…Says Tinubu Concerned About Plight of Nigerians
The Presidency has strongly rejected a recent editorial by Daily Trust which painted Nigeria as a nation overwhelmed by hunger and economic despair, describing the narrative as “exaggerated and unbalanced.”
The rebuttal was contained in a detailed rebuttal issued on Thursday, in where the government argued that while there are challenges, the Tinubu administration is actively implementing measures to stabilise the economy and alleviate hardship.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, stated that President Bola Tinubu “is not indifferent to Nigerians’ difficulties” but is instead taking “deliberate, targeted steps—many already yielding results—to reset our economy from a legacy of consumption without productivity.” He accused Daily Trust of “misrepresentation, selective use of projections, and alarmist narratives” that do not reflect the government’s interventions.
The rebuttal specifically addressed claims in the editorial that “Nigerians are hungry” without acknowledging ongoing relief efforts. Dare clarified that the widely cited UNICEF projection of 33 million Nigerians facing hunger by 2025 was not a standalone forecast but part of the Cadre Harmonisé analysis, a worst-case scenario assuming no mitigation. “Over 42,000 metric tons of grains were released from federal strategic reserves; 117,000 metric tons were under additional procurement,” he said, adding that emergency nutrition support had been scaled up in states like Borno, Yobe, and Katsina.
On the naira’s depreciation, the Presidency dismissed the editorial’s claim of a “worthless naira” as “false and misleading,” noting the currency’s rebound from ₦1,800/$1 in March 2024 to ₦1,525/$1 by August 2025. “The naira has not collapsed—it has been corrected and is now recovering,” Dare asserted, attributing the improvement to increased oil receipts, remittances, and foreign exchange reforms.
The statement also countered allegations that social protection programmes had “fizzled out,” revealing that the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme still serves 9.8 million children across 53,000 schools. “Over 200,000 cooks and local farmers are engaged in the programme, which is being digitised for transparency,” Dare said.
He further disclosed that three million households had received ₦75,000 each under the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer, with plans to expand coverage to 15 million.
Tax reforms were another focal point, with the Presidency confirming that recommendations such as suspending VAT on food and easing levies on medical equipment were under review. “Starting January 2026, over 60 overlapping taxes will be streamlined, nuisance taxes eliminated, and exemptions introduced for essential goods,” Dare explained. He added that President Tinubu was collaborating with state governors through the National Economic Council (NEC) to implement local tax reliefs and VAT waivers.
Addressing global food price pressures, the Presidency acknowledged that Nigeria was not immune but emphasised proactive steps, including a ₦200 billion investment in dry-season farming and the launch of a National Commodity Board to regulate prices. “The State of Emergency on Food Security underscores our commitment,” Dare said, noting that 500,000 farmers had been targeted for input support in 2025.
The statement concluded with a call for unity, urging media outlets to avoid “exaggerating pain” and instead highlight progress. “Hope is in the stabilising naira, three million families lifted by direct transfers, and 400,000 students now schooling without fear of fees,” Dare remarked.
He pointed to the newly launched Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP), which aims to spur grassroots growth across all 8,809 wards, as proof of the administration’s inclusive approach.
“This administration does not ask for silence in the face of hardship,” Dare said. “It asks only for fairness and a shared commitment to rebuilding this country.”
Discussion about this post