A civil society group, The Osun Masterminds (TOM), has sounded the alarm over the deepening economic hardship in Nigeria, urging President Bola Tinubu to urgently reassess his policies to combat widespread poverty.
Speaking during its February State of the State address in Osogbo on the 26th of February, 2025, TOM’s Executive Director, Prof. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, did not mince words in assessing the administration’s economic direction.
While acknowledging efforts to revive the economy, he lamented that these policies have yielded adverse effects, plunging Nigerians from cyclic poverty into a harsher state of multidimensional poverty.
He stated, “It is obvious that the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is making several efforts at reviving and rejuvenating the economy of the nation, however, we make bold to say that the results of this effort on Nigerians is negative, hence, the pervasive poverty seen all over the country.”
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According to him, the removal of fuel subsidy has triggered inflation across essential goods and services, from daily necessities to electricity and telecommunications, making life increasingly unbearable for citizens.
In light of this crisis, TOM has called on the president to urgently rethink and implement more effective poverty alleviation strategies to address the worsening economic conditions.
Additionally, the group condemned the recent hike in data and call service charges by telecommunications companies, emphasizing that such increments have further exacerbated the financial struggles of Nigerians.