Nigerian President Ball Tinubu has called for an end to protests after “bloodshed” during three days of demonstrations against rising living costs.
At least seven people have been killed and more than 700 arrested since Nigerians gathered across the country on Thursday for the first of 10 planned “days of rage.”
“My dear Nigerians, especially our youth, I have heard you loud and clear,” the president said in a televised address, adding that he understood their “pain and frustration”.
He then defended his economic reforms, which protesters say are the root cause of the problems that have arisen since he came to power in May 2023, including skyrocketing prices.
The president said the protests had been hijacked by looters in some areas and that an end to the unrest would create space for dialogue.
But Mr Tinubu gave no indication that he would reverse his policies, including scrapping a subsidy on petrol or pegging the local currency to the dollar.
The demonstrations were organised via social media using the hashtag #EndBadGovernance and were inspired by the recent success of protesters in Kenya, which forced the government there to scrap plans to raise taxes.
President Tinubu also expressed sadness over the loss of lives in four northern states and the destruction of public amenities.
In Borno, Jigawa, Kano and Yobe, 24-hour curfews remain in place after authorities there accused “criminals” of violence.
Mr Tinubu said “the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops” was contrary to the promise made by the protest organisers.
Protests in Kano City drew the largest crowds on the first day, with police using live ammunition and tear gas to disperse thousands of demonstrators. Looting was also reported.
“As president of this country, I must ensure public order,” the 72-year-old president said in his speech on Sunday morning.
“Our government will not stand idly by and allow a few people with a clear political agenda to tear this country apart.”
Amnesty International puts the death toll nationwide at 13 and on Sunday called on the governor of Kano to “establish an independent judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the killing of at least 10 hunger protesters”.
In the capital Abuja, security forces fired tear gas for the third day in a row on Saturday to prevent protesters from taking to the streets from a stadium in the city centre set aside especially for them.
Businesses that were closed during the initial protests reopened in Lagos and parts of Abuja on Friday.
It is not clear whether the president’s speech will assuage the anger of young Nigerians. However, early indications point to a possible difference.
“We cannot leave the streets until our demands are met,” Abiodun Sanusi of the Take It Back Nigeria movement, one of the organisers of the protest, told the BBC.
He urged the President to allow the protesters to march to downtown Abuja and meet them there.
“If the President wants to have a dialogue, we urge the President to meet us at Eagle Square, in the presence of all Nigerians and live on television.
“We are not interested in secret meetings.”
Mr Sanusi added that the protesters were unhappy about the defence chief’s threat on Friday that the military would “intervene” if the violence continued.
“Only the police should be on the streets, and they should be peaceful too.”
Police deny using excessive force during the demonstrations.
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