Russia not behind waving of Russian flags during 2024 protests in Nigeria — Lavrov

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed insinuations that the Russian government sponsored some Nigerian youths who waved Russian flags during the 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests.

Mr Lavrov, who spoke in Moscow on the sidelines of the Third Russia-Africa Summit, in response to a question by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said Russia had no hand in the action and distanced Moscow from any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.

According to him, Russia and Nigeria enjoy a robust relationship dating back to the days of the old Soviet Union.

He said those who donned Russian flags did so in their personal capacity and that it did not translate to official support by Russia.

“Anyone who donned the Russian flag did so in his or her personal capacity. It does not mean that Russia was in support of this kind of action.

“A lot of citizens sympathetic to Palestinians wave Palestinian flags to express solidarity. It does not mean the Palestinian government is behind them,” Mr Lavrov said.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) recalls that the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests took place from 1 to 10 August 2024, with the protesters citing high cost of living and economic hardship for their action.

NAN also recalls that during the protests, some groups of protesters, mostly youths and minors in Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara and Abuja, were seen waving Russian flags and chanting slogans calling for military intervention.

The action, which the federal government described as treasonable and a threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty, led to the arrest of scores of protesters and some tailors who were allegedly sewing the flags.

The Russian Embassy in Abuja had, at the time, also denied any involvement.

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Mr Lavrov said the robust relationship between Nigeria and Russia had seen an increase in scholarships awarded to Nigerians, reaching a peak of 220 in 2026.

He recalled that in 2024, he met with his Nigerian counterpart in Abuja, who warmly received him, and cemented the bilateral ties between the two countries.

On defence pacts with some countries in the Sahel, Mr Lavrov said Russia was helping to eliminate security threats in the region, adding that Moscow was aware that some Western capitals were using Ukrainian mercenaries to sabotage the efforts, as they did in Libya, in a bid to undermine regional stability.

Commenting on the recent diesel supply agreement with the United States, the foreign minister said it was purely a business decision and would not affect the interests of its allies.

“The diesel agreement with the U.S. is purely a business decision by two world leaders who are concerned by the rising cost of energy,” he said.

(NAN)