Amnesty International has lamented skyrocketing inflation in Nigeria, saying citizens are suffering one of the worst post-independence economic crises under President Bola Tinubu.

The human rights organisation raised the alarm over the increasing cost of living that has left many citizens unable to meet basic needs under President Bola Tinubu’s watch in a series of tweets on Friday.

“Nigeria’s sky-high inflation has sharply increased the cost of living. Millions of people are increasingly unable to meet the costs of education, food and healthcare. This is one of the worst economic crises in the country’s post-independence,” Amnesty International said.

It charged Mr Tinubu and governors across 36 states to address widespread hunger and poverty, endangering citizens’ rights to education and health.

“The Nigerian authorities must urgently prioritise addressing widespread hunger, higher unemployment and the rapidly falling standard of living,” Amnesty noted. “The rights to education, health and adequate standard of living are all affected, forcing millions of people to live hand to mouth.” 

The human rights organisation’s alarm on Nigeria’s inflation came a few days after citizens hit the streets in protest over the high cost of food in Niger and Kano.

In response to public outcry on the rising cost of food driven by galloping inflation, Mr Tinubu directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to release about 42,000 metric tonnes of grain, including Maise, millet, and garri, on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Peoples Gazette published a market survey showing prices of virtually all food items have sharply increased by almost 100 per cent in the past nine months since Mr Tinubu assumed office.

Tope Fasua, an economist and appointee in Mr Tinubu’s government, described the inflation as “killing.”x