Nigeria Not on Brink of Collapse, Presidency Reacts to Hunger Crisis Report

• The presidency has dismissed claims that Nigeria is on the brink of collapse and called recent hunger figures exaggerated and misleading
• Presidential aide Sunday Dare said the 33 million hunger risk figure is only a projection from the Cadre Harmonisé report, not a confirmed crisis.
• He pointed to grain releases, agricultural programmes, and cash transfers as proof the government is actively addressing economic challenges

The presidency has dismissed suggestions that Nigeria is edging towards collapse and asserted that recent claims of widespread hunger and economic breakdown are exaggerated.

In a statement on Thursday, Sunday Dare, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and public communications, faulted a recent editorial titled “Nigeria is Collapsing under Tinubu’s Watch.”

The presidential aide accused the report of misrepresenting the country’s realities and fuelling unnecessary public anxiety.

Tinubu's aide dismisses hunger reports

Dare said while the nation faces undeniable economic challenges, the picture painted by some reports does not reflect the actual situation.

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He clarified that the widely circulated figure of 33 million Nigerians allegedly at risk of hunger is a projection from the Cadre Harmonisé report, not a confirmed statistic.

According to him, such projections are designed for policy planning and should not be misconstrued as an immediate crisis.

He added that the government has been implementing targeted interventions to tackle food and economic pressures.

The statement read:

"Misrepresentations, selective use of projections, and alarmist narratives do not serve the public good; they distract from the genuine progress underway nationwide.

To suggest, as Daily Trust did in its biased editorial, that “Nigerians are hungry” without recognising the government’s ongoing interventions perpetuates despair instead of empowering citizens with the truth.

Dare lists Tinubu's efforts to ease situation

The presidential aide listed measures including the release of grains from national reserves, ongoing support for farmers, expansion of agricultural schemes, and cash transfer programmes aimed at cushioning hardship for vulnerable households.

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On economic recovery, Dare pointed to a recent improvement in the naira’s exchange rate against the dollar and noted ongoing tax reforms, alongside social investment initiatives that are expected to yield stronger results by 2026.

He said the administration welcomes constructive criticism but stressed that it must be based on verifiable facts rather than alarmist rhetoric.

Dare detailed:

"Over 42,000 metric tons of grains were released from federal strategic reserves; 117,000 metric tons were under additional procurement; the President activated the Food Security Council; emergency nutrition support was scaled up in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Katsina, Sokoto, and Bauchi States.

Malnutrition is a serious national concern, but let’s not localise it as a “Northern Nigeria” crisis. Since 2020, COVID has disrupted the global food system, worsened the Russia-Ukraine war, and is now aggravated by conflict in the Middle East.

According to the World Bank’s April 2025 Food Security Update, over 1.4 billion people worldwide are under food stress, a problem that is not unique to Nigeria."

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Ex-Buhari minister declares war on Tinubu

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the former minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, had declared that the 2027 general elections would not just be another electoral cycle but a full-blown confrontation between the Nigerian people and the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Presidency reacts Speaking during a recent interview on News Central, Dalung voiced strong dissatisfaction with the state of the nation, blaming the Tinubu-led government for deepening the hardship faced by ordinary citizens.

Source: Legit.ng