Many Nigerian children are now fighting on behalf of the cost of living crisis within the country. It is possible 29 children will face legal repercussions.
The cost of living in Nigeria has been on a steady incline since 2016. That trend includes rising inflation prices on food and rent, but no raise in minimum wage and average salary. The causes of inflation are varied, as inflation has been on the rise all over the world with the war in ukraine.
But, BBC a left-leaning new source reports, “ He told the BBC's Newsday programme that the previous government had asked the country's central bank for short-term loans to cover spending amounting to $19bn. The bank printed the money, which helped fuel inflation, Mr Adebajo said” (Ogbonna).
Again, this has been a prevalent issue in Nigeria for the past couple of years. With one of the largest populations in Africa and a serious hunger issue per the Global Hunger Index, many civilians have gone to forms of protesting.
This is where violence arises from the side of the government. In August, CNN reported “at least 20 people were shot dead and hundreds more were arrested at a protest demanding better opportunities and jobs for young people.”
Nigerian officials continue to resort to violence, with the possibility of 29 children from said protests being sentenced to death for affiliating with the organizers of some protests.
This issue has now escalated beyond belief. Nigeria now needs to look for a solution to solve the cost of living crisis, as well as reevaluate their legal systems and protections of citizens. Reporters can continue to comment on Nigeria’s current situations, but the reality is there’s not a solution out there that is completely feasible.
Cost of living and inflation is going up globally. With a global inflation rate of 6.8% in 2023 alone, no country is immune to these conditions. As no country is immune, no country has a solution. So, the Nigerian people are now left with little to no resources to provide for themselves and their families, and have the possibility of being penalized for protesting.
Countries like the U.S. or England happen to have some government subsidized programs that can help, in small amounts, to keep families afloat or at least provide them with food to eat. While Nigeria also has some nongovernmental programs like FINCA, it is not nearly enough to hold up an entire nation.
Nigeria again seems to be in an unstable place from a legality and economic perspective. While it is unknown what will happen to future protesters, a call to action is needed for the sake of the country, and most importantly its people.
Works Cited
Chinedu Asadu. "Nigerian Protesters Defy President's Request to Stop amid the Worst Cost-of-Living Crisis in Years." The Seattle Times, 5 Aug. 2024, www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nigerian-protesters-defy-presidents-request-to-stop-amid-the-worst-cost-of-living-crisis-in-years/.
"FINCA Nigeria." FINCA International, 4 Apr. 2022, finca.org/locations/africa/nigeria. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
"Nigeria." Global Hunger Index - Peer-Reviewed Annual Publication Designed to Comprehensively Measure and Track Hunger at the Global, Regional, and Country Levels, 2019, www.globalhungerindex.org/nigeria.html.
"Nigeria: 29 Children May Be Sentenced to Death for Protesting against Cost-of-living Crisis | CNN." CNN, 3 Nov. 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/11/02/africa/children-face-death-penalty-cost-of-living-nigeria-intl-latam/index.html#:~:text=Nigeria's%20 population%20 of%20 over%20210,record%20lows%20against%20the%20dollar.
Ogbonna, Nkechi. "Why Nigeria's Economy Is in Such a Mess." BBC, 27 Feb. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68402662.
"What the Cost of Living Crisis Looks like around the World." International Rescue Committee, 7 Nov. 2022, www.rescue.org/article/what-cost-living-crisis-looks-around-world.
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