Nigeria is taking measures to prevent a nationwide protest by offering job opportunities in the state-oil company and providing billions of naira in grants to its youth. The country aims to avoid unrest as seen in other African nations like Kenya and Uganda.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced job vacancies for the first time in nearly a decade, leading to a flood of application crashes on their website. Additionally, the Ministry of Youth Development has relaunched a 110-billion-naira youth investment fund to support job creation.
Despite recent minimum wage increases, Nigeria is facing a cost of living crisis, with rising inflation and economic reforms causing hardships. The government is urging young people to refrain from protests, fearing the potential economic consequences. However, protesters argue their right to demonstrate peacefully and criticize the government’s warnings as a pretext for crackdowns.