Economic Crisis: CNG Laments That Most Northerners Can’t Afford One Square Meal Per Day

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has expressed concern over the worsening economic conditions in Northern Nigeria, stating that many citizens are struggling to afford even one square meal a day.

On Saturday, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) expressed concern that due to ongoing insecurity and socio-economic challenges in the region, many people in the North are unable to afford even one meal a day.

The groups revealed this information during a one-day community engagement event in Katsina, chaired by Professor Sani Abubakar Lugga, the fifth Wazirin Katsina.

The focus of this engagement is: “The Necessity of Public Involvement in Addressing Nigeria’s Socioeconomic Challenges Through Community-Based Solutions.”

Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the National Coordinator of the Coalition, told reporters that insecurity in the Northern Region is advancing unchecked. Therefore, it is essential to find a lasting solution to this issue.

Charanchi asserts that the period for lamenting is over, as nearly every Nigerian acknowledges the country’s significant issues.

Many people can no longer afford three square meals a day. In fact, some are struggling to even secure one nutritious meal daily.

Insecurity is rampant in the North. We’ve observed various reasons for this and have realized that not only are the leaders unprepared to tackle these issues, but we also bear some responsibility ourselves. It’s crucial for us all to contribute if we want to find a way out of this difficult situation.

Following the stakeholders’ roundtable in Abuja, the CNG has decided to involve community members so that everyone can learn how to contribute towards addressing issues like insecurity, economic hardship, and other crises affecting the North.

“The primary goal is for the community to understand how they can help address the issues affecting the region. We have carefully chosen participants, primarily leaders from various organizations. Following this meeting, these leaders will be tasked with convening their groups and sharing all of the information they’ve acquired,” he stated.

Charanchi, while discussing the issue of corruption in Nigeria, argued that various challenges facing the country—including corruption itself, insecurity, economic difficulties, and deteriorating infrastructure within the education and health sectors—indicate a leadership crisis.

If we truly strive to make the right choices, we can elect leaders who genuinely care about our country. We can choose leaders with compassion and those who act as messengers of integrity. By selecting individuals who will treat this nation as they would their own family, there is no doubt that we’ll achieve success in governance.

It’s quite unfortunate that we lack true leaders in this country. Instead, we’re left with only politicians whose primary concern is winning the next election. In contrast, a genuine leader focuses on ensuring the well-being of future generations.

Appealing to leaders for change seems futile because I question whether they have a fear of God. I’m not convinced our leaders believe in an afterlife, possess any sense of humanity, or acknowledge that serving others is akin to serving God.

We have leaders who are primarily focused on their own interests, seeking to enrich themselves and mismanage the public funds.

“The only viable solution is for the community to unite in understanding that we are collectively the government, rather than viewing it as a separate entity. Let’s start by getting things right at our constituency level,” Charanchi stated.

In his speech, Dikko Radda, the Special Guest of Honor and Governor of Katsina State, praised the organizers of the meeting and noted that the State Government has made significant efforts to address insecurity.

The governor, represented by the State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Bala Zango, announced that Katsina has emerged as a role model in addressing insecurity in the North.

He, however, urged the youth to take lessons from the negative experiences seen during the recent nationwide Hunger/End Bad Governance protests, where he noted that disruptive elements exploited the situation by turning peaceful demonstrations into violent ones.

This community engagement has addressed insecurity and other challenges that have impeded the development and progress of both the North and Nigeria as a whole.

The Katsina State Government has excelled not only in security and the economy but also across all sectors.

I am encouraging young people to learn from the adverse events during the recent nationwide hunger and End Bad Governance protest, where disruptive individuals turned a peaceful demonstration into a violent one.

“Instead of protesting, let’s choose dialogue as the most effective solution to problems. We’ve witnessed the loss of lives and destruction of property due to protests,” he remarked.