Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has firmly debunked widespread reports suggesting that the Ministerial Press Briefing Session had been relocated from Abuja to London. Addressing the issue during his opening remarks at the eighth edition of the Ministerial Press Briefing Session held at the National Press Centre, Abuja, Idris described the claims as entirely false and misleading.
He emphasized that the sessions remain firmly rooted in Nigeria, particularly in the nation’s capital, and are designed to directly engage with Nigerians at home and abroad. “This is your answer to the insinuation that the press briefing session is relocating to abroad. We have our responsibility first to the Nigerian nation, and that’s why we invite these ministers to come here and address Nigerians and those outside this country directly from nowhere but the National Press Centre here in Abuja,” he stated.
Also present at the briefing were the Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev; and the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi. Senator Umahi also reinforced Idris’ statement, denying reports that he would be part of a delegation to announce President Tinubu’s achievements in London, calling such claims baseless.
In addition to clearing the air on the relocation rumors, Minister Idris used the occasion to provide an update on the state of the Nigerian economy. He announced recent data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which showed a promising decline in inflation rates.
According to the NBS Consumer Price Index report for April 2025, Nigeria’s headline inflation rate dropped to 23.71%, marking a 0.52% decrease from March’s 24.23%. On a month-to-month basis, inflation fell significantly by 2.04%, from 3.90% in March to 1.86% in April.
Idris attributed these improvements to President Tinubu’s deliberate and strategic policy interventions, stating, “This has not happened by chance. The President’s focused interventions are clearly paying off. The benefits of reform, though gradual, are real and measurable.”
He further highlighted a reduction in one of the primary drivers of inflation—food prices. The food inflation rate for April 2025 eased to 21.26% year-on-year, while the month-on-month figure also fell to 2.06% from 2.18% in March. The decline was driven by price reductions in essential food items such as maize flour, yam flour, wheat grain, okro, soya beans, rice, and beans.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we acknowledge that we are not yet where we desire to be. But these latest figures give us every reason to be hopeful,” Idris said. “They show that the hard decisions are beginning to bear fruit. And as inflation eases, we expect to see corresponding improvements in consumer purchasing power and living conditions.”
The Minister concluded by assuring Nigerians of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to sustaining economic gains through people-focused policies aimed at stabilizing the economy, reducing hardship, and promoting inclusive prosperity. He also called on the media to play its part by responsibly and constructively sharing these positive developments, stressing the government’s accountability to its citizens.
