The #EndBadGovernance protest in Nigeria from 1 August to 10 August took a rather unexpected dimension when some protesters in Kano and Kaduna states, both in the country’s north-west region, were seen waving and sharing Russian flags on the streets. In reaction, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu met with the country’s security chiefs and the police made a number of arrests. The Russian embassy in Abuja denied any meddling in Nigeria’s internal affairs. The concern is that Nigeria’s northern region shares a poorly policed 1,497km border with Niger Republic, where a pro-Russia military junta currently holds sway.
The Conversation Africa asked Olayinka Ajala, an international relations expert who has researched the region for over a decade, what this means for Nigeria.
