On Friday, a gathering of young individuals in Osogbo, Osun State, peacefully protested against the escalating cost of living. They urged the government to promptly address the pressing issue.
The demonstrators, brandishing placards bearing messages like 'change the unfavorable policies,' 'Nigerians are suffering, we can't cope anymore,' and 'We are humans, stop mistreating the citizens,' congregated along MDS Road, Osogbo, early in the day.
Despite a significant presence of police personnel near the protest site, the youth continued singing songs reflecting the frustration felt by many Nigerians due to the challenging economic conditions.
Speaking to the protesters, Mr. Waheed Lawal, the chairman of Osun Civil Societies Coalition, declared that the protest would persist until the Federal Government devises solutions to the ongoing economic hardships afflicting the nation. He emphasized the need for the government to alleviate the people's suffering and create better living conditions.
Lawal expressed discontent with the current state of affairs, stating, "Nigerians deserve the best. They promised us renewed hope, but what they are giving us now is renewed hardship. We reject renewed hardship in our lives and in our economy because Nigerians deserve the best."
He also highlighted concerns about insecurity, emphasizing the need for the government to provide adequate security for citizens' lives and property. Lawal argued that any government failing in this constitutional responsibility forfeits its status as a government.
In related protests earlier in the week, youths and women took to the streets in Minna and Kano, decrying the rising cost of living. In Niger, women blocked the busy Minna-Bida Road, urging action on the issue of hunger in the country.
Addressing the food crisis, President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediate release of over 102,000 metric tons of various grains from the National Food Reserve and the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria. This temporary response was disclosed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, after a series of meetings of the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention at the Aso Rock Villa on Thursday.