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Nigerian Generation Z youths are preparing for protests next month to demand better governance from the current administration.
Inspired by recent events in Kenya, where protests led President William Ruto to reject signing the Finance Bill 2024 and initiate substantial government reforms, Nigerian youths have mobilized on social media to call for similar changes in their own country.
Scheduled from August 1 to 10, the protests are being promoted with hashtags like #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria and #EndBadGovernance2024. Organizers aim to hold President Bola Tinubu’s government accountable for economic mismanagement and other issues.
A circulated poster directs participants to gather at local government assemblies, House of Representatives residences, governors’ offices, and the National Assembly in Abuja. Protesters are encouraged to carry placards, handkerchiefs, water bottles, white cloths or ribbons, and the Nigerian flag, dressed in black and white attire.
“For those in Enugu, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Abuja, and Kaduna, block all roads leading to the city and airport on Day 1,” the poster instructs.
The poster lists 12 demands, including addressing alleged anti-people policies, reducing excessive taxation, and implementing electoral reforms. Specific requests include establishing an emergency fund for SMEs, disclosing and reducing the salaries of senators and House of Representatives members, ending subsidies termed as deceptive, and lowering fuel prices to below 300 Naira per litre.
Furthermore, they call for the reintroduction of educational subsidies to reduce tertiary fees, restoring affordable electricity tariffs, and reverting import duties to previous rates. Reforms in the Judiciary, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are also demanded.
Protesters want INEC to become independent with transparent processes for appointing its chairman and a law mandating the electronic transmission of real-time election results. They also advocate for declaring a state of emergency on inflation and reopening national borders.
These planned demonstrations echo recent anti-Finance Bill protests in Kenya, where youthful Kenyans, dubbed Gen Z, pressured the government to withdraw proposed punitive taxes. The protests resulted in over 40 deaths, 300 injuries, and significant property damage due to alleged infiltrations by violent elements.
Following the protests, President William Ruto declined to sign the Finance Bill into law and, on June 26, returned it to Parliament, urging MPs to remove contentious clauses.
However, Nigerian youths remain steadfast, echoing chants seen in Kenya, demanding “Ruto Must Go” as they continue their push for change.
