‎Reno Faults Pastor Adefarasin’s Claim of Nigeria Being a Dead Country ‎ ‎

Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has strongly criticized Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, over remarks suggesting that Nigeria is in decline, insisting instead that the country is making significant economic progress under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
‎
‎In a lengthy response via his official X handle, Omokri argued that Nigeria remains “very much alive and thriving,” dismissing claims that the nation is dead or collapsing.
‎
‎Omokri questioned the role of religious leaders in political discourse, noting that in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, religious clerics face restrictions on endorsing or opposing political candidates while acting in their official religious capacities.
‎
‎According to Omokri, comparisons between present-day Nigeria and the early 1980s are misleading. He maintained that the economic challenges experienced during the administration of former President Shehu Shagari were partly due to the policy of pegging the naira to the United States dollar, a system he said drained Nigeria’s foreign reserves and contributed to mounting debt.
‎
‎He recalled that the Shagari administration introduced austerity measures in April 1982 to prevent a deeper economic crisis, arguing that the country experienced negative GDP growth during that period. Omokri cited economic figures showing GDP contractions of -20.8 percent in 1981, -10.3 percent in 1982, and -5.0 percent in 1983.
‎
‎By contrast, he praised President Tinubu’s decision to float the naira, describing it as a necessary reform that has contributed to sustained economic growth. He noted that Nigeria recorded a GDP growth rate of 3.38 percent in 2024 and 3.87 percent in 2025, while projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicate growth above four percent in 2026.
‎
‎Omokri further highlighted what he described as a series of economic gains under the current administration, including consecutive quarters of GDP growth, trade surpluses, and an increase in the size of the economy from ₦269.29 trillion in May 2023 to ₦372.8 trillion.
‎
‎He also rejected what he called nostalgic portrayals of the early 1980s as a period of economic prosperity, arguing that Nigeria was then heavily dependent on imports and recorded negative trade balances.
‎
‎The former presidential aide additionally pointed to the wealth and influence enjoyed by many contemporary Pentecostal church leaders, questioning claims that the country is in a state of collapse while prominent religious figures continue to enjoy affluent lifestyles.
‎
‎Omokri concluded by urging Nigerians to evaluate the country’s economic trajectory based on facts and data rather than sentiment, maintaining that the reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration are laying the foundation for long-term growth and stability.
‎
‎
‎