Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has lamented that President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies have deepened poverty in the country.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television, Falana asserted that the country’s middle class has been wiped out.
He said the President’s policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies and currency liberalisation, have worsened the cost-of-living crisis for Nigerians.
He said, “I have seen the President ask APC governors to ‘wet the ground’ more, but as far as the masses of our people are concerned, things are getting tougher by the day because of the harsh economic crisis in the country, which the president recognise that Nigerians all over the country are complaining that things are getting tougher for them.
“Because of the religious implementation of neoliberal policies by the government, poverty is on the ascendancy. That will require a review of these policies.”
Falana condemned the government’s continued drive towards privatisation, stating it runs contrary to efforts to reduce income inequality.
He stated, “You cannot be addressing income inequality in a country while handing over the nation’s resources to a few people in the name of privatisation.
“Most Nigerians cannot afford three square meals a day. The middle class has been wiped out by the neoliberal policies of the government.”
He urged the government to “go back to the drawing board” and reconsider policies influenced by international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank.
“It is in the interest of the government to review its policies as soon as possible,” he stated.
Falana also called for urgent legal backing for social welfare programmes to alleviate the current hardship, referencing the National Social Investment Programme, which was codified under the Social Investment Programme Agency Act in 2023.
“To eradicate poverty, we must begin by implementing welfare laws,” he said.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]