Nigerians are Bleeding – Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo

By Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo (BOS)

Nigeria is bleeding, and the people are suffocating under an administration that appears disconnected from the daily realities of the masses. Under *President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s* government, the economy has become a battlefield where only the rich and politically connected are surviving, while the poor are being crushed without mercy. Hunger has become normalised, insecurity has spread like wildfire, and hope is steadily being extinguished in the hearts of millions.

The removal of fuel subsidy, introduced without adequate preparation or cushioning measures, has plunged Nigerians into unprecedented hardship. Transportation costs have tripled, food prices have skyrocketed, and basic necessities have become luxuries. A bag of rice, garri, cooking oil, and even bread are now out of reach for ordinary citizens. Salaries remain stagnant, while inflation eats deeply into the little income people earn. The so-called “renewed hope” has translated into renewed suffering.
The naira has lostso much of its value that Nigerians now feel like strangers in their own economy.

Businesses are collapsing daily, small and medium enterprises are shutting down, and unemployment continues to rise. Graduates roam the streets without jobs, artisans can no longer afford raw materials, and traders struggle to restock their shops. Instead of clear, people-centred economic policies, Nigerians are fed with promises, grammar, and endless justifications.

Insecurity remains one of the greatest failures of this administration. Banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, and communal violence have become part of everyday life. Farmers are afraid to go to their farms, travellers are unsafe on highways, and entire communities live in fear of attack. From the North to the South, Nigerians are being abducted, killed, and displaced, while the government appears slow, reactive, or completely silent.

A government that cannot guarantee the safety of its citizens has failed in its most basic responsibility.

What makes the situation more painful is the growing perception of insensitivity at the top. While Nigerians tighten their belts, government officials continue to live in excess luxury convoys, expensive foreign trips, bloated governance structures, and insensitive policies. The widening gap between the ruling class and the suffering masses is alarming and dangerous. Leadership should be about sacrifice, empathy, and service, not arrogance and detachment.

The democratic space is also shrinking. Political intimidation, cross-carpeting driven by fear and survival, and the gradual drift toward a one-party dominance undermine Nigeria’s democracy. When opposition voices are weakened and dissent is treated as hostility, governance suffers. Democracy thrives on accountability, transparency, and healthy competition—not coercion and political bullying.

Nigerians are not asking for miracles. They are asking for sincerity, competence, and leadership that puts people first. They want policies that reduce hunger, not speeches that explain it away. They want security, not excuses. They want jobs, stable prices, and a future they can believe in.

History will judge this administration, not by propaganda or praise singers, but by the lived experiences of Nigerians. The anger, frustration, and despair across the country are real, and they should not be ignored. A government that refuses to listen to the cries of its people risks losing legitimacy and moral authority.

Nigeria deserves better. Nigerians deserve dignity, safety, and economic justice. Until the government confronts these realities with honesty and urgency, the suffering will continue and the promise of renewed hope will remain an empty slogan.