₦airaland Forum

"Nigerians Have Been Hungry Since 1960, You Can't Judge Us By That" - Tinubu Presidency To Critics:

On Monday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, expressed concern over the level of hunger among Nigerians. Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication has claimed that the ongoing hardship is not unique to the present administration and should not be used as a "political weapon" against the government.

Bwala was reacting to comments by Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice-President, during his appearance on TVC, adding that Nigerians had been hungry since independence in 1960.

"The most fundamental thing is the issue he (Atiku) has raised. Does he have a valid point? He does not because the data suggests otherwise,” Bwala said.

"What do you expect them to do other than to try their best to see how they can demarcate the government in order to create the buzz around what they do,” he added. “He said we are creating hunger. Is he blinded or doesn’t he hear the fact of the progress we’ve made? For example, we have increased foreign reserves.

“Our net export has increased. We have less dependency on imports. We have created a structure that has stabilised the economy.

“He won’t talk about that. He won’t talk about the Caesarean Session we provided in all the hospitals in Nigeria — how the people don’t have to suffer.

“He doesn’t talk about that. He doesn’t talk about the NELFUND we have provided. He should be able to speak and say whether it’s working or not.”

Bwala accused opposition figures of shifting narratives after being proved wrong on economic policy. “They started first by saying our economic model is wrong. Now, after two years, we’ve been able to prove them otherwise. They are dog whistling for civil unrest,” he said.

"This rhetoric of Nigerians are hungry; we have to be able to grow out of it. Nigerians were hungry in 1960, hungry in 1980, hungry in 1990, hungry in 1999. It was between 1999 to 2003 that somebody sang ‘Nigeria Jaga Jaga’. You mean he sang in abstract?” Bwala asked.

“There has never been a time in which there is no one problem or the other as far as the Nigerian people is concerned. But judge the metrics. “Judge us not by the rhetoric of Nigerians are hungry. Judge us by the dynamics of what we’re putting in place and whether it’s working.”

On Monday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, expressed concern over the level of hunger among Nigerians.

In statement issued by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, the former Vice President, said the hardship in the country was pushing the poor to the brink, with no clear evidence that the government had solutions.

“At this time, there are no manifest signs that this government is capable of addressing the grim issue of severe hunger staring the poor in the face after two years in power,” Atiku had said.

-"We have increased foreign reserves.
-" Our net export has increased. We have less dependency on imports."
-" We have created a structure that has stabilised the economy... "

“Judge us not by the rhetoric of Nigerians are hungry. Judge us by the dynamics of what we’re putting in place and whether it’s working.”

christistruth01:
Nigerians were well fed in 1960 just look at the photos and films of Nigerians then

Kukutente23:
Yeah but they have not been this hungry since 1960
Can you imagine doctors abandoning cars at home to jump after buses?
This is a disaster

floss:
Nigeria problem is the British and the west…any country that their politicians aspiring for a political position must visit any western country to seek approval using debate as a front will never be a sovereign country…

Have you see Russia, china visit any western country seeking approval ?

Nigeria problem will go away any day Nigeria drive Britain away from Nigeria and Macron of France away also

Racoon:
Yes! Even the Holy Scriptures said; "The poor will never cease from the land" as all fingers including economic opportunities are not equal. However, these band of sensational failures have retrograde amnesia that the indices have worsened under their watch.

Every indices of economic, humanitarian, and global development have taken an abysmal nosedive under their watch due to their lack of foresight. However, they are always justify failure with overt glorification of failure and self worship while living far from reality cocooned in grandiosity and hallucinatory delusion.

Never seen the worst set of liars and propagandists ever as this band. So shameless and remorseless. It is only God that will surely punish all these people for always daring to insult the intelligence and sensibility of the battered, beleaguered and distressed citizens of this nation that are suffering from the gross cluelessness, incompetency and ineptitude of the successive APC governments.

Olamideayomide:
Imagine, can you see what's coming from the government voted for by the citizen?

So because Nigerians has been complaining of hunger since 1960, so you want to use that as weapon fashion on them it's unfair how this APC government is insulting our intelligence and make mockery of the citizens complaints.

Until we are wise in this country, this useless leaders won't take us for granted

kcprince:
It is clear this country is beyond what they can govern. What surprises me is how everybody is keeping quiet and giving them the boldness to make such utterances . If this statement was made in a sane country people would take to the street

Racoon:
https://saharareporters.com/2025/09/17/tinubu-presidency-critics-nigerians-have-been-hungry-1960-you-cant-judge-us nlfpmod

Richtaiwo:
So how hungry are you now?

You seem to have first hand experience of serious and biting hunger.

anonimi:
The eyesore on Bourdillon Road
2nd January 2025

Beyond his neighbours, there is something about the sight of people hanging around a president’s residence that does not speak well of his leadership capabilities. Maybe no one has nudged him to see it, but the impression that spectacle on Bourdillon Road generates is that Tinubu enjoys the sight of suffering humans and thrives in—and through— their poverty.

If all these years, impoverished people hang around you and you remain comfortable enough to keep them just so they can be handed tokens of your large heart, then it means you have a pro-poverty mindset. Such a frame of mind is oriented toward cultivating poverty rather than stimulating abundance.

That is why he could unproblematically relate the story of his “friend” who went from using five Rolls Royce to a far-less valued car and not consider the import of the nonsense he was saying. That spurious account was an indication that this is a man for whom poverty—of others, not himself—is an ideal.

https://punchng.com/the-eyesore-on-bourdillon-road/

Richtaiwo:
So how hungry are you now?

You seem to have first hand experience of serious and biting hunger.