Boiling Point Arena, Nigeria’s hybrid media discourse platform, will tonight (Sunday, 11 October 2026) confront one of the most pressing questions facing Nigerian households: Are you rich, poor, or stuck somewhere in between?
The 48th edition of the programme, airing from 8pm, carries the theme: “Where Did the Middle Class Go? How Are Nigerians Surviving the Cost-of-Living Crisis and What Can Government Do to Ease the Hardship?”
Over two hours, the discussion will examine the apparent erosion of Nigeria’s middle class, the daily struggle to maintain a decent standard of living, and the policy steps needed to ease the country’s cost-of-living crisis.
The programme will be transmitted live via Zoom and broadcast on seven partner radio stations across Lagos, Ogun and Delta States, as well as on NSTV (GOtv).
Hosted by veteran journalist and communication strategist Ayo Arowojolu, Boiling Point Arena debuted in November 2022 and has grown into a monthly platform for robust national conversations.
Key participants
Chair and keynote speaker: The Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Prof. Saka Matemilola.
Discussants:
Comrade Hassan Sunmonu, pioneer former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and elder statesman.
Prof. Abdullahi Sule-Kano, Professor of Political Science at Bayero University, Kano.
Dr Paul Alaje, economist and financial analyst.
This special Independence-themed edition comes after Nigeria’s 66th anniversary of nationhood and against a backdrop of persistent hardship — soaring food prices, housing and transport costs, school fees, healthcare bills, and shrinking purchasing power.
The conversation will probe fundamental questions:
What does it mean to be middle class in today’s Nigeria? Is it defined by income, assets, lifestyle, or simply the ability to meet basic needs without constant financial anxiety?
Has the middle class disappeared, or is it undergoing a painful contraction with serious implications for social mobility, economic growth and national stability?
What does independence mean to a worker whose earnings can barely sustain a family?
Sunmonu is expected to offer a historical labour perspective on wages, collective bargaining and the changing fortunes of Nigerian workers. Professor Sule-Kano will examine the links between public policy, political choices and economic inequality. Dr Alaje will analyse the economic forces squeezing household budgets and suggest practical measures to restore financial stability.
Beyond diagnosis, the panel will explore what government, employers and organised labour can do — through wages, employment, food security, housing, energy costs and social protection — to ease the pressure on ordinary citizens.
Boiling Point Arena frames the discussion as an open national conversation, testing the widely held belief that Nigeria’s middle class is vanishing against the lived experiences of workers, professionals, entrepreneurs, retirees and other households.
Partner stations
WASH 94.9FM (Lagos), Sweet 107.1FM, Roots 97.1FM and Opera Tune 106.3FM (Abeokuta), Erimbe 94.7FM (Shagamu), Women Radio 91.7FM (Mowe), and Kruzz 92.9FM (Asaba), alongside NSTV on GOtv.