By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described the recently approved reforms of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as largely superficial and insufficiently far-reaching, warning that the proposed changes risk undermining the original philosophy and national integration mandate upon which the Scheme was established over five decades ago.

In a statement by National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko,While HURIWA welcomes every sincere effort aimed at improving the welfare, security and employability of Nigerian youths, we are compelled to ask fundamental questions regarding both the content and process of the so-called reforms.
Why was the drafting of these reforms carried out without visible and meaningful participation of the organised civil society community, youth advocacy groups, labour stakeholders, educational institutions, security experts and the wider Nigerian public? Why has a matter as important as the future of the NYSC been treated as an administrative exercise rather than a national conversation involving all critical stakeholders?

The NYSC was established primarily as a vehicle for national integration, unity and inter-ethnic understanding following the Nigerian civil war. Its central objective was never merely vocational training or job placement. Consequently, HURIWA is concerned that the newly announced reforms appear to place excessive emphasis on entrepreneurship, skills acquisition and productivity while paying little attention to the Scheme’s foundational mission of fostering national cohesion.

If government intends to transform the NYSC into a predominantly skills-acquisition institution, then Nigerians deserve clarity on how this differs fundamentally from the statutory functions of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), which already exists to provide vocational training, entrepreneurship support and employment generation programmes.

Indeed, if the government’s long-term vision is to make skills acquisition the principal mandate of the NYSC, it may be more logical to harmonise overlapping functions by restructuring relevant agencies rather than altering the core purpose of a national institution designed specifically to promote unity among Nigeria’s diverse peoples.
HURIWA notes that the current NYSC programme already incorporates extensive skills-acquisition and entrepreneurship training through its Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) initiative.

The Scheme has for years partnered with private-sector organisations, development institutions and training providers to equip corps members with practical skills. Therefore, the government must clearly explain what distinguishes the proposed reforms from programmes that already exist within the NYSC framework.

More importantly, if escalating insecurity has raised legitimate concerns about the continued viability of nationwide deployment, then there should be credible, transparent and nationwide consultations to determine the future direction of the Scheme. Such a consequential decision should not be made without broad national consensus.

Nigeria today is arguably more divided along ethnic, regional and religious lines than at any time in recent history. Tribal distrust, social fragmentation and identity-based politics continue to threaten national cohesion. At such a critical moment, HURIWA believes it would be a grave mistake to weaken or dilute the national integration objectives embedded in the NYSC Act.

The telos—the fundamental purpose—of the NYSC must not be sacrificed. Rather than diminishing its nation-building mandate, reforms should strengthen opportunities for meaningful inter-cultural engagement, national reconciliation and civic education among young Nigerians.
HURIWA therefore urges the Federal Government to immediately convene broad-based public hearings and stakeholder consultations involving civil society organisations, youth groups, labour unions, professional associations, security experts, educational institutions, traditional rulers and other interested Nigerians before proceeding with amendments to the NYSC Act.

The future of one of Nigeria’s most enduring national institutions should be determined through inclusive dialogue, not executive proclamation.

By Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko

There is an obvious irony in the country at the moment marked by the factually error-prone assumption by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration that maintains that the economy is recovering and is on a sustainable growth path. Official data support parts of this position, but household-level data show that most Nigerians continue to face severe economic hardship. From a human rights perspective, the key test is whether macroeconomic growth is translating into the realization of the right to food, decent work, and an adequate standard of living. This is the heart of the matter.

Last week, the spokesperson of President Tinubu, Mr. Bayo Onanuga made a highly unproven claim that the story about mass hunger in Nigeria is not true. He said he made a tour by road from Ogun State to Lagos State or so, and he saw public works such as highway construction going on and he saw that many ordinary people were going about their daily tasks which gives him the impression that all is well with Nigerians. This claim by Onanuga is simplistic and lacks logical grounding. The truth is that even the president has personally pleaded with Nigerians to exercise patience and that the economic reforms his administration is implementing, would inevitably lift millions of Nigerians away from poverty. So if the president acknowledge that there is hardship in Nigeria, why is his appointees Mr. Bayo Onanuga making a contradictory claim? Anyway, the government broadly, feels that it is getting it fine with rebuilding the national economy.

What the President Tinubu’s government points to: Gross Domestic Product growth and macroeconomic stability:
The National Bureau of Statistics reports that real Gross Domestic Product growth picked up in 2025 after rebasing the national accounts to 2019. Growth was 3.13 percent Year-on-Year in Quarter 1, January to March 2025, accelerated to 4.23 percent Year-on-Year in Quarter 2, April to June 2025, and was 3.98 percent Year-on-Year in Quarter 3, July to September 2025. The full-year 2025 estimate is 3.87 percent, with Quarter 4, October to December 2025 at 4.07 percent Year-on-Year.

International institutions project continued expansion. The International Monetary Fund forecasts 4.0 percent growth in 2025 and 4.1 percent in 2026. The World Bank projects 4.2 percent in 2025, rising to 4.4 percent by 2027.

Other indicators cited by government include: Gross Domestic Product of $285.003 billion nominal and $2.254 trillion in Purchasing Power Parity for 2025; foreign exchange reserves above $42 billion; a current account surplus of 6.1 percent of Gross Domestic Product in the first half of 2025; and a projected decline in public debt from 42.9 percent to 39.8 percent of Gross Domestic Product. Headline inflation eased from 34.80 percent in December 2024 to 24.48 percent in January 2025 after the National Bureau of Statistics rebased the Consumer Price Index. The National Bureau of Statistics recorded 15.69 percent in April 2026, while the International Monetary Fund estimates 16.0 percent for 2026.

The reality on the ground: Rising poverty, food insecurity, and constrained livelihoods. This is a generally agreed factually accurate report from the streets.
The World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update states that poverty increased to 63 percent in 2025, or approximately 140 million Nigerians living below the poverty line. This is up from 56 percent in 2023 and 61 percent in 2024. PricewaterhouseCoopers projects 141 million Nigerians, or 62 percent, will be poor in 2026.

Food affordability is the most acute pressure point. The World Bank reports that the cost of a basic food basket has increased five times since 2019, with poor households spending up to 70 percent of income on food. The World Bank’s Senior Economist for Nigeria stated: “Food inflation is the biggest tax on the poor”. The International Monetary Fund also flagged that 27 million Nigerians faced food insecurity in the second half of 2025.

Besides, real household welfare is deteriorating. PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that while nominal household spending grew 19.6 percent to 139.3 trillion Naira in 2025, real spending contracted by 2.5 percent after inflation. Labour groups argue that Gross Domestic Product figures are disconnected from living conditions, describing the situation as “growth without development”. Official unemployment is estimated at 4.9 percent for 2025, but informal employment remains very high at 92.8 percent according to National Bureau of Statistics and International Labour Organization estimates.

Why growth is not reaching most Nigerians: An exclusionary pattern:
Analysts attribute the gap to the structure of growth. Expansion is concentrated in services and capital-intensive industry, while agriculture, which employs most poor people, is lagging. The International Monetary Fund projects per-capita income growth of only 0.6 percent in 2025 and 0.3 percent in 2026, which is too low to reduce poverty in a meaningful way. ActionAid Nigeria notes that the federal budget rose from $3.1 billion in 1999 to $36 billion in 2025, yet poverty increased from 42.7 percent to 61 percent over the same period.

The World Bank frames this as a rights and policy challenge: “The true measure of success will be how these reforms improve the daily lives of Nigerians — especially the poor and vulnerable”. It recommends removing trade barriers, improving fiscal transparency, and expanding social protection through regular cash transfers.

Conclusion
By macroeconomic measures, Nigeria’s economy is growing faster, inflation is down from its peak, and external buffers are stronger. However, with poverty at 63 percent, food costs rising sharply, and real household spending declining, growth has not yet produced broad-based improvements in living standards. Until policy links Gross Domestic Product growth to agriculture, jobs, and food affordability, many Nigerians will continue to experience what labour groups describe as “growth without development”. (Authoritative sources: National Bureau of Statistics, World Bank Nigeria Development Update, International Monetary Fund, PricewaterhouseCoopers, ActionAid Nigeria.)

*EMMANUEL NNADOZIE ONWUBIKO is the founder of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA and was NATIONAL COMMISSIONER OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF NIGERIA.

By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) expresses profound concern over the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja setting aside its earlier decision that led to the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), a development that has generated widespread apprehension among democratic stakeholders, civil society organisations and millions of Nigerians who believe in political plurality and constitutional democracy.

While HURIWA respects the authority of the courts and acknowledges the constitutional right of litigants to seek judicial remedies, we are compelled to state that the circumstances surrounding this judgment have raised troubling questions about the sanctity of judicial decisions, the stability of democratic institutions and the future of opposition politics in Nigeria.

At a time when Nigerians are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, worsening insecurity, rising unemployment and declining public trust in governance, it is unfortunate that the nation’s political discourse is increasingly being dominated by controversies that create the impression that democratic institutions are being deployed to constrict rather than expand political participation.

The controversy surrounding the NDC is no longer merely a legal matter. It has evolved into a national democratic concern because of the implications it carries for political inclusion, electoral competition and citizens’ constitutional rights to freely associate and participate in governance.

HURIWA is particularly concerned by the growing perception among Nigerians that opposition politics is coming under coordinated pressure ahead of the 2027 general elections. Whether such fears are justified or not, the responsibility lies with state institutions to act transparently, independently and in strict compliance with constitutional principles in order to maintain public confidence.

Democracy thrives when political competition is encouraged, when citizens have multiple choices at the ballot box and when institutions remain neutral arbiters in political disputes. Democracy begins to weaken when citizens perceive that political outcomes are being predetermined through administrative, judicial or extra-political mechanisms.

The judiciary occupies a sacred position in any democracy. It is the final refuge of the ordinary citizen and the last line of defence against abuse of power. Consequently, judges and judicial officers must be guided not only by the letter of the law but also by the overriding obligation to preserve public confidence in the integrity, impartiality and independence of the justice system.

HURIWA warns that any perception that judicial processes are being weaponised for political ends poses a grave danger to constitutional democracy. History has repeatedly demonstrated that democratic institutions are weakened not only by overt authoritarianism but also by subtle and incremental encroachments on political freedoms and institutional independence.

We are equally disturbed by recent political developments which, when viewed collectively, are fuelling concerns about the shrinking of democratic space. The increasing use of state institutions in politically sensitive matters, the apparent hostility towards emerging political platforms, and the growing atmosphere of uncertainty surrounding opposition politics have created a climate that requires urgent reassurance from those entrusted with the stewardship of the Nigerian state.

HURIWA therefore calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to publicly and unequivocally reaffirm his commitment to multiparty democracy, political inclusion and free electoral competition. A government that enjoys the confidence of the people should have no reason to fear opposition parties, dissenting voices or alternative political movements.

We also call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain strict neutrality and ensure that its actions are guided solely by the Constitution and relevant electoral laws. The Commission must resist any pressure, direct or indirect, capable of undermining public confidence in its independence.

Furthermore, we urge the National Judicial Council (NJC) to continue strengthening mechanisms that promote judicial accountability, transparency and public trust. The integrity of the judiciary must never be allowed to become a casualty of partisan political contests.

To the international community, democracy advocates and development partners, HURIWA urges sustained attention to developments within Nigeria’s democratic space. The preservation of democratic values, electoral integrity and institutional independence remains essential to political stability and sustainable development.

We equally call on political parties, civil society groups, youth organisations, professional associations and democratic activists to remain vigilant and committed to peaceful, lawful and constitutional engagement in defence of democratic principles.

The struggle to preserve democracy is not the responsibility of politicians alone. It is the collective responsibility of all Nigerians.

What is at stake today extends far beyond the registration or deregistration of any single political party. What is at stake is the future of democratic competition, the independence of public institutions, the credibility of the electoral process and the constitutional right of Nigerians to freely choose those who govern them.

Nigeria’s democracy was built through decades of sacrifice, resistance and struggle. It must not be weakened by actions that create doubts about the neutrality of institutions or the openness of the political process.

HURIWA therefore urges all stakeholders to place national interest above partisan calculations and ensure that Nigeria remains a vibrant, inclusive and genuinely democratic nation where no citizen, political party or political movement is denied its legitimate place within the democratic process.