Nigeria at a Crossroads, Civic Group Raises Alarm, Urges Urgent Reforms

A civil society organisation, the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), has warned that Nigeria is facing a critical turning point amid worsening economic hardship, insecurity and governance challenges, calling on leaders at all levels to take urgent and courageous actions to rescue the country.

The Executive Director of CHRICED, Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, raised the alarm at the weekend during the organisation’s State of the Nation press conference, where he highlighted what he described as the deteriorating socio-economic and security conditions across the country.

Zikirullahi said several sectors of the Nigerian economy were no longer functioning effectively to the benefit of citizens, noting that inflation, unemployment, insecurity and declining public services had combined to inflict severe hardship on households nationwide.

“Across the economy, governance, security and civic freedoms, one truth stands out: Nigeria is at a crossroads,” he said. “The choices made in 2026 will determine whether the country continues down a path of hardship, repression and inequality, or rises to reclaim the promise of justice, dignity and shared prosperity.”

According to him, Nigerians have continued to grapple with soaring prices, shrinking incomes and a deepening cost-of-living crisis, despite official claims of economic improvement. He said inflation continued to erode the value of the naira, while wages remained stagnant and purchasing power declined.

“The economic realities of 2025 did not merely challenge Nigerians; they suffocated them,” Zikirullahi stated. “Basic survival has become a daily struggle for millions of citizens.”

On security, the CHRICED director expressed concern that despite huge budgetary allocations to defence, insecurity remained widespread across the country. He cited persistent cases of kidnapping, banditry, insurgency and violent crime affecting highways, farmlands, schools, places of worship and markets.

“Farmers have abandoned their fields, students have been abducted or forced out of school, businesses have shut down, and entire communities have been displaced,” he said, adding that the human and economic costs were “staggering and unacceptable.”

Zikirullahi stressed that the primary responsibility of government was to protect lives and property, warning that a nation unable to guarantee security could not achieve sustainable development.

He called on the Federal Government to make 2026 “a year of courage” by implementing far-reaching reforms, including reducing the cost of governance through the full implementation of the Oronsaye Report, prioritising agriculture and manufacturing, reforming the judiciary and security institutions, and strengthening the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Other recommendations included protecting civic freedoms, upholding the rule of law, addressing wage inequality, ensuring fair compensation for workers, and tackling corruption decisively and transparently.

“These are not optional demands; they are necessities,” Zikirullahi said, urging both leaders and citizens to insist on accountability, transparency and good governance.