Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga has dismissed claims that hunger in Nigeria is as widespread as often portrayed, saying his personal experience does not support the narrative while insisting that President Bola Tinubu’s policies are delivering measurable benefits to citizens.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Onanuga argued that the administration’s reforms are beginning to produce visible results, pointing to major road projects, the Federal Government’s student loan scheme and affordable credit facilities for civil servants.
According to him, ongoing infrastructure development has improved transportation in several parts of the country.
He recalled a recent trip from Ibadan to Lagos during which Google Maps redirected him through the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode route to avoid heavy traffic. During the journey, he said he encountered a newly constructed concrete road that left him impressed.
Onanuga said the road had transformed travel in the area and significantly reduced complaints from residents who previously lamented its poor condition.
He also cited the impact of the Lagos Coastal Highway, noting that the project has cut commuting time for residents along the Lekki-Ajah corridor.
According to him, a journey that previously took about two and a half hours now takes just over an hour because of the improved road network.
The presidential aide further highlighted the government’s interest-free student loan programme, arguing that it has eased the financial burden on parents with children in tertiary institutions.
He also referenced the low-interest loan scheme available to civil servants, describing it as another intervention helping Nigerians cope with economic challenges.
Onanuga said public conversations have become dominated by negative assumptions that often ignore positive developments recorded by the administration.
He recalled a viral video from the early days of President Tinubu’s administration in which footage of the President leaving the Central Mosque in Lagos was accompanied by a voice-over chanting “Ebi n pawa o” (meaning “we are hungry”), saying the incident helped reinforce the current public narrative.
While acknowledging that Nigerians are facing economic difficulties, Onanuga maintained that his interactions with people around him present a different picture.
“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.
He maintained that government interventions should be assessed based on their long-term impact rather than prevailing public sentiment, insisting that many Nigerians are already benefiting from the administration’s policies.
