₦airaland Forum

Guestmale:
😂😂😂Bulalah for elderly people.Toooooooooh

bcomputer101:
From Hunger to Hope: Reflecting on Nigeria’s Journey Since “Ebi n Pawa”

“Ebi n pawa!” That expression — “We are hungry” — wasn’t just a complaint two years ago. It was a cry from the soul of a nation. It echoed from Lagos to Kano, Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. You didn’t need a microphone to hear it; it was in the faces of mothers at the market, fathers at the bus stop, young men on the streets, and children waiting for meals that never came. It became the anthem of pain, the chorus of a people grappling with the shock of sweeping reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his very first week in office.

Nigeria was in turmoil, not because the policies were necessarily wrong, but because their timing hit a society already living on the edge. So the question we now face — two years later — is both urgent and fair: Are we still that hungry?

Back in May 2023, when Tinubu took the reins of power, the foundation of the Nigerian economy was cracked. No, not cracked — shattered. The nation was drowning in debt, most of it incurred not for building railways or factories, but for paying salaries, maintaining a fuel subsidy that lined the pockets of the rich, and defending an artificial exchange rate that stifled growth.

What the new president inherited was more than a moribund economy; it was a ticking time bomb. Oil had already been sold forward, meaning Nigeria was effectively broke. There was no money coming in from crude exports — our primary source of income — because it had been mortgaged in advance.

The previous administration of Buhari had quietly printed money, devaluing the naira without the courtesy of telling the public. But Tinubu couldn’t cry foul too loudly — some of those who caused this mess were his political allies.

He could have chosen the path of least resistance, the usual Nigerian way: kick the can down the road and pretend everything was fine. But he didn’t. In one of the boldest opening acts in Nigerian political history, he removed the fuel subsidy.

Suddenly, the price of fuel tripled. Transporters raised fares. Traders hiked prices. Even sachet water vendors felt the pinch. The people who were already struggling now felt like they were suffocating. The frustration was real, and so was the anger. Social media went ablaze. Protests flared. Opposition voices got louder. “Ebi n pawa!” they cried — and rightly so.

But that wasn’t the end of the storm. Next came the unification of the exchange rate. Nigeria had operated a dual-rate system for years, one for the privileged few who accessed dollars at official rates, and another for the rest of us who scrambled for forex in the black market. It was a system ripe for corruption, creating billionaires overnight while choking real businesses.

By merging the rates, Tinubu wiped away a major incentive for fraud. It wasn’t smooth — it never is. The naira plunged. The cost of imported goods spiked. But this was the price of honesty, of facing the truth about how things really were.

So, yes, we were hungry. But that hunger wasn’t just about food. It was about the pain that comes with correction — the sting of necessary surgery. The old system was bleeding us dry, and for once, someone decided to stitch the wound instead of just covering it up with another bandage.

Fast forward two years, and the picture is beginning to shift. No, it’s not yet paradise. Inflation is still biting. Prices of rice and garri still bring tears to the eyes. But compared to the chaos of 2023, we’re not where we used to be. Take a closer look — not with emotions, but with the eyes of understanding — and the signs of progress become clear.

Today, Nigeria has exited the IMF debtors’ list. That’s not just a statistic — it’s proof that we are no longer borrowing just to survive. The Tinubu administration cleared a $1.61 billion debt and restored Nigeria’s credibility on the global stage. Foreign investors are watching, and they’re starting to return. The stock market is booming. When he took over, the All Share Index stood at 55,738 points. Now, it’s over 103,000. Market capitalization has crossed ₦63 trillion. That’s not magic — it’s investor confidence fueled by clearer, bolder policies.

And what about infrastructure? The fuel subsidy money is no longer going into the pockets of oil marketers. It's now being used to build things we can see — roads, rail lines, and power projects that matter to everyday life. The Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund is not just a slogan; it’s real. The foundations are being laid for a stronger, more connected Nigeria.

Tinubu's federal government has embark on major road construction and rehabilitation projects across all geopolitical zones, from the Abuja- Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway, the 9th Mile-Oturkpo-Makurdi Road, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Abuja-Lokoja-Benin Road, Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Oyo-OgbomosoRoad, Sokoto-Badagry Road, Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Second Niger Bridge Access Road to Bodo-Bonny Road among hundreds of ongoing road projects across the country.

Let’s talk food. Yes, hunger still exists. But the grip of the grain cartels — those faceless hoarders who manipulated scarcity for profit — has been broken. When the price of rice soared beyond ₦100,000, Tinubu’s team didn’t just watch. They acted. Tariffs on food imports were suspended. Mechanized farming equipment was imported from the US, Brazil, and Belarus. Local farmers received incentives.

Gradually, food production is rising. The goal is clear: Nigeria must feed itself. The youth have not been left out. From the Skill-Up Artisans Programme to the National Youth Talent Export initiative, young Nigerians are being prepared to compete globally.

NYSC members now earn ₦77,000, up from ₦33,000. That’s not just a raise — it’s dignity restored. And for those struggling with tuition, the Student Loan Scheme now offers real hope. No one should drop out because they can’t afford fees, and that’s the message this administration is sending.

Even the average Nigerian can now dream of owning appliances or even a car through the Consumer Credit Corporation. Over ₦200 billion has been set aside so that ordinary citizens can buy goods and pay over time. For a country where “cash and carry” was once the only way, this is revolutionary.

Security is still a challenge, yes, but there’s movement. The military has been better equipped. Inter-agency coordination has improved. Kidnappings haven’t disappeared, but many sleeper cells have been dismantled. The approach is shifting — not just guns, but intelligence and strategy.
Revenue?

In just six months of 2024, government revenue rose by ₦9.1 trillion. That’s more than double what we had in the same period the year before. And for the first time, all three levels of government — federal, state, and local — are receiving steady, increased allocations. That means more power to the grassroots, where change is most visible.

Wages have gone up too. The new national minimum wage stands at ₦70,000. Not everyone in the informal sector is feeling it yet, but it's a signal — that this government recognizes the dignity of labor and is ready to walk the talk.

Still, let’s not pretend that all is well. Many Nigerians are tired. The pain of the past two years is real. Prices are still high. The naira still needs more stability. And the wounds from the fuel subsidy removal are still fresh in many homes.

But transformation is never painless. It comes with dislocation. It requires sacrifice. And it demands patience. What Nigeria is undergoing is not just reform — it’s a full-blown economic reset. We’ve moved from illusion to reality, from quick fixes to long-term solutions. It hurts now, but it heals later.

And so we return to that haunting slogan: “Ebi n pawa.” Are we still hungry? Not in the same way. We are no longer hungry because of hopelessness; we are hungry because we are in transition. We are adjusting. We are healing. And we are learning to live in a system that finally tells the truth.

The hunger of 2023 was panic — confusion in the face of sudden change. The hunger of 2025 is different. It is the hunger of a nation finding its feet, discovering its strength, and realizing that growth is a process. But processes need time. Buildings need completion. Foundations need walls and roofs. We cannot afford to abandon the journey at halftime. President Tinubu has started something bold — something rare in our history. He didn’t play to the gallery. He played for the future. Now that we see the first fruits, do we go back to the same policies that brought us to the brink? Or do we press on?

Let’s be honest with ourselves: for any meaningful reform to succeed, continuity is key. Interrupting this process in 2027 would be like removing a doctor halfway through surgery and expecting a miracle. Nigeria cannot afford to go back to subsidy games, dual exchange rates, and lazy borrowing. The path is tough, yes. But it’s also clear. And with Tinubu at the wheel, the destination is visible.

So, no — we are not as hungry as we were. We are still hungry, but now with hope, with direction, and with purpose. We are no longer lost. We are no longer blind. We know where we’re going. And if we truly want to see the end of this hunger — not just a temporary fix but a lasting solution — then we must let this government finish what it started.

Come 2027, we must not change direction for the sake of change. We must hold on to the one leadership bold enough to break the old and build the new. Because what Nigeria needs is not just another election — what it needs is consistency, courage, and continuity.

LegalWolf:
Complete nonsense. And I say this with all sense of seriousness. The judiciary upheld Peter Obi's election when he demonstrated substantial non-compliance with the law. They did that for Bayelsa and Zamfara few years ago, despite the fact that the ruling party stands to benefit the most.

Asue can NOT prove his victory. It is short and simple. Let him go and work on his strategy on the field in the coming election circle.

armadeo:
such a beautiful article.

Posted at 1 pm. See how many comments.


People just saw the length of the article and gave up.

If it was yansh or party or relationship matter it would have gotten to page 10 by now.

Nigerians