Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis has reached a critical point as nationwide protests continue to escalate, resulting in the deaths of at least six people.
These events challenge President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to prevent a crisis akin to the recent turmoil in Kenya.
In Niger State, security operatives reportedly killed several individuals, with more injured, according to the Daily Trust.
Meanwhile, Borno State authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew following an explosion that claimed 16 lives on Wednesday.
The protests, driven by social-media campaigns mirroring those in Kenya, are in response to government policies that have pushed inflation to its highest level in nearly 30 years.
This unrest poses a threat to President Tinubu’s economic reform agenda, which aims to attract foreign investment to a nation where 40% of the population lives in extreme poverty.
Demonstrators Gathered in Lagos
On Thursday, small groups of demonstrators gathered in Lagos and the capital, Abuja, according to Bloomberg.
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Police used tear gas in Abuja to disperse the crowds. While bank employees reported to work, many banks closed their doors to avoid potential attacks, leaving the usually busy streets of Lagos largely empty.
Additional protests occurred in Kano, Katsina, and Port Harcourt, with reports of looting at a government-owned property in Kano.
Kenya’s mid-June protests, which saw hundreds storming parliament and the government abandoning revenue-raising measures, serve as a cautionary tale. At least 61 people died during those protests.
Deadly Protests in Nigeria
Nigeria has its own history of deadly protests; in 2020, at least 56 people were killed during demonstrations against police brutality, according to Amnesty International. The Lekki Tollgate in Victoria Island, a site of violence in 2020, was notably empty on Thursday due to heavy police presence.
In an effort to quell the protests, President Tinubu has urged for peace, warning that Nigeria should not descend into conflict like Sudan, where a civil war has caused thousands of deaths and displaced millions since April last year.
The Lagos State Police Command announced on Wednesday that they had safely neutralized an improvised explosive device in the city, urging residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious objects.
