he admits it or not, he’s borrowing from Tinubu’s philosophy, a model no one could establish before him rooted in courage, fairness, and reform-driven governance.
Trump might claim to be making America great again, but this time, it’s Tinubu who’s setting the example. And the truth is, Trump seems like a fan trying to act tough. Instead of reaching out diplomatically or acknowledging Tinubu’s leadership, he chooses to make noise from afar. But deep down, it’s clear: he’s impressed.
If he truly wants to serve his people better, Trump should drop the bluster and come learn from Tinubu. Our president is magnanimous enough to teach him a few lessons in people-centred politics, and maybe even show him how real reform is done.
Bamidele Atoyebi is the Convenor of BAT Ideological Group, National Coordinator of Accountability and Policy monitoring and a publisher at Unfiltered and Mining Reporting
