Welcome to our weekly roundup of top stories from 12–17 February, 2024.
Last week, we again called on President Bola Tinubu to act fast on the increasing cost of living in Nigeria. We also identified four ways the president has shown ‘love’ to Nigerians and condemned the proposed bill to regulate civil society.
E Don Red for Nigerians: President Tinubu, Time to Act Is Now!
Right now, in every part of the country, you are likely to find citizens complaining about the rising cost of living. Even food items once considered staples, such as rice, beans, eggs, and yam, are fast becoming a luxury, on top of the fact that the real income of Nigerians is shrinking by the day. We called on President Tinubu to act immediately as Nigerians dey see ‘shege pro max‘. Read more
Valentine: Four Ways Tinubu Can Show Love to Nigerians
President Tinubu has spent eight months in office, and in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we identified four ways the president can show Nigerians love amidst the high cost of living in the country. Read more
Overbilling of 7.1 Million for Electricity: NERC Must Sanction Discos
Unfortunately, even amid the ‘shege‘ many Nigerians are seeing, we found out that power distribution companies (DISCOS) overbilled about 7.1 million unmetered consumers for nine months! We have asked that the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) commit to regulatory compliance and consumer protection within the Nigerian electricity supply industry. Read more
NLC Wage Demand: Nigeria Needs Sustainable Economic Policies
The Nigeria Labour Congress’s (NLC) statement on the possibility of a minimum wage of up to one million naira due to the high cost of living got us wondering if that is a sustainable solution. We demanded that President Tinubu and his administration focus on creating sustainable solutions to the economic woes bedevilling the nation to pave the way for sustainable development. Read more
Bill to Regulate Civil Society in Nigeria Needless
Amid the increasing hunger and hardship in the country, we concluded that a bill seeking to establish the legislative framework to regulate the activities of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Nigeria is needless. We called on lawmakers to step down any bill intended to gag civil society to avoid unintended consequences that could undermine democracy, development, and human rights in the country. Read more
Nurses’ Protest: Health Ministry Needs Urgent Reform
Another interesting matter that caught our attention was the protest by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) against a new circular on certificate verification by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). We asked the Minister of Health, Ali Pate, to implement measures aimed at reforming the health sector, including improving the welfare of health workers. Read more
Diri’s Second Term: How Bayelsans Can Hold Governor Accountable
We moved to southern Nigeria, where we asked the people of Bayelsa State to hold their governor and other public officials accountable following the inauguration of Governor Douye Diri for a second term in office. Read more
Mozambique: Why Government Must Protect Girls’ Right to Education
Away from Nigeria, a new report highlighted the need to ensure girls’ right to education during pregnancy and parenthood in Mozambique. We asked the government of Mozambique to adopt legally enforceable policies to ensure girls’ right to education during their pregnancies and parenting. Read more
Sudan Internet Shutdown: Government Must Respect Citizens’ Rights
Finally, in Sudan, we observed that the government was violating human rights as the people have resorted to writing letters to keep in touch with loved ones amidst the ongoing telecommunication and internet blackout across most of the country. We called on the Sudanese authorities to ensure telecommunication and internet services are fully restored across the country and bring to justice every reported case of rights violation either by the state armed forces or by the RSF. Read more
That is the roundup of some stories that made headlines last week. More headlines are available on Development Diaries.
