It is the long wait that they only need to worry about because soon, every Nigerian graduate be it from a polytechnic or university, would get direct payment to their bank accounts while they mobilise to access limited work opportunities. This is what President Bola Tinubu has promised while lending the voice of his minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Mr Wale Edun.

At this period of heightened food prices, Mr. President has committed to doing all that can be done to assist in giving purchasing power to the poorest and in that line.

He has committed and instructed that the Social Security unemployment programme be devised, particularly to cater for the youth, for the unemployed graduates, as well as the society as a whole.

So, we have coming, in the nearest future, an unemployment benefit for the young unemployed, in particular.

This comment or pledge was the aftermath of a federal council meeting held at the state villa on Monday, 26 February. Mr Wale Edun had told reporters about the efforts going on within the administration that the president hopes would alleviate widespread suffering in Nigeria.

As of 8:00 a.m. the day after the meeting, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had already started to mobilise its members to begin a two-day hunger protest, which the federal government frowned against. The thinking of policymakers strictly considers disruptive public demonstrations lasting up to Thursday, especially now, as an economy killer.

Shutting down factories or ports while Nigeria is trying to earn a lot of money is not what everyone needs in the government’s thinking. Nonetheless, the national protest has gone on as the labour union seeks a befitting package for its members.

President Bola Tinubu is visiting Lagos in two days for the commissioning of the city’s Red Line Rail service, which is the second train infrastructure being launched in under a year.

If maybe a drone focused on the heads that congregated today around the Ikeja Train Station where the launch will be held on Thursday 29 February, its eagle eye would have captured young protesters gathering to restate their displeasure over the hardship they experience and see going on unabated.

But most of the calls made about speeding up things have only met President Bola Tinubu’s repetitive requests for patience, that soon the economy and food prices will start to look up and not down. Again, the minister made the appeal on behalf of the president earlier on the BBC World Service Newsday morning radio news programme.

ALSO READ: Food banks will feed the needy but Lagosians don’t want meal queues 

Highlights of Federal Executive Council decisions on Monday 26 February 2024 pic.twitter.com/ABctz5yULr

— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) February 26, 2024

For the middle-class worker, although that term hardly holds meaning in the current state of the economy where purchasing power is being eroded, there is coming [on the way] a social consumer credit programme, says Mr Edun.

By making consumer credit available, goods become more affordable, the economy even gets a chance to revive faster, because people have purchasing power that allows them to order goods, [and] products.

For now, all the reliefs being announced are simply mere thoughts. Spent and tired households are awaiting the goods.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.