Protests: APRA backs Nigeria, advocates for continued dialogue

The African Public Relations Association (APRA) has shown its solidarity with the government and people of Nigeria as protests over rising living costs entered their second day.

In a statement released on Friday, August 2, signed by its president, Arik Karani, APRA called for sincere and ongoing dialogue to quickly resolve the issues that sparked the protests.

Karani emphasised that protests and advocacy for better social conditions are fundamental civil liberties and essential to democratic practice.

APRA also praised the Nigerian government for ensuring the right to protest is upheld and for its actions to prevent the crisis from worsening.

However, APRA expressed concern over reports of deaths, injuries, looting of businesses, theft of public utility equipment, including telecommunications and food processing infrastructure, and incidents of destruction and arson that occurred on the first day of protests.

The statement read: “We call for sincere and continuous dialogue to ensure speedy resolutions of the issues that led to the protests.

“Protests and advocacies for improved social conditions are constitutive of civil liberties and central to democratic practice. Indeed, democracy dies wi thout a guarantee of civil liberties.

“APRA, therefore, commends the Nigerian government for its expressed guarantee and non-aversion to theexpression of the right to protests by citizens and the actions it has taken to prevent the escalation of the crisis.

“APRA’s commitment to seeing Africa prosper requires that we condemn the unjustifiable death of citizens and security personnel as well as looting and vandalism of infrastructure emplaced to improve the quality of life of the people.

“Therefore, we call on all actors – state and non-state – to stop the hostilities and the out rage. In their stead, APRA advocates continuous dialogue and sincere conversations to ensure quick andconcrete resolut ions of the issues.

“We call on the government of Nigeria, including subnationalentities, to work with all stakeholders and restore normalcy to the nation.

“Nigeria is central toAfrica’s vision for the progress and development of the continent

“APRA shares in the grief of families that have lost their members in the ongoing cr isis and pray forthe repose of the souls of the departed.

“We wish those recuperating from injur ies a speedy andcomplete recovery and hope that institutions and persons that have lost properties will be supported to recover quickly and return to business to support government’s effort to reflate the Nigeria.”