Renowned Professor of History and African Studies, Toyin Falola, has issued a stark warning to President Bola Tinubu, highlighting the government’s failure to address the underlying issues that sparked the #EndBadGovernance protests across Nigeria in early August. Speaking on Channels Television’s “Inside Sources” with Laolu Akande, Professor Falola cautioned that the administration should be wary of spontaneous, unplanned protests similar to those occurring in Bangladesh.
Falola, a respected academic from the University of Texas, expressed concern that the protesters were generous in announcing their rallies ahead of time, which allowed the government to strategize and mitigate the impact. However, he warned that the real threat lies in the potential for unannounced and uncontrollable protests, drawing a parallel to the current situation in Bangladesh, where young demonstrators are challenging the policies of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
From August 1 to 10, young Nigerians held protests in various cities, decrying the high cost of living and skyrocketing food prices. A key demand of the protesters was the reversal of the petrol subsidy removal, which they argued was contributing to the economic hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians.
In a national address on August 4, 2024, President Tinubu ruled out the return of petrol subsidies, a stance that many #EndBadGovernance campaigners found disappointing. Falola criticized the President’s response, noting that it failed to address the core issues driving the protests, including hunger, escalating energy costs, high living standards, and insecurity.
“When the President issued his statement, there was no mention of fuel subsidy, infrastructure, electricity, or security—all the factors that fueled the protests,” Falola stated. “The government’s fundamental reaction was simply to assert that they did not want to destabilize the country. But the protests were not about destabilization; they were a cry for help from people struggling with hunger and economic hardship.”
He also dismissed the notion that the protests were aimed at destabilizing the government, despite some elements attempting to hijack the movement with calls for a coup. “The original intention of the protests was not to overthrow the government but to highlight the severe economic challenges people are facing,” Falola said. “In Kaduna, there were some calls for a coup, but that was not the primary aim of the protests, which was driven by the genuine suffering of the people.”
Falola emphasized that President Tinubu is likely well aware of the rising cost of living in Nigeria, exacerbated by persistent inflation. He argued that making excuses is not a viable approach to governance and warned that the conditions that sparked the protests remain unresolved.
“The fundamental issues that led to the protests are still present. The government should be more concerned about unannounced or spontaneous protests, which are far more dangerous because they cannot be controlled,” Falola cautioned. “Unlike the recent protests, where there was advance notice allowing the government to deploy police and other forces, a sudden uprising could be far more destabilizing—similar to what we are seeing in Bangladesh.”
