By Olufunke Baruwa
Nigeria is bleeding from all sides, and almost everyone – young or old, rich or poor, male or female – is affected. Regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, religion, or political affiliation, everyone is feeling the impact. Someone needs to urgently inform the President that all is not well in Nigeria.
Should we ask the numerous advisers, cabinet members and officials who are responsible for briefing the President on important issues and decisions, or are they too insulated from the suffering of the masses?
Maybe close family members and those in the corridors of power who mill around the President can spare a moment of audience to tell the President the truth or will is too much to ask of them to take a momentary departure from their regular praise singing?
Perhaps the artists and literary minds will do so through a song, a book, play, poem or movie, where the characters can show the President through real life or fiction the state of the nation. Where are our skit makers and comedians who are social media sensations? Can they spare a moment to use their jokes or anecdotes? Perhaps some humour or irony is the best way to deliver this cry for some respite to the President.
Or should we expect the media to pass on this public sentiment to the President. Journalists and media outlets already play a crucial role in highlighting the challenges faced by Nigerians. Through news reports, editorials, and investigative journalism, they often bring attention to the suffering and hardships, potentially influencing public opinion and prompting governmental action.
Maybe everyday citizens will. Sadly, many are too hungry, malnourished and lack the energy to take to the streets in protests or organize demonstrations which can send a powerful message to the President and government officials about the urgent issues affecting the population. No thanks to the weaponization of poverty and hunger by the political class, large-scale protests which often attract media coverage, further amplifying the message seem to have subsided and many have not recovered from #EndSARS.
There are existing structures that ideally use their platforms, networks and constitutional rights to bring government attention to critical issues affecting ordinary citizens and advocate for change. However, it appears all these channels of communication are not reaching the President clearly enough. Perhaps there is need for a reminder.
Who Will Bell The Cat?
Civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) often work directly with communities to compile reports, statistics, host townhall meetings and share personal stories to present to government officials. Social justice advocates and activists engage in advocacy campaigns to bring attention to specific issues and their work has shifted policies and legislation.
The Legislature and other elected officials who represent various constituencies can communicate the suffering of their constituents to the President. They can do this through formal channels such as legislative sessions, committees, and personal meetings with the President.
In this digital age, social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram even WhatsApp are powerful tools for citizens to express their grievances. Viral posts, hashtags, and online campaigns can attract significant attention and potentially elicit responses from government officials, including the President.
International organizations such as the United Nations, the African Union, as well as foreign diplomats, can also highlight issues of suffering in Nigeria. Their reports and statements can put pressure on the government to address these issues.
Hopefully, a combination of these methods can be effective in ensuring that the President is aware of and addresses the suffering of Nigerians.
Multidimensional Poverty.
Nigeria is grappling with high costs of living and multidimensional poverty, which are complex and multifaceted issues affecting the well-being of its citizens. According to the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) – an index that measures the percentage of households in a country deprived along the three dimensions of monetary poverty, education, and basic infrastructure services – survey by the National Bureau of Statistics, 133 million people, or 63% live in multidimensional poverty. This means that poor Nigerians experience more than a quarter of all possible deprivations in the areas of clean cooking fuel, healthcare, food, sanitation and housing.
Persistent inflation in Nigeria has led to a significant increase in the prices of goods and services. This has eroded the purchasing power of citizens, making it difficult for many to afford basic necessities such as food, housing, and healthcare. Food costs have skyrocketed due to various factors, including supply chain disruptions, agricultural inefficiencies, and insecurity in key farming regions. This has resulted in widespread food insecurity and severe malnutrition especially for the most vulnerable.
Many Nigerians live in substandard conditions, with a significant portion of the population residing in informal settlements. The cost of utilities such as electricity, water, and fuel has risen while frequent power outages mean that many households and businesses rely on expensive generators, further increasing living costs.
Access to affordable healthcare and education remains a challenge. High costs and inadequate public services force many Nigerians to seek expensive private alternatives. Limited access to quality education, high dropout rates, and low literacy levels contribute to poverty and 20 million out of school children due to economic constraints, cultural factors, and insecurity. Poor health outcomes are prevalent, with high rates of infant and maternal mortality, malnutrition, and diseases.
Many Nigerians lack access to clean water, sanitation, and adequate housing contributing to poor health and reduced overall quality of life. Precariously high unemployment and underemployment rates mean that many Nigerians work in low-paying, informal jobs without social security.
Insurgent activities, banditry, kidnappings and communal conflicts disrupt economic activities, particularly in agriculture and trade, have led to increased poverty and food insecurity.
Poor governance and widespread corruption have hindered effective public service delivery and economic development. Funds meant for development are often misappropriated. Inadequate infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, and water supply, hampers economic activities and increases the cost of doing business.
Mr. President, All is Not Well.
Mr. President, here are the seven things Nigerians want you to do urgently.
You must show empathy and listen to the cry of the people as a leader.
You must work with your economic team to diversify the economy and reduce our dependency on oil by promoting other sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and technology that can stabilize the economy and create jobs.
You must improve governance by enhancing transparency, reducing corruption, and ensuring efficient use of resources are crucial for development. The people have no more room to tighten their belts, its time for you and your team to practice what you preach.
You must declare a state of emergency and invest in the education and health sectors by expanding access to quality education and healthcare to improve human capital and reduce poverty.
You must ensure targeted investments in infrastructure to boost economic activities, reduce costs, and improve living standards.
You must invest more in social safety nets and welfare programs to support the most vulnerable populations in a systematic way not through rhetoric and food for the boys and girls.
You must address insecurity through effective policies and community engagement to create a safer environment for economic activities.
Finally, the downside with being strong and resilient is that you are expected to keep going on even when you are not okay. From Next Level to Renewed Hope, Nigerians are yet to see better development outcomes. So, here’s a message to you Mr. President, Nigerians are exhausted and tired of being strong and resilient, we are not okay.
