Former Presidential Aide Senator Ojudu Warns Government of Looming Mass Unrest in Nigeria

Former Special Adviser on political matters to the President, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has issued a stark warning to the Nigerian government, stating that current economic volatility, high inflation, youth unemployment, and pervasive insecurity are creating conditions that could easily trigger mass unrest.

Speaking at the 14th Annual Symposium by the Muslim Students Society Nigeria in Ekiti State, with the theme Managing a Volatile Economy for Internal Peace and Security, Ojudu cautioned that the country is sitting on a “knife-edge.”

Ojudu’s Warning and Recommendations

Ojudu highlighted key indicators of instability, noting that the country’s inflation is running high, the naira is fragile, and youth unemployment is among the highest in the world.

He specifically warned: “When prices soar and families cannot feed, when young graduates roam the streets without jobs, when farmers abandon their farms for fear of bandits, we are creating conditions that can easily spill into mass unrest. The revolt in Nepal is not far from us.”

To avert this “perfect storm” of economic despair fueling social anger and insecurity,

Ojudu urged the government to act with courage to:

* Stabilize the economy.

* Cut waste.

* Secure the people.

* Invest in jobs and human capital.

Also speaking at the event, Professor Femi Saibu, an Economist from the University of Lagos, supported the argument by stating that the rise of insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and separatist agitations in the South-East are all symptoms of systemic exclusion by the Nigerian state.

Professor Saibu, in his lecture titled Renewed Wave of Internal Aggression: Stakeholders’ Role in Combating Social Inequalities, said the nation faces a “moral reckoning” and must rise to build a nation where “opportunity is shared, dignity is protected, and peace is sustained.”

Separately, Dr. Musefiu Adeleke of the Bank of Industry noted that the country’s dwindling economic fortunes and escalating conflict present serious challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections, emphasizing that the choices of leaders, institutional resilience, and youth participation will determine Nigeria’s path forward.