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Reacting to the President’s Independence Day address, the civil society organisation says reducing the cost of living requires more than assurances of prosperity.
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CISLAC says compromised contracts, revenue leakages, abandoned projects and wasteful spending deny citizens the public services they need and force households to shoulder additional costs for essential services.
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The organisation warns that Nigerians cannot continue to bear higher costs of food, fuel, transportation, electricity and other necessities while government institutions fail to demonstrate comparable efficiency, accountability and restraint.
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The group calls for tighter controls on revenue leakages, transparent procurement, recovery of stolen assets, sanctions for corruption and a reduction in the cost of governance, saying public revenue must translate into tangible relief for citizens.
October 01, (THEWILL) – The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has taken aim at the Federal Government over the worsening cost of living, saying Nigerians are paying the price for corruption, waste, weak governance and policy failures that have made basic necessities increasingly difficult to afford.
The group’s criticism followed President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day address in which he acknowledged the hardship confronting households and identified reducing the cost of living as a priority of his administration.
But CISLAC said the President’s recognition of the problem must be matched by a fundamental change in how government manages public resources and implements economic policies.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the organisation said Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis could not be addressed without confronting what it described as the deeper governance failures driving the high cost of everyday life.
CISLAC said families struggling with food, school fees, medical bills and transportation need more than promises of future prosperity.
It said government must tackle the leakages, waste and institutional weaknesses that prevent public resources from delivering meaningful improvements in citizens’ lives.
Corruption as a Cost Nigerians Pay
At the heart of CISLAC’s argument is its description of corruption as a “hidden tax” on Nigerians.
The organisation said the effects of corruption extend beyond money directly stolen from government coffers, arguing that citizens also pay when public contracts are compromised, projects are abandoned, revenues are lost and public spending fails to deliver value.
According to CISLAC, the failure of public resources to produce reliable electricity, roads, healthcare, education, water and security leaves Nigerians with little choice but to pay privately for services that should otherwise be adequately provided through functioning public institutions.
The group said every naira lost through inflated contracts, revenue leakages, abandoned projects or wasteful expenditure represents money that could have been deployed to improve public services and ease the financial burden on households.
It argued that the fight against poverty would remain incomplete if government continued to lose resources through corruption and institutional inefficiency.
‘Reforms Cannot Mean Endless Sacrifice’
CISLAC also questioned the distribution of the burden arising from the government’s economic reforms.
The organisation acknowledged the need for economic reform but argued that policies must be properly designed, sequenced and accompanied by measures capable of protecting vulnerable Nigerians from severe economic shocks.
It said citizens were being asked to pay more for fuel, transportation, electricity, food and other essential services, while government institutions had yet to demonstrate an equivalent commitment to reducing waste and operating more efficiently.
“Economic reform cannot mean endless sacrifice by citizens while corruption, waste, inefficiency and excessive costs within government remain insufficiently addressed,” the organisation said.
CISLAC further warned against relying exclusively on macroeconomic indicators as evidence of economic progress.
In its view, lower inflation or improved government revenues would mean little to families unable to afford food, transport, medical care or education.
“You cannot tax people into prosperity, price the poor out of basic necessities and then present improved macroeconomic indicators as sufficient evidence of economic success,” it said.
Demands Action On Revenue Leakages, Waste
CISLAC called on the Tinubu administration to make the fight against economic corruption and bad governance an integral part of its economic policy.
The organisation wants government to strengthen systems for blocking revenue leakages and improve transparency in public procurement.
It also called for the recovery of stolen public assets, sanctions for corruption and an overhaul of wasteful expenditure.
Of particular concern to the group is the cost of running government.
CISLAC argued that government must reduce its own operating costs and demonstrate greater financial discipline if it expects citizens to endure the short-term pressures associated with economic reforms.
It said increased public revenue should be visibly channelled into services capable of lowering household expenses.
Such investments, it said, should improve access to affordable transportation, electricity, healthcare and education while supporting food affordability and stronger purchasing power.
Prosperity Must Be Felt By Citizens
CISLAC said the ultimate test of the administration’s economic programme should be what Nigerians experience in their homes and businesses.
The organisation argued that the size of government revenue, borrowing or the number of economic policies announced should not, by themselves, determine whether Nigerians are experiencing prosperity.
Rather, it said citizens should see improvements in their purchasing power and access to essential services.
The group said economic reforms would only have meaning for ordinary Nigerians when they translated into lower household costs, greater economic security and improved opportunities.
It maintained that the government’s responsibility does not end with raising revenue or stabilising economic indicators, but extends to ensuring that public resources are efficiently converted into tangible public benefits.
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Background
The cost-of-living crisis has remained a major source of public concern since the Tinubu administration embarked on sweeping economic reforms after assuming office in 2023.
The removal of the petrol subsidy and the reforms to the foreign exchange regime were introduced as part of the administration’s effort to address longstanding economic distortions, improve government finances and create the conditions for sustainable growth.
The measures, however, were accompanied by sharp increases in the cost of transportation and other essential goods and services, placing considerable pressure on household incomes.
The Federal Government has subsequently introduced various interventions aimed at cushioning the impact of the reforms, including measures targeting transportation, agriculture, social protection, energy and access to credit.
Tinubu, in his Independence Day address, acknowledged that many families remained under pressure from the cost of food, school fees, medical bills and transportation.
The President nevertheless maintained that the country was moving from a period of economic stabilisation towards an era of broader prosperity, with his administration focusing on measures intended to reduce the cost of production and transportation.
CISLAC’s response has now shifted the focus back to governance, arguing that economic recovery cannot be sustained if corruption, waste and institutional weaknesses continue to undermine public resources.
The organisation said tackling the cost of living must therefore go hand in hand with improving public-sector accountability and reducing the cost of governance.
For CISLAC, the measure of economic success is ultimately whether Nigerians can afford a decent standard of living.
Rafsanjani said the true measure of prosperity was not how much government collects, borrows or announces, but the level of dignity, opportunity and economic security experienced by citizens.
CISLAC therefore urged the administration to move beyond assurances and demonstrate, through its management of public resources and delivery of essential services, that the benefits of economic reform are reaching ordinary Nigerians.
The group warned that until corruption is reduced, institutions function more effectively and public resources are transparently deployed, Nigerians will continue to bear the cost of governance failures in their homes, businesses and communities.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
