The roots of this discontent lie in the country’s severe economic crisis, the worst in a generation. Annual inflation has soared to 34.19%, the highest in almost three decades, while food prices have increased even more drastically.
For instance, in Lagos, the commercial hub, the cost of yams has nearly quadrupled compared to the previous year. This inflationary spiral has eroded the purchasing power of many Nigerians, forcing them to make difficult choices, such as opting for nearly spoiled tomatoes, lower-quality rice, and fewer meals.
The Take It Back Movement is vocal about its demands, calling on the government to address the cost-of-living crisis and provide free education at all levels. “We are just demanding for the reversal of the things that are making things expensive,” Olagokun stated.
However, the group’s demands extend beyond economic relief; they also call for more radical changes, such as scrapping the 1999 constitution, granting voting rights to Nigerians living abroad, and releasing Biafran separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu from prison.
Juwon Sanyaolu, the national coordinator of the movement, notes that the protestors have taken inspiration from recent events in Kenya, where youth-led demonstrations compelled President William Ruto to abandon a controversial tax hike.
Sanyaolu believes the demands of the Nigerian protestors are similarly achievable, saying, “If Kenyans were calling for the dissolution of [President William] Ruto’s cabinet, I’m sure people would have been saying, ‘Your goals are unrealistic’. But today they’ve dissolved the entire cabinet.”
The planned protests have certainly caught the attention of the Nigerian government. In recent days, cabinet ministers have convened emergency meetings to strategize a response.
President Bola Tinubu, through Information Minister Mohammed Idris Malagi, has urged the protest organizers to call off the demonstrations and asked for more time to implement his administration’s plans. “The young people out there should allow the president more time to see to the realisation of all the goodies he has for them,” Malagi pleaded.
Several state governors have also attempted to dissuade citizens from participating in the protests, warning of potential violence. Abia State Governor Alex Otti cautioned young people to consider the consequences of taking to the streets, suggesting it might do more harm than good.
Meanwhile, various government agencies have announced initiatives that appear to be aimed at placating the public, such as reopening applications for financial support to young entrepreneurs and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s call for job applicants, which caused its website to crash due to high traffic.
However, protest organizers remain unimpressed by these measures, viewing them as insufficient. “We have not put our boots on the ground and already the government is granting concessions and advertising jobs here and there,” Sanyaolu remarked. “If young people insist and put their boots on the ground, we’ll get more.” The movement’s leaders are resolute in their belief that significant change is possible if the protests proceed as planned.
The economic difficulties plaguing Nigeria can be attributed to several key factors. The government’s decision to unpeg the naira from the US dollar led to a steep devaluation of the currency, exacerbating inflation.
The removal of a fuel subsidy, intended to reduce government spending, resulted in skyrocketing pump prices, with a ripple effect on other goods and services. Additionally, the country’s security crisis, marked by widespread kidnappings and attacks, has disrupted supply chains and further driven up costs.
Many Nigerians feel that these issues have overshadowed President Tinubu’s first year in office. The government, however, maintains that these reforms were necessary to curb public spending, a sentiment echoed by economist Muda Yusuf. “The policies were inevitable because the economy was almost at the brink at the time the current administration took over.
Our debt level had increased significantly,” Yusuf explained. He added that while the policies themselves were unavoidable, the implementation could have been more considerate, with faster rollout of mitigating measures to cushion the impact on the population.
These mitigating measures include distributing 40,000 tonnes of grains from the national reserve and providing temporary cash payments to the poorest citizens. Despite these efforts, the economic hardship has had a severe impact on businesses. Abosede Ibikunle, a caterer in Lagos, noted that her regular clients are increasingly opting to cook their own food for events, citing the high costs. “Everything is costly. Nothing is cheap. People are suffering, people are dying, this hardship is too much.”
There are concerns that the upcoming demonstrations could echo the #EndSars protests of 2020, which began as a response to police brutality and evolved into a broader outcry against systemic issues. Those protests ended tragically when the military opened fire on demonstrators in Lagos.
President Tinubu’s daughter, Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, has warned market traders in Dosunmu, Lagos, against allowing their children to participate in the protests, fearing a repeat of the violence. “Let’s tell ourselves, family, and children that there is nothing like protest in Lagos. It is a gimmick to destroy the country… look at how they burnt government properties. Can you see that they are fighting against us?” she said.
In anticipation of potential unrest, Defence spokesman Maj Gen Edward Buba has warned that the military will intervene to prevent violence, while police chief Kayode Egbetokun accused “self-appointed crusaders and influencers” of inciting the protests.
However, the protest organizers dismiss these warnings as scare tactics intended to justify a possible crackdown. “I’m not a prophet, as I like to say, but one thing I can assure is Nigerians are resolute and we will protest,” Sanyaolu asserted.
Citing Karl Marx, he added, “The protesters have nothing to lose but their chains.” He also referenced a hymn, saying, “A man who is down, is not to be afraid of falling. We are down already, so we have lost our fear.”
