No fewer than 144 persons have been killed by herdsmen in the two north central states of Plateau and Benue states in the last two weeks, as the blood-letting continued late Tuesday, with the killing of at least 13 persons, while scores of others sustained injuries, with over 50 houses razed.

Recall that within the period, 104 persons, comprising 52 in Bassa local government area and another 52 in Bokkos LGA of Plateau State, were killed by the marauding herdsmen, while at least 40 were also killed in Benue State.

In Benue, three persons were killed on April 3 when a Benue Links bus was ambushed at Ikobi community in Otukpo Local Government Area, LGA, while on April 10, two farmers were murdered by the marauders in Gwer West LGA.

Same day, three persons were killed at Mbasombo community also in Gwer East LGA, while the latest attack on Otobi Akpa in Otukpo LGA and the boundary with Nasarawa State claimed the lives of at least 13 persons, with several others declared missing.

Aside from the killings in the north central states, Boko Haram insurgents also on Tuesday, attacked Adamawa communities in Hong local government area, killing seven persons, while scores of others are still missing.

The latest killings in Benue on Tuesday evening, came as Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State yesterday announced prohibition of night grazing, transportation of cattle by vehicles after 7:00 pm, and restriction of the use of motorcycles from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am across the state until further notice, as part of measures to ward off the marauding herdsmen.

The attack on Otobi Akpa community started at about 6:00pm from the popular Otobi junction when over 20 armed herdsmen in a commando style, shot sporadically at anybody they sighted.
They also set ablaze no fewer than 50 houses.

Unfortunately most the of the vigilantes who could have stopped them from entering the main town to perpetrate their mission, had moved to Adim village of Akpa to attend a burial.

The terrifying sounds of gunshots created palpable fear as many took to their heels, while others who were curious to know what was happening ran into the herdsmen who opened fire on them, killing at least 13 persons in the process, while many escaped with gunshot wounds.

Some other victims were butchered with cutlasses, with their brains scattered around the scenes they were killed.
Investigation revealed that the killer herdsmen invaded Otobi Akpa and other Akpa communities to resist the law against open grazing which stopped them from grazing their cattle in the area.

One of the elders of the community, Adikwu Ogbe, who lamented the attack, recalled that Otobi Akpa community was one of the most peaceful communities in Idoma land, noting that in the past, the community had lived peacefully with Fulani herders until recently when they (herders) started bearing sophisticated arms and threatening the locals.

Recall that about three weeks ago, a security guard with Otukpo dam was shot and dismembered by herdsmen who enter Otobi village and shot sporadically in a night attack.

At the time of filing this report, many residents were seen fleeing the community, while search for those missing was in progress.

There was also no sign of security presence in the affected areas.

Benue State Deputy Governor, Samuel Ode, in company of heavily armed security operatives, yesterday visited the area to sympathise with many of the residents who are currently taking refuge at the Federal Government College, Otobi.

He appealed to them to remain calm, assuring that measures were being put in place to end further attack by the killers herdsmen.

Meanwhile, the community has become a ghost town as virtually everyone has fled the area for fear of another attack.

7 killed, many more missing as Boko Haram insurgents attack Adamawa community

While the herders are running riot in Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa states, Boko Haram insurgents in the early hours of yesterday, launched an attack on Adamawa communities in Hong local government, killing seven persons, while scores of others have been declared missing.

The attack, which is the fourth this year, occurred in the quiet communities of Banga and Larh and some adjoining villages in Hong LGA.

At least seven persons were confirmed dead, including a vigilante, killed by detonated explosives.

The assault also saw a police van shattered by the explosives, though its occupants miraculously escaped unharmed.
The attack in Banga claimed three lives, including two men shot dead by insurgents and a woman who fell and died during the stampede in nearby Larh.

According to locals, the attackers came in their large numbers and started shooting sporadically in all directions in the community .

“In the twinkle of an eye, the entire communities were deserted as people scampered in different directions for their lives,” Ma’am Yakub, an eyewitness told Vanguard.

He said in the ensuring confusion, many people got missing as their whereabouts are unknown.

The attack became more dreadful following the tragic loss of a vigilante in Banga, who was killed when a bomb detonated during efforts to secure the area.

“It’s heartbreaking that we are losing our people to these monsters, and now, even those protecting us are now the targets,’’ said a community leader who requested anonymity.

Local sources noted that the insurgents often plant such devices to deter security operatives from pursuing them, a strategy that had repeatedly disrupted response efforts.

The chairman of Hong local government council, Mr Waang Inuwa, who confirmed the attack, called for more military presence in the communities .

The attack on Banga and Larh underscores the persistent threat posed by Boko Haram in North-Eastern Nigeria, despite claims by authorities that the group had been significantly weakened.

“We feel abandoned. These attacks keep happening, and we’re left to fend for ourselves,” another community leader lamented .

Mutfwang prohibits night grazing, transportation of cattle

To restore calm and strengthen vigilance in Plateau State, Governor Caleb Mutfwang yesterday announced the prohibition of night grazing, transportation of cattle by vehicle after 7:00 pm, and the use of motorcycles restricted from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am across the state until further notice.

The governor in a state-wide broadcast, said the security measures were effective from Wednesday, April 16th.
His words: “I speak to you today (yeterday) not only as your governor but as a fellow son of Plateau who shares in your anguish and feels the weight of the pain inflicted upon our people.

“We are once again confronted by sorrow as heart-wrenching attacks have taken the lives of innocent citizens in our communities.

“In the late hours of Sunday, April 13, the calm of Kimakpa area of Kwall District in Bassa LGA was shattered by violent assaults on Zike village. Innocent men, women, and children were murdered in cold blood.

“Homes were torched, properties ravaged, and entire families were left in agony. These attacks occurred, even as we were still mourning the loss of over 50 lives in Bokkos.

“The scale, frequency and intent of these atrocities are unmistakable. Let us be clear: this is not random violence. This is not an isolated conflict between farmers and herders. What we are witnessing is a systematic and premeditated campaign—one that seeks to displace, destabilise, and instill terror and fear in our people and communities.

“The tragic echoes of Dogo Na Hawa, Riyom, Barkin-Ladi, Mangu, and the Christmas Eve massacres in Bokkos remain vivid. The cycle continues, but it must not endure. Enough Is Enough!

‘’As your governor, I stand resolved—Plateau shall not be overrun by fear, nor shall we accept this culture of bloodshed as the new normal. My administration is intensifying efforts to protect our people and enforce the rule of law across all local governments.

“Only days ago, I visited Hurti, Mbar, Manguna, and Daffo to witness, first hand, the devastation left behind by the terrorists. I had earlier stopped at Ruwi, where mourners were brazenly attacked at a wake.

“What I saw moved me profoundly—the suffering of displaced families now crammed into churches and temporary shelters, their lives uprooted overnight.

“But let me reassure you: my government is alive to its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property, and we are rising to the occasion more determined than ever.

“For far too long, our beloved state has made the headlines for the wrong reasons, thereby casting a shadow over our immense potential and deterring the inflow of much-needed foreign direct and local investments.

“These investments could have been the catalyst for harnessing our abundant natural resources and lifting our people out of poverty. We cannot afford to let this unfortunate reality persist.

‘’Despite this sorrow, the strength and courage of our people continue to inspire me. I extend heartfelt appreciation to the national and state emergency management agencies for their prompt response in providing emergency aid and comfort to survivors.

“I hereby announce the following measures, effective Wednesday, April 16th, night grazing of cattle is strictly prohibited, and transportation of cattle by vehicle is banned after 7:00 pm. The use of motorcycles is restricted from 7:00pm to 6:00am across the state until further notice.

“We are also activating community-based response systems. I urge traditional leaders and youth associations to reactivate local vigilante groups and organize night patrols in coordination with the security agencies. We must protect our communities while upholding the rule of law.”

The governor furthermore mandated the newly inaugurated Inter-Religious Council to begin immediate engagement with all stakeholders to address the deeper issues surrounding these attacks.

“I shall also be appointing a special envoy on peace to lead grassroots consultations and intelligence coordination as a fact-finding committee, comprising respected independent voices, to investigate the root cause of this resurgence in violence and offer actionable recommendations.

Vanguard

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has likened social media to a "terrorist organisation," calling for decisive action against its role in spreading misinformation. His remarks come amid repeated efforts by the Nigerian government, particularly the National Assembly, to impose stricter controls—and even criminal penalties—on social media usage.

Speaking on Tuesday at the seventh executive committee meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council in Maiduguri, the Sultan warned that fabricated stories circulating online could worsen Nigeria’s fragile security situation.

"What happened has happened. It can’t come and be through social media. That’s one terrorist organisation…social media. Social media is a terrorist organisation," he declared.

"Somebody will sit in his comfort zone and formulate stories, and you will think it is true. So, social media is a terrorist organisation that we must deal with. Security agencies must deal with this terrorist organisation called social media."

His comments align with previous legislative attempts to regulate online speech. In 2019, the Senate introduced the Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill, which sought to criminalize "false" social media posts with fines and jail terms. Though met with public outcry, the bill resurfaced in different forms, including the 2021 Social Media Bill, which proposed stiff penalties for "misinformation."

Critics argue such measures threaten free speech, while supporters, including some lawmakers and now prominent traditional leaders like the Sultan, insist they are necessary to curb unrest.

Abubakar also expressed concern over recent attacks in Plateau State and other states, calling them "worrisome" and demanding urgent attention.

"We are not happy with what is happening either on the Plateau or other places," he said.

As debates over social media regulation intensify, the Sultan’s stance adds weight to the government’s push for tighter controls—raising questions about where Nigeria will draw the line between security and civil liberties.

Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of dismantling the foundational pillars of Nigeria’s federal structure and worsening the nation’s social, political, and economic conditions.

In a scathing statement jointly signed by its Leader, Oladipo Olaitan, and National Publicity Secretary, Justice Faloye, Afenifere said it is “alarmed at the rate and audacity” with which the Tinubu government is allegedly “destructuring” Nigeria, noting a steady erosion of democratic freedoms, institutional checks, and economic stability.

“Instead of restructuring towards a prosperous and egalitarian federation, Tinubu is destructuring Nigeria with his autocratic attack on the fundamental pillars of democratic federalism,” the statement read.

Afenifere accused the administration of suppressing dissent, pointing to the recent banning of the politically charged song “Tell Your Papa” by rapper Eedris Abdulkareem as evidence of shrinking democratic space. The song was a direct response to controversial remarks made by Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, regarding the country’s situation.

“The ban signals a leadership disconnected from citizens’ realities and inclined more to autocratic control than fostering freedom and creativity,” Afenifere stated, warning that such actions threaten artistic expression and public discourse.

On the economy, the group criticized what it called “ultraliberal policies” like the removal of fuel subsidies and currency floating, blaming them for spiraling inflation, rising unemployment, and eroding purchasing power. According to the group, these policies have compounded the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

“The promise of economic prosperity remains unfulfilled, marooning the majority in hardship. Rather than offer succour, the government is further suffocating the democratic space,” it said.

Afenifere also raised alarm over worsening insecurity, referencing recent data from HumAngle’s Conflict Tracker which reported 1,420 deaths and over 537 kidnappings in the first quarter of 2025 alone. It condemned fresh attacks by bandits and Fulani herdsmen in Plateau, Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Nasarawa states, and renewed calls for the federal government to ban open grazing and adopt ranching as a long-term solution.

In Ondo State, four communities in Akure North LGA were attacked, resulting in the deaths of 20 residents and the abduction of nine surveyors. In Benue State, armed herders reportedly killed three members of the state’s security force, sparking widespread protests and property destruction.

The group reiterated its demand for the establishment of state police, insisting that a single national police force cannot adequately secure a nation as large and diverse as Nigeria.

“Politics aside, best practices tell us that one police hierarchy cannot meet the security demands of a country like ours. Yet, for political reasons, the Tinubu administration continues to resist state policing,” Afenifere said.

The group declared its solidarity with Nigerians facing “insecurity, economic hardship, and suppressed freedoms,” and urged the government to shift from rhetorics to real reform. It called for policies that would stimulate economic growth, protect free speech and assembly, and ensure safety for all citizens.

“We urge the government to implement pragmatic plans geared toward collective safety, equitable development, and freedom for all,” the statement concluded.

Afenifere’s remarks add to the growing voices of concern over Nigeria’s current trajectory under the Tinubu administration, reflecting broader calls for political restructuring, social justice, and inclusive governance.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

France helped Zelensky write apology letter to Trump – Politico

French diplomats reportedly helped Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky write a conciliatory letter to US President Donald Trump in a bid to help the two leaders mend ties, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing an anonymous official.

Relations between Trump and Zelensky soured following the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Washington in late February. During a meeting at the White House, which included US Vice President J.D. Vance, Zelensky pushed back against Trump’s attempts to get Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.

In response, Trump and Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for US support and “gambling with World War III” by refusing to engage in peace talks with Moscow. The meeting was cut short and Zelensky was told to leave and come back only when he is ready for peace. Trump also temporarily halted all US military assistance to Ukraine after the heated exchange, but later resumed support after Kiev agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposal.

Despite resumed contacts, relations between Zelensky and Trump have remained strained, Politico noted. In the weeks after the row, diplomats in France, Germany and the UK “sweated over how to try and repair the badly damaged relationship between Trump and Zelensky,” the outlet claimed.

While British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was holding calls with both leaders and sent advisors to both Washington and Kiev, French diplomats were helping Zelensky write a letter seeking reconciliation with Trump, Politico wrote, citing a French official.

While the content of the letter has not been made public, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has stated that it contained an apology from the Ukrainian leader for the Oval Office scandal. The US president also confirmed receiving an “important” letter from Zelensky in which the latter had expressed his readiness to “come to the negotiating table as soon as possible.” 

Russia and Ukraine subsequently agreed to a 30-day partial ceasefire under which the two sides were to refrain from targeting each other’s energy infrastructure. However, Moscow has since accused Kiev of breaching the truce on an almost daily basis.

Meanwhile, following a five-hour-long meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, Witkoff stated on Monday that the Ukraine peace process was on “the verge” of a breakthrough. He also acknowledged that the Russian leader is pursuing a permanent resolution of the conflict, a position that Moscow has consistently articulated from the beginning.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Mass drone attack kills two, injures at least 16 in Ukraine's Dnipro, governor says

A Russian mass drone attack killed two people and injured at least 16 on Wednesday evening in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, the regional governor said.

Serhiy Lysak, governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, wrote on the Telegram messaging app that a young woman and an elderly woman had been killed.

Lysak said 16 people had been injured, including three children, aged 11, six years old, and nine months. Five people were being treated in hospital.

Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov, also writing on Telegram, put the number of injured at 28.

The attack triggered several fires.

Filatov said one strike came within 100 metres (110 yards) of the municipal offices. He also said at least 15 dwellings had been damaged, as well as a student residence, an educational institution and a food processing plant.

Pictures posted online showed a large blaze and firefighters working at the scene well into the night, as well as gutted vehicles and buildings with smashed windows and damaged facades.

In northeastern Kharkiv region, governor Oleh Syniehubov said a Russian missile attack injured two people in the town of Izium. The town was captured by Russian troops in the early days of the February 2022 invasion, but was retaken by Ukrainian forces later in the year.

RT/Reuters

Perhaps the most telling moment in the National Broadcasting Commission’s ban of rapper Eedris Abdulkareem’s track, “Tell Your Papa” is its acknowledgement that the song was already trending on social media. If they knew that many of us had already listened to the song, and we have almost endless means to access the track anytime we wanted, why did they impose a ban on it? Of what use is such a ban in a country where the reach of social media surpasses that of broadcast media houses? How many people get their news from the traditional media compared to those who rely on ubiquitous social media apps where materials like “Tell Your Papa” freely circulate?

As much as I agree with observers who have challenged NBC on free speech, there is also more than a violation of democratic rights at work here. The NBC’s banning of a protest song they consider “objectionable” (to whom, anyway?) is telling of the analogue intelligence that runs this country, a realisation as frightening as the loss of fundamental human rights. This lack of organisational reflexivity and stimulation towards continuous self-reinvention explains why the Nigerian society always seems to be stuck in the same spot.

This is, of course, not to dismiss the aspect of fundamental rights. The ban is one of the countless instances of the assault on free speech under the present administration, a government ironically peopled by men who boast about their record of once “fighting for democracy”. Yet, nobody has done more to diminish democratic freedoms in Nigeria than these so-called activists. One of the instruments of their insidious warfare is, of course, the police. Currently, the police have made it their job to subvert free speech by elevating what should otherwise be inconsequential social exchanges to the level of “threat to public peace” and proceeding to act on it with unwarranted violence. This has become so recurrent that we are as good as inured to their excesses.

The other weapon through which free speech is being corrupted is the activities of public administrations like the NBC. Several times in this column, I have raised issues with the NBC and its obsequious tendency to court the favour of the government in power by punishing media houses that give a voice to a dissenting part of the populace. There was a time the NBC would release a bulletin listing the names of electronic broadcast stations that said one or two things they found “objectionable” and fine them heavily. Once, Bayo Onanuga cried wolf because a broadcast on one of the television stations had gotten his feelings hurt and the next thing the NBC did was slam a fine on the media house. They are that openly partisan. Even basing its objection to “Tell Your Papa” on its supposed objectionable contents would have been entirely hilarious if this were a satire. How is a song composed to protest an oppressive government expected to be inoffensive? Funny, but only in the way a tragedy makes you laugh to keep from crying.

What is really infuriating is that NBC is run by civil servants who probably have no serious idea what it takes to maintain a business in an economically hostile society like Nigeria. If they manage a backyard poultry, you can bet they will run it down. Those lacking an idea of what it takes to build an enterprise are more inclined to pursue aggressive tactics that threaten the survival of businesses. The NBC slams heavy fines on media houses that refuse to grovel before the powers that be, while conveniently forgetting that broadcast media are economic enterprises that must not only cater to an audience but must also make enough money to keep afloat. The civil servants in NBC have no such insights. Its job is to listen to the radio and television day and night, nitpick a few sentences they deem anti-government, and chase down the business with a fine. Thankfully, the court reined in its excesses by ruling on its fine as an administrative overstep. Now they are back in the public eye, seeking relevance by banning a song that gives voice to the many dissensions roiling contemporary Nigeria.

Yet, one cannot help but wonder what relevance organisations like the NBC have in the digital age. Why does it still exist? First, we live in a world where communication can be said to be out of control. Global media systems have empowered us to act outside the limits of the nation-state, and those of us in underdeveloped countries under repressive governments have been prime beneficiaries of this technological advancement. There are no borders on the internet, thankfully. The capitalist forces that control the algorithms (the technology that determines the range of what we see on our social media pages) have no use for our petty Nigerian issues; they will not shut down social media because a Tinubu does not like a song.

When I say the NBC ban on “Tell Your Papa” goes beyond the very vital matter of free speech, it is because I am sincerely perplexed by the failure of the NBC—and by extension, the Federal Government that funds it—to reinvent itself for a digital age. It is stubbornly stuck to the analogue means of managing the parameters of public discourse. While the world has changed significantly, it holds on to the illusions of a glorious past where it controlled the electronic media and, consequently, the range of public speech. NBC’s ineffective bans also reflect other larger systemic issues: the people running this country demonstrably lack the dynamism and flexibility to continuously reinvent and (re-) organise their administrative mandate to match social reality. This is a story of underdevelopment sponsored by the leaden-footedness of a leadership class that cannot cultivate its instincts to adjust to a world where the ground beneath its feet has long shifted.

This failure to reposition themselves to confront the dictates of the new world speaks to the broader issues of leadership and management, a crisis of imagination that haunts us at many levels. Its effects are reflected in the recrudescence of our national crises, to which we respond by marshalling the same old arguments as we did the last time. Hardly anything ever changes, and when all we do is relive the former moments, we appear to be stuck in history. Things have gotten so repetitive that you know the best even the Presidency will do to address the recurring spate of killing orgies under his watch is to “condemn” the violence and then deflect the responsibility just like he did the last time and as his predecessor also did. There are no solutions, not because our problems are irresolvable, but because our rulers are bored and can no longer stimulate themselves to fresh, vivacious thinking. When the leadership fails to reinvent itself and falls back on the same old methods that once worked, they also lose the opportunity to infuse vitality into the polity. Everything will appear to be dead still.

Finally, I do not know the extent to which Seyi Tinubu— the President’s son at whom the song was directed—influenced the media ban, but the NBC did him no favour. Even if the ogas at the top had pressured it to ban the song as a gesture of loyalty to Tinubu, there are more than enough contemporary experiences to which they could have referred to their paymasters to warn them that banning a song in the age of Twitter was a bad idea. What exactly did the song say that we do not say every day? Seyi, too, is not exactly a private citizen. He has been all over the place, ostentatiously lapping up the privileges that come with being the President’s son. So, why is someone like that beyond criticism? Does he have two heads, or why exactly does he deserve a pass? Even if this ban was a self-directed organisational decision by the NBC, the ban is still an imprudent one. Someone at NBC must really hate Seyi to have done this.

Punch

Feelings around money tend to drive a good deal of financial decision making, experts say. “Money is 90% emotion, 10% logic,” says certified financial therapist Khara Croswaite Brindle, owner of Croswaite Consultingin Lafayette, Colorado.

It pays to know your “attachment style” when it comes to your funds, she says. Once you understand how managing finances makes you feel, you can develop a healthy relationship with money. Here are two of the most common mindsets that can cause problems:

Anxious money attachment. People with this mindset tend to relate to finances the way they would to a person they’re afraid of losing, says Croswaite Brindle. The clinginess often stems from a fear that money will disappear without warning and never come back.

So they may be quick to pull funds out of the stock market during a temporary dip, or to underspend on things that would improve their lives — like therapy, vacations or professional development.

What to do about it: Challenging yourself to check your bank account balance twice this week instead of three times a day would be a great place to start, Croswaite Brindle says. 

The goal is to “rework what money feels like, somatically,” she says. That can mean helping yourself feel safer in the presence of money, say, by playing soothing music or wearing comfy clothes during check-ins.

Avoidant money attachment. “For avoidant folks, money is just out of sight, out of mind,” says Croswaite Brindle. “Like an ostrich with its head in the sand.”

Ignoring money decisions doesn’t make them disappear, though. Over time, this habit can result in late fees, unmanageable debt or missed opportunities to build wealth.

What to do about it: Start small. “Just getting regular, healthy exposure to money is important,” Croswaite Brindle says. Sit down with a timer set for five minutes and log into your bank account, she suggests — even if all you do is look at your balance.

Another tool Croswaite Brindle recommends is body doubling, or reviewing your finances sitting next to someone you trust. That presence can both ease emotional resistance and offer accountability.

CNBC

A devastating new report reveals that 50.1 percent of Nigerians now spend virtually their entire monthly income just to put food on the table, highlighting the crushing economic hardship facing ordinary citizens under President Bola Tinubu's administration. The Nigerian Consumer Outlook Report, which surveyed over 7,000 Nigerians across all six geo-political zones, paints a grim picture of a population struggling to survive amid soaring inflation and punishing economic reforms.

The report, conducted by Lagos-based SEID, exposes the harsh reality that more than half of Nigerians earn less than N100,000 monthly, revealing the severe income inequality and financial strain that has intensified since Tinubu's government implemented a series of controversial economic policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira.

The economic downturn has forced a significant shift in survival strategies, with nearly one-third (31.7%) of Nigerians now depending on self-employment as their primary income source. Meanwhile, skyrocketing electricity costs under the current administration have pushed 18.5% of households to invest in solar energy solutions as they seek alternatives to the increasingly unaffordable national grid.

Education no longer guarantees financial security in today's Nigeria, with the report highlighting that even educated workers struggle with underemployment. Those with advanced degrees earn more but face severely limited access to well-paying jobs in an economy battered by policy-induced inflation and instability.

Survival mode has become the new normal for most Nigerians, with families drastically cutting spending on non-essentials. Luxury and lifestyle categories such as fashion, travel, dining out, premium gadgets, and high-end beauty products have seen sales plummet as middle-income earners adjust to the harsh economic realities created by the administration's policies.

Managing Partner at SEID, Tubosun Akeju, noted that the average Nigerian consumer today faces a fundamentally different landscape than just a decade ago, with recent government policy changes dramatically altering how citizens navigate their economic realities.

Partner at Dentons ACAS-LAW, Afolabi Caxton-Martins, described the report as capturing "the lived realities of Nigerians" as they struggle to adapt to the country's rapidly deteriorating economic environment under the current administration.

As the economic crisis deepens, the report serves as a stark reminder of the growing hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians who continue to bear the brunt of the Tinubu government's harsh economic policies with little relief in sight.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​