DistantNews
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Cut your coat according to size, Tinubu’s aide tells Nigerians

From The Punch · (4m ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Presidential Economic Adviser Tope Fasua urged Nigerians to adjust their spending to match their income, using the idiom "cut your coat according to your size."
  • Fasua's comments came during a discussion where a woman criticized the rising cost of living and insecurity, questioning the affordability of basic needs.
  • He acknowledged price increases but insisted that households can manage resources effectively and cautioned against exaggerating the country's challenges.

In Nigeria's current economic climate, where the cost of living continues to be a major concern for citizens, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Tope Fasua, has offered a stark piece of advice: "cut your coat according to your size." This call for fiscal prudence, delivered during a public forum, directly addresses the anxieties of many Nigerians struggling with inflation and declining purchasing power.

Are you aware that you can no longer buy tomato ₦500 from the market as you used to 10, 15 years ago? Are you also aware that the basic thing, as basic as food is now something you have to beg for?

— Female attendeeA woman criticized the worsening cost of living and declining purchasing power during a discussion with Tope Fasua.

Fasua's remarks, made in response to a woman's pointed critique of worsening economic conditions, highlight a divergence in perspective. While acknowledging that prices have indeed risen, he pushed back against what he perceived as an exaggeration of the nation's challenges. His argument centers on the idea that disciplined spending habits and careful resource management at the household level are crucial, suggesting that government cannot fulfill every expectation.

A modest family will feed for several days with ₦10,000.

— Tope FasuaPresidential Economic Adviser Tope Fasua commented on household food budgets amidst rising prices.

This perspective, while rooted in a desire for fiscal responsibility, risks sounding out of touch to those facing severe economic hardship. The idiom "cut your coat according to your size" implies a level of discretionary spending that may no longer exist for many. Fasua's insistence on local realities and purchasing power parity, comparing Nigeria's economic situation favorably to that of the US, further underscores a viewpoint that prioritizes internal adjustments over external benchmarks. The debate touches upon a fundamental question: is the solution individual austerity or systemic economic reform?

You will know how to cut your goat according to your cloth. You can go to the market, I go to the market too. I have customers in Utako market, in Wuse market. I like shopping. I like going to the market. I test things. You can buy foodstuff which you cook at home.

— Tope FasuaFasua urged Nigerians to adopt disciplined spending habits and manage their resources effectively.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog