Tinubu Knows the Price of Eggs and Bread, Presidential Aide Says Amid Hardship

Dr Abiodun Essiet, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement for the North-Central region, has said the President is aware of the rising cost of everyday food items, including eggs and bread, amid concerns about the economic hardship facing Nigerians.

Essiet made the remarks while speaking to State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday. She also serves as the presidency’s representative for the North Central Citizens’ Assembly.

The presidential aide challenged the suggestion that journalists were the only people who understood the difficulties facing ordinary Nigerians. According to her, information about citizens’ experiences and economic challenges is regularly communicated to the President.

“I don’t feel it’s only media people who understand what the people are facing. Some of the reality of what our people are facing is what we are communicating to Mr President,” she said.

Essiet added that Tinubu received regular briefings on the prices of basic food items from her and members of the Federal Executive Council.

“I usually tell people, you think Mr President doesn’t know the price of egg or bread in the market? He does, because we brief him regularly, and so do members of the Federal Executive Council,” she stated.

She also defended the administration’s focus on infrastructure, describing it as a foundation for national development. She cited the Mokwa-Bida road in Niger State as an example of a project residents had long wanted the government to address.

According to Essiet, the road had not been awarded for reconstruction in 46 years, and its poor condition had reportedly contributed to road accidents involving heavy-duty vehicles. She said residents welcomed the prospect of its reconstruction during her visit.

Essiet further stated that Tinubu had directed that the road be constructed with reinforced concrete rather than conventional asphalt, with the aim of improving its durability. The supplied report did not provide the project’s contract value or completion timeline.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima had reportedly expressed optimism on October 19 that food prices would decline in the coming weeks as the administration addressed challenges affecting agriculture.

Shettima made the remarks at an event titled Together till 2027: An Evening with Original City Boy, organised by the City Boy Movement alongside the Relax-Tinubu-Is-Fixing-Nigeria movement, groups supporting the President’s re-election bid.

Essiet was appointed Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement for the North-Central region in 2024. Her comments come amid continuing public concern about food affordability, with attention also focused on the administration’s promised infrastructure projects and efforts to address agricultural challenges.