Toyyib Adewale Adelodun, a personal development coach based in the United Kingdom, has criticized the Nigerian government for ignoring the low-income earners in the country.
Adelodun, a trained engineer, stated that the government’s lack of concern towards the vulnerable people in Nigeria is unacceptable and should stop.
He called on authorities in the country to have verified data on low-income earners in Nigeria to assist them when needed.
His words:
“Nigeria must continue to aggressively collect data. We are missing out on critical opportunities to look after the most vulnerable in our society.
“The elderly, the widows and widowers, the little orphans, people living with disabilities, and the unemployed actively looking for work.
“How are they faring now that the subsidy is gone? Have we not started giving them something yet? Covid was an opportunity for data collection. Can we implement Cacovid lessons?
“Even the richest countries look after their poor. Why are we looking unconcerned? We can’t continue like this!”
Adelodun’s concerns came amid reforms the Bola Tinubu-led administration embarked upon, which some experts say has left many Nigerians more impoverished.
According to the World Bank, four million Nigerians already fell victim to poverty in the first half of this year, and another 7.1 million are predicted to follow suit if appropriate steps are not done to mitigate the effects of the loss of fuel subsidies.
In reaction, Amnesty International Nigeria stated that
“The Nigerian authorities must urgently put in place measures to protect the rights of people most affected by the removal of the fuel subsidies and prioritize addressing widespread hunger, higher unemployment and the rapidly falling standard of living.”
