Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Economic Affairs, Tope Fasua, has aroused reactions after claiming that a modest Nigerian family can still survive on ₦10,000 for several days despite worsening economic hardship and increasing food prices.
Fasua made the remark during a members-only Coffee Hangout organised by the Kay Hikers Club in Abuja, where he engaged in a heated exchange with a female participant over the rising cost of living in the country.
The participant lamented the increasing hardship facing ordinary Nigerians, questioning the affordability of basic food items and linking the worsening insecurity in the country to poverty and economic struggles.
“Are you aware that you can no longer buy tomato ₦500 from the market as you used to 10, 15 years ago? Are you also aware that the basic thing, as basic as food is now something you have to beg for?” she asked.
Responding, Fasua acknowledged that prices had gone up but argued that Nigerians must learn to manage their finances prudently instead of exaggerating the country’s economic situation.
“A modest family will feed for several days with ₦10,000,” he said.
The presidential aide further urged citizens to embrace disciplined spending habits and adjust their lifestyles to present realities.
“You will know how to cut your goat according to your cloth. You can go to the market, I go to the market too. I have customers in Utako market, in Wuse market. I like shopping. I like going to the market. I test things. You can buy foodstuff which you cook at home,” he added.
Fasua also insisted that government cannot satisfy every public expectation, stressing that Nigerians must adapt to prevailing economic conditions.
“I know things are expensive, more expensive than they were before. But if we want sensation, government will never win,” he said.
He further dismissed comparisons between Nigeria and the United States, arguing that local purchasing power should determine how economic realities are measured.
“We are not in the US. Everybody has to deal with his own currency. That’s what is called purchasing power parity. $10 will go so far in this country but in the US you can do very little with it.”
