Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga has dismissed claims that hunger in Nigeria is as widespread as critics portray, saying his personal experience and interactions with people around him do not support such narratives.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Onanuga said many Nigerians are already benefiting from policies introduced by President Bola Tinubu's administration, including infrastructure development, the student loan scheme and affordable credit facilities for civil servants.
"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.
The presidential aide argued that recent road projects have improved transportation and reduced travel time for many Nigerians.
Recalling a recent trip from Ibadan to Lagos, Onanuga said he was surprised to discover a newly constructed concrete road along the Ijebu-Ode route after diverting because of traffic.
"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.
He added that residents in the area appeared satisfied with the development.
"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 cited the coastal highway project, saying it has significantly cut his commuting time between Ajah and 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?"
Defending other government programmes, Onanuga said the Federal Government's interest-free student loan scheme has eased the burden on many families with children in tertiary institutions.
"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.
He also highlighted the availability of single-digit loans for civil servants.
"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?" he said.
According to Onanuga, public discourse has become dominated by assumptions that overlook the impact of government policies.
"We have been pigeonholed into certain assumptions, certain conclusions," he said.
He also referred to a viral video from the early days of the Tinubu administration, in which a voice-over claiming Nigerians were hungry was added to footage of the President returning from a mosque in Lagos.
"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 Nigerians are facing economic challenges, Onanuga maintained that his personal observations do not reflect the scale of hardship often highlighted in public discussions.
