BREAKING: Hardship Protesters Block Major Road to Abuja

Protesters have blocked Kaduna Road, a highway in Niger State connecting Kaduna to Abuja. This action comes just three days before a planned 10-day nationwide protest by various groups demanding improvements in Nigeria’s economic situation.

The protesters carried placards with messages such as ‘We Are Not Slaves,’ ‘Enough is Enough,’ ‘Stop Anti-Masses Policies,’ ‘Hardship Is Unbearable,’ and ‘Fuel Subsidy Must Be Back.’

Monday’s protesters seemed unwilling to wait until Thursday, chanting anti-government slogans.

The organizers of the nationwide protests are calling for an improvement in the cost of living and a reversal of certain government policies, particularly the removal of petrol subsidies.

Nigeria is experiencing its worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. Food prices have more than doubled after President Bola Tinubu removed petrol subsidies and floated the naira to allow market forces to determine the currency’s value.

The government asserts that these policies are necessary and that citizens will eventually benefit from them.

In an effort to prevent the protests, the government has been meeting with traditional rulers, clerics, and other groups.

Security agencies such as the police, the army, and the State Security Service have also warned that the protests could be hijacked by individuals intent on causing violence.