As protests against the soaring cost of living enter day five in Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, Church leaders are warning that the unrest could only further “aggravate the already frail state of the nation.”

In an August 2 statement, Members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) that includes the Catholic Bishops’ Conference said that “civil unrest is not the solution” and called on the protesters to call off the strike.

“NIREC hereby calls on fellow citizens of Nigeria to please call off this protest and give the Government a chance to redeem itself,” the members of the Council that is co-chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh , said in the August 2 statement.

Thousands of Nigerians took to the streets August 1 to protest against the high cost of living. The protestors are criticizing food shortages, corruption, and demanding for the reinstatement of gas and electricity subsidies.

According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s inflation rate accelerated to 34.19 percent in June 2024, the highest since March 1996. This has been worsened by the removal of fuel subsidies.

Food inflation, which accounts for the bulk of Nigeria’s inflation basket, surged to a record high of 40.87 percent in June, compared to May’s 40.66 percent, boosted by price increases in bread, cereal, potatoes, and fish.

Additional upward pressure came from prices of housing and utilities (30.3 percent vs 29.6 percent) and beverages & tobacco (24.1 percent vs 23.3 percent).

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