A nationwide youth-led protest against economic hardship began across Nigeria on Thursday.
The demonstrations turned violent in Yobe, Lagos, Borno, Gombe, and Abuja, with police deploying teargas against peaceful protesters.
In Kano, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) center, scheduled to open next week, was attacked and set on fire by protesters. Some youths were seen stealing desktop computers, chairs, keyboards, and other equipment.
Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, described the incident as a significant setback.
“Sad to learn that our Digital Innovation Park in Kano, slated for launch next week to support our technical talent accelerator (3MTT), has been set ablaze and looted by protesters,” Tijani wrote on X.
“Alongside #3MTT, this building was set to host our buildathon holiday maker programme for secondary school kids starting next week. This is a setback for our efforts to deepen our technology workforce and create job opportunities for the youth. Millions of Naira down the drain.”
Meanwhile, police in Kano thwarted attempts by other youths to break into a grocery store. The suspects reportedly tried to force their way into the two-story building housing Sadaraki stores on Zoo Road, damaging some windows before police intervened.