Ahead of planned protests on Thursday against rising living costs and poor governance, Nigerian security forces have been deployed in major cities to prevent potential violence.
The government has expressed willingness for dialogue but has not confirmed whether it has engaged with protest organizers.
Since taking office over a year ago, President Bola Tinubu has implemented several controversial economic reforms, including removing fuel subsidies, devaluing the naira, and increasing electricity tariffs.
These measures have driven inflation above 34%, severely impacting incomes.
In addition to economic pressures, Nigerians are facing widespread insecurity, with armed gangs kidnapping residents and schoolchildren for ransom, particularly in the north.
The insecurity has also disrupted agriculture.
Inspired by recent protests in Kenya, Nigerians are mobilizing online to demand the reinstatement of fuel and electricity subsidies, free primary and secondary education, and improvements in security.
Senior government official George Akume has warned that the protests could be infiltrated and escalate into violence but did not provide specifics. “We prefer dialogue, we are ready for dialogue,” he told reporters, emphasizing that Nigeria is a “work in progress” and promising improvements.
In response to the planned demonstrations, armed police have been deployed in Abuja, Lagos, and Kano.
Major roads have been secured with checkpoints, and police have occupied the main square in Abuja that protesters intended to use. Military vehicles are also stationed nearby. In Lagos, a court order has restricted protesters to two locations on the city’s outskirts.
Concerns about potential violence echo previous unrest during the October 2020 EndSars protests, which resulted in casualties and property damage. In anticipation of the upcoming protests, workers at Kano’s Sufi Mart have reinforced windows with shutters.
Lagos market vendor Nneka Ochiachebe expressed hope that the protests would remain peaceful, saying, “I don’t want it to extend into the night so that it doesn’t turn out to be another thing like EndSars.”
