02:43Hundreds took to the streets of Lagos on Tuesday to demand action from the government to tackle soaring fuel prices and food scarcity amid nationwide 'National Day of Survival' protests marking Nigeria's 64th independence anniversary.
Footage crowds marching with banners and placards bearing slogans such as 'end all attacks on democratic rights' and 'no to starvation wage'.
"We came here because we are hungry. There is nothing to eat. Fuel is too expensive […] We are hungry, and our children are unemployed, people are dying," a protester said. "We are pleading for help!"
"If the government refuses to yield to our demands, we will come back. They are better off killing us all. We are dying anyway. Is a hungry person not dying slowly?" added a second.
According to local reports, similar protests erupted in Nigeria's Ilorin region and the capital, Abuja, where police fired tear gas into crowds of demonstrators.
Organisers called for the demonstrations during the country's 64th Independence Day celebrations, marking Nigeria's freedom from former colonial ruler Britain in 1960.
Nigeria's inflation rate hit a record 34,19 percent in June 2024, the highest since March 1996, while 87 million citizens are estimated to live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank Group.
The inflation is believed to have been accelerated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's decision to remove fuel subsidies and liberalise the currency to improve the economy shortly after he was sworn in May 2023.
'We are pleading for help!' - Lagos protesters rally against inflation as Nigeria celebrates independence
Hundreds took to the streets of Lagos on Tuesday to demand action from the government to tackle soaring fuel prices and food scarcity amid nationwide 'National Day of Survival' protests marking Nigeria's 64th independence anniversary.
Footage crowds marching with banners and placards bearing slogans such as 'end all attacks on democratic rights' and 'no to starvation wage'.
"We came here because we are hungry. There is nothing to eat. Fuel is too expensive […] We are hungry, and our children are unemployed, people are dying," a protester said. "We are pleading for help!"
"If the government refuses to yield to our demands, we will come back. They are better off killing us all. We are dying anyway. Is a hungry person not dying slowly?" added a second.
According to local reports, similar protests erupted in Nigeria's Ilorin region and the capital, Abuja, where police fired tear gas into crowds of demonstrators.
Organisers called for the demonstrations during the country's 64th Independence Day celebrations, marking Nigeria's freedom from former colonial ruler Britain in 1960.
Nigeria's inflation rate hit a record 34,19 percent in June 2024, the highest since March 1996, while 87 million citizens are estimated to live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank Group.
The inflation is believed to have been accelerated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's decision to remove fuel subsidies and liberalise the currency to improve the economy shortly after he was sworn in May 2023.
Hundreds took to the streets of Lagos on Tuesday to demand action from the government to tackle soaring fuel prices and food scarcity amid nationwide 'National Day of Survival' protests marking Nigeria's 64th independence anniversary.
Footage crowds marching with banners and placards bearing slogans such as 'end all attacks on democratic rights' and 'no to starvation wage'.
"We came here because we are hungry. There is nothing to eat. Fuel is too expensive […] We are hungry, and our children are unemployed, people are dying," a protester said. "We are pleading for help!"
"If the government refuses to yield to our demands, we will come back. They are better off killing us all. We are dying anyway. Is a hungry person not dying slowly?" added a second.
According to local reports, similar protests erupted in Nigeria's Ilorin region and the capital, Abuja, where police fired tear gas into crowds of demonstrators.
Organisers called for the demonstrations during the country's 64th Independence Day celebrations, marking Nigeria's freedom from former colonial ruler Britain in 1960.
Nigeria's inflation rate hit a record 34,19 percent in June 2024, the highest since March 1996, while 87 million citizens are estimated to live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank Group.
The inflation is believed to have been accelerated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's decision to remove fuel subsidies and liberalise the currency to improve the economy shortly after he was sworn in May 2023.