Declaring Disagreement: Atiku Abubakar Aide Slams Presidency Over Adesina's Assertion on Nigeria's Economic Deterioration
"Atiku Abubakar's Advisor Criticizes Presidency for Disregarding Adesina's Assertions on GDP Expansion - 'Cease Misdirecting Nigerians'"
Controversy ensues following former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar's communication advisor, Paul Ibe, criticizing the presidency for dismissing outgoing African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Akinwumi Adesina's assertion that present-day Nigerians face a more challenging economic situation than those at Independence in 1960.
According to our sources, Adesina contended Nigeria's GDP per capita slid from $1,847 in 1960 to $824 in 2024, unveiling a downward spiral in living standards[1][2][5]. However, Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, rebutted these assertions, reckoning the presented facts to be untrue and citing historical data depicting a contrasting narrative[2][3].
Onanuga reported that Nigeria's GDP surged over the decades, rising from $12.55 billion in 1970 to $27.7 billion in 1975, $64.2 billion in 1980, and $164 billion in 1981. He acknowledged a remarkable rise in the 1970s, mainly due to the oil boom[3].
Countering Onanuga, Ibe upheld Adesina's conviction, emphasizing the 133 million Nigerians living below the poverty line as evidence of their worsened circumstances[4]. He charged the presidency to halt the gaslighting tactics, asserting that Adesina's remark the masses feel resonates with (tangible data)[4].
In a series of tweets, Ibe eloquently stated, "Dr. @akin_adesina was right. Nigeria is worse off today than in 1960-just ask the 133 million Nigerians living in poverty." He underscored the need for realistic analyses using PPP-adjusted figures, arguing that mere GDP and telecom statistics neglect the country's escalating inequality, poverty, and institutional collapse[4].
Additional Insights:
- Akinwumi Adesina's broader emphasized the need for structural reforms in Nigeria's economy to combat issues like poor fiscal discipline, inconsistent policies, weak governance, and excessive reliance on oil[1][5].
- The Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) empathized with Adesina's overarching message, chastising the Presidency for denying Nigeria's worsening poverty crisis[3].
- Despite debates over Adesina's exact GDP per capita figures in 1960, the general trend of economic challenges in Nigeria is widely acknowledged[4].
- The declarations from Atiku Abubakar's aide, Paul Ibe, have brought a storm in Naija's political landscape, as he criticized the presidency for dismissing Akinwumi Adesina's assertion about the current economic struggles in Nigeria compared to Independence in 1960.
- Tinubu, a prominent Nigerian political figure, might need to weigh in on the policy-and-legislation aspects of this general-news issue, considering Adesina's claims of Nigeria's GDP per capita dropping from $1,847 in 1960 to $824 in 2024, and the increasing poverty rate that affects 133 million Nigerians.
- The naira's exchange rate fluctuations and the poverty situation in Nigeria have been topical issues, especially when Bayo Onanuga, Presidential spokesperson, contested Adesina's assertions by highlighting the growth in Nigeria's GDP from 1970 to 1981, while ignoring the present-day challenges the country is facing.
- As the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meets to discuss regional economic policies, it would be pertinent for them to consider Adesina's call for structural reforms in Nigeria's economy, addressing issues like poor fiscal discipline, inconsistent policies, weak governance, and excessive reliance on oil, to help boost the general economy of Nigeria and lead to a better future for her people.
