Engr. Abdulauf Adamu, Director of Consultancy Services for Information and Communication Technology at Jigawa State Polytechnic, Kazaure, has faulted comments by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga who dismissed widespread reports of hunger in Nigeria, saying the country’s food crisis is supported by evidence and not political rhetoric.

Recall that while speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday, Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, defended the administration’s economic reforms and dismissed claims of widespread hunger across the country.

 

 

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?,” he added.

 

 

Reacting to Onanuga’s remarks on an exclusive interview with DAILY POST on Sunday, Adamu argued that it was wrong to judge the condition of over 220 million Nigerians based on conversations with a few personal employees.

 

“This is one of the most important governance conversations in Nigeria right now, and it deserves a frank, evidence-based response,” he said.

 

According to him, he does not agree with Onanuga’s assessment, describing it as empirically indefensible.

 

“Onanuga’s central argument was that he speaks to people who work for him privately and does not see the hunger Nigerians talk about. In a country of over 220 million people, drawing national conclusions from conversations with a handful of personal employees is not analysis, it is anecdote,” Adamu said.

 

He added that workers could also be reluctant to openly disagree with their employer.

 

“His employees may simply be telling him what he wants to hear, knowing their jobs depend on his goodwill. A presidential spokesperson’s personal comfort is not a rebuttal to the World Food Programme, WFP.”

 

Adamu maintained that the true state of hunger and poverty in Nigeria is reflected in available data rather than personal experiences.

 

He claimed that the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have identified Nigeria among countries facing worsening food insecurity and said millions of Nigerians are at risk of severe hunger.

 

He also cited figures he attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics, saying food inflation and the rising cost of basic food items have made life increasingly difficult for ordinary Nigerians.

 

He advised Onanuga to leave Aso Rock and interact more with ordinary Nigerians before making public comments about the country’s economic situation.

 

“Onanuga needs to go out and move around the streets before concluding that people are not hungry. He should not remain in Aso Rock and think everybody is living well and enjoying life like those in Aso Rock.”

 

Asked whether poverty had reduced under the current administration, Ojo said the answer depends on the period being compared.

 

“If you compare it with the previous administration, I will tell you poverty has not reduced; it has deteriorated,” he said.

 

“But if you compare last year with this year, there is a bit of relief.”

 

According to him, the slight improvement is linked to the implementation of the new minimum wage and an increase in the amount of money circulating in the economy.

 

“When they implemented the minimum wage, it made money flow a little. The relief is there, but it is not significant.”

 

He also said the government’s importation of food helped reduce the prices of some farm produce, although he warned that the policy could have negative consequences for local agriculture.

 

“The government also imported some food materials. That is why the prices of some farm produce reduced. But while doing that, it is indirectly killing the agricultural system in the country, even though it brought temporary relief in terms of food.”

 

Ojo recalled that last year, he saw many people in the north eating tafasa (sickle pod), a wild leafy plant, because they could not afford other food.

 

“As of last year, I saw a lot of people eating tafasa (sickle pod). I was surprised because I thought it was just a delicious leaf. I saw people going into the bush to gather it in large quantities.”

 

“But this year, I don’t see people gathering it the way they did last year. To me, that shows there is a slight reduction in poverty compared to last year, although the hardship is still there.”

 

He also described how the economic situation has affected the average family in his community.

 

“An average person in my community can now manage two meals a day without meat or fish. Before, those same people ate three meals a day with meat or fish. Now they eat only two meals, and even those meals have no meat or fish.

 

“My message to those in government who say hunger is being exaggerated is simple: they should come to the streets and carry out a proper survey.

 

“When they come to the streets and see the large number of people asking for help, they will realise that the money they carry will not even be enough to meet the needs of those begging.

 

“Once they do that, they will know that people are really suffering. Let them come to the streets, make a survey and they will see the hardship in our communities for themselves,” he added.