Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), numbering 52 have raised the alarm that Nigeria is on the brink of collapse, urging the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to improve on the quality of governance.
The CSOs, in a joint statement released on Tuesday, called for urgent and responsible leadership as well as collective action to save the nation from escalating insecurity, rising poverty and moral decay in public life.
The CSOs are Yiaga Africa, Action Aid, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Centre for Democratic Research and Training (CRDDERT), Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and Centre for Transparency Advocacy.
Others are: Centre for Social Justice, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), #FixPolitics, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), Media Rights Agenda, Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN), Peering Advocacy and Advancement Center in Africa (PAACA), Social Action, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC).
They lamented that across the country, citizens count losses while politicians trade rhetoric. They said: “In Zamfara, displaced farmers now live on crumbs in squalid camps. In Abuja, a teacher spends half their income on transportation. In Lagos, families skip meals to pay rent. Yet, federal, state, and local governments continue to enjoy record revenues and allocations.
“Politics has become Nigeria’s biggest business, even as the country suffers. Removing subsidies, floating the Naira, and increasing public debt have significantly boosted government revenue”.
The CSOs noted that in just the last two years, federal budgets have surpassed ₦100 trillion, exceeding the total of all budgets from 1999 to 2017. They observed that Nigerians see the numbers but nothing has improved, as public services falter, inequality grows and ordinary citizens become poorer while politicians get richer from larger allocations.
On security, the Coalition stated that, “killings, abductions, and displacement have become commonplace. Entire communities across the North and Middle-Belt are deserted. Security cooperation remains weak, and political will appears absent. Rural banditry has devastated livelihoods, disrupted food supplies, and caused inflation to rise above 15%. Hunger looms over millions of homes, while farms lie abandoned in fear. From schoolchildren in Sokoto to commuters in Abuja, kidnapping has become a nationwide industry. Paying ransom has replaced access to safety”.
They further bemoaned the shrinking civic space in which journalists face harassment, activists face threats and peaceful protesters are silenced, saying democracy that fears its citizens is already in decline.
They also expressed concerns over threats to democracy and 2027 elections, noting that politicians focus on succession battles while citizens struggle for survival. “The manipulation of political systems and the erosion of trust threaten Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and future stability. The inability to curb the influx of illicit funds into the political space”, the groups stated.
The CSOs equally maintained that justice delayed or influenced is justice denied, saying political interference in courts has eroded the judiciary’s former trust.
“Nigerians deserve relief, justice, and dignity, not just slogans. We call for urgent action from the government and its institutions. Deliver economic justice – convert record revenues into tangible improvements; social protection, job creation, accessible healthcare and affordable food.
“Restore security and humanity; coordinate national security efforts, enhance intelligence capabilities, and make community protection a clear, measurable priority. End corruption without exception; prosecute offenders swiftly, disclose public spending transparently, and restore ethics in governance”, they demanded.
The CSOs stated that Nigerians are paying the price of political excesses hence leadership cannot continue politicking while the nation bleeds, sayingc “Every Naira of public money must be felt in the life of the ordinary citizen; anything less is betrayal. We stand with every Nigerian facing hunger, insecurity, and hopelessness.
“We stand for justice, equity, and good governance. The time for excuses is over; Nigeria must choose humanity over politics”, they added.
