Police officers fired teargas at protesters during the “Fearless in October” protest against bad governance in Abuja, Nigeria.
The demonstrators, gathered in the Utako area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), waved the Nigerian Green-White-Green flag and carried banners with messages such as “EndBadGovernance,” “DiasporaVoting,” and “EndHighLivingCosts.” However, they were forcibly dispersed by the police.
The protest, held on October 1, 2024, was driven by a social media campaign and followed the August #EndBadGovernance protests.
Both movements shared similar themes, with young Nigerians demanding a reversal of key government policies, including the removal of petrol subsidies and the increase in electricity tariffs.
Critics have strongly opposed President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of foreign exchange rates. These measures, they argue, have led to unprecedented inflation and a steep rise in living and energy costs across the country.
Since Tinubu’s administration began on May 29, 2023, energy costs have skyrocketed, with petrol prices per litre soaring from around N200 to over N1,000 and electricity tariffs quadrupling. The spike in these costs has hit both Nigerian households and the manufacturing sector hard.
In his 64th Independence Day Anniversary address on Tuesday, President Tinubu acknowledged the economic hardship caused by these reforms.
He urged Nigerians to remain patient, assuring them that his administration is working on economic measures to alleviate the rising cost of living. “We are retooling our policies for the good of the common Nigerian,” Tinubu said, while expressing sympathy for those affected by the current crisis.
