Opinion
Plight Of Women In Recession
Historically, in every era or situation of difficulties, perplexities and emergencies, women and children are usually the most vulnerable segments of society that bear the greatest brunt of agonies. As mothers, what affects children is felt more by women, because, women are the natural custodians of children. In this regard, the first plight of women is the fact that they are rarely appreciated for the burdens they bear and the sacrifices they make on behalf of children and men.
Burden and agonies which women bear and sacrifices which they make are not always physical or visible but more in terms of empathy or inner feelings, which can be quite traumatic and long-lasting. Emilia, wife to Lago in Shakespeare’s Othello, would tell us that men are “all about stomachs, and we all but food; they eat us hungerly, and when they are full, they belch us”.
It is usually during situations of emergencies such as recession that men with large stomachs often belch women after eating them hungerly when times were rosy. Agonies arising from failed relationships and broken homes affect the psyche of women more than the men. In a situation of separation, children usually opt to stay with mothers, thus, in a recession, single-parent homes become quite rampant. But who cares!
With an erosion of the extended family system, fueled more by recession, coupled with job losses, a large number of women are going through serious agonies which some of them would rarely discuss freely with anyone. A private investigation revealed that even when women in agonies turn to churches for succour, they often meet further dangers and abuses, details of which cannot be made public here.
Men have been known to abscond from their homes, leaving wife and children alone and taking shelter somewhere else, unknown to their family. Reasons which such men give for leaving wives and children range from loss of jobs, financial difficulties etc, to intolerable nagging habits of their wives. On the part of the women, there is also a trend where the sustaining juice of love is tied to affluence and comfort.
Large families are definitely hardest hit by the current recession, because to feed, educate and maintain, many children can be quite difficult. When unwanted pregnancies come, it is usually the women who bear the anxiety and agony most, a situation which can lead to nagging, maltreatment or virginal “fencing”.
Loss of self-esteem arising from job losses and reduction is social status can lead to several other plight, both for women and men too. Ailing health can also arise from strains, insufficient nourishment and worries. Problems of adaptation, adjustment and having to cope with the consequences of recession can be quite demanding. Even children in the home can be severely affected in many ways, including become way-ward.
Falling from grace to grass which recession can bring about, is a plight of its own. For the women, when such fall in status is accompanied by a rejection or lukewarm relationship from a loved one, the trauma can be quite severe. The phenomenon of drug addiction arises largely as a response to shocks and trauma whereby an individual looks for means of finding solace. It takes a strong woman to remain stable in crisis.
Declerambault’s Syndrome is a mild psychological aberration which can arise from a sad experience of being rejected by a loved one, because of challenges which recession can bring about. Not many people can remain true friends when conditions get hard, and similarly, not many women can remain stable when there is a fall in status, fallowed by a rejection by somebody they loved and trusted.
People who have gone through some shock, especially being rejected by a loved one, can turn passionately to somebody else who is able to provide an emotional succor at a critical time of need. Such new-found relationship can go to the point of idolization and irrational attachment to a man who may not be quite so serious. A woman may be so carried away by the sermon of a clergy man, that she can instantly get fixated on the man. This is an example of what psychiatrists would call Declerambault’s Syndrome.
Good as religion is, that tendency where it becomes an opium, especially in a time of recession, cannot be regarded as ideal. Definitely, many unsuspecting, heart-broken women, have become victims of some false prophets that have become numerous in Nigeria. There are lots of women who have had lots of sad experiences which they would be relieved to share with appropriate authorities that can help them.
Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Social Welfare outfits and the Federation of Women Lawyers, among other bodies, should please come to the rescue of many women in the point of disorientation arising from abandonment. They are left to fend for children.
Dr. Amirize is a retired lecturer, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
Bright Amirize
From all indications, Nigeria possesses enough human and material resources to become a true economic powerhouse in Africa. According to the National Population Commission (NPC, 2023), the country’s population has grown steadily within the last decade, presently standing at about 220 million people—mostly young, vibrant, and innovative. Nigeria also remains the sixth-largest oil producer in the world, with enormous reserves of gas, fertile agricultural land, and human capital.
Yet, despite this enormous potential, the country continues to grapple with underdevelopment, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, 2023) show that about 129 million Nigerians currently live below the poverty line. Most families can no longer afford basic necessities, even as the government continues to project a rosy economic picture.
The Subsidy Question
The removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been one of the most controversial policy decisions in Nigeria’s recent history. According to the president, subsidy removal was designed to reduce fiscal burden, unify the foreign exchange rate, attract investment, curb inflation, and discourage excessive government borrowing.
While these objectives are theoretically sound, the reality for ordinary Nigerians has been severe hardship. Fuel prices more than tripled, transportation costs surged, and food inflation—already high—rose above 30% (NBS, 2023). The World Bank (2023) estimates that an additional 7.1 million Nigerians were pushed into poverty after subsidy removal.
A Critical Economic View
As an economist, I argue that the problem was not subsidy removal itself—which was inevitable—but the timing, sequencing, and structural gaps in Nigeria’s implementation.
- Structural Miscalculation
Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries remain nonfunctional. By removing subsidies without local refining capacity, the government exposed the economy to import-price pass-through effects—where global oil price shocks translate directly into domestic inflation. This was not just a timing issue but a fundamental policy miscalculation.
- Neglect of Social Safety Nets
Countries like Indonesia (2005) and Ghana (2005) removed subsidies successfully only after introducing cash transfers, transport vouchers, and food subsidies for the poor (World Bank, 2005). Nigeria, however, implemented removal abruptly, shifting the fiscal burden directly onto households without protection.
- Failure to Secure Food and Energy Alternatives
Fuel subsidy removal amplified existing weaknesses in agriculture and energy. Instead of sequencing reforms, government left Nigerians without refinery capacity, renewable energy alternatives, or mechanized agricultural productivity—all of which could have cushioned the shock.
Political and Public Concerns
Prominent leaders have echoed these concerns. Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, described the subsidy removal as “good but wrongly timed.” Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party also faulted the government’s hasty approach. Human rights activists like Obodoekwe Stive stressed that refineries should have been made functional first, to reduce the suffering of citizens.
This is not just political rhetoric—it reflects a widespread economic reality. When inflation climbs above 30%, when purchasing power collapses, and when households cannot meet basic needs, the promise of reform becomes overshadowed by social pain.
Broader Implications
The consequences of this policy are multidimensional:
- Inflationary Pressures – Food inflation above 30% has made nutrition unaffordable for many households.
- Rising Poverty – 7.1 million Nigerians have been newly pushed into poverty (World Bank, 2023).
- Middle-Class Erosion – Rising transport, rent, and healthcare costs are squeezing household incomes.
- Debt Concerns – Despite promises, government borrowing has continued, raising sustainability questions.
- Public Distrust – When government promises savings but citizens feel only pain, trust in leadership erodes.
In effect, subsidy removal without structural readiness has widened inequality and eroded social stability.
Missed Opportunities
Nigeria’s leaders had the chance to approach subsidy removal differently:
- Refinery Rehabilitation – Ensuring local refining to reduce exposure to global oil price shocks.
- Renewable Energy Investment – Diversifying energy through solar, hydro, and wind to reduce reliance on imported petroleum.
- Agricultural Productivity – Mechanization, irrigation, and smallholder financing could have boosted food supply and stabilized prices.
- Social Safety Nets – Conditional cash transfers, food vouchers, and transport subsidies could have protected the most vulnerable.
Instead, reform came abruptly, leaving citizens to absorb all the pain while waiting for theoretical long-term benefits.
Conclusion: Reform With a Human Face
Fuel subsidy removal was inevitable, but Nigeria’s approach has worsened hardship for millions. True reform must go beyond fiscal savings to protect citizens.
Economic policy is not judged only by its efficiency but by its humanity. A well-sequenced reform could have balanced fiscal responsibility with equity, ensuring that ordinary Nigerians were not crushed under the weight of sudden change.
Nigeria has the resources, population, and resilience to lead Africa’s economy. But leadership requires foresight. It requires policies that are inclusive, humane, and strategically sequenced.
Reform without equity is displacement of poverty, not development. If Nigeria truly seeks progress, its policies must wear a human face.
References
- National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (2023). Poverty and Inequality Report. Abuja.
- National Population Commission (NPC). (2023). Population Estimates. Abuja.
- World Bank. (2023). Nigeria Development Update. Washington, DC.
- World Bank. (2005). Fuel Subsidy Reforms: Lessons from Indonesia and Ghana. Washington, DC.
- OPEC. (2023). Annual Statistical Bulletin. Vienna.
By: Amarachi Amaugo
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