Nigeria braces for protests over cost of living

Protestors hold a placard as they gather behind barbed wire during the End Bad Governance protest in Abuja on August 1, 2024. Nigerian troops and police tightened security in Lagos and the capital Abuja on Thursday as they prepared for planned protests over the cost of living. Africa's most populous country is struggling with soaring inflation and a sharply devalued naira currency after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu introduced reforms a year ago that aimed to revive the economy. (Photo by Kola Sulaimon / AFP)

(AFP) - Nigeria prepared for nationwide protests over the cost of living on Thursday with authorities warning about attempts to copy the violent demonstrations in Kenya that forced the government to backtrack on new taxes.

Africa's most populous country is struggling with soaring inflation and a sharply devalued naira currency after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu introduced reforms a year ago that aimed to revive the economy.

Tagged #EndbadGovernanceinNigeria, the protest movement has won support with an online campaign among Nigerians who are battling with food inflation at 40 percent and fuel prices that tripled since Tinubu introduced urgent reforms.

On the eve of the protests expected to take place in major cities from Lagos to the capital Abuja, government officials sought to urge young activists to reject rallies and allow time for Tinubu's reforms to take hold.

How much support the protests will have is unclear. Many Nigerians are struggling even to make a living with the cost of food and transport and many people are worried about insecurity.

But protest leaders, a loose coalition of civil society groups, vowed to press on with rallies despite what they say were legal challenges trying to limit their rallies to public parks instead of marches.

"We believe that this protest must go on regardless of the threat and intimidation," the protest coalition said in a statement this week.

Nigeria's government on Wednesday listed aid it has offered to alleviate economic pain, including raising the minimum salary levels, delivering grains to states across the country and aid to the most needy.

"The government of President Tinubu recognises the right to peaceful protest, but circumspection and vigilance should be our watch words," Secretary to the Federation of Government, George Akume, told reporters.

"Our appeal is that Nigerians should please pursue the path of peace, dialogue and collaboration."

The last major protest in Nigeria was in 2020 when young activists took to the streets to rally against the brutality of the SARS anti-robbery squad in demonstrations that evolved into some of the largest in Nigeria's modern democracy.

But the rallies ended in bloodshed in Lagos. Rights groups accused the army of opening fire on peaceful protesters, but the military said troops used blanks to break up a crowd defying a curfew.

Nigeria's latest protests come as Kenya's President William Ruto was forced to repeal new taxes and name a new cabinet after weeks of anti-government protests in the worst crisis in his almost two years in office.

In Uganda, officials also arrested dozens earlier this month after they took part in banned anti-corruption protests organised online by young activists inspired by Kenya's rallies.

© Agence France-Presse