How Nigerian tech companies are supporting #EndSARSProtest

Daniel Iyanda -

This is article is constantly updated with new information to reflect how Nigerian tech companies are supporting (or onlooking) the #EndSARSProtest.

Police brutality and COVID-19: two viruses currently killing Nigerians. But the former is more deadly, it has killed more Nigerian youths than COVID-19.

Since Nigeria celebrated its independence on October 1, coronavirus has killed three people as of October 12, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) officers, however, have killed at least 10 people and injured many between October 8 and October 12, 2020, according to Amnesty International - Nigeria.

Notably Jimoh Isiaq, a young man who was was killed in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on October 10. Joy Eze, a young woman who was shot in the mouth by a policeman on October 9.

Thus, despite the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on October 11, 2020, the #EndSARSProtest has intensified. Nigerian youths want police brutality to stop. They want a definite end to the rogue unit, which has been banned at least four times in three years.

SARS has been banned four times, in three years.

In addition to putting an end to the brute anti-robbery squad, protesters have put forward five demands:

  1. Immediate release of all arrested protesters
  2. Justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensation for their families
  3. Setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation & prosecution of all reports of police misconduct (within 10 days).
  4. In line with the new Police Act, psychological evaluation & retraining (to be confirmed by an independent body) of all disbanded SARS officers before they can be redeployed
  5. Increase police salary so that they are adequately compensated for protecting lives and property of citizens

Since the second week of October 2020 was Customer Service Week, it is pertinent to highlight the stance of Nigerian tech companies on the #EndSARSProtest. Because both their customers and employees are susceptible to SARS and police harassment.

These Tech Companies Have Shown Support for #EndSARS Protest

Following the unfortunate encounter of Akinmolayan Oluwatoni with the brute police division in September 2019, tech leaders started the #StopRobbingUs campaign. The campaign is "against the imminent threat by the Nigerian Police to the $2 billion tech industry and the rights and freedom of Nigerian youth".

The #StopRobbingUs campaign is still calling on more survivors of police brutality to come forward, so that it can file multiple legal suits against the NPF. Survivors can contact the campaign via bit.ly/stoprobbingus-survivors.

This time around, the #EndSARSProtest cuts across across industries and individual differences. It's a united effort to end police brutality. And while it has no arrowhead, the #EndSARSProtest is not rudderless. The demands are clear.

#EndSARSProtest Donors

These tech companies have donated money to support the protest to end police brutality in the country. (If there is any company not listed, please let us know).

1. Flutterwave

Flutterwave could easily be the most socially-conscious tech company in Nigeria. From organising fundraiser for #StopRobbingUs,  job fair for developers sacked by Andela to launching stores, to support business during the pandemic.

The payment solution company set up EndSARS Fund and raised ₦2 million internally from its staff. The EndSARS was then made public, and as at the last update (October 13) over ₦25 million has been raised. The EndSARS Fund is being disbursed by the Feminist Coalition to provide support for protesters.

2. Piggyvest

Piggyvest is one of the leading savings and investment platforms in Nigeria. It donated  ₦1 million to pay the medical bills of Joy Eze. Piggyvest is one the first companies to create a graphic for the #EndSARS campaign. They have been very vocal on their stance: end police brutality in Nigeria.

3. Cowrywise

Cowrywise is another savings and investment platform that has donated to the #EndSARS Fund set up by Flutterwave. The fintech company donated ₦1 million.

4. Softcom

This 13-year-old tech company is also socially-conscious. Earlier in June, Softcom had set up a platform to crowdfund ₦10 billion for Lagosians most-affected by coronavirus.

Softcom and its subsidiary, Eyowo, has donated ₦1 million to the Feminist Coalition in solidarity for protest against police brutality.

5. Bundle Africa

Bundle Africa, the recently launched social payment app for cash and cryptocurrency, has set up three crypto wallets, to raise funds globally in support of the #EndSARS protest. Funds collected through this wallets will be disbursed to the Feminist Coalition and Flutterwave's #EndSARS Fund.

The Bundle team says it has contributed 2, 145 BUSD (₦1 million) to the crypto fund. And Founder of Bundle, Yele Bademosi, says, "I am personally contributing an additional ₦500,000 (1,072.5 BUSD) to the cryptocurrency fund".

6. Paystack

Paystack, one of the leading online payment company in Nigeria, has donated ₦1 million to the Feminist Coalition

7. Bamboo

Bamboo, one of the leading investment platforms in the country, donated ₦1 million to the Feminist Coalition.

8. Bitsika Africa

Bitsika Africa — the African Cash App which recently named David Adeleke (AKA Davido) as brand ambassador — set up a fund in partnership with Coins App and Danny Oyekan, Founder and Chairman of Dan Holdings. Their #EndSARS fund has $5,000 (₦1.9 million) to provide medical and logistic support to protesters.

9. Eden

Eden, Nigeria's foremost automated concierge service, has donated ₦500,000 to the EndSARS Fund. This is in addition to sensitizing its Twitter followers to #EndPoliceBrutality: "Say something, do something, change everything".

10. BuyCoins

BuyCoins, a fast-growing crypto trading platform, was one of the first tech companies to contribute to the #EndSARS Fund set up by EndSARS. It contributed ₦500,000.

11. Fliqpay

Fliqpay enables cross-border payment for businesses, fintechs and global organisations. It has contributed ₦500,000 to the #EndSARS Fund.

12. Money Africa

Money Africa, a leading financial edtech platform, donated ₦500,000 to the #EndSARS Fund.

13. Deimos

Deimos is a cloud native developer and security operations company. Although its office is in South Africa, many Nigerian developers work with the company remotely. Deimos contributed ₦500,000 to the #EndSARS Fund.

14. Quidax

Quidax, a crypto trading platform, has also donated ₦500,000 to the Fund.

15. Voyance

Voyance is a data science company. It contributed ₦500,000 to the fund.

16. Risevest

Risevest, a fintech company connecting Africans with dollar-denominated investment, donated ₦400,000 to the Feminist Coalition.

17. Busha Hub

Busha Hub, a cryptocurrency exchange platform, said it donated ₦500,000 #EndSARS protest

18. Swipe

Swipe, which offer credit card and cash management services to small businesses in Africa, donated ₦300,000 to the #EndSARS Fund.

19. PandarNG

Pandar, a cryptocurrency trading platform, donated ₦101,400 to the Fund.

Honourable Mentions

Tech companies in this category have shown their support for the #EndSARSProtest. But they have not donated to the #EndSARS Fund or the Feminist Coalition (perhaps, they didn't make their donations public).

1. SafeBoda

SafeBoda is an African bike-hailing and fintech company. It launched in Ibadan, a city in western  Nigeria in April 2020. SafeBoda allowed its staff to join the protest and provided free rides and allowing its employees  

2. Andela

Andela has tweeted its support for the #EndSARSProtest

3. Kuda Bank

Kuda Bank, a leading digital bank in Nigeria has also tweeted its support for the protest against police brutality

4. Uber

The ride-hailing has not shared anything on its Twitter handle, but it is showing in-app support

5. Rubies Bank

Rubies Bank, a digital bank in Nigeria, has shown support by giving out recharge card to protester.

6. Abeg App

The social payment app putting fun in functional has continuously tweeted it support the protest against police brutality.

7. Google Africa

Google has also tweeted it support for the #EndSARS Protest

8. ALAT by Wema Bank

ALAT, the foremost digital bank in Nigeria launched by Wema Bank, has also lend its voice to the protest against police brutality.

9. Passage Mobile

Passage Telecom, one of the leading communication service providers in West Africa, has provided the Feminist Coalition with a helpline to support the #EndSARS protests across the country.

10. Bolt Nigeria

Despite the SARS incident that rocked the ride-hailing service earlier in October, Bolt Nigeria has showed its support for the fight against police brutality.

Tech Companies "Yet to Speak"

On the other hand, there are tech companies who are "Yet to Speak". They are towing the line of neutrality. These tech companies have not made known their stance on the #EndSARSProtest.

List of Tech Companies "Yet to Speak" about #EndSARSProtest

S/N Yet to Speak
1 Sparkle Nigeria
2 Netflix Nigeria
3 Interswitch Nigeria

The limitation of a list like this is its inability to be exhaustive. However, we're attempting to make this exhaustive. If there is any company omitted, please let's know.