By ADEOLA AKINBOBOLA

Many residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have continued to groan over the economic hardship presently being experienced in the country.

The residents made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

They said the economic hardship had affected their livelihoods as they were finding it difficult to meet basic needs.

According to them, high transportation cost as well as high food prices are taking a toll on their income.

NAN observed that many residents are employing various survival strategies, including forming group savings schemes and reducing consumption.

Mrs Grace Okoro, a civil servant, said she and her family could no longer afford to eat three square meals daily due to the economic hardship.

Okoro lamented that her monthly salary was insufficient to cover basic needs such as food, transportation, school fees, house rent, and healthcare.

Another civil servant, Mr Abel Akpan, said the removal of fuel subsidy had been cited as a major driver of the increased cost of living, and had made the situation “unbearable”.

According to him, due to the high cost of living, many civil servants are heavily indebted, with salaries often committed to loan repayments before they are received.

He said the overall economic conditions were reportedly leading to a loss of morale, high stress levels, and low performance within the public service sector.

A taxi driver, Mr Adigun Lateef, said “e no easy for us as taxi drivers o, because we dey spend money on fuel, instead of food”.

Adigun also said that many taxi drivers were breadwinners of their families, noting that the reduction in their income had led to increased stress, and anxiety.

He called on the Federal Government to establish support programmes for taxi drivers, including financial assistance, and access to affordable alternative fuels like the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

Mr Celestino Odo, the Head of Programme and Policy at ActionAid Nigeria, frowned at recent economic policies, describing them as “widespread misery”.

Odo argued that the economic strain facing Nigerians was largely “man-made,” attributing it to a series of policy decisions including fuel subsidy removal, currency devaluation, and high interest rates.

He said the measures had significantly increased the cost of living without adequate safeguards for vulnerable populations.

According to him, while subsidy reforms may be necessary, their abrupt implementation without a structured transition plan has worsened economic conditions.

He noted that in many developed economies, including the European Union and the United States, subsidies remained integral to supporting critical sectors such as agriculture and social welfare.

On budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector, he said it was low, adding that the sector employed a significant portion of Nigeria’s population and remained critical to food security.

“You cannot neglect agriculture in a country where a large percentage of the population depends on it for livelihood,” he said.

On government interventions, Odo said palliative measures were insufficient, likening them to temporary relief rather than long-term solutions.

He urged authorities to focus on sustainable economic policies that addressed structural challenges.

Odo also identified insecurity as a major driver of poverty, noting that the displacement of farmers and rural communities had disrupted agricultural production and worsened food shortages.

He called for urgent action to restore security and enable citizens to return to farming activities.

He urged policymakers to realign their strategies in order to alleviate suffering and rebuild public trust. (NAN)

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