A 2015 response by Nigeria’s former Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to then former Central Bank Governor Chukwuma Soludo has resurfaced, with Okonjo-Iweala delivering a particularly sharp rebuke of Soludo over his criticism of the Goodluck Jonathan administration’s economic management.
In the response, issued through her media adviser Paul Nwabuikwu, Okonjo-Iweala described Soludo as “an embittered loser in the Nigerian political space” and accused him of deliberately misrepresenting economic facts and statistics. She further questioned his political motives, asking what position he was seeking.
Most notably, Okonjo-Iweala stated: “There is definitely an issue of character with Prof. Charles Soludo and his desperate search for power and relevance in Nigeria.” She warned Nigerians about what she described as intellectuals without character and wisdom.
Her response followed Soludo’s criticism of the Jonathan administration, in which he had challenged the government’s economic performance and raised allegations concerning public finances. Okonjo-Iweala rejected his assessment and mounted a detailed defence of the administration’s economic record.
The exchange subsequently continued, with Soludo responding to Okonjo-Iweala and rejecting her criticisms. In his reply, he argued that the issues he raised were matters of public interest and maintained that the debate should focus on Nigeria’s economic performance rather than personal attacks.
The 2015 exchange therefore stands as a documented episode in the long-running public disagreements between the two prominent economists, with Okonjo-Iweala’s remarks particularly remembered for her direct reference to what she called an “issue of character” and Soludo’s alleged search for political relevance.
