LAGOS — Forty-five years ago, a 50 kobo increase in student meal costs sparked Nigeria’s most violent student protest—the “Ali Must Go” uprising of 1978.
The military government under General Olusegun Obasanjo raised daily meal tickets from ₦1.50 to ₦2.00, a decision students rejected as insensitive. Education Minister Ahmadu Ali became the face of the policy and the target of nationwide anger.
Protest and Bloodshed:
Led by Segun Okeowo of the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS), demonstrations began at the University of Lagos, where a student was shot and later died after being denied treatment.
Protests spread, turning deadly in Zaria when soldiers opened fire, killing eight students. At least nine students died overall, leading to a nationwide campus shutdown and the proscription of NUNS.
Legacy:
Though the meal hike was never reversed, the protests became a landmark in Nigerian student activism, inspiring future generations and demonstrating the power of youth resistance.
Okeowo was expelled but later graduated from the University of Ife with support from human rights lawyer Gani Fawehinmi.
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Disclaimer: This historical report is based on documented accounts of the 1978 “Ali Must Go” protests. The events remain a significant chapter in Nigeria’s student activism history.
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