As Nigerians celebrated their independence on October 1, they found the country they dearly love at a crossroads. What should have been a day of national pride was instead marked by a wave of nationwide protests as citizens who have had enough take to the streets. Many called this a “National Day of Survival,” with slogans like “End Bad Governance” and “Revolution Now” resonating across the nation. The protesters demanded government accountability for a litany of grievances: rapidly deteriorating living conditions, soaring crime, and rampant human rights abuses.
These October protests come on the heels of a ten-day demonstration in August when citizens hoped to compel the government to act on the skyrocketing cost of living, the state’s neglect of its citizens, and a deepening security crisis characterized by rampant kidnappings. In short, many Nigerians feel utterly abandoned by their president and his allies.
Yet, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has responded with deafening silence, ignoring the message behind the protests. Across Nigeria, there’s a growing consensus that the status quo can no longer be maintained. Economic despair is worsened by inflation, weak governance, and the rising cost of essential goods. Millions are living in abject poverty, some going without food. Unemployment is at crisis levels. And as these ongoing protests are sure to demonstrate, public frustration is boiling over into mass discontent.
But perhaps even more alarming than Nigeria’s economic freefall is the sharp rise in violent crime. The breakdown of law and order threatens Nigerians on an almost daily basis. Among the most terrifying manifestations of this collapse is the surge in kidnappings, which have increased by an astonishing 300% since 2019. That year, just under 1,400 kidnappings were recorded—a shocking number in itself—but by 2022, that figure had ballooned to over 3,600. Ransoms paid by desperate Nigerians totaled a crippling $572 million between July 2023 and June 2024, and at least 1,056 people have been killed in kidnapping-related incidents.
Citizens constantly fear being snatched from highways, homes, schools, and churches. Criminals and terrorists, encouraged by an underfunded and understaffed security apparatus, have turned kidnapping into a lucrative business—one that often ends in tragedy, as in the case of the 2014 abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls. While more than 150 have since escaped or been rescued, over 100 remain missing, their fates unknown.
The government’s inability to put an end to this epidemic of violence reflects a profound failure of leadership within the Nigerian police. Kayode Egbetokun, the head of the country’s police force, who came into office with grand promises of reform, has yet to make a meaningful impact on the spiraling crime wave. His tenure has been marred by inefficiency, corruption, and a lack of internal coordination. According to the Afrobarometer survey, 73% of Nigerians believe that “most” or “all” police officers are corrupt—the worst rating among the country’s 11 institutions. Reactive, post-incident measures have become the norm instead of a comprehensive, proactive crime prevention strategy.
The problems, however, run deeper than leadership alone. The Nigerian police force is crippled by inadequate funding, insufficient training, and endemic corruption. These structural deficiencies have allowed crime to flourish at every level of society, eroding public trust in law enforcement. Under Egbetokun’s watch, the police are no longer seen as a protective institution. For many Nigerians, turning to law enforcement feels futile and unwise.
Yet, despite these overwhelming challenges, the people of Nigeria refuse to surrender. The October 1st protests signal that citizens are not done fighting—they continue to demand accountability from their government and law enforcement. For them, “National Day of Survival” is not just a slogan. Nigerians can no longer remain silent in the face of a system that has failed them at every turn. The country’s survival hangs in the balance, and these recent protests will serve as a test: is the government willing and able to make the lasting changes needed to halt the country’s dangerous downward spiral?