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As President Bola Tinubu marks his third year in office, many Nigerians have expressed deep concern over the state of the economy, describing conditions as harsh, difficult, and worsening.
News Central correspondents spoke with residents in Lagos and Plateau states, where respondents said rising costs of living, fuel prices, and policy impacts have left citizens struggling.
A resident in Plateau State described the economic situation as severe, insisting that conditions have deteriorated significantly since the current administration came into power.
“Well, the economy in this country now, since he came in, has been so harsh, and things are not moving the way they are supposed to be,” he said.
He added that Nigerians are broadly affected and that the country has drifted from better times.
“When we were coming off as children, Nigeria, we were not like this. Everything was in place, but now things are out of hand completely. So every Nigerian are suffering now.” he said.
While acknowledging the challenges, he said there remains hope if leadership becomes more focused on public welfare.
“Well, there is hope. If we have good leadership in this country, not thinking about themselves alone and their family, there is hope, a lot of hope.
“This country is an industrialised country, That is not supposed to be like this. And people are not supposed to be suffering. We have petrol, petroleum. We have other things. We have steel, other things. But today, there is nothing that is working,” he added.
Another resident, Mr. Polikap, also described the economy as increasingly difficult, noting that expectations have not been met by government policies.
“ I think our economy is really biting hard on Nigerians. As a young man, I know that I heard history from my father, and he has told me how beautiful things were before. But as I’m growing, I’ve seen that nothing is really working,” he said.
He added that policies introduced by governments have not translated into improved living conditions.
“Government will make promises. Government comes up with policies. But these policies are not directly translated into affecting the lives of Nigerians positively,” he said.
He also lamented what he described as a decline compared to previous years.
“Truly, Nigerians are suffering. And I also remember my late father would tell me that Nigeria is the only country that things are not working forward. Rather, we are retrogressing.”
“Because things were better before. We are supposed to have things better now, to enjoy life now, to have everything at our doorstep. But unfortunately, things are not going the way it ought to be,”he said.
In Lagos, another resident, Mr. Omasa, said the economy is in a bad state, largely driven by high fuel costs and import-related charges.
“Right now, the economy right now, it’s in a bad state. Things are way too expensive and mainly it’s because of the fuel costs and also things like custom duty,” he said.
Citizens describe Nigeria’s economy as challenging, pointing to fuel costs, import duties, and insecurity as key drivers of inflation. They say these factors have caused ripple effects on food prices and transportation, placing further strain on households. @_lolaololade reports. pic.twitter.com/k18DgO2rfU
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) May 29, 2026
“You know, because goods are imported and brought in. So if they can bring down those things, the cost of petrol and custom duty, things will be much, much easier. But aviation fuel is so high, so people can’t take flights.
“There’s a lot of kidnapping, so people have to go by road. So we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place in Nigeria. But the economy could be better if they’d work on those things. Petrol and custom duties,”he said.
He explained that transportation costs are driving inflation across sectors, especially food, adding that multiple informal and security-related costs further worsen the situation for consumers.
“The cost of food keeps going up because mainly Nigeria they have to move goods by road. And once you are moving goods by road, it’s the fuel cost is added into that. Not to talk of, you know, things like police stopping them, Agbero, this one.
“So all those things add to the cost. And at the end of the day is the final consumer, which is you and I, that would pay for that. You know, so if those things can be tackled, you know, it will help,”he said.
Across both cities, the general sentiment reflected frustration over rising hardship, with many calling for urgent policy interventions to ease economic pressure on citizens.
