For Nigeria's Shia, the US-Israeli war on Iran is personal
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Ghazali Ibrahim
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Mon, 06/01/2026 - 13:56
The pro-Iran protests held across Nigerian cities are less about geopolitics and more about belonging
A man drives a bicycle near Kano Pillars Stadium after the Eid al-Fitr prayer, Nigeria, 30 March 2025 (AFP)
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On a hot afternoon in March, a procession of hundreds of men wound through major streets in the Nigerian city of Kano, dressed in black and bearing portraits of the assassinated Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and waving Iranian flags.
Their chants echoed through the northern city as they condemned US-Israeli attacks on Iran, declaring solidarity with what they described as “a nation under oppression”.
For onlookers in roadside shops and passing buses, the protest looked like something lifted from a film about events unfolding thousands of kilometres away. But for Nigeria’s Shia Muslims, it was a statement that the US-Israeli war against Iran felt deeply personal.
In the days after the war began, similar demonstrations in support of Iran have taken place across Nigerian cities, including Kano, Sokoto, Gombe and Abuja.
Organised largely by members and sympathisers of the outlawed Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), one of Africa's most prominent Shia movements, the protests reflect how geopolitical tensions can resonate strongly within local religious communities far from the front lines.
The rallies also highlight the enduring influence Iran holds among sections of Nigeria’s Shia population decades after Tehran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution inspired movements across parts of Africa and the Middle East.
“We believe Iran is standing against oppression and foreign domination,” said Ibrahim Musa, a 32-year-old trader who joined one of the demonstrations in Kano.
“As Shia Muslims, we feel connected to their struggle.”
Nearly 100 days after the 28 February US-Israeli attacks on Iran triggered a wider conflict in the Middle East, the economic and political repercussions are still being felt far beyond the region.
Iran’s influence in Africa
In Nigeria, where the Muslim population is predominantly Sunni, the Shia minority has long maintained ideological and spiritual ties with Iran, viewing it as a symbol of resistance. Those connections deepened in the late 1970s and 1980s with the emergence of IMN under the leadership of Sheikh Ibrahim el-Zakzaky.
Inspired by Iran’s Islamic Revolution, Zakzaky built a movement centred on activism, social welfare initiatives and opposition to western political influence. Over the years, the IMN developed educational and religious links with Tehran, with some members travelling to Iran to pursue Islamic studies. Today, Iran remains a powerful symbol for many Nigerian Shia.
“Supporting Iran is not only about politics. Many people see it as defending Muslim dignity against powerful countries,” Abdullahi Sani, a Shia cleric in Sokoto, told Middle East Eye.
Moses Abolade, an expert on African geopolitics, said Iran has spent decades building relationships across Africa through scholarships, religious institutions, humanitarian projects and diplomatic outreach.
While Tehran’s influence on the continent is more limited than that of powers like China, the United States and Russia, it has successfully cultivated loyalty among some Shia communities in countries including Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania.
“The recent protests by some Nigerian Shia Muslims over the US-Israel-Iran tensions reflect how global conflicts increasingly shape local identities, emotions, and public discourse beyond the Middle East,” Abolade, a peacebuilding consultant with Peace Education and Practice Network, told MEE.
“For many, Iran represents not just a country but a symbol of religious and political solidarity. While such protests may not have direct geopolitical impact, they can still offer symbolic morale and reinforce narratives of international solidarity that strengthen Iran’s ideological posture against Western powers.”
However, Abolade said the demonstrations do not reflect the views of all Nigerians or Muslims in the country and cautioned against deepening social divisions through sectarian narratives.
“The deeper concern is how transnational narratives, social media, and political tensions can deepen polarisation, misinformation, and sectarian mistrust within already fragile societies,” he said.
“Nigeria’s diversity requires that such issues be approached with caution and responsibility to avoid importing external conflicts into local realities.”
The protests may also serve a domestic purpose for Nigerian Shia, a community that has long faced suspicion and periodic crackdowns by the authorities.
The IMN has endured years of strained relations with the Nigerian state, particularly since the 2015 clashes in Zaria when soldiers killed hundreds of the movement's members.
In 2019, the government proscribed the movement. In the years since, IMN has staged regular demonstrations demanding justice for the killings and greater recognition.
For many members, international developments involving Iran can also become rallying points, offering opportunities to reaffirm a shared identity and sense of unity.
Mixed reactions in Nigeria
According to retired Colonel AY Gwandu, a chief security officer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, not everyone views the demonstrations positively.
“There is concern whenever foreign conflicts begin to influence local religious groups,” he said, adding that “people fear it could deepen divisions or create security risks.”
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Nigeria has endured years of violent insurgency linked to extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
Although the IMN is ideologically distinct from these Sunni groups, security agencies have continued to monitor its activities closely.
While authorities have occasionally dispersed IMN gatherings, citing public safety concerns, recent demonstrations related to Iran have remained largely peaceful.
However, some residents in northern cities still worry that such protests could heighten sectarian tensions in a country already grappling with insecurity, religious extremism and political instability.
Political observers say the demonstrations also place Nigeria in a delicate diplomatic position, given its concurrent ties with western countries, Israel, Gulf states and Iran. Open expressions of support for Tehran by local groups may not directly alter official foreign policy, but they underscore how global rivalries increasingly influence domestic discourse.
Political scientist Abdulqodir Yunus said the government is expected to “balance freedom of expression with security concerns,” adding that “these protests show that international conflicts now have local dimensions”.
Identity beyond borders
For many protesters, however, the issue is less about geopolitics and more about belonging.
In Kano, demonstrators, including women and children, moved through busy streets under heavy security. Some carried banners accusing Israel and the United States of aggression, while others called for international support for Iran.
Similar scenes were reported in Sokoto and Gombe State, where protesters called for unity and condemned western involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts. While solidarity with Iran was the central theme, the gatherings also served as expressions of religious identity and resistance to “global injustice”.
“If another Muslim nation is suffering, we cannot ignore it,” Musa, the Kano trader, said.
At a gathering in Gombe, religious chants filled the air, punctuated by large posters bearing images of Iranian leaders alongside portraits of Zakzaky.
To outsiders, the symbolism may appear striking in a West African country grappling with its own economic and security pressures, but protesters insist their solidarity transcends geography.
For Tehran, such displays in African cities signal that its message continues to resonate despite diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions. For Nigerian Shia, they reaffirm ties to a broader movement.
“These protests give us a voice,” said Fatima Aliyu, a university student who attended the demonstration at the National Mosque in Abuja.
“Even though we are far away, we want Iran to know they are not alone.”
War on Iran
Kano, Nigeria
For Nigeria's Shia, the war on Iran is personal
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