A senior aide to President Bola Tinubu has drawn sharp criticism after claiming that a Nigerian family can survive on ₦10,000 for several days, telling struggling citizens to simply “cut their coat according to their size.“
Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, made the remarks during a members-only Coffee Hangout hosted by Kay Hikers Club in Abuja, where he was fielding questions from attendees about Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions.
The controversy erupted after a female attendee challenged him directly, pointing out that basic food items had become increasingly unaffordable for ordinary Nigerians and that insecurity was compounding an already dire situation for millions of households.
Rather than acknowledge the depth of the crisis, Fasua offered what many have described as a tone-deaf response.
“A modest family will feed for several days with ₦10,000,” he said, before encouraging Nigerians to shop at local markets and cook at home as a cost-cutting strategy.
“You can go to the market — I go to the market too. I have contacts in Utako market, in Wuse market. I like shopping. You can buy foodstuff which you cook at home,” he added.
While Fasua conceded that prices had risen significantly under the current administration, he suggested that public frustration was partly a matter of perception, warning that governments could never satisfy public expectations if “sensation” drove the conversation.
“I know things are expensive, more expensive than they were before. But if we want sensation, government will never win,” he said.
The comments arrive at a particularly sensitive moment, as millions of Nigerians continue to grapple with the aftermath of fuel subsidy removal, naira depreciation, and soaring food inflation — economic pressures that have pushed a growing number of families below the poverty line.
Critics argue that the adviser’s remarks reveal a troubling disconnect between those in the corridors of power and the daily realities faced by ordinary Nigerians.
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