“I Don’t See The Level Of Hunger Nigerians Are Complaining About” – Bayo Onanuga

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, said that many Nigerians are already benefiting from the policies and reforms introduced by the current administration.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday, Onanuga defended the government’s economic agenda and rejected claims that hardship and insecurity have become widespread across the country.

According to him, public perception about hunger in Nigeria has been shaped by narratives that emerged shortly after Tinubu took office.

Bayo Onanuga said many people had accepted certain assumptions about Tinubu’s administration without considering the full picture, stressing that his personal experience does not reflect the level of hardship often described in public discussions.

He said, “We have been pigeon-holed into certain assumptions and conclusions. It’s like in the early days of this government. Somebody did a voice-over saying that we are hungry. Since then, people have been saying that.

“I am 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 (workers) and I keep asking them questions. How are things? How are they adjusting? What are the problems?”

The presidential aide also argued that federal government projects are already making a difference in the lives of Nigerians.

Using his recent trip as an example, Onanuga said he was surprised to find a newly completed concrete road while travelling from Ibadan to Lagos through Ijebu-Ode after choosing an alternative route to avoid traffic.

“One day, I was travelling from Ibadan to Lagos and Google Maps told me there was a go-slow as I approached Lagos. So, I decided to take Ijebu-Ode via Sagamu. What struck me was that I just found myself on a paved concrete road. I said, ‘wow, when was this one built?” he said.

Onanuga further highlighted the impact of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, saying it has significantly reduced the time it takes him to travel to his home in Ajah.

“Anytime I go to Lagos and ask Google Maps to tell me how long it will take me to get home, it tells me one hour seven minutes,” he said.

“Before, it used to be two hours 30 minutes. The reason is because we now have a coastal road that has shortened my travel time.”

The presidential spokesman also pointed to government initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CreditCorp), describing them as programmes that provide direct support to citizens.

“If you are a parent and you have four children in the university, and they are able to access a federal loan which is interest-free, are they not benefiting? If you are a civil servant and you can access CreditCorp, a very cheap loan at a single-digit interest rate, are they not benefiting?” he asked.

Onanuga also criticised media coverage of security issues, arguing that reports often give the impression that the entire country is unsafe.

“The media in Nigeria are even creating the problem. The way they report insecurity is as if the entire country is consumed,” he said.

To support his point, he referenced a conversation with the Managing Director of NELFUND, who reportedly travelled by road from Abuja to Kebbi without encountering security problems.

While acknowledging that security incidents still occur, he maintained that Nigeria is not under complete siege as some reports suggest.

“Don’t let people frighten you that the entire country is under siege. It is not so. There are security breaches, but the entire country is not under siege,” he added.

The presidential aide also responded to recent remarks by Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), regarding electricity supply.

Onanuga claimed Obi was not fully informed about the country’s installed power generation capacity.

“Power generation has increased. We are not at the level the president met it. We already have in Nigeria a stored capacity of 13,500 megawatts,” he said.

According to him, the main obstacle facing the power sector is inadequate gas supply, a situation he linked to more than N4 trillion in outstanding debts owed by operators to gas suppliers.

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