A recent purchase of a luxurious $100 million aircraft for President Bola Tinubu has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation among Nigerians, who view it as a blatant display of extravagance and disconnect from the country’s economic reality. As Nigeria grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades, characterized by soaring prices, widespread poverty, and a staggering 40% of the population living below the poverty line, the acquisition of the shiny new Airbus A330 has been widely criticized.
The purchase has been described as a symbol of the administration’s “fiscal recklessness and dishonesty” by former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili, who joins a chorus of voices expressing frustration and disillusionment with the government’s priorities. Many Nigerians have taken to social media to express their discontent, with one citizen writing, “They ask us to tighten our belts while he splurges on a jet.” Another added, “This purchase shows just how disconnected the president is from the suffering of Nigerians.”
The presidential spokesperson has defended the decision, claiming the aircraft was purchased at a bargain price on the advice of the Senate’s security committee. However, this explanation has done little to assuage the anger and resentment among Nigerians, who are struggling to make ends meet amidst soaring inflation and a cost-of-living crisis that has pushed the inflation rate to a 28-year high of 34.19%.
The crisis is blamed on the government’s economic policies, which have contributed to pushing the currency, the naira, to record lows against the dollar. With at least 63% of the population living in poverty, the government has struggled to create jobs, and the world’s longest war on militancy continues to unfold in the northeast. Despite its oil wealth, Nigeria’s population of more than 210 million people are also among the world’s hungriest, accounting for 10% of the global burden, according to the U.N. food agency.
A recent purchase of a luxurious $100 million aircraft for President Bola Tinubu has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation among Nigerians, who view it as a blatant display of extravagance and disconnect from the country’s economic reality. As Nigeria grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades, characterized by soaring prices, widespread poverty, and a staggering 40% of the population living below the poverty line, the acquisition of the shiny new Airbus A330 has been widely criticized.
The purchase has been described as a symbol of the administration’s “fiscal recklessness and dishonesty” by former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili, who joins a chorus of voices expressing frustration and disillusionment with the government’s priorities. Many Nigerians have taken to social media to express their discontent, with one citizen writing, “They ask us to tighten our belts while he splurges on a jet.” Another added, “This purchase shows just how disconnected the president is from the suffering of Nigerians.”
The presidential spokesperson has defended the decision, claiming the aircraft was purchased at a bargain price on the advice of the Senate’s security committee. However, this explanation has done little to assuage the anger and resentment among Nigerians, who are struggling to make ends meet amidst soaring inflation and a cost-of-living crisis that has pushed the inflation rate to a 28-year high of 34.19%.
The crisis is blamed on the government’s economic policies, which have contributed to pushing the currency, the naira, to record lows against the dollar. With at least 63% of the population living in poverty, the government has struggled to create jobs, and the world’s longest war on militancy continues to unfold in the northeast. Despite its oil wealth, Nigeria’s population of more than 210 million people are also among the world’s hungriest, accounting for 10% of the global burden, according to the U.N. food agency.
