The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says that protesters should heed Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s dialogue call to address the country's economic suffering.
On Sunday, Tinubu urged the demonstrators to call off protests and create room for dialogue.
However, protests have persisted nationwide, with incidents of looting and vandalism reported in the north.
ECOWAS voiced concern over the ongoing protests in Nigeria, citing reports of violence, fatalities, and property destruction.
It emphasized in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday that Nigeria's 1999 Constitution and the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance both uphold individuals' rights to peaceful protests.
The ECOWAS Commission stated that it has been monitoring Nigerian protests and expresses regret over violence, death of protesters, and alleged looting and destruction of public and private properties.
The commission offered its condolences to the families of the deceased and conveyed its sympathies to the Nigerian government and people for the losses suffered.
The commission also approved President Tinubu's national address.
ECOWAS urged protesters and stakeholders to follow the President's call for inclusive dialogue to address grievances and ensure peace and security in Nigeria and the ECOWAS region.
