Following a viral video by National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Ushie Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye, condemning the federal government?s handling of the economy, Nigerians have flooded the social media with expressions of frustration over the nation?s deepening economic woes.

The outcry comes amid claims by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, that food prices are falling, a statement that has been widely disputed by citizens.

Raye, a youth corps member serving in Lagos State, made headlines over the weekend when she posted a video on TikTok lamenting the rising cost of living and how hard work can no longer guarantee financial stability. In the video, she described President Bola Tinubu as a ?terrible leader? and questioned the government?s commitment to alleviating the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.

Her video quickly went viral and in a recorded phone conversation that also went viral, an unnamed NYSC official could be heard demanding she take down the video. Despite the pressure, Raye refused, stating, ?Deleting this content is of no use because they already know me. However, deleting it means whatever they do to me, nobody would know.?

By Monday and into Tuesday, Nigerians took to social media under the hashtag #30DaysRantsChallenge to share their own experiences of economic hardship. Nigerian small business owners were vocal about how inflation has devastated their business.

Joy, a food business owner, tweeted: ?In 2023, I sold a bowl of soup for N16,000 and still had profit. Today, the least bowl is N35,000, and it?s just two years apart.? Similarly, a baker named Sommy shared: ?Two years ago, I sold a two-layer, seven-inch cake for N15,000. Now with N40,000, I?m struggling to make N10,000 profit, not including gas and transportation costs.? Ugbegbe, a caterer, expressed fear overpricing her meals, saying, ?I might charge N40,000 for a bowl of soup, but the ingredients alone cost N35,000. Where is the profit??

Another X user who goes by the name Dandy, highlighted the drastic increase in the price of basic food items, stating, ?During my service year, a crate of eggs cost N600. Now, corps members earning the same allowance are forced to pay N6,500 for the same crate. That?s over a 1,000% increase. Is it not enough for someone to lose their mind??, while Opeyemi Babalola said: ?All I want is good governance where the children of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody after they have done what is required of them. Many studied under pressure and tension, went for NYSC, did Masters, diversified into tech, still there is nothing to show for it. Why??

The backlash intensified after Onanuga claimed on his official X handle that food prices were falling but social media users were quick to refute his statement. Henry Shield tweeted, ?Fifty tubers of yam at Gosa Market cost N210,000 yesterday. Stop the propaganda.? Another user, King ABC, added, ?I bought a kilo of turkey for N10,000 and three pieces of tilapia for N20,000 at Kado Fish Market,? while Iwuala Valentine said, ?In one of Abuja?s cheapest markets, I bought five small tubers of yam for N5,000, and that was at a reduced price,? and Omona Adesina said, ?I bought a bag of rice in February for N66,000. Last week, the same bag cost N77,000.? (Daily Sun)

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