Nigeria @64: Citizens x-ray prevailing economic and security challenges

By Femi Oyelola

There is no doubt that the present economic hardship and security challenges in Nigeria are severe and rhat such have destabilized some nations in the past.
The situation, many believe, is getting even worse daily as harsh economic conditions, insecurity, mass unemployment, and food inflation, among others, continure to stare Nigerians in the face.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said food inflation rose to 40.66 percent in May, compared to the 24.82 percent reported in the same month last year — indicating an increase of 15.84 percent points.
Even the Man at the helm of affairs of the country, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has acknowledged that he is deeply aware of the struggles many Nigerians face in these challenging times.
President Tinubu, in his speech to mark the 64th anniversary of the country’s independence on 1st October 2024, pleaded with his compatriots for “patience” as they continue to grapple with a tough economic situation.
He defended his controversial economic reforms, saying they were necessary and were beginning to bear results.
He insisted Nigeria was “winning the war” on the violence that has killed thousands in the north over recent years – a declaration that will seem far-fetched to some.
“I plead for your patience as the reforms we are implementing show positive signs, and we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.”
After coming to power last year, Tinubu removed fuel subsidy that had kept the price of fuel low for Nigerians.
He also scrapped the policy of pegging the Naira to the US dollar, instead, allowing the market to determine the price of the currency.
This caused the naira to plunge in value – at one point it hit an all-time low.
This, along with the ending of the fuel subsidy, has been a factor in the current rise in the cost of living in the country.
Similarly, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani called on citizens to remain firm in the face of adversity while embracing opportunities to build a brighter future for all to thrive.
In his address on the occasion of Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary in Kaduna, Governor Sani noted that this year’s anniversary comes at a time of severe economic stress in many households saying that Nigeria is grappling with economic difficulties due to the unfair global economic system and years of mismanagement.
He, however, affirmed that nation-building- is a marathon, not a sprint – a journey of incremental progress, not a single achievement.
He remarked that there is a need for Nigerians to celebrate as the nation continues to thrive despite the highs and lows, ups and downs experienced in the last 64 years.
“Fellow citizens, today, we mark yet another significant milestone in our journey as a sovereign nation. On October 1, 1960, we proudly hoisted our green and white flag, symbolizing freedom, sovereignty, and self-determination.
“Today reminds us, not only of our sovereignty but the courage and resilience that defines us as a people.
“We celebrate not just the freedom we have achieved, but the collective effort that has brought us thus far. We honor the struggles of our past, the sacrifices of our heroes, and the unwavering spirit of our people.
“Sixty-four (64) years on, there have been highs and lows, ups and downs on the journey, but we are still striving. And there is cause for cheer. We have enjoyed uninterrupted democratic governance for twenty-four (24) years. Economically, Nigeria has experienced economic growth, becoming Africa’s largest economy.
“The Kaduna State Government, which I lead by the grace of God, has been providing succor to the poor, vulnerable, and underserved persons in the state.
We are investing heavily in agriculture, education, health, innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Transformation of the rural economy is on course as many road projects have been completed and many others are ongoing across the state.
“We shall continue to build bridges, not walls, to foster inclusivity, not division, and to nurture hope, not despair.
He, therefore, called on all concerned citizens and residents of Nigeria to unite and confront the challenges that lie ahead while embracing the opportunities to create a brighter future for all to thrive.
“Let us draw strength from our resilience and our capacity to unite in the face of adversity. As we move forward, let us confront and embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead,” he said.
Going down memory lane, the Deputy Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Mr. Leo Atakpu, opined that the Story of Nigeria is full of wonders and counter wonders, from the style of leadership.
According to him, “First, it was a bicameral parliament with the prime minister as head of government, to the presidential system where the president serves as head of government, to the turn of events due to the discovery of oil, where all economic activities were centered on it leaving entrepreneurial activities dormant, relying absolutely on oil royalties to run governance.
He added that other areas of concern were the creation of a strong division among the population, with the elite class rallying around political power and the middle class, who are mostly intelligent people who might turn the tide, running away from the economy in search of green postures to live a happy life abroad, termed as diaspora.
Mr Atakpu likened Nigeria to the popular Yoruba mystery about the “Abiku child” who can not be predicted to live or die because the level of hardship in the Nigeria is high and serious.
“Underemployment” and unemployment in the country, leading to reduced purchasing power that did not match the inflation rate ignited by the removal of oil subsidies by the Tinubu administration.
The ANEEJ Deputy Executive Director observed that if one looks at Nigeria’s population during Independence, there were 45.5 million people, but today, according to UN projections, the population is about 233.3 million people.
According to him, from independence up until now, the country has had decayed infrastructure, weak governance systems, weak institutions, and corruption everywhere, both petty and grand corruption by the public and those in power.
“It is still the responsibility of government to create the right environment for businesses to thrive, and it is the businesses that are thriving, manufacturing and extracting that will employ young people, but across the nation today, we do not have that enabling environment.
“Insecurity is a serious problem, poor electricity, bad road network, if you want to travel from here to Abuja, you will spend the whole day on the road.
“The roads are so bad in a terrible state; they are repaired and constructed without respect to some Civil specifications. The government needs to wake up.
“In terms of the way forward, the government needs to put some serious measures categorized into short, medium, and long term, but the government needs to focus on short terms right now.
“The Government needs to ensure that they cut down the cost of governance. The Constitution provides that all States in the Country should produce a Minister.
“One would expect that the cost of governance comes down and the Leaders can do it because the system of government is very expensive and we need to think seriously on how to cut the costs down.
“The government needs to shut down corruption; they need to introduce measures to kill corruption because if we don’t kill corruption, which is sinking Nigeria, it will continue to destroy the Nation.
“President Tinubu must lead by example, kill corruption, destroy it, and make sure that corrupt individuals and institutions are not allowed to thrive, and that way, there will be free operations for development.
“If we do not block the loopholes, the leakages that are happening through petty and grand corruption will continue to spin around in circles.
“The Institution of government needs to deliver services, it needs to be made functional.
“Lastly, in the short term, the Government needs to put in measures that will cushion the effect of hardship that Nigerians are currently facing.
“The Government needs to put up Institutions to put in place social protection to protect the poor from the bites of the hardship that has been unleashed by the Tinubu Administration.
“Then in the medium term, we expect the government to be looking at constitutional changes. The 1999 constitution, as amended that we have today as our ground norm, is highly defective.
“It was concocted by people who viewed Nigeria as their property, and so this is the time to bring together Nigerians from all ethnic groups.
“In my opinion, we should return to the parliamentary system of government that reduces the cost of governance. We need to remove this system of government that is alien to our people and our Nation. It is so expensive to operate and laced with laziness and wickedness.
“A parliamentary system of government will enable all federating units to manage their resources and pay tasks to the central of the Federal government.
“Again, as a medium-term measure, we expect the government to take time to build bigger infrastructures that will outlive generations.
“We also need security advancement to block all the loopholes around the Country to ensure that there’s adequate security for both citizens and business individuals to operate efficiently and effectively.
“In the case of long term, we need long term planning and visioning to plan where we want to find ourselves in the next 50 years and the government that will set that vision in motion should ensure to lay the building blocks that will actualize it even if they are no more.
“For instance, we want to see ourselves as a sufficient Nation that does not depend on any country for food or any other resources, in the next 10-20 years. Nigeria should be a manufacturing hub where no Nigerian goes hungry or lacks good healthcare.
“In another 50 years, we will make sure that all the people with disability have access to free qualitative education and healthcare. So those are some of the visions that the government needs to put in place for a better Nigeria.
“For us as a Civil Society and Ordinary Nigerians, we need to hold the government accountable to these plans and visions because they can’t do it on their own. Sometimes, they don’t have all that it takes to give the people the right things.
“So it is our responsibility to hold the government accountable to all the laws and policies in Nigeria. We need to work together with the government.” He said
Corroborating this, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) Urged President Tinubu to take action on promises, calling for genuine dialogue and improved Governance in Nigeria.
CISLAC urged President Bola Tinubu to show greater commitment to addressing Nigeria’s socio-economic and political challenges.
The organization emphasized the need for genuine dialogue and decisive action as the nation marks its 64th Independence Anniversary.
The Executive Director, of CISLAC Auwal Musa Rafsanjani said his organization has concerns over the unfulfilled promises made by the President for meaningful dialogue, particularly regarding his pledge for comprehensive engagement with Nigerians, including the youth.
CISLAC noted that despite these assurances, no framework has been established for such dialogue, nor has a clear timeline been provided for the discussions promised in his Independence Day speech.
“We urge the President to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps toward meaningful dialogue with Nigerians.
“Citizens are seeking immediate relief from the harsh economic and social conditions they face daily under this administration. People are struggling to survive, and they need to see swift and impactful measures that improve their quality of life and security,” Rafsanjani said.
CISLAC also stressed the need to restore Nigeria’s international image, noting that the country’s reputation has significantly declined in recent years.
The organization highlighted the importance of re-establishing Nigeria’s standing on the global stage, where it once commanded respect during past state visits to major nations like the United States, United Kingdom, and European countries.
“Nigeria’s image requires urgent restoration both nationally and internationally. We used to be a respected nation, but today, we are perceived as a hub for terrorism, corruption, and mismanagement of public resources.
“The government’s failure to effectively combat terrorism, rescue women and children from captivity, and tackle systemic corruption and impunity has eroded the respect we once held,” the statement continued.
CISLAC urged the President to take a more serious approach to governance, emphasizing that the country’s challenges—ranging from insecurity and poverty to economic instability, dysfunctional institutions, and democratic setbacks—require immediate and comprehensive solutions.
“The Nigerian people deserve leadership that is responsive, accountable, and capable of delivering development and prosperity.
As we celebrate 64 years of independence, let us work together to restore our nation’s dignity, both at home and abroad,” Rafsanjani added.
CISLAC reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for transparency, accountability, and good governance, urging the government to intensify efforts to address the critical issues facing the nation.
In his remarks, the 4th National President, of Campaign for Democracy, Bako Abdul Usman stressed that “Nigeria at 64 calls for sober reflections as we are having a moment taking steps but mostly in the wrong direction if our founding Father were to be alive today and see how we have fared in the journey so far greatly most of them will be disappointed.
According to him, even the collective Unity as a people has faded away as Nigerians are more divided than what the founding fathers envisaged.
“He created Federal Unity colleges, the Federal Character Commission, the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), you name them; even our intermarriages are now a mirage.
“Looking at institutions, what they left are almost gone with them to the level that common maintenance impedes us today, the likes of Our refineries, textiles, automobile factories, Newspapers/Media houses that were established as a means to an informed society are mostly gone.
“Insecurity has taken over our celebrations of a peaceful environment, where it becomes necessary for such celebrations it is in amid fear of the unknown attackers.
“This has equally reduced our governance spaces; on record, we keep deceiving ourselves that all is well with our territory boundaries, but outlaws have taken over most places to their controls and generate revenue through taxes paid to them, freely enjoying freedom as we see in trending videos across.
“The above has created resultants poverty and hunger in the land, leaving citizens with no options of choice in the selection of leaders, and this has greatly affected and keeps shrinking our hard-earned democracy, causing voter apathy where a few decide who attend leadership.“This is not a democratic principle. 64 years still in yesterday as the yesterday is far even better off than now, the backwardness can be seen in the massive corruption tendencies within our governance system from top to bottom leaders with questionable characters and questions to answer on corruption cases, have bulldozed their ways to leader position against the core values and tenants of democracy in a nutshell what we are witnessing is a civil role, not democratic governance.”
Across section of Nigerians who responded to a question from Weekend Peoples Daily said when President Bola Tinubu took over, the two critical problems (insecurity and corruption) that Buhari promised to eradicate proved endemic.
The arrival of President Tinubu, according to them, witnessed an escalated level of insecurity and a high level of corruption to the extent that a cabinet member, Betta Edu, was suspended due to exposed corruption under her watch, which many analysts hailed because it was impossible under Buhari.
Going by events from 2015 to the present, many might point to insecurity and corruption as monsters that impede the progress and growth of the Nigerian economy.
The overdependence on oil revenues as the mainstay of the Nigerian economy is a key factor contributing to the unproductive base of the nation’s economy, as it was perceived as entangled in massive fraud and corruption, leading to an escalated cost that continued to be unbearable on the Nigerian purse.
The debate on the subsidy regime as the major problem consuming the revenue accruing to the country has been ongoing for many years, and many administrations have made efforts to remove it; citizens vehemently disagreed with almost all efforts to remove oil subsidies completely; to some extent, the subsidy was reduced at various times, but not completely expunged.
The renewed hope administration of Tinubu promised heaven on earth from the proceeds of fuel subsidy removal, and he made a case to citizens that fuel subsidy was a scam enjoyed by the elites in the country who run the oil sector of the economy.
Despite the belief in some quarters that the removal of oil subsidies will increase the level of hardship in the country, which the president echoed at various times when he was a member of opposition parties, which was also a clear explanation of the level of hardship citizens are likely to be engulfed in, the the current administration believes that oil subsidy must go.
In his inauguration speech on May 29, 2023, Tinubu announced the complete removal of oil subsidies from the country.
The very hour he made the announcement, the price of fuel skyrocketed.
Petroleum is the energy driving the Nigerian transport system, and the movement its prices has resulted in an unprecedented skyrocketing of prices for almost everything in the economy, resulting in people being plunged into hardship because their income was stagnant.
At the same time, their expenditures were multiplied many times. Many argued that citizens’ purchasing power was the main reason why the level of hardship in the economy was biting hard.
Consequently, Labor unions asked for a revised minimum wage to meet the nation’s economic realities, which might be a valid claim.
However, some consider the unemployment level as the main challenge.
Therefore, while the quest for a revised minimum wage is genuine and seen as “underemployment,” unemployment is a much bigger problem.
But in a sharp reaction, the President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Mr Debo Adeniran, says President Bola Tinubu means well and he is passionate about addressing the challenges in the country.
While reacting to President Tinubu’s National Broadcast to commemorate Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary, Adeniran, who is also the Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), urged the President to revisit some of his reforms to alleviate suffering and economic hardship.
“We have heard his (Tinubu) message of hope again. We know the President means well for the country and the people of Nigeria.
“There is a need for more action to ease the hardship. He has urged Nigerians to be patient, but for how long?” he said.
Adeniran said some people were working to ensure that some of the reforms of the President never materialized.
On the President’s plan to organize a 30-day Youth Conference, he said that such a conference would not bring any positive results.
“Tinubu does not need any youth conference again; the youth have spoken loud and clear about what they want.
“What this administration needs to do is to address some of the issues raised during the “#EndSars” and “#EndBadGovernnace” protests.
“Such a conference will end up being another waste of scarce resources. They have asked for the return of fuel subsidy to reduce the hardship in town, and if this cannot be reversed, the people should see the impact of the proceeds in their lives,” Adeniran said.