Nigeria Continues to Face Unrest
Earlier this month, Nigerians took to the streets to draw attention to police brutality. At first, protestors wanted the government to dissolve the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARs) unit, which has been accused of committing human rights violations. As the demonstrations continued to grow, security forces began to use lethal force against the protesters. This has led to a desire for expanded reforms in society, addressing many long-standing problems that plague Nigeria.
Instructors, click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.
Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for “Nigeria Continues to Face Unrest"
Links
“Nigeria protests: Police chief deploys ‘all resources’ amid street violence”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54678345
“Entire Nigerian police force mobilized after days of violent protests that have killed at least 69”
https://thehill.com/policy/international/africa/522601-entire-nigerian-police-force-mobilized-after-days-of-violent
“Nigeria seeks to halt looting amid fury over ‘food warehouses’”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/25/nigeria-cracks-down-on-rising-mob-looting-on-food-warehouses
“‘We’re here to defend our unity’: Nigeria clashes trigger global movement against police brutality”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/endsars-nigeria-clashes-trigger-global-movement-police-brutality/
“Nigeria’s youth finds its voice with the EndSARS protest movement”
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/25/africa/nigeria-end-sars-protests-analysis-intl/index.html
“‘Hope Is Lost’ As Police Open Fire On Pro-Reform Protesters In Lagos, Nigeria”
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/21/926163091/hope-is-lost-as-police-open-fire-on-pro-reform-protesters-in-lagos-Nigeria
“How the End Sars Protests Have changed Nigeria forever”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54662986
Assessment
- Writing: Describe why demonstrators are so unhappy. What can the Nigerian government do to address their concerns?
- Debate: The U.S. and the international community should intervene to help promote stability within Nigeria.
- Poll: Should protesters in Nigeria use violence to achieve their goals?
- Short Answer: What would be the implications if the unrest spread to neighboring countries?
Current events quiz:
1) All the following are true EXCEPT:
a. A majority of the population in Nigeria is Muslim
b. A majority of the population in Nigeria lives below the poverty line
c. Nigeria has a population that exceeds 250 million
d. Nigeria has literacy rate that exceeds 60%
2) All the following describe why Nigerians have taken to the streets to protest EXCEPT:
a. Belief that the government is undemocratic
b. The killing of a Nigerian diplomat
c. Belief that the government is corrupt
d. High unemployment
3) What was the catalyst for the protests?
a. A desire to end police violence
b. A desire to expand government programs
c. A desire to lower unemployment
d. A desire to hold new elections
4) Nigeria has experienced the largest protests in a generation. (T/F)
5) A majority of the population in Nigeria lives above the poverty line. (T/F)
6) More than a quarter of the population is currently unemployed. (T/F)
Answers:
1) C
2) B
3) A
4) True
5) False
6) True
Enjoy using Lecture Spark? Answer this 5-question survey to help us innovate!
