
The Digest:
A Nigerian influencer, Big Nonso, has sparked online debate after rejecting a ₦3,000 offer to promote President Bola Tinubu's achievements on social media. Screenshots of a WhatsApp exchange dated February 16 show Jamal Mustapha pitching a PR campaign to counter opposition narratives on living standards, specifically highlighting Tinubu's post about the Bank of Industry's record ₦636 billion disbursement to over 7,000 enterprises in 2025. Big Nonso quoted his usual rate of ₦20,000, but Mustapha said it exceeded his budget of ₦3,000 per quote, claiming others were willing to accept. Reactions mocked the low offer amid inflation over 30% and data costs exceeding ₦3,000, highlighting economic strain. Mustapha later called the leak "stupid." The BOI milestone is verified, but no direct ties link Mustapha to Tinubu's office.
Key Points:
- The leaked exchange exposes the gap between government PR efforts and the economic realities faced by Nigerians.
- It fuels mockery of how disconnected official messaging budgets are from actual living costs.
- Influencers face ethical dilemmas, while government PR efforts suffer reputational damage.
- This signals the challenge of selling government achievements to a public struggling with high inflation.
- The timing, amid economic hardship, makes the ₦3,000 offer appear tone-deaf and insulting.
The viral exchange underscores the disconnect between government PR budgets and the economic realities of Nigerians who spend more on data than the offered payment.
Spurces: Social Media/X, Big Nonso/Twitter