An All Progressives Congress chieftain and member of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Alwan Hassan, has said Nigerians are not as hungry as opposition politicians portray them, despite widespread concerns over the rising cost of living.
Hassan said this during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, while responding to the opposition’s description of the 2027 political contest as a battle between President Bola Tinubu and hungry Nigerians.
Asked how the ruling party intended to change the narrative, he dismissed the description as opposition rhetoric, insisting that the situation is being exaggerated for political purposes.
“That is an opposition rhetoric. People are not that hungry,” he said.
When the interviewer challenged him on whether Nigerians experiencing hunger would accept his position, Hassan maintained that he is familiar with the situation in the country.
“I’m telling you, I live in Nigeria,” he said.
He further argued that the decline in food prices in some markets was evidence that the Federal Government’s policies were beginning to affect the cost of food, adding that farmers were complaining about falling prices of agricultural produce.
“People are not that hungry the way the opposition are portraying it. And I’ll say it anywhere. People are not that hungry.
“In fact, farmers are complaining because foodstuffs are down in the market. Why? Because this government is importing and reducing the prices,” Hassan said.
However, when asked whether importing food is a good indication of the government’s handling of the agricultural sector, he acknowledged that Nigeria is not yet able to produce enough food to meet its domestic needs.
He defended the imports as a temporary measure to address the country’s food supply gaps, saying the government had to rely on them while efforts are being made to improve local production.
“We cannot feed ourselves. No, but while we do things to now cover up on the gaps, well, in the meantime, we must import,” he said.
Nigeria has continued to grapple with high food prices and the rising cost of living, with food inflation and the affordability of basic commodities remaining major concerns for households.
The Tinubu administration has introduced several measures aimed at addressing food insecurity and lowering prices, including interventions in agricultural production and the importation of food commodities.
