IN what is reportedly the first presidential media chat since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office, he interacted with media personnel on Monday, December 23, 2024, to address pressing issues facing Nigeria.
Since taking office on May 29, 2023, Tinubu has introduced a series of controversial policies, including the removal of petroleum subsidy, the floating and devaluation of the naira, multiple increases in electricity tariffs and tax reforms etc, which have sparked numerous questions from Nigerians.
In an unexpected announcement, the presidency, via spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the president’s first media chat at 9 PM on Monday, inviting all media outlets to participate.
READ: Fact-checking Tinubu’s independence day speech
Recent events, such as the presentation of the 2025 budget and the tragic stampedes that killed over 72 people in Ibadan, Anambra, and the nation’s capital, Abuja, have further fueled public concern, prompting calls for the president to address these issues through the media.
The media chat was moderated by Reuben Abati of Arise News TV, with representatives from notable media platforms such as NTA, Bloomberg, Channels TV, TVC News and ThisDay also participating. During the session, Tinubu made a series of claims in response to questions from the journalists in attendance, particularly concerning his administration’s reforms and his self-assessment, describing his performance over the past 18 months as “excellent.”
The FactCheckHub team closely examined the president’s statements during the media chat monitored on Channels TV, assessing the accuracy of his claims in response to the questions raised.
CLAIM 1
Tinubu claimed that it was impossible to travel by road to Maiduguri, Katsina and Kaduna before, adding that the roads are now safe for commuting.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is HALF-TRUE.
In a 2019 report by ThisDay, the former governor of Kaduna Mallam Nasir El-Rufai assured that the Abuja-Kaduna Road is now safe, countering Nigerian lawmakers claim that it is Africa’s most dangerous route. El-Rufai dismissed the claim as unfounded and media-driven as at then.
In 2022, there was an attack on the Abuja – Kaduna train which highlighted the dangers of traveling between the two northern cities, leaving many travellers reconsidering both the highway and rail options due to security concerns.
In a media report published by BusinessDay in December 2021, it noted that the Sokoto-Gusua road, Akure-Akoko road, Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja road, Loko-Oweto road, Okpella-Auchi-Okene road, Obajana-Kabba road, Okigwe-Uturu road, Abuja-Kaduna road, Zaria-Kaduna highway, Maiduguri-Damaturu road, and the Akure-Ilesa road were unsafe.
Also, in another 2022 report by HumAngle, it highlighted states that had become a security threat for travellers in northern Nigeria especially major roads across Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, and Niger states.
THE VERDICT
The claim by Tinubu that travelling to Maiduguri, Katsina and Kaduna is now safer is HALF-TRUE. Some of the roads such as Abuja-Kaduna road are reported to be safe due to the deployment of security agents manning multiple sections of the routes, while others like parts of Maiduguri-Yobe road and Katsina are found unsafe for travelling though people still commute on the routes, as they suffer bandits’ and terrorists’ attacks sometimes.
CLAIM 2
Tinubu claimed that he reduced debt service from 98 per cent to 68 per cent.
THE FINDINGS
During a press conference in July 2024, Nigeria’s minister of Finance, Wale Edun said that Nigeria’s debt service to revenue ratio has declined from 97 per cent in 2023 to 68 per cent in 2024, indicating a reduction in the government’s debt burden.
Edun said the country’s revenue is now being managed to promote transparency, accountability, and visibility of government’s spending.
THE VERDICT
The claim by Tinubu claimed that he reduced debt service from 98 per cent to 68 per cent is TRUE, according to multiple media reports.
CLAIM 3
Tinubu said that he created 37 local government development areas in Lagos state.
THE FINDINGS
During his tenure as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, Bola Ahmed Tinubu initiated the creation of 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in 2003. This move was aimed at enhancing grassroots development and bringing governance closer to the people.
However, Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution recognizes only the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) listed in its First Schedule. Consequently, the federal government, under President Olusegun Obasanjo, withheld funds meant for the newly created LCDAs, leading to a legal dispute. The Supreme Court ruled that while states have the power to create new local councils, these councils would not be entitled to federal allocations until they are recognized by the country’s National Assembly.
According to a recent report by Daily Trust, the Lagos State House of Assembly called for formal listing of the existing 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state as full-fledged Local Government Areas (LGAs) by the National Assembly.
The report indicated that the legislature is considering a “Bill for a Law to Provide for the Local Government System, Establishment and Administration, and to Consolidate All Laws on Local Government Administration.”
THE VERDICT
The claim by Tinubu that he created 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos state is TRUE; media reports have shown.
CLAIM 4
Tinubu said that he hasn’t taken any money from NNPC to meet other obligations in the last three months.
THE FINDINGS
NNPCL had earlier debunked a claim that the commission has not remitted to the federal government since January. Also, a statement on its official page titled “NNPC Ltd is not owing $6.8bn” highlighted a section that addressed the revenue remittance.
It reads: “It is not correct to say that NNPC Ltd. has not remitted any money to the Federation Account since January. NNPC Ltd. and all its subsidiaries remit their taxes to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) regularly. This is in addition to payments of CIT to road contractors under the Road Investment Tax Credit Scheme. In all, NNPC Ltd. is the largest contributor to the tax revenue shared every month at the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).”
There is no media reports to confirm when the Commission last remitted revenue to the FAAC.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the federal government has not received revenue in the last three months is UNPROVEN; there is no sufficient proof to debunk or confirm the claim.
CLAIM 5
Tinubu claimed that there is no livestock ministry in Nigeria before he created it.
THE FINDINGS
On July 9, 2024, during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Livestock Reform Implementation Committee, Tinubu announced the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development at the State House in Abuja.
This was a measure to curb thousands of people losing their lives to violent clashes between migrant herders and local farming communities across various states in Nigeria. Notable states affected by this violence include Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, and Taraba.
On October 23, President Tinubu appointed Alhaji Idi Mukhtar as the Minister for the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD).
The announcement was made during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the Presidential Villa, showing the administration’s commitment to improving food security and advancing the livestock industry.
THE VERDICT
The claim by Tinubu that his administration created the Ministry of Livestock is TRUE; multiple reports show that the ministry was created in July 2024.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
I m of the view that many of the so called facts that were checked here were checked in a rather lazy manner. How do you verify what Tinubu said by quoting his minister? Are they not surposed to be in alignment? Why not check with the data on debt payment, let actually see whats true, not from a politician’s perspective