Thousands of Nigerians are expected to commence ten days of nationwide protests today.
The organisers, many of them young people, say they are frustrated by the country’s economic conditions and have vowed “days of rage” in demonstrations.
With momentum soaring on and offline, the Nigerian government fears a replay of the October 2020 #EndSARS protest which started peacefully but turned violent.
President Bola Tinubu has said he recognises the right to peaceful protests. Still, his administration is wary of the “dangers” associated with demonstrations that are “vulnerable” to being hijacked by criminals.
While the president has begged the youth to shelve the protest, some senior administration officials labelled the protests as unwarranted and politically motivated.
Organisers of the protests are calling for the reversal of the fuel price hike, the restoration of affordable electricity tariffs, and the reduction of import duties to their previous rates.
The groups also demand the reversal of many institutions’ hikes in tertiary education fees. They are also demanding full transparency and accountability in governance, including the public disclosure and reduction of public officials’ salaries and allowances and an emergency fund to support SMEs.
The State Security Service (SSS) alleged that the protests were intended to undermine the government and plunge the country into chaos. Also, the Nigerian Army warned that the protests could lead to anarchy and has promised to take proactive measures to maintain control.
The stance of Nigerian government officials and security agencies regarding the planned nationwide protests has raised serious concerns.
Activists said the officials’ rhetorics suggest a troubling readiness to stifle dissent, heightening fears of a violent crackdown.
