ON Thursday, police in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, used tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters rallying against the escalating cost of living and governance issues. Eyewitnesses reported that demonstrators also gathered in the commercial hub of Lagos and several other cities, expressing discontent with economic reforms that have spurred rampant inflation and increasing hardship for ordinary Nigerians.
President Bola Tinubu, who has pledged to pursue these reforms, argues that they are necessary to stabilise the country’s economy. However, the changes have led to significant public backlash.
Authorities deployed armed security personnel in an effort to prevent potential violence. In Lagos, armed police monitored protesters as they marched toward government buildings and designated protest sites. Some shopping malls were shut down and heavily guarded by police.
Inspired by June protests in Kenya, which led to the scrapping of planned tax increases, Nigerians are mobilising online to demand the reinstatement of subsidies for petrol and electricity, free primary and secondary education, and measures to combat insecurity.
In Abuja, the military set up roadblocks along highways leading into the city, while some protesters gathered at a stadium. Youths in Maiduguri, a city troubled by militant insurgency in the northeast, demonstrated despite a heavy security presence, voicing frustration with government policies.
Before the protests, the government indicated its openness to dialogue. President Tinubu has asked citizens to endure his economic reforms, but many complain that politicians are not making enough sacrifices themselves. Since taking office over a year ago, Tinubu has removed fuel subsidies, devalued the naira currency, and increased electricity tariffs, leading to inflation soaring past 34 percent, eroding incomes. Consumer inflation hit a 28-year high of 34.19 percent in June.
Nigerians are also facing widespread insecurity, which has damaged the farming sector and led to frequent kidnappings by armed gangs in the north. While labour unions have led previous protests, Thursday’s demonstrations were primarily by unemployed youth, presenting a new challenge for the government.
In an attempt to alleviate some of the hardship caused by his economic policies, Tinubu signed a new minimum wage into law on Monday. However, many of Nigeria’s 200 million people are either self-employed or unemployed, and thus do not benefit from the wage increase.
