IMC professionals speak on impact of Endsars protests one year after
By Oghale Mafuru
Following the commemoration of the one year anniversary of the Endsars protest, marked on October 20, 2021, professionals in the Integrated Marketing and Communication industry x-rayed the extent of recovery by businesses that were affected by the protests.
The Lead Consultant/ COO of Aster Integrated Marketing Limited, Tolulope Medebem said the Endsars protest occurred at the time when the pandemic seemed to be under control, noting that businesses had already been impacted by the pandemic. According to her, the Endsars protests did not significantly create a strain on business activities like the COVID -19 pandemic did.
In her words: “The Endsars came on the foot of the pandemic and was just at the time when the virus was rounding up while we were still struggling in our various businesses. So at that point, I am not exactly sure that it directly impacted businesses”.
According to her, the businesses that were affected are those mega stores and other businesses that were looted and destroyed by hoodlums who hijacked the protest. “Thankfully, a greater percentage of the stores had some form of insurance. So, I am not exactly sure that it impacted businesses. Like I said, a lot of businesses were still struggling out of the pandemic.”
On his part, marketing and public relations professional, Lawrence Dike said the Endsars protests had a huge toll on businesses that had already been adversely impacted by the global pandemic.
He said: “Endsars is a scar that has robbed our collective aspiration and reputational assets. Honestly, it is too unfortunate that we are yet to address the social injustice that culminated in that protest. It is unfortunate that we are witnessing human capital flights as our youths are leaving the country in droves.”
October 20, 2021 marked one year after some youths took to the streets of Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Rivers, Abuja, Enugu and Anambra States among others in a protest seeking among other things an end to police brutality, the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and a total reform of the police architecture.
The protests were later hijacked by some hoodlums. It turned violent in the hands of the hijackers, forcing hundreds of business owners and entrepreneurs to close shops after their shops and offices were looted and vandalized.
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