The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has stated that he does not perceive the level of hunger frequently reported by Nigerians, citing his personal interactions with workers around him as evidence.
Speaking on the economic situation in the country, Onanuga said he regularly engages people working for him privately and asks them how they are coping with current realities.
According to him, many Nigerians are adjusting to the prevailing economic conditions, while the Federal Government has taken steps to improve workers’ welfare through a significant increase in the national minimum wage.
He said:
“I have people working for me privately and I ask them questions about how they’re surviving and adjusting. This government has increased minimum wage by more than 100 per cent,”
Onanuga further highlighted that Nigerians are already experiencing the benefits of the infrastructure projects being undertaken by the federal government nationwide. While he recounting an example of ongoing infrastructure development, he said he was impressed to discover a newly constructed concrete road while travelling from Ibadan to Lagos through Ijebu-Ode.
“One day I was traveling from Ibadan to Lagos and Google maps told there was go slow in the approach to Lagos. So I decided to take Ijebu ode Via Shagamu and what struck me is that I just found myself on a paved road, concrete road. I said wow! When was this one built? He recounted.
His remarks come amid ongoing public concerns over the rising cost of living, food inflation, and economic hardship across the country.
However, many Nigerians have continued to express frustration over increasing prices of basic commodities, transportation costs, and other essential services.
By Musekir Faisat Omolara
