Bayo Onanuga & Akinwumi Adesina

The presidency has criticised African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina for claiming that Nigerians were better off in 1960 than they are today, calling his statement misleading and politically charged.

Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said Adesina “spoke like a politician in the mould of Peter Obi” and failed to verify his data before making “unverifiable” claims.

Adesina, during a recent keynote speech, cited a decline in GDP per capita from $1,847 in 1960 to $824 today. Onanuga countered that in 1960, Nigeria’s GDP was $4.2 billion with a per capita income of $93 not $1,847 as claimed.

He argued that GDP per capita is a limited metric for assessing well-being, as it overlooks factors such as wealth distribution, the informal economy, and improvements in infrastructure, education, and healthcare.

“Compared to 1960, Nigeria now has more schools, better roads, expanded medical facilities, and near-universal access to mobile phones,” Onanuga stated, adding that the GDP today is at least 50 to 100 times higher than at independence.

He concluded that Adesina should have considered a broader view of progress before making sweeping assertions about Nigeria’s development.