Denge Onoh, former Southeast spokesman for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, has questioned the claim by socio-political commentator and ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri that an average Nigerian can comfortably live on ?3,000 daily.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, Onoh said the calculation, which amounts to about ?90,000 monthly, did not adequately reflect the cost of living and the economic realities facing Nigerian households.
He noted that although ?90,000 is above the current ?70,000 national minimum wage, using a daily figure of ?3,000 as a measure of affordability fails to account for household size, food inflation and other essential expenses.
Onoh said the analysis appeared to treat the Nigerian as an individual economic unit, whereas many households comprise five or more members.
According to him, a ?3,000 daily household budget for a family of five would amount to about ?600 per person, which he said would be insufficient to provide three meals daily while also meeting expenses such as education, clothing and healthcare.
He also cited data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which has reported significant increases in the cost of a healthy diet, noting that food expenses represent only part of the financial burden on households.
Onoh said the cost of cooking fuel, potable water, transportation and other necessities further reduces the disposable income of families.
He pointed to rising prices of food items in major markets, including tomatoes, pepper, rice, beans and other staples, as factors that have affected household purchasing power.
He said the affordability of food also varies across regions, with rural households that engage in subsistence farming having different cost structures from residents of major cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
According to Onoh, urban households also contend with fuel costs, transportation fares and energy expenses before meeting their food needs.
He further argued that using the ?70,000 minimum wage as a basis for establishing a ?3,000 daily living budget does not fully capture the financial pressures faced by low-income households.
Onoh said the significant proportion of household income spent on food could limit the ability of families to meet other important needs, including education, healthcare and savings.
He urged policymakers and public commentators to base discussions on the cost of living on broader economic indicators and household realities.
‘The welfare of Nigerians must be treated as a priority of any responsible government and its representatives, and not a privilege,’ he said.