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SPECIAL REPORT: Jigawa villagers link declining farming output, urban drift to abandonment of damSPECIAL REPORT: Katsina farmers lament impact of climate changeEDITORIAL: Managing nationwide protest through better statecraftSPECIAL REPORT: Jigawa villagers link declining farming output, urban drift to abandonment of damSPECIAL REPORT: Katsina farmers lament impact of climate changeEDITORIAL: Managing nationwide protest through better statecraftThe general perception is that the government is...
The economic hardship bites more in the North, and people are feeling the pinch, hence their being more likely to protest. The North have the poorest states, the most negligible GDP per capita, high infant and maternal mortality rates, and a high incidence of hunger. A combination of the high prevalence of pharmaceutical opioid abuses and out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria reflected in the violent dimension of the protest in that region.
Third is the stance of the South-East states and the Igbo ethnic group. The leadership and followership made a conscious decision not to participate. This may be a metaphor for a silent political protest in the Nigerian state. The elites were united in framing the protest as not concerning the Igbos, who are already victims of the Nigerian state. They sold it as a Yoruba versus Hausa-Fulani struggle. Igbos are beginning to see themselves as not part of Nigeria.
The lesson here is that Nigerians, who hitherto are resilient under extreme hardship, are beginning to question and demand change from the government, and simplistic explanations for bad governance cannot dissuade them from reacting. Also, the government is throwing out some measures of “stomach infrastructure” to a few people, and this is no longer sufficient to convince many to support the government.
The general perception is that the government is placing a dangerous knee on the neck of the masses and does not care about their plight. This perception is dangerous because it can fuel extreme positions by the people. The government should not feel that the benign nature of this protest is a testament to its failure. It may be a warning sign of a more significant revolution, if the administration does not change direction. Perception is everything.
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