Thousands of Nigerians have taken to the streets in major cities across the country to protest against the escalating cost of living and soaring fuel prices.
According to Aljazeera, the demonstrations, expected to last for 10 days, have prompted a heightened security presence in Lagos, the country’s largest city, and Abuja, the capital.
The protests come in the wake of economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a year ago, which were intended to revitalize Nigeria’s economy. However, these measures have led to unprecedented inflation rates and a sharp devaluation of the naira, the national currency.
Food Inflation Reaching 40 Percent
The situation has become particularly dire for many Nigerians, with food inflation reaching a staggering 40 percent and fuel prices tripling since the implementation of Tinubu’s reforms.
Organized under the hashtag #EndbadGovernanceinNigeria, the movement has gained substantial traction online, resonating with citizens struggling to cope with the economic downturn.
The demonstrations have not been without incident, as reports indicate that police have employed tear gas to disperse protesters in both Abuja and Kano.
Security forces have taken preemptive measures, blocking access to key protest sites such as Abuja’s Eagle Square and deploying police and military personnel to strategic locations in Lagos, including the Lekki toll gate – a site that gained notoriety during the 2020 protests against police brutality.
Adegoke Fayoade, the state police commissioner in Lagos, emphasized the importance of maintaining order, stating,
“Duty is very clear: to ensure that the protest is peaceful, devoid of violence, devoid of the horrific things that happened during the rising in 2020.”
A List of 19 Demands
In an attempt to alleviate the economic strain, the government announced a series of measures on Wednesday, including the distribution of grain to states across the country and providing aid to the most vulnerable.
However, these actions have done little to quell the growing unrest, as citizens continue to stock up on essentials in anticipation of potential violence during the demonstrations. Activist Ismail Olushola Oladare, who participated in the 2020 protests, expressed the sentiments of many demonstrators, saying,
“The police are brutalizing the Nigerian people and people want that to stop. Today, this particular protest and bad governance protest is about the standard of living of people.”
The protest organizers, a coalition of civil society groups, have presented a list of 19 demands to the government. Central to their grievances is the removal of state subsidies on petroleum products, which they blame for the current economic crisis. Omolola Pedro, a protest organizer, explained,
“The idea of the rallies was to let the government know that Nigerians have had enough of the government’s abuse of human rights, unstable economic situation [resulting from] the policies that they have made.”
Potential Violence
These demonstrations in Nigeria follow recent unrest in other African nations, including Kenya and Uganda, where citizens have also protested against government policies and corruption.
Nigeria’s inspector general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, expressed concern about the potential for violence, stating,
“Some groups of people, self-appointed crusaders and influencers, have been strategizing and mobilizing potential protesters to unleash terror in the land under the guise of replicating the recent Kenya protests.”
He further emphasized,
“We will, therefore, not sit back and fold our arms to watch violent activities unleash violence on our peaceful communities or destroy any of our national critical infrastructure and assets again.”
