This piece was made possible as part of a grant from the Julia Child Foundation
In cities across Nigeria, youth-led groups are protesting police brutality. The protesters are accusing the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of inflicting violence, torture, and extortion on community members.
Organized peaceful protests are turning violent as a result of reports of staged actions to compromise protests. According to eyewitnesses, the Nigerian army and police killed 12 protesters.
In a press release, the Feminist Coalition, an organization advocating for police reform in Nigeria, stated, “the unified voices of Nigerians have been treated as a threat to democracy instead of an expression of it.”
Food Tank is highlighting organizations working to address the Nigerian community’s immediate needs during their fight for police reform.
1. Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Lagos, Nigeria
Established in 2005, CISLAC is an information sharing, research, and capacity building organization in Nigeria. Their programs focus on amplifying resident’s voices to influence legislation. One of their projects focuses on promoting policies that improve food security in Nigeria.
2. Feminist Coalition, Lagos, Nigeria
Formed in July 2020, the Feminist Coalition is a group of young feminists in Nigeria. This organization is supporting peaceful protests to end police brutality. The Feminist Coalition advocates for a society where women in Nigeria can access education, financial freedom, and government representation. Donations for their organization provide food, water, first-aid kits, and more.
3. Food Clique, Lagos, Nigeria
Food Clique works to increase food access for food-insecure people living in Nigeria. This organization has eight programs that work to find creative ways to get food out to the community. Funds donated to this organization go directly towards supporting their hunger-relief efforts.
4. Mirabel Center, Ikeja, Nigeria
The Mirabel Center supports survivors of sexual assault with various services in Nigeria. Among the reasons, protesters are speaking out against SARS is the accusation that SARS officers are inflicting sexual violence on community members. Services from the Mirabel Center include medical examinations, counseling, referrals to other agencies such as food access organizations, and more. The Mirabel Center is the first sexual assault referral organization in Nigeria.
5. The Reach Every Available Communal Household (R.E.A.C.H), Port Harcourt, Nigeria
The R.E.A.C.H is an organization that works to increase food access to food insecure communities in Nigeria. They hope to support people who are impacted by unexpected crises, such as COVID-19, political unrest, and natural disasters. In response to the protests, R.E.A.C.H launched a subfund called Project Protect to support protesters wrongfully harmed by SARS during and after the protests.
Photo courtesy of Tobi Oshinnaike, Unsplash
