Protest no be new tin for anywhere for di world. Since tey tey, pipo dey use protest to show dia leader or goment say dem no happy about policy or situation of tins wey dey happun. For di last few weeks, pipo around di world dey protest different issue like police brutality and racism.
Protest against di killing of African American George Floyd, wey die for di hand of police for America spread go oda parts of di world.
As dat one dey happun, for Nigeria, women also enta street to protest against different tori of rape and police brutality across di kontri.
Nigeria history also record some ogbonge protests wey lead to change.
Check out some of di notable protest wey di kontri don record:
- George Floyd, oda ‘black lives matter’ deaths wey shake America
- How Uwa murder case provoke more justice movement for many oda victims inside Nigeria
Aba women riot
Di Aba Women riot wey happun for 1929.
Women enta street to protest say di colonial goment dat time dey short change dem for goment activities.
Di protest make some warrant chiefs to resign from dia position and one year afta di protest, colonial goment comot di warrant chief system and put women for native court system.
Abeokuta women riot
Anoda protest wey women lead for colonial Nigeria na di Abeokuta women riot for 1947. Women for dat time dey protest bad tax wey goment dey put ontop dem.
Di women for Abeokuta accuse di colonial masters say dem dey reduce dia economic role but dia tax no reduce. Sake of dia protest, dem put women for local council and dem stop to dey tax women.
June 12 protest
After Nigeria collect independent and military take over power, protest still continue.
Kontri pipo protest afta goment cancel di 1993 election wey dem say Moshood Kashimawo Abiola (MKO) win.
For 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari declare June 12—di day wey dI election hold for 1993—as democracy day.
Occupy Nigeria
Anoda protest wey shake di kontri na di 2012 Occupy Nigeria protest against di increase of fuel price.
For weeks, pipo siddon for road from different part of di kontri, dey protest. Di protest force goment to reduce fuel price go down small.
Bring Back our Girls
Bring Back Our Girls protest bin one oda ogbonge protest wey continue to dey happun for di kontri since 2014.
Di protest start afta Boko Haram kidnap 276 school girls for Chibok, Borno state. Di protest na one of di way wey Nigerians put pressure for goment head. Although all di students never dey return to Nigeria, some of dem don collect freedom.
Protest still fit cause change for Nigeria?
Zainab Sanni wey bi journalist and advocate for Sustainable Development Goals say protests alone no fit cause change except one mix am with oda advocacy tools like dialogue with policy makers, media sensitisation, lobbying government officials, and strike action.
On its own, no but when paired with other advocacy tools, it can do a lot.
Protests help with sending strong signals, educating others about an issues and getting attention of stakeholders.
— Zainab O Sanni (@sannioyiza) June 8, 2020
But some oda pipo too believe say protest dey work for Nigeria.
Yes, I am tempted to think it does — in Nigeria. It’s become a necessary tool to demand ‘fast, fast answer’ from an obstinate government like ours.
— Gabriel Ogunjobi (@GabrielOgunjob2) June 8, 2020
While in school, I believe that protest should be the last resort if necessary negotiations and dialogue has been undertaken. Overtime, I see that authorities only listen to “protest”.
For our nation, I don’t think protest works again as politicians….
— Abdullah A (@Abdullahi_AAA) June 8, 2020
Anoda activist Malachy Ugwummadu, wey be lawyer and di former National Chairman of Committee for the Defence of Human Rights say, protest dey effective and e don bring about plenty changes for Nigeria.
He say for history, pipo like Abeokuta riot and Aba women riot show say protest get power to change tins. He also tok about how Nigerians for dat time use protest to bring democracy.
He say, “If you look protest by early nationalists and labour leaders, you go see say colonial masters dey under pressure and dem later agree to di request of Nigeria wey lead to di independence of di kontri.
“Di protest during military era sef dey effective and dem later do wetin Nigerians want. Casualties dey, victims dey but Nigerians get wetin dem dey ask for”
However, Ugwummadu add say, di way pipo dey protest dis time don change and young pipo dem dey use technology.
Pipo dey use social media to raise awareness ontop matter wey dey touch dem for mind.