Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, has deleted a tweet claiming that the president secured an investment commitment from Maersk, a global shipping firm.
Tinubu is currently in Saudi Arabia, participating in economic discussions at the instance of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
After holding a discussion with Robert Maersk Uggla on April 28, the presidency published a statement announcing that the shipping company had pledged to inject $600 million into the Nigerian seaport industry.
Onanuga then copied a part of that statement and shared it via his X handle (@aonanuga1956). When FIJ checked, the post was no longer on his timeline, showing that he had deleted it. But it remained accessible on the insecure State House’s website. X users have shared screenshots of the post.
“Danish shipping company, A.P Moller-Maersk plans $600m investment in Nigeria. Danish shipping and logistics company A.P Moller-Maersk has disclosed a planned investment of $600 million in Nigeria to accommodate more container shipping services in Nigerian ports,” the post by the president’s aide read.
“Chairman of A.P Moller-Maersk, Mr. Robert Maersk Uggla, disclosed the decision during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday,
“President Tinubu noted that this investment will complement the administration’s ongoing $1 billion investment in seaport reconstruction across the eastern and western seaports of Nigeria.”
His action came a few hours after it was reported that, even though company officials met with the Nigerian side, the discussion did not include any specific investment promises.
“Maersk has been present in Nigeria for 35 years and, as a global provider of logistics services, we remain committed to develop opportunities for growth to people, the port sector and businesses locally,” said Adhish Alawani, Maersk’s Senior Media Relations Manager, Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Africa.
“Therefore, it is natural to have an ongoing dialogue with the administration. However, we are not able to comment on any investment talks.”
Many Nigerians, who expected the president’s aide to be a source of reliable information, have berated him for feeding the public with a lie. But this is not the first time the president’s official information outflow team has released blatantly incorrect statements about foreigners committing to certain things after meeting with Tinubu.
On September 11, 2023, FIJ reported that Ajuri Ngelale, a media aide to Tinubu, issued a statement claiming the UAE lifted its visa ban on Nigerians. The presidency later retracted its statement.
