Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has raised alarm over the worsening economic conditions under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, claiming that the country’s middle class has effectively been erased.
Falana, who made the remarks during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television on Monday, strongly criticised the president’s economic reforms, describing them as “harsh neoliberal policies” that have only served to deepen poverty and increase income inequality.
“The middle class has been wiped out by the neoliberal policies of the government,” Falana declared. “Most Nigerians cannot afford three square meals a day. It is in the interest of the government to review its policies as soon as possible.”
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He accused the Tinubu-led administration of transferring the nation’s wealth into the hands of a few elites under the guise of privatisation, which he said has worsened economic disparities across the country.
“You cannot be addressing income inequality in a country while handing over the nation’s resources to a few people in the name of privatisation,” he stated.
Falana’s comments come amid growing public frustration over the rising cost of living, removal of fuel subsidies, and persistent inflation that have battered household incomes across the country.
He urged the federal government to urgently reconsider its policy direction and prioritise the welfare of the majority of Nigerians rather than protecting the interests of a privileged few.