‘Nigerians cannot eat GDP,’ ADC slams FG over economic claims

Politics, Uncategorized

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Federal Government’s celebration of Nigeria’s reported GDP growth, describing it as disconnected from the economic realities facing citizens.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said economic growth figures are meaningless if they do not translate into improved living conditions.

“People do not eat GDP,” the ADC said, stressing that growth must reflect in lower food prices, job creation, stronger purchasing power, and better livelihoods for ordinary Nigerians.

The party argued that despite official claims of economic progress, millions of Nigerians continue to grapple with inflation, unemployment, and rising business costs.

According to the statement, the realities faced by citizens in markets, farms, and households contradict government narratives of recovery, with food prices, transportation costs, and energy expenses placing increasing pressure on families and businesses.

The ADC warned that celebrating economic statistics without addressing widespread hardship amounts to “economic abstraction disconnected from human reality.”

It further noted that small businesses are shutting down under the weight of inflation and weak consumer demand, while salaries have lost value and more Nigerians are slipping into poverty.

The party urged the government to shift focus from “celebrating figures” to implementing policies that deliver measurable improvements in living standards.

It added that the true test of economic policy lies in whether citizens can live better lives, insisting that growth must be reflected in affordable food, stable electricity, decent jobs, and reduced cost of doing business.

The ADC maintained that until economic gains are felt at the household level, the government has no basis to declare success in managing the economy.