The decision of lawmakers in Nigeria’s House of Representatives to reduce their salaries by 50 percent for six months over the current cost of living crisis in the country is not the solution to the problem.
Development Diaries reports that the green chamber approved the resolution during a recent plenary session following the passage of a motion of urgent public significance, which urged proponents of the proposed nationwide protest to shelve the plan and consider patience and dialogue with the government instead.
According to media reports, some Nigerians intend to conduct protests in response to the widespread suffering in Nigeria, as they believe that the government does not appear to be taking sufficient action to address food insecurity, which poses a serious risk of widespread malnutrition among the populace.
This gesture by the lawmakers, though commendable in its intention to demonstrate solidarity with struggling Nigerians, fails to tackle the systemic economic challenges such as inflation and other challenges that continue to worsen the hardships faced by the citizens.
The National Assembly should be doing more for Nigerians, particularly in terms of holding the executive branch accountable for some of its economic policies.
Also, the cost of living crisis is driven by factors that require comprehensive and sustainable policy solutions rather than short-term sacrifices by a select group of individuals.
How the government genuinely introduces policies will determine how to handle the market’s rising cost of commodities. Thus, it goes beyond simply cutting their pay by half.
Cutting their pay by half will not impact the cost of commodities in the market which are skyrocketing daily. To genuinely tackle the high cost of living, especially the rising food prices, Nigeria needs comprehensive and sustainable solutions.
The lawmakers should instead urge the executive to implement policies that support agricultural productivity, such as providing subsidies for farming inputs, investing in modern farming techniques, and improving rural infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses.
The federal, state, and local governments can play a crucial role by providing accountable and transparent incentives to farmers. The government also needs to address the inefficiencies in the supply chain by improving transportation networks and reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks to help lower the costs associated with getting food from farms to markets.
Development Diaries calls on lawmakers to do their part in ensuring that the government can help create a more resilient and productive agricultural sector, ultimately contributing to long-term economic stability and lower living costs for Nigerians.
We also urge lawmakers to focus on enacting laws that promote economic diversification, enhance agricultural productivity, and attract investment in key sectors.
Photo source: House of Reps