‘We’re better off now than in 1960’ — Presidency dismisses Adesina’s comments

The Presidency has dismissed claims by the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, that Nigerians are worse off today than they were in 1960.

In a post shared on his X account, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, criticised Adesina’s remarks, describing them as inaccurate and based on questionable data.

“No objective observer can claim that Nigeria has not made progress since 1960,” Onanuga said.

“Today, as we await the NBS’s recalibration of our GDP, we can comfortably say without contradiction that it is at least 50 times, if not 100 times, more than it was at Independence.”

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Onanuga accused Adesina of speaking “like a politician, in the mould of Peter Obi” and said the AfDB president failed to carry out proper due diligence before making his “unverifiable” statement.

Citing historical data, the presidential aide noted that Nigeria’s GDP in 1960 stood at $4.2 billion with a per capita income of $93.

He explained that significant economic growth only began in the 1970s due to rising crude oil revenues.

By 1981, the GDP had grown to $164 billion and per capita income had risen to $2,187.

“These facts raise questions about the source of Dr. Adesina’s figures,” he said.

Onanuga also emphasised that GDP per capita alone cannot determine whether a nation’s citizens are better off.

According to him, the metric does not reflect wealth distribution, income inequality, or the size of the informal economy, which he said is significant in Nigeria.

“GDP per capita is silent on whether Nigerians in 2025 enjoy better access to healthcare, education, and transportation, such as rail and air transport, than in 1960,” he stated.

He argued that in terms of development, Nigeria has made notable strides, pointing to the expansion in schools, healthcare facilities, road networks, and access to digital communication.

“At Independence, we had 18,724 operational phone lines for about 45 million people. Today, over 200 million Nigerians enjoy near-universal access to mobile phones and digital services,” Onanuga added.

He concluded by urging Adesina to consider the broader context of national development rather than relying on limited economic indicators.

 

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