The Presidency has accused sections of the Nigerian media of promoting narratives advanced by opposition parties about the state of the economy, insisting that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has made significant progress since taking office in 2023.
Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, made the remarks in a post on his official X account on Friday, October 16, 2026.
Onanuga argued that some television presenters and commentators had continued to portray the economy negatively despite what he described as improvements in key economic indicators.
He particularly criticised media discussions questioning official data showing a slowdown in inflation, urging broadcasters to assess developments in markets and reconsider claims that economic conditions had not improved.
“TV anchors keep pushing the opposition’s narrative that nothing has changed, positively, indeed, massively, since 2023,” Onanuga wrote.
He added that some commentators had become increasingly dismissive of the government’s economic performance and were questioning data published by the National Bureau of Statistics.
The presidential spokesman also claimed that prices of staple foods, including rice, had fallen significantly in some markets.
In a separate assessment of the country’s financial position, Onanuga said Nigeria’s external reserves had risen towards $60 billion and that foreign direct investment was increasing.
He maintained that the Tinubu administration had established a foundation for economic recovery and expressed confidence that its policies could deliver broader prosperity.
“Tinubu has laid a solid foundation for the economy and is poised to take the nation to a higher level of shared prosperity,” he said.
The comments form part of the continuing political debate over the impact of the administration’s economic reforms, including changes to the foreign exchange system and the removal of petrol subsidies.
While government officials have pointed to improvements in selected economic indicators, many households and businesses continue to assess the economy through the cost of food, transport, electricity and other essential goods and services.
Claims about falling food prices, rising reserves and investment flows require assessment against independently verifiable data and conditions across different markets.
The debate also raises questions about the relationship between government communication, media scrutiny and public confidence in official economic statistics.
As political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, the economic record of the Tinubu administration is likely to remain a central issue in exchanges between the government and opposition figures.