Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the president on Information and Strategy, has discredited insinuations claims that Nigerians are going through economic hardship and hunger, arguing that several programmes and infrastructure projects introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration are improving the lives of citizens.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Onanuga said public discussions about economic hardship often fail to recognise the benefits many Nigerians are receiving from government interventions.
He pointed to road construction projects, student loans and credit schemes for workers as examples of policies he said were creating positive changes across the country.
The presidential aide specifically mentioned a road project along the Ijebu-Ode axis, describing his experience while travelling from Ibadan to Lagos.
“One day I was traveling from Ibadan to Lagos, and Google Maps told me that there’s a go-slow in the approach to Lagos, and I decided to take Ijebu-Ode via Shagamu. What struck me most was that I just found myself on a paved road, concrete road. I said, ‘Wow, when was this one built?’” he said.
According to him, the improved road network has changed the experience of commuters in the area.
“I found that our people, I mean, our Ijebu people, have stopped complaining. I said, ‘Oh, no wonder they now have a brand new road that’s not just an asphalt road, a concrete road.’”
Onanuga also highlighted the impact of the coastal highway project, saying the development has reduced travel time for residents in parts of Lagos.
“I live in Ajah. Anytime I go to Lagos, and I ask Google Maps to tell me how soon I will get home, Google Maps will tell me one hour, seven minutes. Before, it was two hours, 30 minutes, and the reason for that is that we now have a coastal road that has shortened my travel time,” he said.
“Is that not beneficial? What are people talking about really?”
He further argued that the Federal Government’s student loan programme has provided relief for families with children in higher institutions, while affordable credit facilities have supported workers.
“If you are a parent and you have four children in university, and they’re able to access federal loan, which is interest free, are they not benefiting?” he asked.
“If you are a civil servant and you can access the credit card, very cheap loan at below interest, it is about seven per cent. Now people can access that loan at single digit. Are they not benefiting as well?”
The presidential aide said national conversations around the economy have been shaped by repeated assumptions about hardship while overlooking some developments.
“We have been pigeonholed into certain assumptions, certain conclusions,” he said.
Onanuga also recalled a widely circulated video from the early days of the Tinubu administration, where a voice-over was added to footage of the President in Lagos, suggesting Nigerians were suffering.
“I think the President went to Lagos, he was coming from the Central Mosque, and somebody now did a voice-over saying ‘Ebi n pawa o,’ and that means we are hungry. Since then, people have been saying that,” he said.
While acknowledging that economic difficulties exist, Onanuga maintained that his personal interactions with Nigerians have not reflected the level of hardship frequently portrayed.
“I’m a Nigerian. I have people working for me privately. I don’t see the level of hunger 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?” he said.
