Anger, protests spread across Nigeria as citizens battle for survival

The atmosphere in Nigeria is laced with anger and discontent as protests continue to spread across the country over rising cost of living.

Nigerians are battling with persistent economic hardships caused by the policies implemented by the current administration.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), headline inflation rose 29.90 percent in January from 28.92 percent in the previous month. Food inflation rose to 35.41 percent from 33.93 percent.

A medium-sized sliced bread priced at N750 in January 2023 has seen a 33 percent increase and is now sold at N1,000. The cost of a piece of egg doubled from N100 to N200, and the cost of a crate of eggs rose from N2,200 to N3,500 within the same period.

Also, foreign parboiled rice in a 50-kg bag ranges between N70,000 and N77,000, compared to N34,000 to N36,000 last year. Local parboiled rice in a 50-kg bag now sells for N55,000 to N65,000, up from N30,000 to N34,000 in January 2023.

A ‘derica’ of beans has surged from N450 to N1,100, and 25 litres of vegetable oil is now priced at N45,000, a significant increase from N22,000 last year. A 4-litre paint container measure of garri has doubled in price, reaching N2,000 from N1,000 in the same period last year.

On Monday, a protest erupted in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, over the rising cost of living in the country.

The protesters, who were mostly youths, blocked major roads in the city to express their grievances over the situation.

The demonstrators asked the government to address the issue of hunger in the country, saying that they were fed up with the situation.

The placard-carrying protesters chanted anti-government songs while security agents looked on.

Some of the placards have inscriptions such as ‘Open Border, End Hardship’, ‘End food hike and inflation’, ‘The poor are starving’, and ‘Tinubu, don’t forget your promises’, among others.

Similar protests had earlier occurred in Kano, Niger, Osun, and Lagos as Nigerians battled for survival.

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had also declared a two-day nationwide mass protest slated for February 27 and 28 over the biting hardship.

The ongoing strike of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has resulted in fuel queues in major cities across the country, raising fears of further disruption and hardship.

A report from SBM Intelligence titled “Harmattan of Discontent,” also indicated that unorganised, sporadic, and street-level demonstrations are growing in Nigeria, and an attempt by the government to respond with heavy-handed security could lead to a bushfire.

“As Nigeria stumbles from one economic crisis to the next, the attractiveness of unorganised, sporadic and street-level popular demonstrations is growing. As the country’s economic woes mount, more anger on the streets will lead to a vicious cycle. The government appears to be on the back foot, and the likelihood of a heavy-handed security response means that a careless spark could cause a bushfire in this harmattan season,” the report says.