The Controversial Response to Akinwumi Adesina's Critique
Economy: Don't Disregard Adesina, Sani Warns The Presidency - A Wise Warning Regarding Adesina's Economic Influence
In a surprising turn of events, a top member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Sani, has spoken out against the Presidency's reaction to African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Akinwumi Adesina's critique of the current administration's economic policies.
As reported by our website, Adesina, at a recent event, highlighted the decline in the quality of life for Nigerians, stating that they are worse off now than they were in 1960. In response, President Bola Tinubu's spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed Adesina's claims as incorrect.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Sani strongly condemned the Presidency's dismissal of Adesina's economic analysis. He pointed out that the government's poor policies have pushed millions of Nigerians into poverty.
Nigeria, once full of hope and promise after gaining independence, now grapples with poverty, inflation, and widespread public dissatisfaction. According to a recent World Bank report, over 56% of Nigerians, around 129 million people, live below the national poverty line – a significant increase from 40.1% in 2018. Urban poverty has doubled, inflation exceeds 30%, and despite well-intentioned structural reforms, they have only intensified hardships[3].
Adesina's comments, made with clarity and empirical depth, compared today's economic challenges with those of the 1960s. He noted that real GDP per capita had plummeted from $1,847 at independence to just $824 today – a distressing sign of Nigeria's regression despite its abundant resources. He attributed this decline to decades of weak institutions, policy missteps, and chronic underinvestment in essential public goods[4].
Sani argued that Adesina's analysis was not political but a data-driven assessment grounded in the realities faced by millions of Nigerians. His comments strongly resonated with the World Bank's statistics, which indicate that rural poverty now exceeds 75%. Projections suggest that Nigeria, despite being one of the world's resource-rich nations, faces one of the steepest uphill battles against poverty[3].
Sani criticized Onanuga's rebuttal, stating that it relied on outdated or inconsistent data and ignored the broader truth – that Nigeria's quality of life, institutional coherence, and social infrastructure were demonstrably stronger in the post-independence era than they are today. Sani emphasized that Adesina's call for change was out of patriotism and should not be ignored. He stressed the need for the government to prioritize policies that would lift citizens out of poverty[4].
Sani believes that Adesina's leadership and innovative ideas have earned him the trust of African and global leaders. He urges the Presidency to take Adesina's well-intentioned push for change seriously, as it has the potential to set Nigeria on a faster pace of economic growth and prosperity[4].
You may like * "*You Have Poor Recollection Of History* - Tinubu's Aide Tells Adesina" * "Are Your Lives Better Today? Utomi Asks Nigerians" * "Adesina: Tinubu, Atiku's Aides 'Fight' Over Nigeria's Economic Outlook Compared To 1960" * "You Spoke Like Peter Obi - Presidency Tells Adesina" * "'Stop Gaslighting Nigerians' - Atiku's Aide Hits Presidency For Dismissing Adesina's Claim On GDP Growth" * "Not Correct' - Presidency Tackles AfDB President For Comparing 2025 To 1960"
Background Information:
The Renewed Hope Nigeria First Policy: - Prioritizes Nigerian goods and services in public procurement to strengthen local industries - Reduces dependence on foreign imports and creates a focus on domestic sectors - Provides targeted funding for small-scale entrepreneurs and MSMEs ($50 billion allocated)
Key Elements of the Policy: - Empowering Local Industries - Import Substitution - MSME Support
- The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member Umar Sani criticized the Presidency's rebuttal of African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Akinwumi Adesina's economic analysis, arguing that the government's dismissal of Adesina's comments ignores the reality faced by millions of Nigerians.
- Contrasting the poverty levels of 1960 and today, Adesina pointed out that real GDP per capita had plummeted from $1,847 at independence to just $824 today, attributing this decline to decades of weak institutions, policy missteps, and chronic underinvestment in essential public goods.
- Nigerians, currently grappling with poverty, inflation, and widespread public dissatisfaction, now live below the national poverty line in numbers greater than 56%, according to a World Bank report.
- Despite the Presidency's argument that Adesina's analysis was politically motivated, Sani claimed that Adesina's comments were data-driven and expressed a patriotic call for change.
- The PDP member strongly urged the Presidency to prioritize policies that would lift citizens out of poverty instead of focusing on policy-and-legislation related to political confrontation in the general news, such as the Renewed Hope Nigeria First Policy aimed at empowering local industries.
- Sani also highlighted that Adesina's leadership and innovative ideas have earned him the trust of African and global leaders, suggesting that the Presidency should take Adesina's well-intentioned push for change seriously.
- In response to Adesina's critique, Tinubu's aide, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the AfDB president's claims as incorrect, with some political news outlets reporting a heated exchange between Adesina and Onanuga over Nigeria's economic outlook.
