Africa is seeing more youth-led protests

Across Africa, young people have been at the forefront of recent waves of protest, driven by unhappiness about their current living conditions and political leaders' failure to deliver economic progress.

In Nigeria, thousands of people are expected to take to the streets on Thursday to protest against the high cost of living and the government's handling of the economy.

In recent months, the country has experienced scattered protests, including a labor union strike that disrupted air travel and caused widespread power outages. The nationwide demonstration is expected to be the largest since the #ENDSars movement against police violence in 2020.

The protests, organized mainly by young people, have gained support on social media through the hashtags "EndBadGovernanceinNigeria" and "RevolutionNow." The organizers demand that President Bola Tinubu's government address hunger and economic hardship.

Nigerian youth groups have drawn significant inspiration from recent events in Kenya. There, demonstrations by led by the so-called Gen Z, a name given to the cohort of young people between the ages of 13 and 27, compelled President William Ruto to dismiss his entire cabinet and revoke an unpopular tax hike bill. This also inspired neighboring Uganda to hold a brief protest.

'Nigerians taken for granted'

"If there's any country in the world where people have been taken for granted on account of their patience, Nigeria will be ranked number one," said Ibrahim Baba Shatambaya, a political commentator and lecturer at Usman Danfodiyo University in Sokoto.

Shatambaya told DW that the political and ruling elites had maintained social divisions among the populace for years to retain control. But the growing discontent in the country was beginning to have an impact.

"Manipulations that were used over the years by the political elites to keep the people in check seem to have faltered and people are demanding that the government should act responsibly," he said.

Nigerians have criticized the government's decision to scrap a long-cherished fuel subsidy. Its removal has led to a substantial increase in the cost of living. Many blame their current suffering on the reforms introduced since President Tinubu took office in May 2023.

Ironically, Tinubu played a crucial role in the 2012 Occupy Nigeria demonstrations, which opposed President Goodluck Jonathan's government's removal of the fuel subsidies. Now, the tables have turned, and like Jonathan, Tinubu finds himself under pressure. He has frequently said that discontinuing fuel subsidies was necessary to prevent the country from going bankrupt.

The US-based World Bank and International Monetary Fund have said the measures were needed to revive Nigeria's economy.

Nigerian leaders seek to stop protests

Authorities in Nigeria have urged young people to stay away from demonstrations. Some top officials have even accused the protest organizers of treason and seeking to destabilize the country.

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun cautioned the youth against protesting and called for constructive engagement with the government to find lasting solutions to Nigeria's problems.

"We must recognize that no investor will be attracted to a country perceived as unstable due to frequent protests. We should not allow ourselves to be manipulated by leaderless movements, often sponsored by frustrated politicians who have failed to gain power," Abiodun said while speaking as a guest of honor at the 22nd convocation ceremony of Babcock University in Ilisan Remo in Nigeria's Ogun State.

However, opposition leader Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party insisted that the government must provide security for "peaceful protests."

"Any attempt to suppress these rights is not only unconstitutional but a direct affront to our democracy," Abubakar said on X.

DW correspondent Shehu Salmanu said the youth groups had alerted the Nigerian police force and all security agencies and "there's no going back for them to take to the street on August 1."

"It's one of the indications that the youth are desperate to have their demands or their problems solved," he said.

Travel warnings issued for Nigeria

Some Western countries have issuied security warnings to their citizens in Nigeria ahead of the planned protests.

The UK Foreign Office warned of the risks of unrest from July 29 to August 10. 

"This period could see increased risks of disruption, with possible effects on transport and infrastructure. Past protests have turned violent with little warning. Exercise caution when travelling, avoid large crowds and gatherings and monitor local media reporting," the Foreign Office stated on their website.

The US embassy advised American citizens to avoid crowds and demonstrations, while Canada warned the planned protests "could turn violent at any time" in a similar advisory.

The trauma of the #EndSARS protests still lingers in the minds of many Nigerians, particularly the shooting at the Lekki toll booth in Lagos State, where the army opened fire on peaceful demonstrators.

The 2020 #EndSARS rallies began over abuses by the SARS anti-robbery police squad and spiraled into the largest anti-government demonstrations in Nigeria's modern history.

The brutal crackdown was widely documented live on social media. Amnesty International said at least 10 were killed at the Lekki toll gate. The government and the army have denied responsibility.

Deep frustration among Africa's youth

Daniel Silke, director of the Cape Town-based Political Futures Consultancy, told DW that many young people across the continent feel a deep sense of frustration, partly due to rising prices and governments' inability to connect with the youth's needs and provide them with sufficient opportunities.

Silke also noted that governments are under increasing pressure to raise funds through indirect taxes and other revenue-generation schemes.

"Governments themselves suffer under relatively high debt and therefore also can't provide sufficient infrastructure and opportunities for Africa's youth. So there is in a sense a cycle here, a vicious cycle that stretches from a non-responsive government to a frustrated youth component," Silke added.

This, in turn, has led to more vocal demonstrations across the continent. In June, young Kenyans took to the streets in mass anti-government protests demanding the removal of a new finance bill and calling for President William Ruto to step down.

Since then, Ruto has rejected the finance bill, replaced his entire Cabinet, and called for talks with the protestors, hoping to strike an agreement. Ruto also included four high-level opposition members in the new Cabinet to create a "national unity government."

Abductions, detentions and killings

The protests were, however, also marred with police brutality, kidnappings, and detentions. According to the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, more than 50 people have been killed since mid-June. Nearly 700 people have been arbitrarily detained and 59 have been abducted or are missing in connection with the protests.

Similarly, in Uganda, police arrested 104 people during anti-corruption protests last week and charged almost all of them with public order offenses. The young Ugandans took to the streets to protest alleged corruption by elected officials.

In response, President Museveni's government deployed police and soldiers throughout the capital, Kampala, detaining dozens of protesters who were holding banners and chanting anti-government slogans.

Silke said positive sentiment towards many of Africa's leaders is severely dented and said those tensions could get worse in the future "unless a formula of cooperation is worked out, not just at an elite level."

Silke further urged governments to wake up and smell the roses when it comes to the demands of young people.

"They also have to be less self-serving and they have to put the interests of their country and the youth ahead of their own narrow political party ambitions and in many cases also their back pockets, which often goes with holding the keys to office," he said.

Shehu Salmanu and Eddy Micah Jr contributed to this article.

Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu