Nigeria has improved, Wike’s aide tells Gen Z

Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and social media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has challenged the notion that Nigeria's economic situation has not improved. In an interview with African Independent Television, Olayinka pointed out that many young Nigerians, or members of Generation Z, only started to realize the country's economic realities once they became adults and were responsible for their own needs.

He explained that while their parents took care of them as children, they now had to support themselves. Olayinka also noted the contrast between the technological environment in which they grew up and the difficulties journalists faced in the past, stating that advancements in technology have made tasks easier and created new job opportunities.

He reminisced about the days when he had to travel by road from Bauchi to Jos to transmit reports and how video recordings were transported in VHS cassettes to television stations. Olayinka highlighted how technology now allows individuals to generate income through social media without leaving their homes, providing jobs that were not available during his youth.

He urged Nigerians to move away from a narrative of persistent hunger and instead focus on the positive aspects of the country, such as people building houses even in the face of economic challenges. Olayinka emphasized that homelessness exists in developed countries, underscoring the government's role in providing an enabling environment for citizens rather than merely making empty promises.