NIGERIA: Presidency Counters Atiku, Says Nigeria Recording Positive Economic Gains Under Tinubu

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

The Presidency has dismissed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s recent comments on the state of the nation, describing them as misleading and disconnected from Nigeria’s current economic realities.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, in a statement on Monday, said Atiku’s claims that hunger was ravaging the country and his comparison of Nigeria’s situation to France before the 1789 Revolution and Russia before the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution were inaccurate.

“Talk is cheap. Atiku and his handlers are clearly out of touch with the positive developments currently unfolding in our country,” Onanuga said.

He cited new figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showing that headline inflation declined for the fifth consecutive month in August.

He also highlighted a record trade surplus, with non-oil exports now contributing nearly as much to the trade balance as crude oil, at a ratio of 48 to 52 per cent.

Onanuga further stated that Nigeria’s foreign reserves had risen to almost \$42 billion, up from \$32 billion when President Tinubu assumed office, despite settling arrears of over \$7 billion, including \$800 million owed to international airlines.

According to him, under Tinubu’s administration, states are recording unprecedented revenues, enabling them to pay salaries and gratuities promptly while still embarking on capital and social projects.

“Many of the challenges we face today stem from the economic mismanagement during the PDP years, when Atiku was Vice President. President Tinubu and his team are working relentlessly to correct those errors with bold reforms,” he added.

The presidential aide stressed that after two years and five months in office, Tinubu’s government has laid a foundation for sustained economic recovery and growth.

He urged Nigerians to ignore “doomsday rhetoric” from opposition figures, insisting that “Nigeria is moving in the right direction.”