When Government Say 'We Dey Progress' But Your Pocket Say 'No'

Photo: The Punch

My people, make we yarn about this matter wey dey pain me for mind. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) don come out to blast the Federal Government over this their celebration of GDP growth figures. While government dey dance say our economy dey grow, ordinary Nigerians dey cry say things hard pass kerosene wey no dey light fire.

Government Statistics vs Street Reality: The True Story

You see, the thing be say when economists and politicians dey talk GDP growth, na mathematics dem dey speak. But when mama Ngozi wey sell tomatoes for Mile 2 market dey talk, na survival language she dey speak. The ADC don point out wetin many of us don observe - say these beautiful numbers wey government dey present no dey translate to better life for the masses.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria's GDP growth rate for the third quarter of 2023 stood at 2.54%. On paper, this figure looks encouraging, but the ADC argues that this growth is not reflecting in the lives of ordinary citizens who are grappling with unprecedented inflation rates and massive unemployment.

The Inflation Wahala: When Money No Get Value Again

Bros, let's talk about this inflation matter seriously. The latest figures from the NBS show that Nigeria's inflation rate hit 27.33% in October 2023. Wetin this one mean? E mean say if you buy rice for N1,000 last year, that same rice go cost you about N1,273 this year. No be joke o!

This inflation rate na the highest we don see in almost two decades. Food inflation alone reach 30.64%, meaning say the money wey you use buy provisions for house last month no fit buy the same quantity again this month. Na why mama dey complain say she no fit cook the kind soup she used to cook before.

• Transportation cost don skyrocket due to fuel subsidy removal
• Housing rent don increase across major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt
• School fees don climb mountain, putting education beyond the reach of many families
• Healthcare costs don make some people choose between buying drugs and buying food

Unemployment: The Silent Killer of Dreams

Talk about unemployment, and you go see say the matter worse pass what statistics dey show. While the official unemployment rate stands at 4.1% according to recent NBS figures, many experts argue that this figure no capture the full picture of joblessness in the country.

When you calculate underemployment and those wey dey do work wey no pay dem well, the figure go shock you. Young graduates dey stay house for years without meaningful employment. Some don turn to Yahoo-Yahoo, some don join kidnapping gang, while others don japa to other countries in search of greener pastures.

ADC's Position: GDP Growth Na Just Number Game

The ADC leadership, through their national publicity secretary, don make their position clear. They argue say celebrating GDP growth while citizens dey suffer na like dancing while your house dey burn. According to them, any economic growth wey no translate to improvement in the standard of living of the people na fake growth.

The party specifically mentioned that despite the reported GDP growth, Nigerians are still battling with:

• Irregular power supply affecting businesses and households
• Poor road infrastructure making transportation expensive and dangerous
• Insecurity affecting farming activities and business operations
• High cost of borrowing making it difficult for small businesses to grow

The Real Impact: Stories from the Ground

Make we no just talk statistics, make we look the real impact. In Lagos, many families don reduce the number of meals they eat per day from three to two. For Kano, farmers dey complain say the cost of fertilizer and farming equipment don make agriculture less profitable. For Port Harcourt, many small businesses don close down because they no fit cope with high operational costs.

Even for Abuja, civil servants dey struggle to make their salaries last till month end, despite recent salary increases. The purchasing power of the average Nigerian don reduce significantly, and this one dey affect how people dey live their daily lives.

What Government Need to Do

The ADC don suggest say instead of celebrating GDP figures, government should focus on policies that will bring direct relief to the people. These include:

• Immediate intervention in the power sector to reduce electricity costs
• Investment in agriculture to reduce food prices
• Creation of more employment opportunities through industrialization
• Better security to encourage farming and business activities

My people, the truth be say until government policies begin to reflect positively in the pockets and stomachs of ordinary Nigerians, all these GDP growth celebrations go continue to sound like mockery to those wey dey struggle to survive. We need growth wey we go see, feel, and chop, not just the one wey dey exist for paper.

As we dey talk this matter, make we hope say government go listen to the voice of the people and focus on inclusive growth wey go benefit everybody, not just the statistics wey dem dey use impress international donors.