By VICTOR ALI
On Thursday, August 1, 2024, Nigeria woke to nationwide protests tagged #EndBadGovernance, also known as the “August Protests.” The protests were not unexpected, as organizers had given prior notice to the relevant authorities. Like wildfire, the protests spread across virtually all state capitals, including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, the seat of power.
Within days, what began as a peaceful ten-day protest descended into chaos. Violence erupted, leading to looting, the destruction of both public and private properties, the loss of lives, and the imposition of 24-hour curfews in some states, particularly in the northern part of the country, where the unrest was most severe.
What were the protesters’ demands? Was the country at war with itself? Had all avenues for consultation, dialogue, and negotiation been fully explored? It is indeed tragic that what was initially intended as a peaceful expression of citizens’ expectations from their government turned into a nightmare.
The conveners of the #EndBadGovernance protests were clear about their demands. They focused on issues such as widespread hunger, abject poverty, rampant unemployment, and escalating insecurity across the country. These are pressing concerns that all Nigerians are familiar with. Some might argue that these issues have been long-standing.
However, with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’, Nigerians hoped for a quick resolution to these problems. Unfortunately, some of these issues were exacerbated by the sudden, unexpected removal of the fuel subsidy. In his acceptance speech on May 29, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared that the fuel subsidy was gone forever.
In an economy heavily dependent on fuel, the resulting spike in food prices, rising inflation, and the floating of the Naira have plunged Nigerians into a precarious economic situation marked by hunger and poverty. As food prices have soared to unprecedented heights, the purchasing power of Nigerians has diminished. It is not surprising that many families struggle to eat three meals a day in today’s Nigeria.
The food crisis has been further compounded by nearly two decades of insecurity, particularly in the northern regions, where terrorist activities by groups like Boko Haram, banditry in the North-East and North-West, and herder-farmer clashes in the Middle Belt have wreaked havoc. The looming food crisis is undeniable.
Addressing these security challenges is crucial to ensuring food security. This is not to suggest that other parts of the country are immune to insecurity. It is a nationwide threat that must be addressed with urgency.
Judging from video footage and interviews with protesters, it is evident that Nigerian youths, who were at the forefront of the protests, are desperate for survival. While the right to protest is enshrined in the constitution, it must be exercised within the bounds of the law. Whether the protests were hijacked by hoodlums, miscreants, or thugs, the destruction and looting that occurred were entirely unjustified.
Some analysts argue that the government’s response to the protests was too slow. In my view, the government should have been proactive in preventing the protests from escalating. Now that the damage is done, the government is appealing for dialogue, but this should have been initiated before the protests began. The government’s actions suggest either a misjudgment of the protesters’ resolve or an underestimation of the situation’s severity.
The removal of the fuel subsidy appears to have been implemented impulsively, without adequate precautions to mitigate its adverse effects. Only after the subsidy was removed did Nigerians hear about initiatives such as palliatives, student loans, money transfers to vulnerable households, agricultural policies, and employment opportunities for youths.
Nigerians have grown skeptical of their leaders, particularly politicians, who often say one thing and mean another. If the fuel subsidy had remained in place while these initiatives were properly announced and executed, the backlash over its removal might have been less severe.