Hunger, loans and freedom: Echoes of a nation in crisis

WHEN the video of Ushie Uguamaye, a youth corps member, went viral for criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration over worse economic condition, it did not only trend. It became a flash point of frustration. A wake-up call from Nigerians’ slumber and a great shake from the ever existing inertia we have always wallowed in.  Her emotional appeal resonated with many Nigerians who saw in her a voice of a struggling population. So, it sparked a nationwide protest, amplified by a  thirty days rant challenge across social media platforms.  It is trite to say that violation of citizens’ right have always been the order of the day in Nigeria. It is an anomaly that has come to stay. Yet, rather than address the root of these grievances, some presidential aides reacted by calling for punitive measures against Uguamaye—an action seen by many as a direct attack on the right to free speech. The backlash from government officials raised critical questions about the shrinking space for civic expression in Nigeria. For decades, Nigerians have borne the brunt of every national decision and policies that favoured the elite but neglected the majority. Under Tinubu’s administration, this has intensified. For example, key economic decisions, including the removal of petrol subsidy and resulting inflation, have pushed more people into poverty. These actions have triggered what many describe as a silent crisis—one that is beginning to find its voice through people like Uguamaye.

As a Nigerian myself, I have felt the pinch of this economic weight in more ways than I can count. Friends who once lived decently now ration meals. Conversations with relatives often circle back to cost of living, school fees, and job losses. There is a shared heaviness, a quiet grief, that hangs in the air. And when I watched Ushie speak, I did not just hear her voice—I heard ours. A more pressing concern is Nigeria’s heavy reliance on debt. On the 31st of March, 2025, Nigeria got a loan approval of $632m from the World Bank. A breakdown of the loan as revealed by The Punch indicated  “$80m for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria 2.0 project and $552m for the HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All programme.” While these initiatives appear beneficial on the surface, Nigeria’s debt history raises red flags. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, speaking in 2000, lamented the effect of compound interest on foreign loans. “All that we had borrowed up to 1985 or 1986 was around $5 billion, and we have paid about $16 billion, yet we are still being told that we owe about $28 billion… If you ask me what is the worst thing in the world, I will say it is compound interest,” he warned. Fast forward to today: Nigeria’s total public debt, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), stood at ₦121.67 trillion (approximately $91.46 billion) by the end of Q1 2024. This marks a sharp rise from ₦97.34 trillion ($108.23 billion) recorded just three months earlier, representing a 25 per cent increase. The scale and speed of this debt accumulation have raised concerns, even within the World Bank itself.

Debt, when well-managed, can be a tool for development. But when it is mismanaged, under-utilized, or used to finance non-transparent projects, it becomes a burden. In Nigeria’s case, that burden is increasingly borne by everyday citizens. Debt is one of the worst things to have ever betided Nigeria. While debt is not inherently a problem when it is properly diverted towards the development of a nation, the interest that accumulates over the borrowed money continues to widen the gap between development and underdevelopment in Nigeria. As these interest rates skyrockets, it continues to  cripple the growth of this nation. But we need not undermine the obvious. The clog in Nigeria development system. We need to take into consideration, the underlying intent of cynical,  myopic, selfish and “power controlling” individuals who sees  opportunity to loot national funds every time money is generated for the cause of the people. This is sad to the least because of what use is democracy in a country where its rulers are blinded with greed and bent on driving the country and people to its very dead end.  This raises the critical question a wise person once asked: “When exactly will Nigerians lead Nigeria?” This time, it is 65 years after independence and Nigeria is yet to be governed by Nigerians and this is quite disheartening.

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Ushie Uguamaye’s voice is a symbol of rising discontent. Her courage to speak truth to power reflects the frustration of many Nigerians who have grown weary of policies that promise much but deliver little. Silencing her would not stop the growing wave of discontent—it would only intensify it. Nigeria is at a crossroads. The government must understand that the anger boiling beneath the surface is not simply about economic indicators—it is about survival. Every policy decision reverberates through the homes of everyday Nigerians. And when voices like Ushie’s rise, it is not to destroy but to demand a country that works for its people. The time has come for leadership to listen—not with intimidation, but with accountability. If the government continues to govern with deaf ears and a heavy hand, the people will no longer whisper—they will roar.

•Sanusi, a 300 level student of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, is an intern at the Nigerian Tribune