The Presidency has rejected a report by The Economist suggesting that many Nigerians dislike President Bola Tinubu, describing the publication's assessment as “intellectual fraud.”

In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, the Presidency accused the British publication of presenting a distorted picture of the President's standing among Nigerians.

The Economist published the report on October 1, prompting a strong response from the Presidency, which said the publication's analysis was influenced by opposition sentiment and contained several inconsistencies.

Dare dismissed the suggestion that millions of Nigerians harbour an outright hatred for Tinubu as a “lazy, hollow fiction,” arguing that the claim failed to reflect the complexity of the country's political and economic realities.

The Presidency said the administration inherited a fragile economy in May 2023, citing the fuel subsidy regime, multiple foreign exchange windows, heavy debt-servicing obligations and years of inadequate investment in critical infrastructure.

It defended the administration's decision to remove the petrol subsidy and reform the foreign exchange market, saying the measures had saved the federation trillions of naira, reduced market distortions and helped attract investment.

According to the Presidency, the reforms have also contributed to stronger foreign reserves and improved trade balances, despite the economic difficulties faced by households and businesses.

Dare acknowledged that Nigeria's political and economic environment remains challenging but argued that foreign commentators often fail to capture the country's complexity.

He accused The Economist of turning localised administrative and economic difficulties into a broader narrative of national rejection of the President.

The Presidency maintained that while Nigerians may have legitimate concerns about the impact of government policies, such concerns should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of widespread hatred for Tinubu.