Stop Celebrating Growth Amidst Poverty, Unemployment, CSO Tells Govt

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Transparency International Chapter in Nigeria, has urged the federal government to stop celebrating improved economic growth projections while millions of Nigerians continue to grapple with poverty, unemployment, hunger and worsening economic hardship.

This is coming after the World Bank reviewed its growth projections for Nigeria upward from 4.0 per cent to 4.3 per cent with the growth outlook for 2027 and 2028 put at 4.4 per cent following the various reforms undertaken by the government.

CISLAC in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said there was little justification for celebrating rising government revenue when public debt continues to accumulate, corruption and waste remain concerns, businesses are struggling and many Nigerians cannot afford basic necessities.

It noted that economic success should be measured by improvements in the lives of citizens rather than economic statistics that have little meaning to struggling households.

CISLAC also raised concerns over the lack of sufficiently transparent and verifiable evidence showing how savings from the removal of fuel subsidies have improved Nigerians’ living conditions.

According to the organisation, Nigerians have endured higher transportation costs, increased food prices and severe economic sacrifices following the removal of the subsidy, while many are still waiting to experience the promised benefits.

CISLAC called on the government to disclose how much has accrued from subsidy removal, how the funds have been distributed among the three tiers of government and the measurable improvements delivered with the resources.

“The Federal Government must publish a comprehensive, independently verifiable account of subsidy-related revenue gains, allocations, expenditure and project outcomes,” it said.

CISLAC stressed that Nigerians should not be repeatedly asked to make sacrifices while government fails to demonstrate sufficient accountability for the resources generated from those sacrifices.

The organisation also expressed concern over the continued dependence on public borrowing without adequate public evidence of productive returns from previous loans.

It called on the National Assembly to stop treating executive borrowing requests as matters for automatic approval, warning that lawmakers must not become a rubber stamp for the accumulation of debts that future generations will be forced to repay.

CISLAC also urged lawmakers to demand comprehensive information on the purpose of proposed loans, financing conditions, interest rates, repayment obligations, project feasibility, procurement arrangements, expected economic benefits and implementation records of previous borrowing before approving new debt.

It also called for rigorous public scrutiny, stronger independent oversight and the rejection of borrowing proposals that lack convincing justification, transparency and measurable development value.

It urged the government to prioritise job creation, food security, affordable electricity, healthcare, education and support for productive businesses, backed by measurable poverty reduction targets.

“Nigerians do not eat GDP figures, and subsidy savings that cannot be translated into visible improvements in citizens’ welfare cannot be celebrated as economic success,” it said.