‘I Don’t See the Level Of Hunger People Complain About’ — Says Tinubu’s Top Aide Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has defended the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that he does not personally observe the level of hunger frequently highlighted in public discourse.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News Channel on Tuesday, Onanuga argued that several government programmes and infrastructure projects were already having positive impacts on Nigerians.

He cited improvements in road infrastructure as evidence of the administration’s achievements, recalling a recent trip from Ibadan to Lagos during which he diverted through Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode after receiving traffic updates from Google Maps.

According to him, he was surprised to discover a newly constructed concrete road along the route and noted that residents in the area had expressed satisfaction with the development.

Onanuga also pointed to the ongoing Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, saying it has significantly reduced travel time for commuters, including himself, by cutting his journey from Ajah to central Lagos from more than two hours to about an hour.

Questioning criticisms of the government’s performance, the presidential spokesman maintained that such infrastructure projects demonstrate tangible benefits of the administration’s policies.

He further highlighted the Federal Government’s student loan scheme and access to low-interest credit facilities for civil servants as initiatives aimed at easing economic pressures on Nigerians.

According to him, families with children in tertiary institutions and workers accessing single-digit interest loans are already benefiting from these interventions.

While acknowledging that many Nigerians were facing economic challenges, Onanuga said his personal interactions with people around him did not reflect the scale of hardship often portrayed in public conversations, adding that public discourse tends to overlook some of the gains recorded by the Tinubu administration.