Nigerians are frustrated by economic hardship but authorities fear planned protests could turn ugly

Nigerians are planning nationwide protests this week against the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. Momentum is soaring on social media for the demonstrations planned for Thursday. However, authorities fear a replay of the deadly 2020 rallies against police brutality in this West African nation — or a wave of violence similar to the June protests in Kenya, where a tax hike led to chaos in the capital, Nairobi. The current economic hardship under President Bola Tinubu, who promised “renewed hope,” is blamed on surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the government’s economic policies that have pushed the local currency to record low against the dollar.