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Protestevent1 — 10 August 2024 · ten days of nationwide protest· Chapter 165

#EndBadGovernance

Nigeria's largest cost-of-living protests since Occupy Nigeria. At least 24 protesters killed (Amnesty figure; the federal government acknowledged 7); 1,200 arrested; the army deployed in twelve states. The protests were triggered by post-subsidy-removal inflation, the naira float, and food prices.

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Called by a coalition of civil-society groups (the Take-It-Back Movement, Take-It-Back Northern Front, the Nigeria Labour Congress youth wing) in late July 2024, the #EndBadGovernance / #EndHunger protests ran from 1 to 10 August 2024 across all six geopolitical zones, with the heaviest mobilisation in Kano, Kaduna, Borno, Niger, Sokoto, Lagos, Abuja and Rivers.

The protests followed: the 29 May 2023 fuel-subsidy removal which trebled pump prices from N197/litre to N617/litre; the 14 June 2023 naira float which devalued the official rate from N463/$ to over N1,500/$ by mid-2024; headline inflation reaching 34.19% in June 2024 (NBS) — the highest since 1996; and food inflation of 40.87%.

Federal response: the Defence Headquarters deployed troops in twelve states from 4 August; six protesters were shot dead in Kaduna and Kano on 1 August (Amnesty Nigeria documentation); about 1,200 were arrested nationwide; in Abuja the police arrested 119 protesters and charged them with treason for waving Russian flags — a case eventually struck out. The protests subsided after 10 August without securing the policy reversals demanded.

The Tinubu administration's October 2024 'wage award' (N35,000/month for six months) and the eventual N70,000 national minimum wage (29 July 2024) were direct policy responses to the pressure built by the protests.

Era context

The political and economic reality

The government(s), economy and national reality across the period 2024–2024.

President · Fourth Republic

Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu

2023–present· APC

National reality

Fuel subsidy removed at inauguration (29 May 2023); naira floated June 2023. Inflation at multi-decade highs (>30% YoY in 2024). Student loan scheme (NELFUND) launched 2024. WAEC torchlight exam controversy (2025).

Crises of the period

  • Cost-of-living crisis 2023–25
  • WAEC torchlight examinations (2025)
  • JAMB CBT technical failures (2025)
  • Naira free-fall 2023–24

GDP (World Bank)

≈ $363 bn (2023, post-float)

Cabinet (selected portfolios)

  • Finance

    Wale Edun (Coordinating Minister of the Economy)

  • Justice (AGF)

    Lateef Fagbemi (SAN)

  • Education

    Tahir Mamman (2023–24); Tunji Alausa (2024– )

Sources · Federal Gazette 2023– · CBN · NBS

The Republic — Weekly

One article a week. Stories, consorts, records, heroes — on a four-week rotation.

Methodology

Tier 1 · primary

Courts. Gazettes. National archives.

Tier 2 · corroborating

OCCRP. HRW. BudgIT. TheCable.

Tier 4 · tertiary, flagged

Wikipedia only where primary is pending. Always labelled.