The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has pushed back strongly against the International Monetary Fund (IMF), describing its assessment that Nigeria’s economic reforms are working as a “logical contradiction” in the face of worsening poverty and hardship across the country.
In a statement issued on June 11, 2026, and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the group said it was deeply concerned that international economic assessments are increasingly detached from the daily struggles of ordinary Nigerians.
HURIWA argued that it defies logic to describe any reform as successful when the majority of citizens are becoming poorer, hungrier, and less able to afford basic necessities.
According to the organisation, the fundamental purpose of economic reform is not to impress global financial institutions or improve statistical indicators, but to improve human welfare through job creation, poverty reduction, and better living standards.
The group questioned the IMF’s conclusion, noting that reports indicating over 60 percent poverty levels, millions facing food insecurity, and persistent inflation should not be interpreted as signs of economic success.
“When more than half of a country’s population is living in poverty, and millions cannot afford food, transportation, healthcare, or education, then the idea of successful reform becomes difficult to defend,” the statement read.
HURIWA said the reality on the ground reflects what it described as “economic strain rather than economic progress,” warning that growth figures and fiscal adjustments mean little if they do not translate into improved livelihoods for citizens.
It added that while structural reforms may be necessary in any economy, such policies must be judged by their outcomes on human welfare, not just macroeconomic balance sheets.
The organisation also cautioned against what it called an over-reliance on technical economic indicators that fail to capture the social cost of policy decisions.
HURIWA stressed that Nigeria’s economic direction must be reassessed to prioritise citizens, calling for urgent measures to address rising poverty, food insecurity, unemployment, and weak social protection systems.
It urged both the IMF and Nigerian authorities to focus less on abstract economic optimism and more on practical interventions that directly improve the lives of people, including expanded poverty reduction programmes, food security support, and job creation initiatives.
According to the group, any reform process that leaves the majority of citizens worse off cannot credibly be described as successful, regardless of external validation.
“The real measure of economic reform is not how it looks on paper, but how it feels in people’s lives,” HURIWA said.
The statement was signed by Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA.