The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has faulted people complaining about acute hunger in Nigeria, stating that he does not see the level of hardship being widely talked about.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Onanuga defended the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, insisting that many people are benefiting from the government’s programmes.
According to him, several government projects and interventions are already improving the lives of Nigerians, adding that public discussions often focus on the challenges and ignore what the government has achieved.
Onanuga pointed to ongoing road construction as one of the clear signs of progress.
He recalled a recent trip from Ibadan to Lagos when he took the Ijebu-Ode route after Google Maps showed heavy traffic on the usual road.
“One day, I was travelling 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, a concrete road. I said, ‘Wow, when was this one built?’”
The president’s spokesman said the road had changed the views of many people 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,’” he added.
Onanuga also spoke about the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, saying it has made movement easier for many commuters, including himself.
According to him, the project has reduced his travel time from over two hours to just a little above one hour.
“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.
“Is that not beneficial? What are people talking about, really?” he said.
While speaking on the Federal Government’s loan schemes, Tinubu’s spokesman said parents with children in higher institutions now have access to interest-free loans through NELFUND while civil servants are also benefiting from low-interest loans.
“If you are a parent and you have four children in university, and they’re able to access federal loans, which are interest-free, are they not benefiting?
“If you are a civil servant and you can access the credit card, a very cheap loan at below interest, it is about seven per cent. Now people can access that loan at a single digit. Are they not benefiting as well?” he asked.
He said many people have formed fixed opinions about the economy without looking at the benefits.
“We have been pigeonholed into certain assumptions, certain conclusions.
“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 admitting that the country still faces economic problems, Onanuga said the situation is not as bad as many people make it seem.
He added that from his personal experience, many Nigerians are adjusting and making use of the opportunities created by government policies.
“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.