Experts counter presidency spokesman's hunger denial with FAO, WFP data showing 17% food inflation

Engr. Abdulauf Adamu of Jigawa State Polytechnic and political analyst Kabiru Ojo have countered presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga's dismissal of widespread hunger reports in Nigeria, presenting evidence from FAO, WFP, and NBS showing severe food insecurity. Onanuga claimed he doesn't see hunger based on conversations with his personal employees, but experts called this anecdotal and empirically indefensible for a nation of over 220 million.

Adamu cited NBS data showing food inflation at 16.96% year-on-year in May 2026, driven by soaring prices of staples: onions, maize, yam, cassava, tomatoes, pepper, wheat and plantain. He noted a crate of eggs now costs ₦6,000-₦8,500 and a bag of rice ₦70,000-₦100,000—roughly equal to or above the national minimum wage. Cooking gas prices jumped 64% in two months, making a 12.5kg cylinder refill cost ₦20,000-₦25,250, forcing households to buy just 2-3kg at a time. Petrol sells for ₦1,232/litre, diesel ₦1,200-₦1,700/litre, and kerosene up to ₦2,976/litre in some areas.

Ojo added that many families now eat only two meals daily without meat or fish, down from three meals with protein previously. He pointed to rising numbers begging for food in streets and mosques as evidence of worsening hardship. Both experts stressed that infrastructure development cannot substitute for meals, urging officials to visit communities before dismissing hunger reports. Adamu noted foreign governments like Saudi Arabia (through embassy food aid) recognize Nigeria's food crisis that Onanuga denies.

This matters because it reveals a critical disconnect between government officials and citizens' lived economic reality amid inflation that's eroding purchasing power. With millions forced to choose which basic necessities to sacrifice, acknowledging the crisis is the first step toward effective policy responses rather than denial that widens the governance gap.

Will you trust official denials of hunger when your own experience of rising food and fuel costs suggests otherwise, or will you seek community-based evidence to form your view of Nigeria's economic situation?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/06/29/nigerias-hunger-crisis-real-not-politics-adamu-ojo-tell-onanuga/