The Presidency has accused Daily Trust newspaper of misrepresenting government policies and painting an “exaggerated and unbalanced” picture of Nigeria in its latest editorial.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the State House said the editorial wrongly suggested that the country is “overwhelmed by hunger, hardship, and helplessness” while ignoring ongoing interventions by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
“Constructive criticism must be anchored on facts, not distortion or selective pessimism,” the statement read, accusing the paper of a pattern of “deliberate misinformation” and noting that Daily Trust had publicly apologised for similar misrepresentations in the past.
Addressing the paper’s reference to a UNICEF prediction that 33 million Nigerians could face hunger in 2025, the Presidency clarified that the figure came from the Cadre Harmonisé Food and Nutrition Insecurity Analysis—a worst-case projection for the June–August lean season assuming no government action. It said measures including grain releases from strategic reserves, expanded nutrition support, and the activation of the Food Security Council were already in place to avert that scenario.
The State House also rejected the description of the naira as “worthless”, noting that the currency had rebounded from a record low of ₦1,800/$1 in March 2024 to about ₦1,525/$1 on August 1, 2025, following policy reforms, increased oil receipts, and renewed investor confidence.
On social protection, the Presidency said the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme currently serves over 9.8 million children, while three million vulnerable households have received ₦75,000 each under the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer.
Other initiatives include tuition loans for nearly 400,000 students, grants for over 250,000 MSMEs, and transport palliatives.
The statement stressed that food price inflation is a global challenge, citing FAO data showing prices remain 22% above 2019 levels.
It listed investments in dry-season farming, the creation of a National Commodity Board, and transport subsidies as part of efforts to stabilise prices.
It also highlighted the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP), targeting all 8,809 wards nationwide with interventions in poverty alleviation, rural infrastructure, food security, and job creation.
“Nigeria is healing,” the statement concluded. “The economic surgery undertaken by President Tinubu is yielding results, and we ask only for fairness and a shared commitment to rebuilding this country, not exaggerating its pain.”
