Amid rising economic concerns and public discourse questioning the stability of the nation, the Nigerian Presidency has come forward to dispel growing fears about a potential collapse of the country, describing such concerns as deeply exaggerated and divorced from actual conditions on the ground.
The response came in light of a recent editorial that painted a grim picture of Nigeria under the current administration, declaring the nation to be crumbling under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
Reacting to the claims, Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, released a statement on Thursday challenging the accuracy and tone of such assessments. He urged Nigerians to look beyond the alarm and focus on the real, though difficult, work of economic recovery being undertaken.
According to Dare, the use of alarming statistics to stir panic is misleading and fails to acknowledge that some figures are based on predictions, not present realities.
“The claim that 33 million Nigerians are at risk of hunger is a projection, not a confirmed reality,” he stated, referring to the Cadre Harmonisé — a regional early warning tool that forecasts potential food crises across West Africa.
He added that constructive criticism is welcome, but “it must be rooted in truth — not fear-mongering,” insisting that pessimism must not be mistaken for patriotism.
Dare further criticized what he called the “alarmist tone” of the editorial, arguing that it ignored the many steps the federal government has taken to mitigate economic hardship and support citizens amid rising costs of living.
He highlighted several initiatives rolled out by the Tinubu-led government, including the release of grains and other food items from strategic national reserves, agricultural productivity schemes, and direct cash transfer programs aimed at vulnerable households.
On monetary matters, the Special Adviser noted that the foreign exchange market has seen signs of stability, with improvements in the naira-dollar exchange rate suggesting that recent reforms are beginning to bear fruit. He also referenced upcoming tax and social welfare reforms which are expected to deliver wider benefits by 2026.
“The government is not indifferent to the struggles of Nigerians,” Dare said. “It is acting, not merely reacting, to the difficulties we face as a nation.”
In closing, he called on Nigerians to resist narratives that provoke fear and instead engage critically with the facts, maintaining that the nation’s future rests not on panic, but on perseverance.