The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, criticized Nigerians who found amusement in the Naira's depreciation against the dollar, branding them as "clowns.

 The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, criticized Nigerians who found amusement in the Naira's depreciation against the dollar, branding them as "clowns".

" The exchange rate reached N1500 to a dollar at the Lagos Parallel Market on January 31, 2024, sparking concerns about the worsening economic conditions.

Addressing the situation at an Abuja function, Shettima expressed disappointment that instead of uniting to salvage the economy, some Nigerians were mocking a predicament that could have severe consequences for the country. Shettima remarked, "It is disheartening that when the Naira reached N1500 to the Dollar, rather than rallying together to rescue our nation's economy, some individuals on Twitter are joyfully anticipating a collapse of the Nigerian economy."

In a related development, Kashim Shettima disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has endorsed the "Pulaaku Initiative," a non-violent approach to combat insurgency and banditry in the North. Shettima added that Tinubu has allocated an initial sum of N50 billion to support this initiative. Stressing the government's commitment to addressing insecurity nationwide, Shettima made these announcements during the opening speech at a two-day Roundtable on Insecurity in Northern Nigeria.