From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Presidency has stated that African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwumi Adesina poses no political threat to President Bola Tinubu’s administration or the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, made this clear on TVC’s *Beyond the Headlines* with Nifemi Oguntoye on Tuesday, responding to Adesina’s May 2, 2025, Abuja policy forum remark that Nigeria’s GDP per capita fell from $1,847 in 1960 to $824 today, implying Nigerians are “significantly worse off” than 64 years ago.
Onanuga dismissed Adesina’s claim as a “non sequitur,” arguing, “Because GDP has fallen in 2025 does not mean life was better in 1960 than now.” He clarified, “As a politician, I don’t consider Dr Akinwumi a threat to this president or our political party.” In an earlier statement, Onanuga challenged Adesina’s figures, citing World Bank archival data showing Nigeria’s 1960 GDP per capita at $93, not $1,847, rendering the comparison misleading.
He argued that GDP per capita alone does not reflect quality of life, pointing to improvements in life expectancy, schooling, and infrastructure under Tinubu’s administration, including expanded rail, roads, and social programmes absent in 1960.
Onanuga suggested Adesina “spoke like a politician” and maintained that, adjusted for purchasing power and quality-of-life indicators, “Nigerians are certainly not worse off” than at independence. Adesina had linked shrinking per capita income to deepened poverty and low human-development outcomes, urging action to leverage Nigeria’s demographic dividend.