The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has issued a warning over what it describes as Nigeria’s deepening political, economic, and security crises, calling for urgent national action to rescue the country from further decline.
Speaking at a State of the Nation briefing in Kano on Monday, Executive Director of CHRICED, Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, welcomed partners from Misereor e.V Germany, Mrs. Hannelore Henn-Sories and Mrs. Julia Krojer, whose long-standing support he said continues to inspire the organisation’s work for justice, inclusion, and accountability.
He said the briefing was not “a routine press conference,” but a national call to conscience amid what he described as threats to the soul of Nigeria’s democracy, the stability of the economy, and the safety of citizens.
According to Dr. Zikirullahi, Nigeria’s democratic space is shrinking dangerously.
He condemned the wave of defections by opposition governors and lawmakers to the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections, describing it as a “coordinated assault” on political pluralism and a betrayal of voters.
He warned that allegations of inducements fueling the defections, as well as claims that lawmakers pay between N1 million and N3 million to present motions in the National Assembly, point to a deepening culture of transactional politics.
He also referenced the recent allegation by Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume that aides in the Presidential Villa demand bribes before granting access to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The presidency’s silence on the matter, he said, reinforces perceptions of a government indifferent to transparency.
CHRICED demanded immediate, independent investigations into all allegations, insisting that democracy cannot survive when corruption is normalized.
On the economy, the organisation said that despite government claims of a stabilizing Naira and declining inflation, citizens continue to face poverty, rising food prices, and policy-induced hardship.
Dr. Zikirullahi faulted the government’s continued heavy borrowing despite meeting its 2025 Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) target, warning that debt without direction is “mortgaging the future of generations yet unborn.”
He linked rising insecurity, armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, and cybercrime, to youth unemployment and economic hopelessness, urging investment in local industries and job creation rather than endless borrowing.
CHRICED described the country as “a nation under siege,” with citizens living in fear from Zamfara to Lagos. The organization cited recent incidents, including the kidnapping of six Ministry of Defence directors in Kogi State and reports of possible U.S. security concerns, as evidence of Nigeria’s worsening security condition.
The group urged the federal government to overhaul the security architecture and prioritize intelligence gathering and the protection of lives.
CHRICED also warned that the health sector is on the brink of collapse, with inadequate budgetary allocation, low insurance coverage, and the ongoing nationwide doctors’ strike worsening citizens’ suffering.
The organization lamented that only 36% of the capital health budget was released, leaving hospitals underfunded and forcing citizens to pay out-of-pocket for care.
Despite the bleak outlook, CHRICED highlighted the positive impact of its interventions in Kano State under the Free Maternal and Child Healthcare (FMCH) Law, implemented with support from Misereor/KZE.
These include a costed action plan, radio campaigns, community monitoring, and distribution of simplified copies of the law across all 44 LGAs.
“These efforts are saving lives,” Zikirullahi said.
CHRICED renewed its call for justice for indigenous communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), saying decades after their land was acquired, they remain economically and politically marginalized.
Zikirullahi urged Nigerians to resist apathy and reclaim their democracy from the grip of corruption and exclusion.
He called on the international community to support grassroots accountability efforts and encouraged Nigerian youth to lead the push for change.
To Nigeria’s leaders, he issued a warning against unsustainable borrowing: “He who goes borrowing, goes sorrowing.”
He concluded with an appeal for collective resolve: “The time is now. The responsibility is ours. The future is possible.”
