As Nigeria approaches its 64th Independence Day celebration on October 1, 2024, the Federal Government is working to prevent a major protest planned for the same day.
Several groups have announced their intention to stage a protest against the rising economic hardship in the country, which they blame on bad governance.
This protest, tagged #FearlessInOctober or EndBadGovernanceProtestInNigeria 2.0, is expected to attract thousands of demonstrators across various states.
The protest comes just months after a similar 10-day demonstration in August, where people across the country expressed frustration over government policies that they say have worsened their living conditions.
The August protests were fueled by anger over several government actions, including the removal of fuel subsidies, the floating of the naira, and an increase in electricity tariffs.
Despite warnings from authorities and calls for calm, the protests turned violent in some areas, with attacks on people and destruction of infrastructure.
Protesters demanded that the government reverse its policies, arguing that the removal of the petrol subsidy had led to skyrocketing fuel prices, making life unbearable for ordinary Nigerians.
Since then, the economic situation has deteriorated even further. Petrol prices have risen to over N1,000 per litre, while the exchange rate has hit over N1,600 to the US dollar, creating additional pressure on the average Nigerian household.
This worsening situation is driving more citizens to support the upcoming protest on Independence Day, seeing it as an opportunity to voice their grievances and push for change.
In response to the planned protests, the Nigerian government has taken steps to engage with the protest organisers in a bid to prevent the kind of violence that occurred in August.
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated that while the government acknowledges the right of Nigerians to stage peaceful protests, there is concern that these demonstrations could turn violent.
“Government is not against any peaceful protest by Nigerians. After all, it is their fundamental right to stage any protest,” Onanuga said.
“However, government is always apprehensive about such protests degenerating into a riot, as we experienced in August or the 2020 EndSARS protest in many parts of the country.”
Onanuga further revealed that security agencies are in talks with the organisers to ensure that the protests do not spiral out of control.
“Security agencies have been discussing with some of the organisers, and they are being monitored so that they do not plunge the country into chaos or allow themselves to be used by internal and external forces which want to subvert the country and the 16-month-old administration,” he added.
The government is keen to avoid a repeat of the large-scale violence that occurred during the 2020 EndSARS protest, which began as a peaceful movement against police brutality but later escalated into widespread unrest.
While protesters argue that government policies have exacerbated economic challenges, the presidency insists that the ongoing reforms are necessary to improve the country’s long-term economic outlook.
Onanuga highlighted that some of the economic reforms initiated by the administration are already yielding positive results.
He pointed to recent data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), suggesting that the country’s economic indicators are showing signs of recovery.
However, for many Nigerians, these improvements have yet to translate into relief from the soaring cost of living. Rising inflation, high fuel costs, and a weak naira have left millions struggling to make ends meet.
