From Kathmandu to Abuja: A Warning for Nigeria

From Kathmandu to Abuja: A Warning for Nigeria

Youth anger, poverty, and poor governance are fuelling a ticking time bomb. Nigeria must act before frustration explodes.

By Prince Tijani Dauda

Nepal has just witnessed a crisis that shook the core of its democracy. A sudden ban on social media platforms sparked protests that escalated into chaos: parliament was stormed, government buildings were set ablaze, and at least 19 lives were lost. By the second day, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who had ordered the ban, was forced to resign. But the flashpoint was only the surface. Beneath it lay years of youth frustration with unemployment, corruption, and leaders seen as detached from ordinary people. Organizers dubbed the demonstrations “Gen Z protests,” carrying placards that read: “Shut down corruption, not social media.” For many young Nepalis, the ban was not just about digital freedom — it was the final straw in a broken social contract.

Nigeria should pay attention. Our population is even younger: the median age is just 18.1, with more than half of Nigerians under 30. Yet, the prospects for this generation are bleak. Roughly 80 million people live in poverty, while inflation soared to 34.2% in mid-2025, the highest in decades, following fuel subsidy removal and currency reforms. Jobs are scarce. Nearly one in four young Nigerians is unemployed, while millions more scrape by in insecure or underpaid informal work. According to Afrobarometer, 91% of young Nigerians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, and almost none believe the government is handling jobs or inflation well.

This despair is not theoretical; it has already spilled into the streets. In 2020, the #EndSARS protests began as a call to end police brutality but quickly grew into a nationwide demand for justice and accountability. Security forces responded with gunfire, leaving at least a dozen dead and sparking Nigeria’s most significant civil unrest in decades.

More recently, youth groups again mobilized online over the cost-of-living crisis. The government scrambled to promise jobs, grants, and wage increases, a reaction that betrayed fear of “Kenya-style” uprisings spreading into Nigeria.

Beyond economics, insecurity adds to the bitterness. Armed gangs and Islamist militants have destabilized vast regions. More than 1,100 people were killed by bandits in the northwest in just six months of 2020. Boko Haram and its offshoots have displaced millions and left over 30,000 dead. For many young Nigerians, daily life is defined by fear, instability, and hopelessness.

Put together — mass unemployment, grinding poverty, insecurity, and entrenched corruption, Nigeria is sitting on a powder keg. Surveys show only 2% of young Nigerians believe the government is even “fairly” addressing inflation, while 60% of youth are considering emigration in search of opportunity.

The lesson from Nepal is simple but urgent: when leaders silence youth voices or fail to address their grievances, frustration will erupt. Attempts to clamp down on expression or control digital spaces will only inflame resentment.

Nigeria’s leadership must not underestimate the force of its restless generation. The government must engage young people meaningfully, expand opportunities for education and jobs, and take credible action against corruption and impunity.

Nepal’s turmoil need not be Nigeria’s destiny. But if leaders continue to ignore the warning signs, what began in Kathmandu could one day be replayed, with far greater consequences, on the streets of Abuja, Lagos, and Kano.

Prince Tijani Dauda is a communications expert and public affairs analyst. He writes from Abuja and can be reached at daudatijay@yahoo.com.