These are not the best
of times in Nigeria. Long before July 21, 2016, when the Minister of Finance,
Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, officially confirmed that the country was 'technically in
recession,' it had been an arduous battle for survival for citizens, organizations
and governments at all tiers.
The first half of the
year was rough.
In spite of
government's assurances, Nigerians weathered the storm, bracing the challenge
of petroleum scarcity, epileptic power supply amid increase in electricity
tariff, removal of subsidy on petrol, hike in cost of food, goods and services,
unprecedented scarcity of tomatoes, skyrocketing exchange rate of the naira to
a dollar, backlog of unpaid salaries and mass retrenchment of workers.
Government kept
repeating that the tide would turn once the 2016 budget was passed and the
second half of the year would be better for the country and its citizens.
President Muhammadu
Buhari eventually signed the budget on May 6, raising the hopes of turnaround
with the injection of government funds across critical sectors of the economy.
With four months left
in the year, it's a stark reality of a depressed economy staring Nigerians in
the face as strange things are reported daily.
Organized and petty
crimes have been on the increase, unsecured pots of soup have become endangered
species, sale of human blood and organs for economic reasons is rife, and
frustrations have given rise to rampant cases of domestic violence, child abuse
and suicide.
The hunger is so
widespread that poultry farmers confess to skipping meals for their birds as
the cost of feed has risen by 100 per cent.
Even in the president's
home state of Katsina recently, there was a massive scramble for unwholesome
grain when the truck conveying bags of the suspected poisonous grains for
destruction broke down in a village.
When persuasion failed,
authorities had to engage the help of task force to retrieve some of the
poisoned grains in a bid to avoid devastating consequences.
The new economic
reality is affecting the lifestyle of Nigerians.
Today, an exchange of
pleasantries is incomplete without the word 'Change' in reference to the
evocative slogan that brought the present administration of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) to power.
The standard reply to
any untoward situation in the country is 'Chanji', the street version of APC's
motto - change.
A public affairs
commentator based in Kano State, Aminu Muhammad Ofs, last week recounted his
experience of the times, which has gone viral on social media.
He said: "I was
sitting with a guy who sells tea when an elderly man came and said 'Give me
'Buhari's mixture'. Without saying anything more, the man was given some tea
and small bread for a sum of N40.
I was baffled, so I
asked the seller what the man meant by 'Buhari's mixture'. He explained that it
means tea without milk plus a small loaf of bread.
"Again the next
day, I stopped by a small kiosk to get a battery for my wireless computer
mouse. While I was leaving, a guy came who said: 'Give me Buhari and Osinbajo.
I waited to see what he meant and the seller handed him garri and groundnut.
"I inquired from
the seller, who explained that garri is the street term for President Buhari,
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is groundnut, while Senate President Bukola Saraki
is sugar, slang for the staple foods the poor can afford."
Before now, Lagos State
was often referred to the city that never sleeps, because it is known for its
hustle and bustle from dawn to dusk.
The wind of recession
has blown all that away.
The bustling nightlife
is disappearing in the Centre of Excellence, as the city practically shuts down
and becomes a ghost town once it is 10p.m., even on weekends.
Due to the harsh
economic conditions in the country, Nigerians have developed some clever
methods of dealing with the tough circumstances.
According to a public
opinion survey by NOIPolls, released on August 10, 2016, 97 per cent of the
respondents said the recent economic realities have had a negative effect on
the wellbeing of the average Nigerian.
Some survival methods
discovered by the polls include cutting down on household expenses and luxury
items, resorting to prayers and hoping for a miracle, engaging in subsistence
farming, adjusting feeding patterns in place of the regular three-square meals.
A businessman, Emeka
Obinna told The Guardian that he has had to adjust the feeding patterns of his
family.
"I have a family
of six, with several other dependents. That's the only way we are managing to
survive. No more three-square meals. It is either breakfast and dinner, or
lunch and dinner. So, it is the 1-0-1, 1-1-0 or 0-1-1 formula I am operating
now with the little resources at my disposal," he said.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN