On the heels of recent tumult in Kenya, Senegal, Togo, Comoros and Uganda, Nigeria earlier this month became the latest African country to see mass discontent, and occasional violence, over measures prescribed by the International Monetary Fund to reform its debt-strapped and struggling economy. Thousands of Nigerians took to the streets to protest a devastating cost-of-living crisis, acute hunger, insecurity, and rampant corruption in the country’s government.
The idea of staging “ten days of rage,” from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10—promoted on social media with the hashtag #EndBadGovernance—first appeared on X, formerly Twitter, in the early days of July as the dramatic events in Kenya loomed large across the continent. However, it was not until the following weeks that the movement began to gain traction on social media. This fervent digital activism, precedent for which had been established during the #EndSARS protest four years prior, created panic among state authorities, including Nigeria’s national police, army and intelligence services, as the protest day drew nearer. An atmosphere of tension prevailed in the first few days of the protest as government offices, banks, schools, and private businesses shut down, and the roads, even in the commercial nerve center, Lagos state, were free of traffic.
The youth-driven protests drew tens of thousands into the streets and led to riots and vandalism in some of the country’s northern states, and they continue to simmer, leaving the entire country reeling. Not less than 22 protesters were killed during the unrest, according to Amnesty International, and more than 1,000 were arrested nationwide. As their trials begin on charges ranging from vandalism to treason, authorities are worried about snap protests breaking out, particularly outside courthouses. The government’s response echoed a violent crackdown that unfolded in Uganda in late July as anti-corruption protesters, motivated by Kenya’s example, tried to rally in the capital, Kampala.