In a swift response to the wave of protests that swept through several states across the country, key figures in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, convened an urgent closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The session, which commenced at approximately 05:30 pm, also saw the participation of several ministers, highlighting the government’s concern over the escalating public discontent.
The Ministers of Education, Dr. Tahir Mamman; Finance, Wale Edun; Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari; and State for Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri, were among the cabinet members present.
Their collective presence underscores the multi-dimensional approach the administration is keen on adopting to address the grievances aired by the demonstrators.
The convening of this high-level meeting was precipitated by a series of protests in Minna and Kano, where frustrated youths and women voiced their outrage over the spiralling cost of living that has beleaguered the nation.
Particularly in Niger, a significant protest saw women blockading the Minna-Bida Road at the Kpakungu Roundabout, issuing a vehement plea to President Tinubu’s government to mitigate the severe ‘hunger in the land.’
Efforts by security forces to disperse the gatherings through the deployment of tear gas and the arrest of some protestors were met with staunch resistance, signalling growing unrest among the populace over economic hardships.
