The Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) has expressed deep concern over the rising levels of poverty, inequality, and injustice in Nigeria, in its State of the Nation address.
Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, Executive Director of CHRICED, while addressing a press conference at the Professor Abubakar Momoh House, Gwarinpa, FCT – Abuja, lamented that the current administration’s policies have exacerbated the suffering of Nigerians.
“The cost of living is threatening human lives, and the government’s removal of the fuel subsidy has intensified the problem, triggering a dramatic rise in prices that has led to higher transport costs for goods,” Zikirullahi said.
“This sudden rise in transportation costs has affected the entire food supply chain, making even staple foods unaffordable for many households.”
CHRICED also criticized the government’s decision to float the Naira, which has led to a persistent decline in value against several prominent global currencies.
“The new free market and floating policy have become the administration’s albatross, driving up the prices of imported goods and services, devastating small businesses and low-income households,” Zikirullahi added.
The organization expressed concern over the recent resurgence of cash scarcity across many urban centers, which has led to a return of the painful experiences faced by many Nigerians during the previous administration.
“The situation appears to have taken a turn for the worse, as citizens find themselves in a position where they must purchase Naira from Point of Sale (POS) operators, as banks ration withdrawals and automated teller machines (ATMs) fail to dispense,” Zikirullahi said.
CHRICED also condemned the recent off-cycle elections held in Edo and Ondo States, which were marred by widespread irregularities, including voter intimidation, ballot box snatching, vote buying, and open manipulation of results.
“The role of security agencies, which were expected to maintain order and protect the rights of voters, was called into question in many voting locations, as citizens reported feeling unsafe and vulnerable at polling stations,” Zikirullahi said.
The organization criticized the federal government’s proposed Tax Reform bill, which seeks to progressively increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) from 7.5% to 15% by 2030.
“Such a significant hike in VAT would lead to a sharp rise in the prices of essential goods and services, further worsening the economic hardship facing many Nigerians,” Zikirullahi said.
CHRICED expressed concern over the President’s 2025 budget proposal, which allocates N16.33 trillion (or 45% of aggregated revenue) for debt servicing, larger than the four largest sectoral allocations combined.
“This budget proposal fails to inspire confidence for 2025, on the basis of what we consider the absence of any commitment to social justice,” Zikirullahi said.
The organization also condemned the recent wave of defections by opposition lawmakers to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which has destabilized the local political scene and sparked a broader trend of defections from opposition parties within the National Assembly to the APC.
The TIMES HAUSA reports,CHRICED called on the government to prioritize the needs of the people, particularly the poor and vulnerable, and to take urgent steps to address the rising levels of poverty, inequality, and injustice in the country.
“We urge the government to subject itself to some deep and honest reflections on the performance of its economic policies, to avoid a continuation of the suffering witnessed in 2024, and to chart a new experience for the people in 2025,” Zikirullahi said.