‘Nigerians are tired’: Protesters fed up with bad governance, soaring costs

Thousands are protesting poor governance, corruption and the increasing cost of living in Africa’s most populous nation.

Lagos, Nigeria – Armed with a protest sign, 20-year-old Samuel Adeleke joined a crowd of angry Nigerians gathered in Ikeja, the heart of Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos, on Thursday morning.

Passing through nearby residential areas, the few hundred protesters raised placards decrying the high cost of food and rising cost of living, while pumping their fists in the air and chanting songs to urge more people to join them.

By the time they arrived in Ojota, the area 7.5km away where demonstrators were converging for the first of a planned 10-day-long protest, the number of demonstrators had swelled to a couple of thousand.

Tens of thousands of people across Africa’s most populous country are participating in the protests under the banner of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria. Organisers have called for days of street demonstrations beginning on August 1 to protest against bad governance, corruption and the increasing cost of living that has left millions of Nigerians reeling. In total, protesters have 19 demands.

In parts of the country, such as the northern Kano and Yobe states, authorities imposed a curfew as some protesters attacked vehicles, burning them. In capital Abuja, the police fired back tear gas shells to disperse protesters, and gunshots were heard. By Friday morning, rights group Amnesty International’s Nigeria head said at least 13 protesters had been killed, and more than 300 arrested.