The Presidency has strongly criticised a recent Daily Trust editorial that portrayed Nigeria as a nation overwhelmed by hunger and economic despair, describing the newspaper’s claims as “exaggerated, unbalanced, and lacking factual rigour.”
In a detailed rebuttal issued on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, accused the medium of “consistent misinformation” about government policies and insisted that responsible critique must be “anchored on facts, not distortion or selective pessimism.”
While acknowledging that Nigerians is currently challenged with economic woes, the Presidency argued that Daily Trust’s editorial “perpetuates despair instead of empowering citizens with the truth.”
Dare stated, “No one in the Tinubu administration denies the difficulties some citizens are experiencing, but honest concern must be separated from exaggerated pessimism and generalisation.” He added, “The irony is that what is often criticised today are the very policies that will ensure a more secure, stable, and prosperous future for Nigerians.”
The rebuttal specifically addressed the newspaper’s reference to a UNICEF projection that 33 million Nigerians, including 16 million children, could face hunger in 2025.
The Presidency clarified that the figure was not a “UNICEF-specific report” but part of the Cadre Harmonisé analysis—a worst-case scenario assuming no government intervention. “This projection was never presented as an inevitable reality,” Dare said. “The administration has taken concrete steps to prevent such an outcome, including the release of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains from federal reserves, emergency nutrition support in high-risk states, and the activation of the Presidential Food Security Council.”
On the depreciation of the naira, the Presidency dismissed Daily Trust’s description of the currency as “worthless” as “false and misleading.” Dare pointed to the naira’s rebound from a low of N1,800/$1 in March 2024 to around N1,525/$1 by August 2025, attributing the recovery to “increased oil receipts, remittance inflows, and foreign exchange reforms.” He stated, “The naira has not collapsed—it was corrected and is now strengthening. To suggest otherwise is to ignore verifiable data from the Central Bank.”
The statement also countered claims that the administration was ignoring public outcry over taxation, noting that the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Tax Reform Committee were already working on recommendations such as VAT suspension on food and reduced levies for small businesses.
“Starting January 2026, over 60 overlapping taxes will be streamlined, nuisance taxes eliminated, and exemptions introduced for essential goods,” Dare said. “The President is also collaborating with state governors to implement immediate VAT waivers and food market stabilisation measures.”
Regarding social intervention programmes, the Presidency rejected the assertion that the school feeding initiative had “fizzled out,” revealing that it currently 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 also highlighted the expansion of the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme, which has disbursed N75,000 each to three million households, alongside tuition loans for 396,000 students and grants for 250,000 small businesses.
On food inflation, the Presidency acknowledged global pressures but stressed that Nigeria was “actively mitigating the shock” through measures like the N200 billion dry-season farming investment and the newly launched National Commodity Board. “The FAO’s June 2025 report shows food prices remain 22% above 2019 levels worldwide,” Dare noted. “This is not a uniquely Nigerian problem, but unlike many nations, we are implementing targeted solutions.”
The statement concluded with a call for unity, urging media outlets to avoid “alarmist narratives” that undermine public confidence. “Nigeria is healing,” Dare insisted. “Hope lies in the stabilising naira, millions supported by social schemes, and a government treating poverty as a solvable problem—not a slogan.”
He referenced the newly approved Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, which targets grassroots economic growth across all 8,809 wards, as proof of the administration’s commitment to inclusive development.
While reaffirming the government’s openness to criticism, the Presidency warned against “misrepresentation and selective reporting.” Dare said, “We do not ask for silence in the face of hardship, only fairness and a shared commitment to rebuilding Nigeria—not just exaggerating its pain.”
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