Nigerians have raised N1.8m for a protester whose son dreams of becoming a programmer.

Ogwu Chijioke was among hundreds of protesters who took to the streets in Lagos State on Thursday to join the nationwide #EndBadGovernance demonstrations against the country’s harsh economic conditions.

In an interview with Channels Television at the Lekki Toll Gate area, Chijioke shared his struggles to support his son’s ambition of becoming a programmer. "I’m riding from Mile 2, Festac. My son at 13 is a programmer, but I can’t even buy data for him to learn more. I can’t even pay for the tuition fees, millions of naira. At 13, he can program games,” he said, clutching his bicycle.

“My name is Ogwu Benjamin Chijioke. I would rather die on the streets than die at home. I can’t sit down and watch the future of my son go to waste. I know I may not have a future again in Nigeria, but my son’s future will not be wasted.”

His heartfelt message quickly went viral.

“You can feel the passion in his soul,” social media influencer Morris Monye captioned the video shared on his X handle. “He’s lost hope that life will be good for him but has not lost hope for his son. This is why he is protesting.”

"Hello, guys. I’ve gotten his details," Morris wrote hours later. "N1.8m is needed to make his dreams come true."

In less than 24 hours, the money was successfully crowdfunded.

“I rather die on the streets than die at home” 💔 💔#EndBadGovernanceInNigeria 💪💪 pic.twitter.com/cRSqMpCgq6

— Pearls (@MissPearls) August 1, 2024