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Abstract

Two waves of mass protests were remarkable across West Africa in the first two decades of the 21st century. Drawing from the experiences of Burkina Faso and Nigeria, this study situates these mass protests within the temporal theory of social movements and argues that the focus of the protests in each wave shifted from protests against specific neoliberal economic reforms to discontent with governance institutions. However, the underlying driver of the mass protests remained the deteriorating condition of the underclass. The study explains the recurring character of mass protests and why they will remain everyday experiences across West Africa.

Keywords

Social movements protests #EndSARS Nigeria Burkina Faso West Africa

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Interrogating the Dynamics of Social Movements in Burkina Faso and Nigeria

Abstract

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