An emergency meeting is convened by the Nigerian government with ministers due to the August 1 protest. Find out the implications for the nation.

In anticipation of a planned nationwide protest set for August 1, 2024, the Nigerian government has arranged an urgent meeting scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

A circular titled “Planned Nationwide Protest,” signed by Richard Pheelangwah, Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office and dated July 23, 2024 states this information.

You are being invited to a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation regarding the aforementioned subject. The meeting is scheduled for July 24, 2024 at 10 am in the Conference Room of his office and prompt attendance is required.

The meeting was held in response to a plea by Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who had urged Nigerians to cancel the scheduled protest.

During an interview with state house correspondents on Tuesday, the Minister commented that Tinubu’s administration required additional time to implement programs focused on benefiting the people.

According to him, the President has stated that he sees no reason for the planned protest and has urged them to abandon their plan. He also advised them to wait for the government’s response regarding all of their requests.

The scheduled demonstration coincides with the worsening distress in Nigeria, characterized by a surge in both core inflation and food inflation which have risen to 34.19 percent and 40.87 percent respectively.

The impact of the implication persists, causing a reduction in Nigerians’ purchasing power and influencing commodity prices.

Despite the recent approval of the N70,000 minimum wage and its passage on Tuesday by the Nigerian Senate, Nigerians remained insistent on protesting.

The protest was motivated by the recent month-long demonstration in Kenya, where citizens demanded that their government revoke several anti-policies including the Finance Act.