The universal commemoration of this year’s World Diabetes Day, WDD, last Thursday presented another opportunity to draw attention to the plight of Nigerians trapped in disease and hunger.

The theme of this year’s event was simply: “Diabetes and Well-being”. The Diabetes Association of Nigeria, DAN, President, Dr Ejiofo Ugwu, disclosed that diabetes affects between five million and eight million Nigerians. The number is much more than officially certified because a vast majority of sufferers do not present themselves for evaluation.

Reports have it that nearly 50,000 Nigerians die annually from the disease. The number is set to rise much higher because of the worsening issue of access to care. Insulin, the daily injection used to control blood sugar spikes, used to cost N4,000 per vial. It now goes for between N18,000 and N20,000. The same applies to all other medicines. For instance, Exforge 5/160/12.5mg which used to cost N12,000 for the control of hypertension, has risen to N40,000 or more.

The astronomical cost of medicines and healthcare blew out of proportion in the wake of the harsh economic policies of the Bola Tinubu administration which removed petrol subsidy, floated the Naira and removed subsidy for high-end electricity consumers.

Unfortunately, policy measures put in place, ostensibly to fight the hunger and disease which now ravage the people, do not seem to have made any impact. In July, President Tinubu signed an Executive Order removing VAT on locally-manufactured medicaments. He also removed import duties on imported ones.

After the August #EndBadGovernance protests and riots, he also announced the removal of VAT and import duties on imported food till January 2025. Till now, both policies have failed to make food and medicine more available and affordable.

Nigerians are trapped in hunger, disease and poverty, which are all mutually-reinforcing existential threats to the common person. Even those who resorted to the ancient dictum of making food their medicine can hardly afford to feed enough. Many sick Nigerians have simply resorted to ignoring their health conditions and committing their lean resources to feeding.

We need to remind the Tinubu administration that they promised Nigerians good governance. Good governance does not reside in taking the easy way out by imposing IMF/World Bank policies on Nigerians for easy loans without effectively cushioning the hardships they bring.

It is not good governance when government officials insulate themselves from the bite of their own policies and continue to live in great luxury and squandermania.

Nigerians are dying from hunger, hardship, disease, insecurity and lack of social safety net. Apart from government figures which they bandy to paint the pictures of “improving” economic and security situations, the people cannot see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

We demand action, not mere “renewed hope” propaganda. We need food and medicine!