Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, has rejected claims by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar about Nigeria’s economic situation, calling them “grossly misleading” and disconnected from reality.
In a statement posted on Monday, September 15, Onanuga said, “Talk is cheap. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his handlers are clearly out of touch with the positive developments currently unfolding in our country.
“Their claim that hunger is ravaging Nigeria, and their comparison of our situation to the unrest in France before the 1789 Revolution or the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, is grossly misleading.”
He pointed to recent economic data to refute the assertions. “Just today, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released its figures for August, showing that headline inflation has declined for the fifth consecutive month.
“Over the weekend, the NBS also reported a record trade surplus, with the contribution of non-oil exports to our trade balance now nearly matching that of crude oil at a ratio of 48:52 per cent.”
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Onanuga further highlighted the country’s rising foreign reserves and improved state finances: “Our foreign exchange reserves are on the rise, now approaching $42 billion.
“When President Tinubu assumed office, reserves stood at $32 billion, much of it encumbered. This administration has since cleared over $7 billion in arrears, including $800 million owed to airlines. Under President Tinubu, Nigeria is recording unprecedented revenues.
“States are now able to pay salaries and gratuities promptly and still have surplus funds for capital and social projects—an achievement not previously witnessed at this scale.”
He blamed past economic mismanagement during the PDP years for some current challenges and reaffirmed the government’s progress.
“Nigeria is moving in the right direction. President Tinubu and his team are working relentlessly to correct previous errors with bold reforms.
“After just two years and five months in office, we are proud of the progress being made under President Tinubu’s leadership. Atiku and his allies may choose to ignore these gains, but Nigerians can see and feel the positive changes taking place across the nation.”