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Contents
Why Nepal Matters to Nigeria—Right Now
About this time 5 years ago, tension was high and Nigerian youth were on edge: would they break under the weight of police harassment? They found a way to solve the problem; #EndSARS protest. The planned memorial for the 103 victims of military carnage—with corpses picked up and deposited at the government morgue—later came to public knowledge through a leaked memo requesting funds for their burial. With about 40 days to the memorial of Lekki Toll Gate, how the government manages the DSS harassment of Sowore through X is of the essence.
Sowore’s tweet, made on August 25, 2025, read:
“This criminal @officialABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”
Following this, on September 6, 2025, the DSS wrote to X Corp demanding that the post be removed. They described it as “misleading, offensive and capable of threatening Nigeria’s national security” under various laws.
Fast forward to early September 2025: Nepal’s Generation Z led mass protests against corruption, elite privilege and a sweeping social-media ban. The movement quickly overwhelmed police, torched symbols of state power, and forced Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign—an unmistakable lesson in what happens when a young, digitally networked population loses faith in a political class it sees as entitled and unaccountable.
Demography: Two Young Nations, One Louder Fuse
Country Estimated Population (2025) Median Age Percentage “Youth” / Under-30 Urban Share
Nigeria ~237.5 million 18.1 years ~58% under 30 ~55%
Nepal ~29.6 million ~25.3 years Youth (18-35) about one-third; many under that ~24-25%
Implication: Both countries are demographically primed for rapid mobilization. When trust collapses, youth can move from hashtags to streets in days—not months. Nepal just showed it.
Economy and Livelihoods
Nigeria: In 2024, GDP per capita (current US$) is ~ US$807 (after statistical rebasing). Despite some headline growth, many households feel worse off. High inflation, weak formal job creation, and a large dependency ratio (many dependents per working adult) fuel frustrations.
Nepal: ~US$1,447 per capita in 2024. Growth is constrained; youth unemployment has been reported above 22%. Deep inequalities and perceptions of elite capture (“nepo-baby” politics) exacerbate resentment.
Infrastructure and Everyday State Capacity
Electricity Access
Nigeria: ~61% of population had access as of 2023; but the grid under-delivers, service reliability is poor; subsidy arrears, inefficiencies, and tariff issues persist.
Nepal: ~91% access by 2022; hydropower is an anchor, and there have been gains in public-service delivery; yet even this was not enough to prevent the revolt when legitimacy and voice were perceived missing.
Lesson: Better infrastructure helps—but does not inoculate a government when legitimacy, fairness and voice are in question.
What actually triggered Nepal’s “Youthquake”
- A ban/curbs on major social-media platforms — seen as silencing dissent. Organisers used offline and alternative digital channels to mobilise.
- Visible elite impunity — “nepo babies” flaunting privilege amid joblessness and rising prices.
- Deadly force — live rounds on protesters hardened public opinion; the PM fell.
Could this repeat in Nigeria?
Short answer: Yes — under similar conditions. Nigeria has an even larger, younger, more digitally interconnected population; unemployment/underemployment and cost-of-living pressure remain severe. Attempts to shut down channels of expression, coupled with visible impunity and harsh crowd control, are potent accelerants. Across Africa—from Senegal to Kenya to Nigeria—youth protest waves show similar patterns: voice denied, hope deferred.
The way forward: How to avoid a Nepal-style rupture:
- Protect digital civic space, don’t police it into silence. Regulate transparently (child safety, disinformation, data protection), but avoid blunt bans/blackouts. Establish predictable rights-based rules, with rapid, independent review of takedown requests.
- Visible anti-corruption wins—fast.
Public asset-recovery scorecards every quarter.
Real-time, transparent procurement portals: publish bidder lists, contracts, delivery status.
Sanctions (legal, financial, political) against well-connected individuals; end perceptions of immunity or two sets of rules.
- Jobs, not just GDP headlines. Tie macro reforms into youth employment outcomes: apprenticeships, access to finance for small/medium/young entrepreneurs, incentives for digital/creative exports. Publish a monthly “jobs dashboard” to track real outcomes.
- Fix energy and basic services where people live. Scale up mini-grids and decentralized service delivery; hold providers accountable via feeder-level uptime reports; build in compensation or subsidy relief when service fails.
- Policing reform for protests. Codify rules of de-escalation; require body-cams for riot / crowd control units; ensure independent investigations of any use of lethal force; set up a compensation fund for victims of state violence.
- Invite youth into power, not just into panels. Reserve seats / roles for youth and independent civic actors in bodies that matter—anti-corruption boards; budget oversight committees; police complaints authorities. Require published attendance, votes, and accountability.
- Communicate like you’re in 2025. Use two-way town halls (physical + livestream), regular AMAs with ministers, live dashboards. If people can’t see or feel the change, distrust grows.
Bottom Line
Nepal did not fall because of a tweet; it fell because a young nation decided that power served the few, not the many—and because the state tried to switch off the conversation. Nigeria’s leaders still have time to choose a different path: protect voice, punish impunity, deliver jobs and electricity people can feel, and police protests without blood. Do these, and the youth bulge becomes a dividend, not a detonator.
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the C.E.O, Masterbuilder Communications and can be reached via email: bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com and writes via WhatsApp: +2348033041236
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