The Presidency has pushed back against criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, saying recent figures on factory jobs show that the reforms are producing positive results.
Temitope Ajayi, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, made this known on Monday while reacting to a report on rising manufacturing activity and job creation.
In a post on X, Ajayi accused opposition figures of presenting a gloomy picture of the economy to win public support ahead of the next elections.
“While the opposition elements are content with selling doom and gloom with the hope their narratives will resonate and help them win next elections, the economy under President Tinubu is responding very well to the reforms. And the evidence is crystal clear,” he wrote.
Ajayi backed his argument with figures showing that Nigeria’s manufacturing sector created 81,174 jobs in 2025, compared with 34,769 in 2024. This represents a 133.47 per cent increase in employment within the sector.
The report linked the growth to a recovery in factory activity in the first half of 2025. It also pointed to a more stable exchange rate for imported inputs, stronger business confidence and higher exports of manufactured goods.
According to BusinessDay, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), presented the figures at the association’s 54th Annual General Meeting in Lagos.
Ajayi insisted that the employment data showed progress under Tinubu’s economic reforms and criticised opposition figures for focusing on negative accounts of the economy.
