President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says he understands the hardships that Nigerians are going through at the moment.

Tinubu spoke on Thursday at the state house while receiving All Progressives Congress (APC) national youth leaders from across the country.

Since the president announced the removal of the petrol subsidy on May 29, there have been concerns over the rise in the prices of commodities and the cost of living.

Tinubu said he feels the pains of citizens and assured them that the hardships of the moment will give way to a more “prosperous, equitable and inclusive economy”.

“I make my pledge to the country that no decision will be difficult for this administration to take for the prosperity and unity of this country. Economic reforms could be slow. Be patient a little more,” he said.

“I can assure you that I understand the pains you are going through. It is not easy to get out of the monster of over 40 years called fuel subsidy.”

The president told the youths that his administration would include them in governance, and decision-making processes.

He added that the federal government would do everything necessary to widen the net in order to accommodate more women and youths.

He said this would be done by “liaising with our lending institutions to give micro-loans at a very low-interest rate for economic activities among the citizens”.

Also speaking at the meeting, Abdullahi Dayo Israel, the APC national youth leader, told the president that the youths had come to congratulate him on the party’s victory at the polls.

Israel said they also came to seek inclusion in appointments into the dissolved boards and agencies of government.

The Cable