As the nationwide protest enters its fourth day, some of the organisers and supporters of the demonstration have set up pages to raise over N4bn through GoFundMe, a popular online crowdfunding platform.
Checks by Sunday PUNCH show that as of Saturday evening, a total of N4.1bn had been benchmarked to be donated through accounts created by three GoFundMe users.
While each of the fundraisers on GoFundMe has their donations protected, Sunday PUNCHnoted that funds had been entering into the accounts, as revealed by the green colour indication on the targets.
A fundraiser, ‘Nigerians in the United States of America and Canada’ as of the time our correspondent monitored it indicated a goal sum of N40,898,750 ($25,000). According to the site, the organiser is located in the state of Washington, US, indicating that the donations would help provide necessary resources for protesters, including medical supplies, transportation, and other essentials.
Rallying for support, the organiser wrote, “Dear friends and supporters, The #EndBadGovernance protest in Nigeria took place today, with citizens bravely standing up against corruption and poor governance. As the movement continues, there are dedicated individuals who will be rallying again tomorrow to demand the change their country needs.
“We urgently need your support to sustain this critical movement. Donations will help provide necessary resources for the protestors, including medical supplies, transportation, and other essentials.
“Your contribution will play a vital role in ensuring that their voices are heard and that they can continue their fight for justice and good governance. We call on Nigerians across North America to show solidarity and support this cause.”
Another GoFundMe fundraiser, ‘Nigeria EO’ indicated a goal sum of N20,950,777.31 (£10,000), which it seeks to have donated by supporters.
“We are raising funds to provide the protesters with much-needed supplies and assistance on the ground. Your donations will help cover the costs of bottled water, snacks, and other refreshments for the protesters, first aid kits and medical supplies in case of injuries, and transportation for volunteers to help organise and support the demonstrations, the organiser wrote.
The third GoFundMe organiser, ‘Endbad Governance’, declared a goal sum of N4,613,379,000 ($2,820,000).
Meanwhile, citizens have raised N1.8m for a protester, Ogwu Chijioke, who admitted he had been struggling to support his son’s ambition to become a programmer.
Chijioke, who participated in the demonstrations on August 1, shared his story with Channels Television at the Lekki Toll Gate.
In the interview, Chijioke lamented that despite his son’s talent in programming, he was unable to afford necessary resources like data and tuition fees.
The interview went viral on Saturday, drawing widespread sympathy and support on social media.
An X (formerly Twitter) influencer, Morris Monye, moved by Chijioke’s story, launched a crowdfunding campaign by providing the protester’s bank account for supporters to raise N1.8m.
Sharing a private message received from Chijioke on X on Friday, Monye noted that the donation target was reached within 24 hours. (Punch)
