Nigeria is preparing for a widespread protest over the high cost of living, with authorities warning against attempts to replicate the violent demonstrations in Kenya that forced the government to back down on additional taxes.
The #EndbadGovernanceinNigeria protest movement has gained popularity through an internet campaign among Nigerians who are dealing with 40 percent food inflation and quadrupled fuel prices since Tinubu implemented urgent changes.
On the eve of planned protests in key cities from Lagos to Abuja, government officials urged youth activists to reject marches and give Tinubu’s reforms time to take effect. It’s uncertain how much support the protesters will get.
Many Nigerians are struggling to make a livelihood due to the high cost of food and transportation, and many are concerned about insecurity.
But protest leaders, a loose coalition of civil society groups, have pledged to continue holding protests despite what they allege are legal challenges attempting to limit their rallies to public parks rather than marches.
Nigeria’s government on Wednesday outlined the aid it has offered to ease economic hardship, including hiking minimum wage levels, sending cereals to states across the country, and providing assistance to the most vulnerable.
The last major protest in Nigeria was in 2020 when young activists took to the streets to rally against the brutality of the SARS anti-robbery squad in demonstrations that evolved into some of the largest in Nigeria’s modern democracy.
But the rallies ended in bloodshed in Lagos. Rights groups accused the army of opening fire on peaceful protesters, but the military said troops used blanks to break up a crowd defying a curfew.
Nigeria’s latest protests come as Kenya’s President William Ruto was forced to repeal new taxes and name a new cabinet after weeks of anti-government protests in the worst crisis in his almost two years in office.
