CSOs Lament State Of The Nation,Say Nigeria On Brink Of Collapse
By Abdullahi Yusuf
A total 52 Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) in Nigeria on Tuesday bemoaned the current State Of The Nation, warning that the country is on the brink of collapse.
In a joint statement tagged:”A Call To Action By Nigerian Civil Society Organisations,” the CSOs lamented that the country is bedeviled by escalating insecurity, rising poverty and moral decay in public life.
The CSOs include:21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth Initiative,ActionAid Nigeria, Accountability Lab, Nigeria,Abuja School of Social and Political Thought,Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ),African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD),African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL),Africa Law Foundation,Alliance on Surviving COVID 19 and Beyond (AACAB) and Amnesty International Nigeria.
Others also include:Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP),BudgIT Foundation,Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity,Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD),Centre for Democratic Research and Training (CRDDERT),Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD),Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID),Centre for Transparency Advocacy,Centre for Social Justice and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).
“Nigeria is on the brink of collapse. We, the undersigned Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), acting as non-partisan advocates for democracy, human rights, and good governance, issue this urgent plea for responsible leadership and collective action to save our nation from escalating insecurity, rising poverty, and moral decay in public life.
“Across the country, citizens count losses while politicians trade rhetoric. In Zamfara, displaced farmers now live on crumbs in squalid camps. In Abuja, a teacher spends half her income on transportation. In Lagos, families skip meals to pay rent. Yet, federal, state, and local governments continue to enjoy record revenues and allocations.
Politics has become Nigeria’s biggest business, even as the country suffers. Removing subsidies, floating the naira, and increasing public debt have significantly boosted government revenue. In just the last two years, federal budgets have surpassed ₦100 trillion, exceeding the total of all budgets from 1999 to 2017. Nigerians see the numbers, but nothing has improved. Public services falter, inequality grows, and ordinary citizens become poorer while politicians get richer from larger allocations,”the groups said.
They observed that killings, abductions, and displacement have become commonplace, and that the entire communities across the North and Middle Belt are deserted, while security cooperation remains weak, and political will appears absent.
The CSOs further lamented that rural banditry had devastated livelihoods, disrupted food supplies, and caused inflation to rise above 15 percent, while hunger looms over millions of homes and farms lie abandoned in fear.
“From schoolchildren in Sokoto to commuters in Abuja, kidnapping has become a nationwide industry. Paying ransom has replaced access to safety.
“Journalists face harassment, activists face threats, and peaceful protesters are silenced. A democracy that fears its citizens is already in decline.
“Entrenched graft continues to drain public resources. Citizens hear about trillion-naira budgets, yet roads stay impassable, hospitals are empty, and schools are in disrepair. Accountability has been replaced by excuses,” the CSOs said.
They also observed that despite increasing government revenue, the economy still harms the poor; inflation, unemployment, and currency instability have worsened inequality, while poverty has become Nigeria’s most noticeable institution.
“Politicians focus on succession battles while citizens struggle for survival. The manipulation of political systems and the erosion of trust threaten Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and future stability. The inability to curb the influx of illicit funds into the political space.
“Justice delayed or influenced is justice denied. Political interference in courts has eroded the judiciary’s former trust,” they pointed out.
The groups stated that Nigerians deserve “relief, justice, and dignity, not just slogans,” and called on the government and its institutions to urgently deliver economic justice,convert record revenues into tangible improvements: social protection, job creation, accessible healthcare, and affordable food.
They also urged the government to restore security and humanity: coordinate national security efforts, enhance intelligence capabilities, and make community protection a clear, measurable priority.
“End corruption without exception: prosecute offenders swiftly, disclose public spending transparently, and restore ethics in governance.
“Defend democracy from being hijacked: end the politicization of institutions, establish political finance integrity mechanisms, ensure electoral reforms before 2027, and maintain internal party democracy.
“Uphold rights and freedoms: respect dissent, protect journalists and activists, and defend civic space from intimidation.
“Urgently rebuild trust in the judiciary: guarantee independence, deliver timely judgments, and make justice accessible to all citizens.
“Nigerians are paying the price of political excesses. Leadership cannot continue politicking while the nation bleeds.
“Every Naira of public money must be felt in the life of the ordinary citizen; anything less is betrayal.
“We stand with every Nigerian facing hunger, insecurity, and hopelessness.
“We stand for justice, equity, and good governance.
“The time for excuses is over; Nigeria must choose humanity over politics,” the CSOs added.