Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, has urged Nigerians to reassess their lifestyles and spending habits, saying people must learn to live according to their financial means amid the country’s economic challenges.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, Issa-Onilu said Nigerians should take personal responsibility for managing their resources, including electricity consumption.
“You must have travelled abroad. You don’t go to anybody’s house as we speak, who has gone to work and you see the AC working or you see the light on,” he said.
He noted that such energy-conscious habits are less common in Nigeria, adding: “Go to many homes in this country, we do that. So, we also must manage our lifestyle, it’s part of our responsibility.”
According to him, Nigerians need to examine their financial situation and make practical changes rather than viewing such adjustments as deprivation.
“People must now understand that you have a responsibility to look at yourself and say, how do I adjust? Adjust is not suffering, adjust is living within your means,” he said.
His remarks come as the Tinubu administration continues to face criticism over its economic policies, with opposition parties campaigning against the President’s re-election bid in 2027.
Meanwhile, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said the government acknowledges the hardship Nigerians have endured as a result of the reforms.
Speaking in Abuja, she said the reforms were necessary to tackle longstanding economic problems.
“Those decisions came at a cost and Nigerian families have felt it. No one in this government takes that sacrifice lightly, least of all Mr President,” she said.
“But I say to you today, with conviction, that the sacrifice is not in vain. The results are beginning to show.”
