About August 1st: Nigerian Youths versus The Nigerian Government
Kenya. Uganda. Bangladesh. Nigeria?
In Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, there’s palpable tension in the air. Recently, on the online town square, X, Nigerian youths, disgruntled by the terrible state of the economy, have scheduled August 1st to August 10th for protests calling for an end to bad governance — a turn of events which the Nigerian government is uncomfortable with. Ever since, they, that’s the Nigerian government, have been on their toes trying to diffuse the tense situation with the youths. They have called on traditional rulers, religious figures, and media personalities to convince the youth to shelf their protest plans, claiming that the protest could be hijacked by violent actors who seek to foment chaos just like the 2020 #EndSARS. They have even speedily passed a law to double the minimum wage to 70,000 naira a month, about 43 dollars.
At this juncture, a little bit of context wouldn’t hurt. Upon assuming office as the president of Nigeria in 2023, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a double-whammy policy shift, removed the long controversial fuel subsidies and floated the naira, policies which have contributed majorly to the runaway inflation the nation stares down. As of June 2024, the inflation rate in Nigeria was about 34 percent, a 28-year high that about 70 percent of those aged 28 and below in the country have never experienced in their lifetime.
The reality in Nigeria is terrible as the country’s highest inflation level since the dawn of the 21st century has birthed a cost of living crisis where people cannot afford basic necessities like food and medicine, as prices have, in some cases, more than doubled.
Galloping inflation aside, another dim reality the Nigerian youth believe the government should be held accountable for is unemployment. Unemployment is a notable issue in Nigeria; nevertheless, it disproportionately affects young people, with as many as 53.40 percent estimated to be unemployed.
In all, Nigeria is currently in a very sorry state. The youths are fed up and are planning on taking to the streets. And how has the government addressed their grievances? Aside from telling them to stop their planned protest for fear of it turning violent, the Bola Tinubu government has pleaded with the Nigerian youths to give them more time for the neo-liberal policies they implemented to yield positive results. They blame the corruption and mismanagement of previous administrations for the economic woes Nigerians now face. The Nigerian government tells the youth to engage them in more “constructive” ways than protests.
First, I commend this government for being proactive enough to read the writing on the wall — the people are in pain because of their policies. Nevertheless, saying that a protest should not be held for fear of it turning violent is like saying a person shouldn’t drive a car because an accident can happen. How ever can humanity make progress if not by trying? According to Nigerian law, the possibility of a protest turning violent does not negate the constitutional right to protest. Honestly, it’s just a load of crap.
Moreover, the government blaming previous administrations for the current economic woes is see-through. Soldier go, soldier come, barrack remain. No matter how much this government attempts to whitewash itself, the ethos of corruption and mismanagement that has been at the heart of previous administrations is present in Bola Ahmed Tinibu’s government. While austerity measures like fuel subsidy removal are good for Nigerians and the Nigerian economy, is the 15 billion naira spent by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration on the vice president’s residence also good? Shall I even mention the recent round of blows exchanged between Dangote, Africa’s richest man and Nigeria’s foremost industrialist, and the NMDPRA, the arm of the Nigerian government responsible for licensing fuel imports, over the continuation of fuel imports despite Dangote refinery’s capacity to satiate local consumption? How about the 15 trillion-naira white elephant, the Lagos-Calabar superhighway, which the Tinubu government is undertaking at a time when about 26 million people are estimated to be without food?
The government cannot go on blowing hot and cold at the same time. They have to decide whether they are with Nigerians or against them. Labelling people who are telling you that your policies are making life difficult for them as overreacting is simply heartless and insensitive.
Some have even surmised that the August 1st protest will amount to nothing, that’s if it even holds. But that’s not true; the results are already rolling in, some nuanced, others obvious. The government’s anxiety since the protest started brewing on X is a win for the protest. The government has been scampering to appease the people with measures like the increased minimum wage and food donations to the poor. They, the government, even say they are willing to engage with the youths more in whatever grievances they may have. Even anti-protest protests have popped up in the country to protest the August 1st protest by the youths — a manifestation of the August 1st protest.
No matter what happens in Nigeria on August 1st, 2024, history will record young Nigerians’ attempts to make the government pay attention to them — the future.
Ehen…as Mr. President don talk say make we youths dey engage am constructively, Mr. President e nwere m otutu ajuju. Sir, if I may. You said we should engage you constructively; what fora are there that we, the youths, can use to allay our fears and hopes? Secondly, as your government has identified industrialisation, particularly export-focused indstrialisation, as the key to employment and economic development in Nigeria, does it intend to protect Nigerian producers and consumers from unfair trade practices like dumping? If so, does it mean that Nigeria can finally establish an institution like the long-mulled International Trade Centre and arm it with trade defence instruments like anti-dumping and anti-subsidy legislation?
