#ENDSARS One year on: FROM PROTEST TO ACTION

Because their blood must not be shed in vain…

To remember the #Endsars protest of 2020, Citizens Commons International held a conversation at Impact cove Abuja to assess the protest; its implication on the Nigerian Youth and a way forward towards a better Nigeria. 

The conversation was moderated by Olalekan Oshunkoya with Godswill Oliver(Legal Practitioner) ,Eyitayo Adeyeye(Policy Lawyer), Amb Ndubisi Idejiara-Kalu and Foye Omole) Business Consultant) as the panelists. 

In retrospect, there have been different opinions about how better the protest should have been done to avoid some unfortunate incidents that happened and yielded maximum results. Protest, amongst others, is one way  of expressing grievance and calling for accountability and by now, the average Nigerian youth understands that. However, after the protest what next?

It has been one year since the #Endsars protest (when the Nigerian youths for the first time came together irrespective of their ethnoreligious differences to fight for a cause). Can we say the protest was a success? Is the protest enough? Did the government respond in a way that shows respect for the people and democracy? How do we move from protest to action? This and many more questions were answered by the panelists. 

The implication of the protest goes beyond police brutality. Remembering this day is about recollecting the demands that were made last year knowing that most of them have not yet been met.

The protest gave the Nigerian youths an opportunity of self-consciousness however, the youths must understand when to march on the streets and when to change strategy to get their needs met. We do not have to wait until things get bad to begin to walk the streets for protest, we can start from our little places. This is  the reason for citizen common’s project, From Protest To Action; a social platform to teach people active citizenship, intentionality and  coordination of plans and goals.