As Nigerians prepared to celebrate Democracy Day on June 12, Yahuza Yahaya’s family focused on something more urgent than democracy: food.
While politicians spoke of progress and achievements, the family woke up wondering where their next meal would come from.
Mr Yahaya’s family’s daily struggles do not reflect the struggles of past heroes who fought for democracy.
For Mr Yahaya, it seems easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for him to put food on the table for his wife and two children.
According to the United Nations World Food Programme, nearly 35 million Nigerians are projected to face severe food insecurity during the 2026 lean season. Mr Yahaya is apparently one of them.
Ubiquitous conflicts, displacement and economic hardship are worsening hunger across northern communities. Children are at greatest risk, where malnutrition rates are highest, according to the WFP.
“Before, things were easy, but this government has impoverished me,” he said. “I suffer with my family to eat daily. I break stones in illegal mining to have food on my table. It becomes difficult for me to feed a wife & two children.”
That struggle alone has not forced Mr Yahaya to stop thinking or stop going to his neighbour’s house to watch live parades and celebrations of democracy on TV. He could not afford a TV for his household.
“I’m not happy because I’m tired of suffering. This democracy that we are in is useless for me because they say people have power, but we do not,” he broke his silence.
Mr Yahaya, 35, said poverty forced his two children out of school, shattering his dream of giving them a formal education. Despite the setback, he still hopes to help them return to the classroom someday.
“We have not talked much about schooling for the two kids. My children are no longer going to school. I wish they could go, but our conditions mean none of them is enrolled now,” Mr Yahaya explained in his mud house.
For Mr Yahaya, June 12 brings more frustration than celebration. Seeing elected officials on TV or hearing them on the radio at his neighbour’s house often leaves him angry and resentful.
“When I hear about democracy, it annoys me because whatever they say is not what will make us happy. When I hear or watch them on TV or the radio, it burns my heart to ashes. This has brought us nothing but suffering,” he told The Gazette, grumbling.
He added, “In previous years, I was enjoying all the work I did. I earned well. I never knew suffering until five years ago.”
He added, “In previous years, I was enjoying all the work I did. I earned well. I never knew suffering until five years ago.”
