The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has mounted a robust defence of the administration’s economic policies, arguing that despite widespread public concerns about hardship and rising living costs, he does not personally observe the level of hunger frequently portrayed in public discussions.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Onanuga maintained that the Federal Government’s policies are beginning to yield tangible results across different sectors, particularly in infrastructure development, education financing, and access to affordable credit. He insisted that many of the gains being recorded by the administration are often overlooked in public discourse, which tends to focus almost exclusively on economic challenges.
The presidential aide pointed to ongoing road construction projects as evidence that the Tinubu administration is delivering meaningful improvements in the lives of Nigerians. Recounting a recent journey from Ibadan to Lagos, Onanuga described his surprise at encountering newly constructed road infrastructure that significantly improved travel conditions.
According to him, traffic congestion on the Lagos-Ibadan corridor prompted him to seek an alternative route after consulting Google Maps. Rather than proceeding directly into Lagos through the usual route, he diverted through Shagamu and Ijebu-Ode.
“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,” he explained.
He said what he encountered along the route left a strong impression on him.
“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 recalled.
According to Onanuga, the new road infrastructure has transformed transportation in the area and generated positive reactions among local residents who previously complained about poor road conditions.
“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,’” he added.
Beyond the road project in Ogun State, Onanuga also highlighted the ongoing Lagos coastal highway project, which he described as another major infrastructure initiative delivering practical benefits to commuters and residents.
Using his own experience as an example, he noted that travel times between Lagos Island and the Ajah axis have reduced significantly as a result of the project.
“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.
For Onanuga, such improvements represent concrete evidence that government investments are making a difference in the daily lives of citizens. He questioned why critics often fail to acknowledge these developments when assessing the administration’s performance.
“Is that not beneficial? What are people talking about really?” he asked.
The presidential spokesman also drew attention to social intervention and economic support programmes introduced by the Federal Government, particularly the student loan scheme and low-interest credit facilities available to workers.
He argued that the student loan initiative has provided relief to thousands of families struggling with the rising cost of tertiary education. According to him, parents whose children have gained access to interest-free loans are benefiting directly from government policies.
“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.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), established to provide financial assistance to students in tertiary institutions, has been one of the flagship programmes of the Tinubu administration. Government officials have repeatedly described it as a major intervention aimed at ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent qualified students from pursuing higher education.
Onanuga further pointed to affordable loan schemes for civil servants as another example of government efforts to cushion economic pressures on citizens.
According to him, workers can now access loans at single-digit interest rates, a development he said should be viewed as a significant benefit at a time when commercial lending rates remain high.
“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 asked.
He argued that public conversations about the economy have become dominated by assumptions and narratives that fail to take account of the positive effects of government programmes.
“We have been pigeonholed into certain assumptions, certain conclusions,” he said.
Onanuga also reflected on how the narrative of widespread hunger gained traction during the early months of the Tinubu administration. He recalled a viral social media video that emerged when President Tinubu visited Lagos shortly after assuming office.
According to him, the video featured a voice-over in Yoruba repeatedly saying “Ebi n pawa o,” meaning “we are hungry,” a phrase that quickly became associated with discussions about economic hardship in the country.
“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 stated.
While acknowledging that many Nigerians are facing economic difficulties, particularly following the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira, Onanuga maintained that his personal experiences do not reflect the extreme levels of deprivation often described in public commentary.
He stressed that he regularly interacts with workers and individuals around him and makes a deliberate effort to understand how they are coping with prevailing economic conditions.
“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.
His remarks come at a time when debates over the state of the Nigerian economy remain intense. While government officials point to infrastructure development, social intervention programmes, increased state revenues, and signs of economic recovery as evidence that reforms are working, many Nigerians continue to express concerns about inflation, food prices, unemployment, and the rising cost of living.
Nevertheless, Onanuga insisted that a balanced assessment of the Tinubu administration should take into account both the challenges being experienced and the benefits emerging from ongoing reforms. According to him, infrastructure projects, educational support initiatives, and affordable credit schemes are already making a positive impact and deserve greater recognition in the national conversation.
