Nigeria’s worsening hunger crisis is real and supported by evidence, not political rhetoric, according to Engr. Abdulauf Adamu, Director of Consultancy Services for Information and Communication Technology at Jigawa State Polytechnic, Kazaure, and political analyst Kabiru Ojo, who both faulted comments by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga dismissing widespread reports of hardship.
Recall that while speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday, Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, defended the administration’s economic reforms and dismissed claims of widespread hunger across the country.
He said, “We have been pigeon-holed into certain assumptions and conclusions. It’s like in the early days of this government. Somebody did a voice-over saying that we are hungry. Since then, people have been saying that.
“I am a Nigerian; I have people working for me privately. I don’t see the level of hunger people are talking about because I see them (workers) and I keep asking them questions. How are things? How are they adjusting? What are the problems?”
Reacting to the remarks, Adamu described Onanuga’s assessment as flawed and lacking empirical basis, arguing that national realities cannot be measured through personal observations.
“This is one of the most important governance conversations in Nigeria right now, and it deserves a frank, evidence-based response,” he said.
According to Adamu, using conversations with a few employees to judge the condition of more than 220 million Nigerians is deeply inadequate.
“Onanuga’s central argument was that he speaks to people who work for him privately and does not see the hunger Nigerians talk about. In a country of over 220 million people, drawing national conclusions from conversations with a handful of personal employees is not analysis, it is anecdote.”
He further noted that workers may be unwilling to openly contradict their employer.
“His employees may simply be telling him what he wants to hear, knowing their jobs depend on his goodwill. A presidential spokesperson’s personal comfort is not a rebuttal to the World Food Programme, WFP.”
Adamu maintained that the true state of hunger in Nigeria is reflected in economic data and independent reports.
He cited findings from the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Food Programme, which have identified Nigeria among countries facing worsening food insecurity, with millions at risk of severe hunger.
He also referenced figures attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics, noting that food inflation stood at 16.96 percent year on year in May 2026, driven by rising prices of onions, maize, yam, cassava, tomatoes, pepper, wheat and plantain.
According to him, a crate of eggs that sold for far less a few years ago now costs between ₦6,000 and ₦8,500, while a bag of rice sells for between ₦70,000 and ₦100,000, placing basic food items beyond the reach of many households.
“Millions of Nigerians are no longer making choices aimed at improving their lives; they are simply deciding which basic necessities to sacrifice,” he said.
Adamu added that reports from markets, social media and civil society groups all reflect the same hardship.
“Middle-class households have been pushed down, the working poor have been pushed to the edge, and the truly poor are going without meals. This is not political opposition rhetoric, it is lived experience.”
On rising utility costs, Adamu explained that soaring cooking gas, electricity and fuel prices have further deepened hardship.
He said LPG prices rose from about ₦1,100 per kilogram in April to nearly ₦2,000 per kilogram in June 2026, representing a major increase within two months.
As a result, refilling a 12.5kg gas cylinder now costs between ₦20,000 and ₦25,250, forcing many households to buy only small quantities at a time.
“Many families now buy gas two or three kilograms at a time just to manage monthly budgets. Small business owners, restaurants and food vendors cannot absorb these costs.”
He also noted that petrol now sells at about ₦1,232 per litre, diesel ranges between ₦1,200 and ₦1,700 per litre, while kerosene has climbed to as high as ₦2,976 per litre in some areas.
Describing the impact, Adamu said, “It is a perfect storm of deprivation hitting households from every direction at once.”
He also cautioned public officials against using infrastructure projects to downplay citizens’ suffering.
“Roads are not meals. Infrastructure is a legitimate achievement, and no one denies that a new concrete road is welcome. But a family that cannot afford dinner does not celebrate their commute. Nigerians cannot eat roads. They cannot feed their children on official optimism or government public relations narratives while food prices soar beyond the reach of ordinary households.”
Adamu further pointed to recent food aid interventions from the Saudi Arabian Embassy as evidence of the seriousness of the crisis.
“Foreign governments can see the hunger that Nigeria’s own spokesman cannot. That is not a defence of the administration’s record; it is a condemnation of the information bubble those officials live in.”
He urged government officials to acknowledge the hardship Nigerians face rather than dismissing it.
“A sensible government does not measure the effects of its policies by looking at people within its immediate circle or driving through paved roads. The question is no longer whether Nigerians are suffering; Nigerians already know they are. The question is whether this government is prepared to acknowledge the consequences of its policies.
“Acknowledgment is not weakness; it is the prerequisite for effective governance. Officials who dismiss the suffering only ensure that bad policies go uncorrected, and that the gap between the government and the governed grows wider and more dangerous.”
Political analyst Kabiru Ojo also urged government officials to leave their offices and engage directly with ordinary citizens before dismissing reports of hunger.
According to him, life inside Aso Rock does not reflect the reality on Nigerian streets.
“Actually, Bayo Onanuga will say he will not see the poverty Nigerians are complaining about because he and his family are enjoying Nigeria’s money from Aso Rock.
“But in reality, Nigerians are really suffering.”
Ojo blamed the hardship on persistent inflation and weakening purchasing power.
“The suffering is due to inflation while the means of getting money is diminishing and the prices of commodities are increasing. House rent is increasing, education is increasing and many other things are becoming more expensive.”
He said many families have been forced to make painful decisions due to rising costs.
“So many households have withdrawn their children from school. Some have moved their children from expensive schools to cheaper ones, while others have reduced the number of children they can afford to send to school. This shows that Nigerians are really suffering under the present administration.”
Ojo also cited the growing number of people begging for food in public spaces as evidence of worsening poverty.
“When you go out on the streets before you get to your house or workplace, you see countless people begging for food or asking for sadaka (alms) so they can eat. When you go to the mosque, you see people crying that they are sick, they cannot feed themselves or their families and asking for whatever assistance people can give them.
“These are signs that people are really suffering.”
He advised Onanuga to personally visit communities before making conclusions about the economic reality.
“Onanuga needs to go out and move around the streets before concluding that people are not hungry. He should not remain in Aso Rock and think everybody is living well and enjoying life like those in Aso Rock.”
Ojo acknowledged that compared with last year, there has been slight relief due to the new minimum wage and increased money circulation, but said hardship remains severe.
“If you compare it with the previous administration, I will tell you poverty has not reduced; it has deteriorated.
“But if you compare last year with this year, there is a bit of relief.”
“When they implemented the minimum wage, it made money flow a little. The relief is there, but it is not significant.”
He also noted that food importation helped reduce the prices of some agricultural products, though he warned it could hurt local farming.
“The government also imported some food materials. That is why the prices of some farm produce reduced. But while doing that, it is indirectly killing the agricultural system in the country, even though it brought temporary relief in terms of food.”
Reflecting on conditions last year, Ojo recalled seeing many people in northern Nigeria survive on tafasa, a wild leafy plant.
“As of last year, I saw a lot of people eating tafasa (sickle pod). I was surprised because I thought it was just a delicious leaf. I saw people going into the bush to gather it in large quantities.
“But this year, I don’t see people gathering it the way they did last year. To me, that shows there is a slight reduction in poverty compared to last year, although the hardship is still there.”
He concluded by describing how deeply hardship has affected average households.
“An average person in my community can now manage two meals a day without meat or fish. Before, those same people ate three meals a day with meat or fish. Now they eat only two meals, and even those meals have no meat or fish.
“My message to those in government who say hunger is being exaggerated is simple: they should come to the streets and carry out a proper survey.
“When they come to the streets and see the large number of people asking for help, they will realise that the money they carry will not even be enough to meet the needs of those begging.
“Once they do that, they will know that people are really suffering. Let them come to the streets, make a survey and they will see the hardship in our communities for themselves.”
