Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged Nigerians to exercise discretion when protesting the country's current economic hardship.

Upon assuming office nine months ago, the Tinubu administration discontinued subsidies on gasoline, which, it said, would save the government money for infrastructural expansion.

It also unified the foreign exchange rates, moves that sparked collateral instability in the value of the naira and heaped hardship on Nigerians as food prices continued to soar.

Consequently, organized labor has called for at least four strikes and several protests against these policies.

However, the Vice President called for caution amid demonstrations, saying the government expects that Nigerians should express their feelings about the circumstances responsibly and maturely.

Shettima said this during the 29th pre-Ramadan lecture organized by the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni and appealed to citizens not to interpret the hardship as the government’s attempt to punish them.

Represented by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the Vice-President also warned Nigerians about “severe” economic challenges as they approach the holy month.