The Presidency has dismissed claims of widespread hunger in Nigeria, insisting that many citizens are benefiting from the policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated this while speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday.
According to Onanuga, ongoing infrastructure projects and economic interventions introduced by the government are having positive impacts on Nigerians.
He cited his recent experience travelling from Ibadan to Lagos through Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu, where he observed a newly constructed concrete road.
Onanuga also pointed to government-backed credit facilities for civil servants, saying workers now have access to loans at single-digit interest rates.
He argued that the narrative of widespread hunger was being exaggerated, noting that his personal interactions with Nigerians did not reflect the level of hardship often portrayed in public discourse.
The presidential aide further highlighted the recent increase in the national minimum wage, stating that the Tinubu administration had raised it by more than 100 per cent.
Onanuga also referenced an incident during the early days of the administration when a video of the President was accompanied by the Yoruba phrase “Ebi n pa wa” (meaning “we are hungry”), saying it contributed to the perception that Nigerians were experiencing severe hunger.
His remarks come amid ongoing debates over the country’s economic conditions, rising cost of living and the impact of government reforms on citizens.
Onanuga’s words: “I was travelling from Lagos, from Ibadan to Lagos, and Google maps told me that there’s a go slow in my approach to Lagos.
“I decided to take Ijebuode via Shagamu. And what struck me was that I just found myself on a paved road, concrete road.
“I said, ‘Wow, when was this one built?’ I’ve not been to Ijebuode for some time, and the few times I’ve been there, I always came through a queue, so wow, this is different.
“I found that our people, I mean, our Ijebuode people, they’ve stopped complaining. I say, ‘Oh, no wonder they now have a brand new road that’s not just an asphalt road but a concrete road.
“Is that not beneficial to me or any user of that road? People are benefiting.
“If you’re a civil servant, and you can access the credit card, very cheap loan at below interest. Now people can assess that loan at single digit. Are they not benefiting?
“I live in Nigeria. We have been pigeonholed to certain assumptions of the people on issues.
“It’s like in the early days of this government. I think the president went to Lagos, I think, he was coming from a central mosque, and somebody now did a voiceover in “Ebi pawa”, and that means we are hungry. Since then, people have been saying that we are hungry.
“I’m a Nigerian, I have people working for me privately. I don’t see the level of one hunger you people are talking about because I see them, and I keep asking them questions. How are things? How are they adjusting? What are the problems?
“This government has increased the minimum wage by more than 100%.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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