By Fatima Kambar Adam

In Maiduguri, a city in Northeast Nigeria, life is getting harder. The city has been hit by the violent group Boko Haram, and now, almost half of the city’s usual activities have been destroyed.

Many people, especially women and children, have had to leave their homes, and men often face death or are forced to join Boko Haram. 

In this crisis, women have had to take on new roles as heads of their families. Despite their efforts, they struggle to provide for their families because they don’t have enough resources. 

Hafsat Lawan, a mother who lost her husband, is just one example of this struggle. She has three children, all of whom are in school, and she’s finding it hard to keep them fed and cared for.

To earn money, she washes clothes, sells items, and even gathers firewood to sell. But even with all this work, she still can’t afford everything her family needs. 

The cost of fuel is another big problem. It’s gone up so much that even people with good jobs can’t afford to buy food and get to work. And because of this, many children can’t go to school anymore because they can’t afford the fees or the transportation. 

Falmata Aji, another mother in the city, is worried about what will happen if things don’t change. She’s asking the government to step in and help before things get even worse. 

Women and children for the larger chunk of persons directly impacted by the crisis

“Civil servants at level six or seven spend their entire monthly salary on food and transportation, which has tripled in cost,” Aji explained.

Men in the city are also struggling. Mohammed Nur says that the cost of living is so high that some men can’t afford to get home from work. He’s also calling on the government to help. 

“They can’t just go to work, some even have to beg before returning home after work due to high transport and difficulties, no money to pay riders,” he said.

Abdulkareem Hamakhant, another resident, has some ideas for how the government could help. He suggests that they could pay for half of the fees for university students, and let the students pay the rest after they graduate. He also thinks the government should do something to make food cheaper. 

The people of Maiduguri are hoping for help, and they’re asking their government to step in before things get even worse.

“We pray the government will have a clear look at these matters,” Hamakhant said. 

Edited by Abdulkareem Haruna