Minister of Works, David Umahi, has disclosed that he will personally finance a network of 4,000 social media influencers to promote President Bola Tinubu’s achievements, campaign for his re-election in 2027 and counter political attacks against the President.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with ARISE News, Umahi clarified that the initiative would be funded privately rather than through the Ministry of Works or other public resources.
“David Umahi is funding, not Ministry of Works,” he declared.
The minister’s clarification follows his announcement in September that 4,000 social media influencers would be mobilised to publicise the Tinubu administration’s achievements ahead of the 2027 general election.
The earlier announcement had generated questions about whether the proposed initiative would be financed by the Federal Government, particularly after Umahi described the plan as part of a broader effort to counter criticism of the administration online.
“We have to fight this social media war. We have to launch 4,000 social media influencers to tell our stories,” he said when announcing the initiative.
However, during his ARISE News interview, Umahi explicitly identified himself as the financier and confirmed that the influencers would be involved in political campaigning.
“I am funding 4,000 influencers to advertise what the President is doing, and it’s a catalyst,” he said.
The minister added that the network would be deployed “for campaigning for him all over Nigeria.”
According to Umahi, the influencers would publicise infrastructure projects, government policies and other achievements he attributed to the Tinubu administration.
He said they would also challenge narratives he considered misleading about the President’s performance.
“They will campaign,” Umahi stated.
Asked directly whether the influencers would be deployed to respond to political attacks against Tinubu, the minister answered in the affirmative.
“To respond to the attacks? Yes,” he said.
Umahi, however, sought to distinguish between defending the President’s record and engaging in personal attacks against political opponents.
He maintained that he would not finance influencers to insult other presidential candidates or engage in unlawful online activities.
The minister said individuals who engaged in cybercrime or other conduct resulting in legal action would not be acting on his behalf.
He also argued that using public resources to fund such an initiative would require compliance with government procurement procedures, reiterating that the influencer network would be privately financed.
Umahi’s clarification addresses questions raised after his September announcement, which had been reported as a Federal Government initiative to mobilise social media influencers to showcase the administration’s infrastructure projects.
At the time, details concerning the recruitment, remuneration and funding of the proposed network had not been disclosed.
The Works Minister had also linked the initiative to the political contest ahead of the 2027 presidential election, arguing that infrastructure projects undertaken by the Tinubu administration should feature prominently in the President’s re-election message.
“We have to fight this social media war,” he said during the earlier announcement.
In his latest remarks, Umahi made clear that the proposed network would serve both promotional and political campaign purposes, with the influencers expected to publicise the administration’s record and defend Tinubu against criticism.
He maintained that the initiative would be financed from his personal resources rather than public funds.
The minister did not provide details in the supplied interview account about the total amount he intended to spend, how the 4,000 influencers would be selected or the payment arrangements for their activities.
ARISE News
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