Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed deep concern over the catastrophic rise in the cost of living across Nigeria.
HURIWA warned that the country is fast approaching a socio-economic breaking point driven by policy missteps, weak economic management, and a troubling absence of accountability.
A statement by comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, national coordinator of HURIWA, stressed that it is both ironic and indefensible that Nigeria, a major crude oil producer, now records some of the highest petrol prices among oil-producing nations.
Onwubiko noted that this reflects a profound failure in energy policy, the prolonged neglect of domestic refining, and the painful consequences of poorly managed subsidy reforms.
HURIWA also noted that data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) confirmed what Nigerians are experiencing daily that included; runaway inflation, crushing food prices, and a steady erosion of purchasing power.
It further said that independent assessments by the World Bank and other global rating institutions painted a grim picture that Nigeria is grappling with rising poverty, stagnant growth, and deepening inequality at a scale that threatens national stability.
The group also said that unemployment has reached crisis proportions as millions of young Nigerians remain locked out of meaningful economic participation, while those employed are facing declining real incomes.
It also said that the informal sector—long the country’s economic shock absorber—is itself under severe strain.
HURIWA also condemned what it described as the “persistent dysfunction” in the power sector under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It noted that as a result, businesses are collapsing under the weight of unreliable electricity, while households are forced into expensive alternatives, and economic productivity continues to suffer.
HURIWA said; “The absence of clear, measurable progress in power generation and distribution underscores a systemic governance failure.
“Equally disturbing is the pattern of underperformance in the implementation of capital budgets over successive fiscal years.
“The apparent disregard for the Appropriation Act—through delayed releases, poor execution, and lack of transparency—amounts to a serious breach of public trust and constitutional responsibility.
“Such lapses, which should ordinarily attract sanctions, have instead been met with silence and impunity. Nigeria cannot continue on this trajectory without severe consequences.
HURIWA therefore called for urgent, practical interventions that can deliver rapid relief and restore confidence such as fuel price stabilisation through local refining, fast-track operationalisation of domestic refineries—public and private—to reduce import dependence and ease petrol prices within months.
HURIWA also canvassed for ‘Emergency Food Security Plan’ to aide direct support to farmers, subsidised transport for food distribution, and aggressive measures to curb post-harvest losses to bring down food inflation quickly.
It also called for power sector shock reform to grant full autonomy to states and credible private investors to generate and distribute electricity, bypassing bottlenecks in the current centralised system.
HURIWA particularly called for ‘Enforced Budget Discipline’ and the publication of capital budget performance reports, backed by legal consequences for any breach of appropriation laws in addition to ‘Targeted Social Protection’.
HURIWA insisted that governance must translate into measurable improvement in the lives of citizens, stressing that the present gap between policy pronouncements and lived reality is dangerously wide.
The group noted that Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads, thus the government must move beyond promises and act with urgency, competence, and transparency.
HURIWA said that anything less risks deepening public despair and eroding national cohesion, stressing that the
Nigerian people deserve relief, accountability and leadership that works.
