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 challenged a claim by socio-political commentator and ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, that an average Nigerian can comfortably live on N3,000 daily.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, Onoh said the calculation, which amounts to about N90,000 monthly, does not adequately reflect the cost of living and economic realities confronting Nigerian households.
He noted that although N90,000 is above the current N70,000 national minimum wage, using N3,000 per day as a measure of affordability fails to account for household size, food inflation and other essential expenses.
According to Onoh, the analysis appeared to treat the Nigerian as an individual economic unit, whereas many households consist of five or more members.
He argued that a N3,000 daily household budget for a family of five would translate to about N600 per person, which he said would be insufficient to provide three meals daily while also covering expenses such as education, clothing and healthcare.
Onoh also cited data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which has reported significant increases in the cost of a healthy diet, stressing that food expenses represent only part of the financial burden on households.
He said the cost of cooking fuel, potable water, transportation and other necessities further reduces the disposable income available to families.
The former lawmaker pointed to rising prices of food items in major markets, including tomatoes, pepper, rice, beans and other staples, as factors that have weakened household purchasing power.
He also noted that the affordability of food varies across regions, with rural households engaged in subsistence farming facing different cost structures from residents of major cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
According to him, urban households must contend with transportation fares, fuel costs and energy expenses before meeting their food needs.
Onoh further argued that using the N70,000 minimum wage as a basis for establishing a N3,000 daily living budget does not fully capture the financial pressures confronting low-income households.
He said the significant proportion of household income spent on food could limit families’ ability to meet other essential needs, including education, healthcare and savings.
