NIGERIAN are taking to the internet to protest the unbearable cost of living in the country, with the ’30-Day Rant Challenge’.
The nationwide online outcry began after a video went viral on March 16, featuring Ushie Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). In the video, Uguamaye urged fellow young Nigerians to start a “30-Day Rant Challenge” to express their frustration with the country’s tough economic situation.
The ICIR reported that Uguamaye, who is serving in Lagos State, shared her feelings in a widely shared video on her Instagram page. She spoke about how Nigeria’s rising cost of living made her monthly NYSC allowance of N33,000 insufficient to cover basic necessities.
A day after her viral video, in which she called President Bola Tinubu a ‘terrible’ leader, Uguamaye expressed concerns for her safety, claiming she had received threats.
On March 17, she encouraged Nigerians to start an online protest against any questionable government actions.
“If we decide to start calling the Nigerian government out, don’t you think a lot of changes would be made? If we decide that we want to run a 30-day challenge where we complain about the economy, do you guys not know that people would start looking into it and they will start making changes?” she said.
The following day, Nigerian youths began expressing their frustration online, using the hashtag “Day One of the 30-Day Rant Challenge.”
On X, Blaqboi Victor posted a video on Monday ranting with the caption “Day 1, calling out the Nigerian Government”
@Ourfavonlinedoc posted, “I have never seen a government more determined to impoverish and destroy the people’s entire lives like this. You should share this so the entire world sees what the average Nigerian is going through. This is unbelievable. #30daysrantchallenge”
@Kangaroo PHD (hc) on Tiktok didn’t hold back his frustration as he compared the state of the country under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration with its current state. He detailed the sharp differences between the two governments.
@Mko, a comedian on TikTok, also voiced his concerns over the hardship in Nigeria.
Tiktoker Itisbobby amplified Uguamaye’s cry when he recorded a situation update in one of the nation’s markets.
Other TikTokers like Celynukam, Purple Speedy, and Ivana also highlighted the rising cost of living since Tinubu assumed power sharing their grievances about the country’s economic hardships and governance.
The ICIR reports that the 30-Day Rant Challenge comes seven months after the nationwide protests against bad governance from August 1-10, 2024.
Those earlier protests, also led by Nigerian youths, sparked outrage and gained significant support from citizens across the country..
Starting in Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, the protests quickly spread to other states. At the heart of the demonstrations were complaints about poor governance and economic hardship, which many attributed to Tinubu’s reforms.
Since taking office in May 2023, Tinubu has implemented a series of economic reforms aimed at stabilising the nation’s economy.
These measures, which include removing subsidies on petrol, unifying exchange rates, and increasing reliance on food imports to lower consumer prices, have been heavily criticised as inflation, food prices, and the cost of living have soared.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.