Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has given President Bola Tinubu’s administration a performance rating of 34 per cent, saying the Federal Government has made some progress but fallen short in addressing Nigeria’s major challenges.

Makinde gave the assessment on Friday during an interview with ARISE News, explaining that his rating reflected the percentage of Nigerians who supported Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.

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It’s just about the same percentage of the people that supported him in 2023.

Thirty-four per cent, the governor said.

He argued that the President needed to secure the support of Nigerians who voted against him in the last election to successfully implement his policies.

You need the 67 per cent of Nigerians that were against him in 2023 to be on board.

This is a massive number, he added.

Despite his criticism, Makinde commended Tinubu for supporting the establishment of state police, describing the initiative as a positive step towards decentralising the country’s security system.

The governor, who has repeatedly advocated state-controlled policing, said individual states should have the opportunity to establish their own police structures based on their capacity and readiness.

“The President has done well with the formation of the state police,” he said.

On education, Makinde acknowledged the Federal Government’s student loan scheme but maintained that financial assistance alone would not address the sector’s challenges.

He stressed the need to improve teachers’ welfare and strengthen security in schools, arguing that both were essential to delivering quality education.

“Having money for students to go to school… is a small fraction of what they’re supposed to do,” he said.

You need the teachers that are motivated.

You need even security for educational institutions, he added.

The governor further explained that education reforms must equip young Nigerians with the skills and knowledge required to secure employment or establish businesses.

He acknowledged that addressing some aspects of the sector represented progress but warned that such interventions would not resolve its wider shortcomings.

If you have three or four pockets and one is being addressed, I would say it’s a movement in the right direction.

But that alone will not solidly ensure that our children have skills and knowledge that can either make them employable or turn them into entrepreneurs, Makinde said.

The governor’s comments come amid his continued criticism of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, which he has argued have not sufficiently improved employment opportunities, incomes and living conditions.

While recognising some macroeconomic stabilisation under the Federal Government, Makinde maintained that more coordinated action was necessary to tackle the country’s economic, security and educational difficulties.