1960 vs Now: Tinubu, Atiku’s Aides Trade Words on Nigeria’s Economic Trajectory

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and Atiku Abubakar’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, have disagreed over a comparison made between the country’s present economy and that of 1960.
According to reports, Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), lambasted the present administration’s economic policies during an event.
According to the AFDB’s chief, Nigerians will be worse off and poorer in 2025 than they were in 1960. He also stated that Nigeria’s economy cannot grow using generators.

The Presidency, in a statement, compared Adesina’s comments to that of Peter Obi, adding that his claims were inaccurate and erroneous.

Shaibu praised former Agriculture Minister Adesina for speaking facts in response to the Presidency’s attack on him.

“Dr. Akinwumi Adesina was correct.” Nigeria is worse off today than it was in 1960—just ask the 133 million Nigerians who live in poverty.

“Displaying nominal GDP from 1960 without accounting for inflation is either ignorant or misleading. Real experts utilize PPP-adjusted numbers, and by that metric, Nigeria has decreased.

“What is the life expectancy? Only 52 years. Unemployment? Sky-high. What about the naira? Collapsed. Mobile phones do not alleviate hunger or power outages.

“Cherry-picking GDP and telecom statistics while ignoring rising inequality, poverty, and institutional disintegration is not only dishonest, but also cruel.

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“Stop gaslighting Nigerians. The people feel the pain that Adesina described. “That’s the real data. Must you attack everyone?” Shaibu inquired about Onanuga’s 𝕏 handle and who released the state.

In response, Onanuga stated, “You are utterly sad, Phrank. Why are you unwilling to accept facts and prefer to believe falsehoods? No matter how you alter the 1960 GDP statistic, Nigeria today is significantly better than Nigeria in 1960.”

Undeterred, Atiku’s aide responded to Tinubu’s aide as follows: “Mr Gadus, your statement is a masterclass in intellectual laziness and willful stupidity. It’s pitiful, to say the least, that you believe that repeating superficial comparisons constitutes intelligent discourse. Instead of relying solely on statistics, consider the current state of Nigeria’s quality of life, institutional deterioration, and missed opportunities. Flinging about GDP figures without context does not remove the grinding poverty, instability, and failing systems that millions of Nigerians face on a daily basis—conditions far worse than what our founding fathers envisioned. It’s absurd that you believe that manipulating numbers can conceal decades of terrible leadership failures.

“Accept that fact—and stop embarrassing yourself with this blind, cheerleading nonsense.”