Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has mocked former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye, calling him Nigeria’s “Chief Political Entertainer.”
Dare accused Melaye of prioritizing spectacle over substance during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where Melaye had criticized Tinubu’s administration for recklessness and suggested it might soon borrow from fintech companies like OPay and Moniepoint.
In a post on X titled “Dino Malaye’s Debt Drama: Noise, Not Knowledge,” Dare urged Melaye to familiarize himself with basic economics, saying his comments were entertainment rather than enlightenment.
Dare stressed that borrowing is a legitimate tool for financing growth and reforms, adding:
“In his latest television appearance, he cast himself as Nigeria’s chief political entertainer, tossing around cheap jabs about borrowing from OPay and Moniepoint.
“But here are the facts: Nigeria’s total public debt stood at ₦149.39 trillion as of March 31, 2025, according to the Debt Management Office. The increase from last year is not due to reckless borrowing but largely the arithmetic of naira depreciation.
“When the currency adjusts, the naira value of existing external debt rises—whether or not new loans are taken.
“Nigeria’s debt-to-GDP ratio remains a moderate 40–45%, well below South Africa’s 70% or Ghana’s 90-plus percent. The real challenge is revenue mobilization, not runaway borrowing.
“Encouragingly, revenues are improving, strengthening our capacity to meet obligations. Borrowing is a legitimate tool for growth and reforms. What matters is sustainability, not soundbites. Unfortunately, Dino prefers theatrics to truth.”
