There is no doubt the fact that the economic reform of the Tinubu administration has come to stay as a compelling economic alternative; same is the biting effect on the citizens is consistently on the rise. Daily survival in the country is akin to war in many homes among the citizens. The difference between personal incomes versus basic consumables, healthcare services, school fees, feeding and other family needs continue to widen.
There has been a significant adverse impact on this issue on the economic survival of the citizens, a big and recurrent issue between the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and government.
Since last month, the NLC has been threatening a nationwide protest against attempt by operators to hike telecoms and electricity tariffs with the approval of the regulatory agencies. In its last National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Adamawa, Yola, NLC, the union described the biting economic challenges facing Nigerian workers and broader masses as “existential threats” in a statement it released last Sunday.
It warned the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) against breaching the agreement reached by the two parties on February 21, 2025, which reduced the initially proposed telecommunications tariff hike from 50% to 35%.
Also, another disconcerting issue is the planned reclassification of electricity consumers, a process of migrating consumers from lower bands to B and A under by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The workers took a strong stance against it describing the move as a “systematic exploitation, sanctioned by the Ministry of Power, is nothing short of economic violence against the working class and the broader Nigerian populace” by “a regime of corporate plunder and neoliberal enslavement” which “further deepen the misery of the Nigerian people through incessant tariff hikes, increased taxation, and relentless economic strangulation”.
It further highlighted the fact that “Whereas inflation has soared, wages remain stagnant, and the cost of living has become unbearable, the ruling class continues to transfer the burden of their fiscal irresponsibility onto the already impoverished working masses”.
We cannot agree less with the NLC’s position. Apart from the high inflation orchestrated by the removal of fuel subsidy, the introduction of the new regime of taxes, tariff hikes are very disturbing.
In other words, the burden of the economic reform on the citizens is becoming increasingly unbearable. Apart from telcom and electricity tariff hikes, there is a recently introduced hike in ATM, payTV service charges; there are taxes on electronic transfer, a new vehicular particular tax, and sundry charges. Meanwhile, rent, transportation, and prices of other goods and services are progressively on the increase.
We are very disturbed about the fact that, this reform has continued to breed poverty and misery. Just like so many other Nigerians, we are of the view that, the government needs a reliable policy action that will drastically reduce the economic pressure on the citizens.
In the absence of any sustainable social welfare package to cushion the side effects of the reform, the economic recovery process is going to continue to slow down and many more citizens will be pulled into the web of poverty. But the question is: How long will Nigerians continue to endure this situation? How long?
