Fresh protests broke out on Tuesday as labor unions mobilized for nationwide demonstrations to rail against the economic hardships. The hashtag #EndHungerProtest has also trended on social media.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu campaigned on a “Renewed Hope” manifesto that promised to grow the economy and “deliver food security and affordability.”
But one protester’s placard said the country is now experiencing “Renewed hunger for the people.”
Nigerians are also grappling with high transport costs that rose sharply after Tinubu ended subsidies on petrol during his inaugural speech in May, saying it was unsustainable and a drain on public finances.
However, he came under fire months later for approving a budget that allocated millions of dollars for purchasing luxury vehicles for the presidency, and to cover the cost of renovating the president’s residential quarters amid the country’s mounting debts.
More than 80 million Nigerians survive on less than $2 a day, representing “the world’s second-largest poor population after India”, according to the World Bank.
Nigeria’s finance ministry announced Monday it had resumed a cash transfer of 25,000 naira ($15.88) to vulnerable citizens for the next three months to ease the hardship in the country.
The government also endorsed a 2012 recommendation from a presidential committee that recommended cuts to government staffing levels.