On Monday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar spoke out about the rising hunger levels among Nigerians. In response, Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on policy communication, argued that hunger is not unique to the current administration and should not be used as a political tool against the government.

Bwala was responding to Atiku’s remarks on TVC, stressing that Nigerians have experienced hunger since the country gained independence in 1960.

“The main question is whether Atiku’s concern is valid. It isn’t, because the data shows otherwise,” Bwala said.

He added, “What do you expect opposition figures to do other than try to criticize the government to gain attention? He claims we are creating hunger. But doesn’t he see the progress we’ve made? Our foreign reserves have increased.”

Bwala continued, “Our net exports are up, we rely less on imports, and we have built systems that help stabilize the economy. Atiku doesn’t mention these achievements, like the Caesarean services in hospitals or the NELFUND initiatives. He should evaluate whether these programs are helping.”

He accused opposition leaders of changing their narratives after being proven wrong about economic policies. “They first claimed our economic model was failing. But after two years, we’ve shown that it works. Now, they are trying to stir unrest.”

Bwala emphasized that hunger is not new in Nigeria. “People were hungry in 1960, 1980, 1990, and even in 1999. There has always been some challenge. Instead of saying ‘Nigerians are hungry,’ judge us by the policies we implement and whether they are effective,” he said.

Earlier on Monday, Atiku Abubakar warned that hunger is pushing the poor to the edge, and there is little evidence that the current government has a plan to fix it. According to his media adviser, Paul Ibe, “There are no clear signs that this government can handle the serious hunger problem after two years in office.”