Certainly, this is not the best of times for Nigerians. The future of our country is at present under a cloud of uncertainty. There’s so much hopelessness in the air. Nigerians, once ranked as one of the happiest people in the world, are now the most angry people in the world. From surging inflation to the high cost of living, most Nigerians now live from hand-to-mouth. Just barely surviving. Frustrated and pushing to the wall, Nigerians are now calling for a nationwide protest. The planned nationwide protest, scheduled to be held nationwide from August 1st, 2024, is already gaining traction on social media platforms.
As stakeholders in the Nigerian project, this is a clarification call to the Nigerian government to step up its governance game. We are in a mess right now, to say the least. It’s important to state that threats won’t work in this situation. What is needed right now is an all-hands-on-deck approach. Blaming opposition and issuing subtle threats won’t stop angry Nigerians from hitting the streets to vent their frustrations. It’s time for engagement, engagement, engagement. Government officials should reach out to the organisers of the protests and bring them to a roundtable to discuss the way forward. The people of Nigeria are angry, and any confrontational approach by the government will escalate the brewing tension across the country.
To my compatriots, I feel the agony and pains we are going through. But it is not all doom and gloom for our beloved country. It’s just a phase in our journey to nationhood. Unpopular opinion, but protest is not the only way forward. Let’s engage with the political leadership of our country. It’s time for dialogue, not protest. We all already know the final outcome of protests in any part of the world. The EndSars protest is a sad reminder. And we cannot afford to go that route again. Let’s fight for our country by getting involved in the political process, particularly at the grassroots level. I know most Nigerians don’t believe in the democratic process, but that’s still the only acceptable way of effecting change in a democracy. I appeal to Nigerians across the world to continue to pray for our country and, more importantly, to get actively involved in building the Nigeria of our dreams. There’s light at the end of the tunnel for our beloved nation. Yes, it’s our constitutional right to protest, but let’s explore other means rather than protests that might be hijacked by the enemies of our country. I believe strongly that the Nigeria of our dreams will happen in my lifetime. May Nigeria succeed. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.