Nigeria's Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has dismissed calls for the resignation of President Bola Tinubu as "an attempt at distraction".

Some governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria's largest opposition party, last week urged President Tinubu to resign if he could not tackle the country's economic challenges.

On Sunday, Mr Idris said that President Tinubu would not resign and was capable of addressing the economic difficulties plaguing the nation.

“President Tinubu is not and will never be overwhelmed by the current challenges the country is facing. He will not abdicate his responsibilities," Mr Idris said in a statement.

"He will courageously continue to wrestle with the challenges and surmount them, laying a durable foundation for the new Nigeria that is emerging."

The West African country is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in years, with the value of the local currency plunging to a record low and many residents struggling to afford basic necessities.