Nigerian government will look to prevent more protests

Significance

However, except in a few states, these panels have been slow to start restitution processes. Their existence was recently threatened by a legal challenge -- now withdrawn -- by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), reflecting the authorities’ latest attempts to halt renewed mobilisation of the ‘#EndSARS’ movement.

Impacts

• #EndSARS-affiliated civil society groups could prove an influential youth voting bloc in the 2023 presidential election.
• A new youth-based party may emerge before the 2023 polls but would struggle to dismantle the dominant two-party system.
• The decision by most state panels of inquiry to stop accepting new petitions will undermine public confidence in their work and findings.