“Stop Saying There Is Hunger In Nigeria” — Wike’s Aide Tells Gen Zs

Media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has urged members of Generation Z to stop portraying Nigeria as a country plagued by hunger, arguing that technological advancement has created new economic opportunities for Nigerians.

Olayinka said Nigeria had made progress over the years, particularly in leveraging technology to create jobs and enable people to earn a living through digital platforms and social media.

He made the remarks while speaking on Democracy Today, a programme on the African Independent Television (AIT).

According to him, some young Nigerians perceive the country’s economic situation differently because they grew up depending on their parents for basic needs and are only now experiencing the challenges of providing for themselves.

He said, “When they were growing up, they didn’t know how Nigeria was. Their parents were providing for them. Now they have seen; they have to provide for themselves.”

Olayinka argued that despite the economic difficulties Nigerians are experiencing, the country has recorded improvements, particularly in technology and the opportunities it offers individuals to earn income.

He illustrated the changes by comparing the challenges journalists faced in transmitting news reports in the past with the ease of sharing content through digital platforms today.

“Imagine when you started journalism now, for you to send your story, do you know how… Technology has made a lot of things a lot different,” he said.

Recounting his experience in the media industry, Olayinka explained that journalists previously had to travel long distances to transmit television reports, sometimes relying on physical tapes and transport services to deliver their work to broadcast stations.

“For us to send visuals, when I was working with… I know I used to travel by road from Bauchi to Jos to be able to uplink the stories,” he said.

He added, “You need to go and give VHS cassettes to somebody at the park, to take to AIT, and that person will come from Malagba to come and collect it.”

The presidential aide said technological advancement had since transformed how people work and earn money, noting that individuals could now create digital content, livestream, and earn income from home.

“Now, technology has even provided jobs for a lot of people, things that were not available to us growing up. I know people now that sit in their house, do content, be on one social media app, do live streaming, they get money,” he said.

The FCT minister’s aide also questioned what he described as the persistent narrative that Nigerians were experiencing hunger, arguing that economic hardship should not overshadow evidence of individual enterprise and development.

“Let us not keep this mindset of telling people there is hunger, there is hunger, there is hunger,” he said.

He further cited people building houses and engaging in economic activities as examples of Nigerians making progress despite prevailing concerns about the cost of living.

Olayinka also noted that homelessness existed in developed countries, arguing that economic difficulties were not exclusive to Nigeria.

He maintained that the government’s primary responsibility was to create an enabling environment for citizens to pursue economic opportunities and improve their livelihoods.

“The only thing the government can do is to provide an enabling environment,” he said.

His comments come amid ongoing public concerns over the cost of living, food affordability, and the economic challenges facing households across Nigeria.