YPP Presidential Candidate, Agada, Faults FG’s 90-Day Action Plan to Ease Cost of Living

Peter Agada, the presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), has criticized the federal government's 90-day plan to address the rising cost of living. Agada dismissed the plan as a mere campaign strategy, claiming it did not accurately reflect the real economic situation. He argued that the President Bola Tinubu administration had introduced numerous economic measures without any tangible results.

The Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, had announced a 90-day plan to alleviate the high cost of living for Nigerians. Agada expressed disappointment in the economic team, stating that they had lost focus on addressing Nigeria's economic challenges. He noted that the government had promised subsidies and a 17-point plan, including reducing pump prices and removing illegal levies, but these promises remained unfulfilled.

Agada questioned the feasibility of reversing the economic hardship caused in the past three years within a mere 90 days. He recalled previous interventions announced in 2023, such as N75 billion for manufacturing, micro SMEs, and conditional grants, as well as grain and fertilizer distribution, which were not fully implemented.

Agada warned that the government's removal of tariffs on food importation did little to combat food inflation and merely affected the way prices were calculated. He also alleged that import waiver cuts had led to customs revenue of N35 trillion, with a significant portion being used for purchasing military hardware. Agada proposed his own Labour-Direct ward-to-ward development strategy as an alternative, claiming it could empower Nigerians with N40 million monthly and affect all Nigerians within 60 days of implementation. He urged the government to consider his plan, stating that it could restore Nigerians' confidence.