“Progress affects few. Only revolution can affect many.” - Alice Walker.
I’ve been nursing the idea of writing about Nigeria for the last month. I ended my October 1st newsletter, which happened to be Nigeria’s 60th Independence Day, with an ode to my country. I repeated my sister’s words, where she attributed her resilience, humour, and strength to being Nigerian. This is not a unique sentiment. The phrase “Naija No Dey Carry Last” has been emblazoned on t-shirts, it is fodder for Jollof-wars and it is a slogan for Nigerians, who beat our chests and boast of our star power as the Giant of Africa.
But Nigerians know that no matter how proud we are of our country, we are always reminded that we do, indeed, carry last in so many ways. Our health indices are poor and economic growth is stagnant. And on October 20th, after sustained protests by young Nigerians against police brutality, we were in no uncertain terms told that our own government would rather shoot unarmed citizens, defame peaceful protesters and gaslight an entire nation than do the right thing. If that is not carrying last, then I don’t know what is.
Over the last month, Nigerians in Nigeria, and all over the world, have only asked the government to live up to the promise all citizens make, to be faithful, loyal, and honest. In a simple request to disband a criminal and rogue police force that is known for terrorizing citizens, young Nigerians asked the government to give us something to truly be proud of, they asked the government to show us that when it comes to the lives of its citizens, Naija no dey carry last. It has been painful to have these requests met with deafening silence from President Buhari, derision from Senators and Assemblymen, and cock and bull stories from Governors.
In response, Nigerians are not letting up. Despite attempts to silence the protesters, #EndSARS has morphed into more than a protest, it is a rallying cry against the bad governance stifling our country. I remember watching a video of aggrieved Nigerians destroying ATMs outside a bank in Enugu (where I grew up) and as they shattered keys and screens with metal beams, the steady chorus of discontent filled the video, people had their phones out recording the destruction and a trail of black smoke could be seen rising from something burning. In the video, a voice louder than the rest shouted “End Sars, End Sars.” In Igbo, he said “they’ve done me wrong. They’ve done me wrong in Enugu state.” He continues, and finally, he says, “End Nigeria.”
The video is heartbreaking for many reasons, but it goes to show that the righteous anger of Nigerians will continue to rise to a level too loud for anyone to ignore.
Photo by Editi Effiong. Pulled from the Feminist Coalition Instagram page.
This month’s newsletter is no attempt at a comprehensive look at the protests in Nigeria. It is not even a full account of my feelings, questions, and fears. But like many people, I’ve been reading and sharing stories from and about Nigeria that help put things in context. In previous newsletters, I have only shared writing by women in the section other women (w)rote. But in this newsletter, I will share some writing about Nigeria written by everyone, regardless of gender. If there are any stories you would like to share, please do so by leaving a comment below.
they (w)rote.
Let’s start from the beginning. This recap of the first seven days of the #EndSars protests by Ayodeji Rotinwa, Deputy Editor of African Arguments, is a good primer.
This story by Premium Times journalist, Nicholas Ibekwe is an illuminating read about what happened after the protests. Despite claims from the government that there were no fatalities at the Oct. 20th massacre, Ibekwe interviews victims of the shooting and hospital administrators who are worried about retribution from the government for treating these victims. Content warning: some readers might find images in this story disturbing.
In this story for Minority Africa, Victor Emmanuel writes about the way members of Nigeria’s LGBT community have been sidelined and silenced during #EndSars protests. “We are told by the Nigerians who we link hands with and fight with side by side that this is not our fight and that this is not the right time to demand that our voices be heard.”
This story by Naomi Ndifon for Black Women Radicals warmed my heart. In the piece, Ndifon gives well-deserved props to Feminist Coalition and the women who mobilized resources to support the #EndSars protests and gave so many a look at what true leadership looks like.
I recently subscribed to The Republic and it’s the best thing I’ve done for myself in the last month. This essay by Joshua Segun-Lean is phenomenal in its ability to locate the #EndSars protests in larger historical and political contexts.
For Vogue, Tami Makinde writes about feminism, navigating Lagos post protests and what justice means for us. “Navigating this period has felt like a constant balancing act, walking a thin line between optimism and hopelessness.”
For GQ, Bolu Babalola writes about Fela Kuti, the protests and oppression spanning decades.
Early last month, Olufemi Fadahunsi, wrote about why the #EndSars protests captured everyone’s attention for Zikoko.
“We do not need oil, because we have among the world’s most endlessly inventive people, capable of insane amounts of hard work. We have large numbers of people demonstrating persistent excellence in music and film and fashion and the arts, and tech-driven entrepreneurial pursuits.” For The Financial Times, Dele Olojede writes about what Nigeria’s youth means for its future.
This issue of the newsletter, The Monthly Three, (also on Substack) is an insightful read on community, advocacy, and respectability politics during the #EndSars protests.
In his Republic essay, Segun-Lean touches on the necessity of abolition. He alludes to the work of organizer and educator, Mariame Kaba. On Oct. 30, Kaba wrote a primer on what abolition and divesting from the police actually looks like. Calls to defund the police in North America have heightened in the last few months. And after reading Segun-Lean’s essay, Kaba’s, and thinking about the context of the #EndSars protests, these calls should be ringing louder and closer to home.
PS: In unrelated news, I’ve joined forces with a friend, Marsha McLeod, to curate a newsletter of local news across Canada. Our first issue of Canada’s Paper Route is dropping today, at 5 PM EST. If you’re into local news from the great white north, subscribe here.
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Nigeria's Call Obey
I love the correlation between our pride as Nigerians and the abysmal state of Nigeria itself. Reminds me of a conversation I read about Nigerians being proud of Nigerians but not su much the state of the nation, interesting how Nigerians are who they are in spite of instead of because of Nigeria. Too many hard hitting points. Also, This is such a comprehensive compilation of the commentary for #endsars movement and I’d definitely be coming back here to read and archive for future reference. So well said!