‘The EndSARS movement is an umbrella for other challenges’: Assessing Nigeria’s EndSARS protest through the theoretical lens of intersectionality

Abstract

This article analyses the underlying and immediate triggers of Nigeria’s EndSARS protest and their interconnectedness. Leveraging Braun and Clark’s reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with 11 participants along with the ethnographic approach, the authors constructed a broader theme termed ‘EndSARS – An Umbrella’. They identify three primary themes (youth unemployment, endemic public sector corruption/poor police welfare and poverty) as the root causes of the EndSARS protest. In addition, they single out one theme (police – perennial human rights abuse) as the immediate cause. They contend that these prevalent socio-economic challenges, commonly experienced among the participants in their study, intersect and serve as pivotal catalysts for mobilization within the context of the EndSARS protest. These distinctive yet challenging characteristics play a central role in broadening the composition of the protesters, resulting in their quest for government accountability and a better Nigeria.