The presidency yesterday, insisted that Nigeria is moving in the right direction under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
This assertion came on the heels of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s claim that the country is being ravaged by hunger and that President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms were not working.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency maintained that the current administration is proud of the progress made so far noting that many of the challenges they are working to resolve were created during the years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), when Atiku served as Vice President.
Read full statement…
“RESPONSE TO A STATEMENT ISSUED BY FORMER VICE PRESIDENT ATIKU ABUBAKAR ON SEPTEMBER 15
Talk is cheap. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his handlers are clearly out of touch with the positive developments currently unfolding in our country.
Their claim that hunger is ravaging Nigeria, and their comparison of our situation to the unrest in France before the 1789 Revolution or the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, is grossly misleading.
Their latest statement demonstrates a disconnect from the authentic Nigerian reality, as recent data tells a different story. Just today, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released its figures for August, showing that headline inflation has declined for the fifth consecutive month. Over the weekend, the NBS also reported a record trade surplus, with the contribution of non-oil exports to our trade balance now nearly matching that of crude oil at a ratio of 48:52 per cent.
Our foreign exchange reserves are on the rise, now approaching $42 billion. When President Tinubu assumed office, reserves stood at $32 billion, much of it encumbered. This administration has since cleared over $7 billion in arrears, including $800 million owed to airlines.
Under President Tinubu, Nigeria is recording unprecedented revenues. States are now able to pay salaries and gratuities promptly and still have surplus funds for capital and social projects—an achievement not previously witnessed at this scale.
Nigeria is moving in the right direction. In contrast, Atiku and his party remain stuck in the past, fixated on doomsday scenarios and revolutionary rhetoric. Ironically, 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.
After just two years and five months in office, we are proud of the progress being made under President Tinubu’s leadership. Atiku and his allies may choose to ignore these gains, but Nigerians can see and feel the positive changes taking place across the nation.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy
September 15, 2025″
