𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗪𝗔𝗝𝗨: 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗣𝗘𝗢𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗡𝗢 𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬:

By oluwatosin Babatunde

The government may be at work at least, that’s what the press briefings, televised interviews, and official documents tell us. Policies are being rolled out. Reforms are being announced. Figures and statistics are being reeled out, carefully packaged to paint a picture of progress. But there’s one crucial question that remains unanswered: progress for whom?

Because, for the average Nigerian, life remains a daily struggle. Poverty is no longer a condition for a few it is fast becoming the national identity. Hunger is widespread, not just in rural communities but in urban slums and even among salaried workers who now live from debt to debt. And while the government touts its revamping policies, they remain largely cosmetic numbers that don’t translate into meals, jobs, or lower cost of living.

The Nigerian people are asked to make sacrifices, over and over again. Yet, the same cannot be said of the country’s political and legislative elite. These leaders elected to serve continue to live in excessive comfort, with emoluments that insult the sensibilities of struggling citizens. Allowances run into millions; convoys remain bloated; perks keep growing paid for, ironically, by the very people who can barely afford to put food on the table.

Then come the rising prices and tariffs. Electricity tariffs are up, fuel prices remain high, food inflation has gone out of control, and transportation costs are crippling. Every month, there’s a new directive that seems to make life harder rather than easier. Nigerians are being made to finance the cost of governance an inefficient, oversized, and often indifferent system while getting less and less in return.

So when government officials ask the people to be patient, when they promise that things will get better eventually, they must understand this: people are tired. Tired of being told the same story. Tired of believing in a better tomorrow that never comes. Tired of carrying a nation that does not carry them.

Nigerians need more than hope they need relief. Real, tangible relief. They need policies that translate into cheaper food, affordable transport, accessible healthcare, and dignified employment. They need to see their sacrifices reflected in the lives of those who govern them. Until that happens, the growing disillusionment will only deepen.

Governance must be felt not just heard. Otherwise, belief in the system will continue to erode, and when that happens, even the best policies will lose their meaning.
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