Mass Protests Loom Over Soaring Food Prices — Lawan Warns

Ahmed Lawan

Nigeria on Brink of Mass Protests Over Food Prices, according to Lawan

“If food costs keep going up, there will be a large-scale protest...”

Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan warns of mass protests if food prices continue to rise, urging government action to address the issue and prevent widespread demonstrations.

Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan warns that if the three branches of government do not cooperate to lower food costs and excessive electricity rates, there will be widespread protests.

Lawan was participating in a discussion about a motion that Sunday Karimi, a senator from Kogi West, had sponsored.

Karimi made a motion addressing the issue of “food insecurity.”

In light of the deteriorating economic conditions, the former president of the Senate stated that Nigerians should not be underestimated.

“If we don't take urgent actions on increased food prices and electricity tariffs, we will not like the actions we will see on the streets,” Lawan said.

“We cannot take the people for granted for too long.”

The Kogi West senator had earlier stated that the elimination of the fuel subsidy had caused the price of staple foods to increase by more than 300 percent.

“Insecurity in food-producing regions, bad roads, increase in the cost of transportation attributable to the removal of fuel subsidy and depreciation of the value of the naira, are possible factors that have contributed to the increase in prices of food items, household commodities,” he said.

“The greater percentage of the increase in prices of food items and consumables is not only due to these factors but to the zest of the merchants, traders, and retailers to make supernormal profits.”

The appropriate government ministries and agencies were tasked by the senate to address the issue.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the matter to a voice vote, and it was approved.