On August 1, a significant security presence was observed in major Nigerian cities as protests took place in Abuja, Kaduna, Lagos, and Rivers states.
Channels Television’s program “The August Protests” captured footage of demonstrators across these regions, who cited widespread hunger and hardship as the driving forces behind their actions.
In Abuja, protesters carried placards with messages such as ‘End Bad Governance’, ‘Enough is Enough’, ‘End Hunger’, and ‘Nigerians are Ready for New Naija’.
Protesters are calling for a reduction in food inflation, which was at 40.87 percent in June 2024, a rollback of recent electricity tariff increases, and fulfillment of ten additional demands.
An activist lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, reported that the protests have remained peaceful so far at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
Speaking on the protest, Executive Director of Yiaga, Samson Itodo, remarked that the protesters’ demands reflect widespread public dissatisfaction and highlighted the urgent need to address Nigeria’s ongoing challenges.
He noted that the majority of Nigerians are hungry.
According to him, the protest symbolises the need to address the challenges facing Nigeria as a country.
“If you look at the issue of hunger, it is obvious that Nigerians are hungry. My family is hungry. There is economic hardship. The protest symbolises a lot of things. Some actions were taken by state officials that do not portray that they have a sense of urgency with the challenges the citizens grapple with,” he said.
