Democracy under scrutiny as Nigerians struggle to afford the basics

People read local newspapers reporting on the first year in office of president Bola Tinubu. Photograph: Sunday Alamba/AP

For visitors to Lagos, the gentle plea begins with immigration officials at the airport and is echoed across the streets of Africa’s most populous city: “Show me love.”

It is a familiar request for tips in a city of omnipresent hustle, but residents say the requests have intensified in the last year as people struggle under the crushing weight of Nigeria’s underperforming economy.