Possible ways to advance social justice in north eastern nigeria

Possible Ways to Advance Social Justice in North Easthern Nigeria 

A case study of Foundation for Societal Empowerment and Rejuvenation (FOSER) 

There are moments in world history when social justice issues come to the forefront of global consciousness. This is such a time when in 2020 tens and thousands of young Nigerians took to the streets to protest against police brutality after a video went viral of a man allegedly being killed by the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), sparking what became known as the #EndSars demonstrations. The demonstrations rocked the country for two weeks- and led to the government agreeing to disband SARS and set up a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the widespread allegations of abuse and injustice by police officers.  

Also in the United States, due to its social justice component, the expansion of the #BlackLivesMatter was a worldwide movement. The protest sparked by the killing of George Floyd and police brutality grew into demonstrations against larger issues of racial inequality and systemic racism. Social justice plays a role in nearly every critical problem that we face, from the climate emergency and voter suppression to gun violence and the widening income gap.

Society’s collective views are now sharply focused on the disparity of experience among different social groups. People are energized regarding crucial issues such as legal protections, gender-based violence, the rights of immigrants and indigenous peoples (that gave birth to farmer/herder clashes), racial discrimination and more. Today’s civil society organizations have a unique opportunity to advocate for their local communities, and to demand a substantive change.

The Foundation for Societal Empowerment and Rejuvenation (FOSER) proposes the following strategies for advancing social justice, both individually and via alignment with like-minded CSOs, community leaders, the Nigerian government, and the international community.