Amnesty International urged Nigeria’s government on Thursday to uphold human rights ahead of widespread youth protests against food shortages and the cost of living crises. The rallies, which were coordinated on various social media channels, highlight rising prices and economic frustration among Nigerian youth.

According to Amnesty International’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi: 

The Nigerian authorities must ensure that security agencies respect and facilitate the right to peaceful protest, as guaranteed by both the country’s constitution and human rights treaties including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.  Government officials must also refrain from issuing rhetoric to demonize protesters and stifle peaceful dissent.

Despite President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to revitalize the economy, Nigeria is grappling with major economic difficulties such as growing inflation and a sinking currency. These economic concerns have caused widespread dissatisfaction, with young Nigerians holding rallies under the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria. The demonstrators have issued a list of 19 demands including unemployment, hunger, declining living standards, and electoral reform.

The Nigerian protests will last for 10 days and follow those in Uganda and Kenya. Youth-led protests in Uganda began in late July, demanding an end to the government’s widespread corruption and lack of accountability under President Yoweri Museveni. Several human rights violations have been reported, including arbitrary arrests and the use of excessive force by law enforcement agents. As a result, many human rights organizations have called for the unconditional release of all anti-corruption campaigners. Similar demonstrations occurred in Kenya from June to July, with young people demanding tax reforms, and government accountability, among other demands.

Protest leaders in Nigeria, including a diverse group of civil society groups, have stated that they faced legal hurdles in limiting their demonstrations to public parks rather than marches. Despite this court order limiting rallies in Abuja to the national stadium, protestors surged into the city center, causing police to use tear gas to disperse them.

The Inspector General of Police, meanwhile, has dismissed the protests as a plot to create a disturbance in the country. According to the Inspector General, ‘Some groups of people, self-appointed crusaders and influencers, have been strategizing and mobilizing potential protesters to unleash terror in the land under the guise of replicating the recent Kenya protests.’