Amid growing public frustration over Nigeria’s economic challenges, the Presidency has come out strongly to defend the policy choices of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that the current administration inherited a battered economy and is working relentlessly to reverse the trend.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, stated on Arise television Friday that many Nigerians are quick to forget the dire situation the country was already facing before the current administration took over in 2023. He described the criticisms as lacking historical context and unfairly targeted at the President.
READ ALSO: Bayo Onanuga mocks Atiku over PDP defections, says ‘he is a loser again’
“Many Nigerians, we sometimes exhibit the problem of lack of memory. We have very short memory, we forget where we started from and we just start blaming President Tinubu for all the problems that Nigeria is going through. In 2023, when Tinubu took over the government, there were fuel shortages in this country,” Onanuga recalled.
He highlighted two key policy decisions of the Tinubu administration—fuel subsidy removal and the harmonization of the foreign exchange market—as steps necessary to reset the Nigerian economy and eliminate longstanding avenues for corruption.
“The second policy of the government was the harmonization of foreign exchange. Before President Tinubu took over, the gap between the official and other windows was N300 to N400 at times. Some people were making money if they had access to Mr. Emefiele, the then CBN governor—he can make you a billionaire overnight. That has stopped,” he asserted.
Responding to mounting concerns over perceived government extravagance, especially at a time when Nigerians are battling inflation, unemployment, and rising cost of living, Onanuga dismissed such claims as baseless and unfair.
“That is not true. What extravagance are they seeing that they are talking about? I’m here now; do I look like someone who is extravagant? People just throw all kinds of things at government officials without any iota of proof,” he fired back.
He insisted that President Tinubu’s administration has consistently walked its talk, citing the government’s commitment to implementing the Oronsaye report, which recommends the merger and reduction of federal agencies to cut costs and enhance efficiency.
“The government has always been walking the talk. Whatever it says, it does. The government announces the Oronsaye report; it will try to merge some agencies. I can tell you that policy is in the works, and it was passed to the SGF to work a lot of things out,” Onanuga said.
As Nigerians continue to face economic hardship, Onanuga assured that the Tinubu-led government is not resting on its oars. He noted that the administration is placing renewed focus on tackling inflation, particularly in sectors affecting the most vulnerable citizens.
“In the coming months, the government will prioritize ensuring a further reduction in the prices of food and medicine,” he concluded.
While public outcry persists over the rising cost of living and hardship, the Presidency remains firm in its stance that its reforms are necessary for long-term stability. It urges Nigerians to exercise patience and judge the administration’s performance based on results over time rather than short-term discomfort.
