…Says Millions Of Nigerians Cannot Eat Roads, Propaganda Or Official Denials
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed profound shock and disappointment over the recent remarks by the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, claiming that he does not see the level of hunger Nigerians are complaining about.
HURIWA describes the statement as one of the most disturbing examples of official detachment from the daily realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.
In a signed statement by the National Coordinator of the Group, Emmanuel Onwubiko and made available to VDCInsights, HURIWA said “The assertion is not supported by empirical evidence, scientific data or credible national and international assessments. Rather, it appears to be based on personal impressions that cannot substitute for verifiable facts.”
Onwubiko stated “For a senior presidential spokesman to dismiss widespread complaints of hunger because he observed people engaging in commercial activities or because he travelled on newly constructed roads is both logically flawed and insensitive to the suffering of millions of citizens struggling to survive the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades.”
He argued Nigerians cannot eat roads,they cannot feed their families with official optimism,they cannot survive on government public relations narratives while food prices continue to soar beyond the reach of ordinary households.
HURIWA pointed out “Mr. Onanuga’s comments stand in direct contradiction to the findings of respected international agencies. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) recently classified Nigeria among 13 global hunger hotspots where acute food insecurity is projected to worsen significantly between June and November 2026”.
The Group stressed “Even more alarming is the WFP’s warning that approximately 34.8 million Nigerians could face crisis-level or worse food insecurity between July and September 2026. The same report highlights the plight of over 3.6 million internally displaced persons across the North-east, North-west and North-central regions.”
These are not opposition figures speaking.
These are not social media commentators.
These are globally respected humanitarian institutions whose assessments are based on rigorous field research, data collection and internationally recognised methodologies.
HURIWA therefore finds it deeply troubling that a senior government official would seek to downplay a crisis that international organisations, development partners, humanitarian agencies and millions of affected Nigerians acknowledge as real and worsening.
The association challenges Mr. Onanuga to leave the comfort of official residences, convoys and carefully managed environments and undertake a genuine fact-finding tour across Nigeria.
Let him travel through communities in Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Niger, Plateau, Benue and Borno States.
Let him engage market women whose capital has been wiped out by inflation.
Let him speak with pensioners choosing between food and medication.
Let him meet displaced families living in camps.
Let him interact with unemployed youths, struggling civil servants, transport workers, artisans and farmers battling insecurity and rising production costs.
Let him visit hospitals where malnutrition cases are increasing and communities where families routinely skip meals because they cannot afford basic food items.
Only then can he begin to appreciate the depth of the economic distress facing millions of Nigerians.
HURIWA is not suggesting that government has done nothing. We acknowledge ongoing infrastructure projects and social intervention initiatives. However, isolated development projects cannot be used to invalidate overwhelming evidence pointing to widespread hardship and food insecurity.
The true measure of economic success is not the number of roads commissioned but whether citizens can afford three meals a day, whether parents can provide for their children, whether workers earn enough to live with dignity and whether vulnerable populations are protected from hunger and deprivation.
A government that wishes to solve a problem must first acknowledge its existence.
Denying or minimising the suffering of citizens does not make that suffering disappear.
The association therefore urges the Presidency to embrace facts over public relations, evidence over assumptions and empathy over dismissiveness. Nigeria’s hunger crisis requires urgent, honest and coordinated action, not rhetorical attempts to explain away the lived experiences of millions of struggling citizens.
History has shown that governments are strongest not when they deny uncomfortable realities, but when they confront them with courage, sincerity and practical solutions.
