In a statement issued on Friday, Nwapa pointed to recent events in Madagascar, where citizens have been protesting since September 25 against water and power shortages, but have since broadened their demands.
Human rights activist, Francis Nwapa, has called on young Nigerians to rise against what he described as “massive looting of the country’s resources, rights violations, insecurity, and poverty,” drawing inspiration from ongoing youth-led demonstrations in Madagascar and other countries.
In a statement issued on Friday, Nwapa pointed to recent events in Madagascar, where citizens have been protesting since September 25 against water and power shortages, but have since broadened their demands.
According to him, “Young people in Madagascar had taken to the streets since September 25th to protest against water and power outages.
“This protest has taken a new turn as protesters are now making broader demands to end corruption. They have also targeted political office holders.”
He noted that President Andry Rajoliena responded by dissolving the government and dismissing the prime minister, but protesters are still calling for his resignation.
“The president, a former DJ who first came into power through a military coup in 2009, has claimed that the protest is a ‘coup sponsored against his government by foreign and local interests that do not want to take power through the ballot’.”
Nwapa observed that the wave of protests in Madagascar was inspired by similar uprisings in Nepal and Indonesia, and that they share features with Nigeria’s 2020 #EndSARS demonstrations.
“Unfortunately, the young people's protest that was inspired by the Nepal and Indonesia protests has also emulated a similar ‘leaderless’ protest that young people in Nigeria adopted during the #EndSARS protest in October 2020,” he said.
“The absence of a radical working people’s leadership to provide leadership to this struggle will eventually reverse possible gains of the struggle, as the best that can be achieved is a regime change instead of a Revolution.
“So far, 22 people have been killed and many more wounded by security forces.”
Highlighting Madagascar’s dire economic situation despite its natural wealth, Nwapa said, “Madagascar is one of Africa’s poorest countries despite being blessed with precious gems and vanilla and with a population of over 35 million.”
He argued that the protests reflect growing global discontent with capitalist systems but warned that they often fall short of transformative change.
“The spate of young people’s protest across the world is a complete rejection of global capitalism, but what is lacking for this movement to transform into a Revolution is the failure of the leadership of the working people in living up to their historic responsibility.”
Turning his attention to Nigeria, Nwapa urged the youth to mobilise against systemic failures.
“Young people in Nigeria must brace up to take to the street to demand an end to massive looting of the country’s resources by political office holders, human rights violations, insecurity, widespread poverty, devalued currency, commercialized education, collapsed healthcare system, massive unemployment, etc. that have perversed the country.”
He said that Nigeria has the potential to inspire a broader movement for change across the continent.
“Nigeria could provide the lead for a working people’s Revolution.”