research work on endsars

• Skip to content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Harvard Human Rights Journal

#EndSARS: The Movement Against Police Brutality in Nigeria

November 12, 2020 By

Allwell Uwazuruike [*]

Since the start of October, demonstrators in the thousands have thronged Nigerian cities, calling for an end to police brutality in the country and demanding justice for victims of police violence and extrajudicial killings. The #EndSARS protests have elicited global sympathy and support, with world leaders such as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeting in support. Other political figures and celebrities have also used the hashtag or referenced the movement to either directly support the protests or demand an end to the government crackdown on protestors. These include former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. president-elect Joe Biden, boxing heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, Arsenal footballer Mesut Ozil, and American rapper Kanye West. For several days in October, the hashtag #EndSARS was the number one trending topic on global Twitter with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey launching a special emoji for the movement. [1]

What is #EndSARS?

#EndSARS started as a call for the disbandment of Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigerian Police Force that has earned notoriety for its brutality and human rights violations. The hashtag was first used in 2018 to raise awareness of allegations of violence and exploitation by SARS officials. [2] The government announced structural changes to SARS, but the alleged human rights violations and exploitation continued. In October 2020, reports of an unprovoked shooting of a boy in the streets of Delta State by SARS operatives were shared on social media. [3]   Although the Nigerian Police denied the shooting in this particular case, it was not enough to quell public anger as more videos of police shootings were shared across social media platforms. Celebrities and activists rallied for support on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and, in a matter of days, protesters lined the streets of Lagos and Abuja demanding an end to SARS. Pressured by the publicity that the protests had generated, the Nigerian government swiftly announced the disbandment of SARS. This move, however, was not enough to appease the protesters in light of similar pronouncements made previously by the      government. For instance, in December 2017, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) announced that SARS had been banned from conducting stop and search operations following several reports of harassment. This ban was publicly re-announced by the IGP in 2018 and 2020, reflecting the ineffectiveness of previous orders.  Similarly, in 2018, Nigeria’s acting president announced an overhaul of SARS, stating that the National Human Rights Commission would investigate cases of abuse. This statement was followed shortly by the announcement of a centralised FSARS (Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad) which would come under the supervision of the Inspector General of Police as opposed to the previous version which was under state Commissioners of Police. Mere weeks later, the IGP announced the disbandment of FSARS, stating that the unit would go back to being decentralized and under the command of state commissioners. [4] In light of past practices and disappointments, protestors added to their list of demands, calling for compensation of victims of SARS brutality, retraining of police officers, and trials of indicted SARS officials.

Human Rights Violations by SARS

SARS was created in 1992 as a response to violent crime, particularly armed robbery. However, the police unit has come to be known for its high-handed tactics and gross violations of human rights. [5] Transgressions cut across a range of human rights including the right to life, right to freedom from torture, right to a fair trial, right to privacy, and freedom of assembly, all of which are rights protected by the Nigerian constitution.

1. Right to Life

Violations of the right to life have come in various forms such as extrajudicial killings, shooting of protesters, and other random, unprovoked killings. The Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) found in a 2010 report that extrajudicial executions are a routine feature of policing in Nigeria. [6] Human Rights Watch estimates that over 10,000 people were killed by the Nigerian police in the eight years spanning 2000 through 2007. [7]   The head of the Enugu State division of SARS allegedly told a researcher of the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria that he ordered the extrajudicial executions of only persons whom he knew to be guilty. [8]

These killings do not always happen secretly, hidden away in police cells and dungeons. In August 2019, videos surfaced showing men of the Nigerian police force executing arrested suspects in the streets of Lagos. [9] The suspects were alleged to belong to a criminal ring that disguised themselves as phone buyers to lure and rob unsuspecting victims. The police arrested two of the suspects, only to      have their summary execution recorded shortly after. Amateur clips of the police shooting the victims in the full glare of the public went viral. In reaction, the Nigerian police announced the arrest of the officers involved. [10]

2. Freedom from torture

SARS personnel have also been known to routinely torture suspects for “confessions.”  The OSJI report  states that the practice is so common that many police stations have a person on staff who oversees the torture of detainees and a room set aside for the practice; police personnel even have their own slang for various methods of torture. [11] Amnesty International has also documented cases of torture, most of which emanate from detainees in SARS custody. [12] The police use various forms of brutality, including sexual violence, against detainees and suspects. [13] Some former detainees report having been bound and suspended mid-air in painful positions, kicked and beaten with machetes, gun butts, boots, fists, electrical wires, animal hides, and other instruments. [14] Others describe being shot in limbs, assaulted by police officers while in custody, suffering multiple fractures, or being forced to perform painful calisthenics. Sex workers in particular report being rounded up by the police to be raped. [15] Acknowledging the routine nature of sexual violence by police, one police officer referred to it simply as a “fringe benefit” of certain patrols. [16]

In February 2020, BBC Africa published a damning documentary on the use of torture techniques by Nigerian security forces. [17] The video focused on the wide and uniform use of a technique known as Tabay. The technique involves binding detainees in a crude and painful fashion: the arms are forced back and tied at the elbows, cutting circulation to the hands and immobilising the victim. The feet are then tied back, arching the spine and contorting the body into a triangle. Victims can be suspended, forcing the full weight of the body unto the arms. A heavy block, usually wood or concrete, is often placed on the victim’s back to intensify the pain. The documentary implicated several arms of the Nigerian security forces including the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Mobile Police, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps and, of course, the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad. In the documentary, a man identified as a Nigerian police officer gives a harrowing account of the use of Tabay by SARS: “They call it ‘Hawan Keke’ (bicycle ride). I have witnessed it often. The room is dark. Your hands are tied up from behind. If it is not tight enough, the elbows are tied in a way that stops the blood from circulating. Your legs are tied to a chair so you cannot move. Then they torture you in whatever way they want [either by beating or electrocution] … wherever you go in Nigeria, if there’s a SARS office in that state, then they have that kind of room.”

3. Right to Liberty

SARS, as well as other units of the Nigerian Police, routinely lock up suspects, sometimes for years, without trial. The average length of pre-trial detention in Nigeria is three years and ten months. [18] Such prolonged detentions are usually done through the use of a “holding charge,” whereby the police bring a charge against an accused before a lower court lacking jurisdiction to try the offence, pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Nigerian Court has held this practice to be unconstitutional, though the practice persists. [19]

4. Right to privacy and family life

SARS personnel, ironically hired to tackle violent crimes, have recently assumed the mandate of fishing out so-called “Yahoo boys” (internet fraudsters). This they do by stopping mainly young men in the streets and demanding to go through their phones. Mere ownership of an iPhone is enough to make one a suspect. Victims have reported being arrested for owning iPhones and laptops or for refusing to grant the police access to their phones. [20]

The Government’s Response

In response to the #EndSARS protests, the government swiftly announced that it was disbanding SARS and replacing it with a new Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. This announcement further provoked protestors who were concerned that SARS personnel would simply be drafted into the new SWAT team. Rather than ending the protests, the announcement intensified public demonstrations across several states in Nigeria. On October 20, 2020, the Nigerian government cracked down on the protesters. The crackdown was preceded by the declaration of curfews in nine states across the country. One of these states was Lagos, the commercial hub of Nigeria. At nightfall, the Nigerian army opened fire on peaceful protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, the symbolic centre of the protest. Videos of soldiers shooting and protesters trying to revive fallen compatriots were broadcast on Instagram Live and viewed in real time by hundreds of thousands. Forty-nine persons were reported to have died in clashes across the country. [21]

Immediate aftermath

The police crackdown was followed by riots in Lagos with government structures razed and shops looted. [22] The violence and looting soon spread to other parts of the country, causing several states to declare curfews. Media outlets reported that “hoodlums” had hijacked the protests and were looting stores and malls. [23] Several warehouses across the country housing COVID-19 relief materials were raided. [24] The looting of stores for food again brought to the forefront the economic plight of many Nigerians—in 2018, Nigeria was reported to have overtaken India as the poverty capital of the world with an estimated 90 million people (about 50% of the population) living in extreme poverty, i.e. on less than $1.90 a day. [25] Critics faulted the government for simply storing relief materials and failing to distribute them to the needy. [26]

A Human Rights Solution

#EndSARS has morphed from a protest against police brutality to a movement for social justice and government reforms. Indeed, the protests have been described as a “vector” for broader dissatisfaction with Nigeria’s political class. [27] Protests and riots have continued unabated for weeks. The important issue moving forward is how to adequately address the issues raised by the protesters as well as those that have unravelled during the protests. The disbandment of SARS and restitution of victims are necessary starting points. The people, as shown through their dissatisfaction with the mere disbandment of SARS, are calling for more. The government needs to develop a human rights policy approach to addressing these issues. Firstly, there is the need to address the systemic abuse of civil and political rights by the police and other government agencies. The government needs to commence intensive human rights training for all law enforcement officers. Officers should also be regularly appraised on their human rights compliance and erring officers prosecuted. In order to effectively protect the rights to life and freedom from torture, the government must ensure that it treats reports of violence, torture, and extrajudicial killings with the gravity they deserve. Such reports must be duly investigated through transparent means such as public inquiries and inquests, and victims should be adequately compensated. On the right to fair trial, the government must also initiate reforms to ensure that suspects are not detained without trial. The right to privacy can also be better protected by the government taking a clear stand on routine stop and search operations which appear to be an avenue for extortion by the police.

This human rights approach may also be extended to address calls for social justice that have trailed the protests, especially in the aftermath of massive lootings across the country. The Nigerian government can respond to these calls by working to protect basic socioeconomic rights. As things stand, the oil-rich Nigerian state is shielded from any form of judicial accountability by the provision in Chapter II of the country’s constitution which states that socioeconomic rights are mere “objectives” and “directive principles.” [28] Indeed the Nigerian Court of Appeal has interpreted this provision as meaning that socioeconomic rights are not legally enforceable and that the “arbiter” for any breach would be the legislature or the electorate. [29] It has been suggested in the aftermath of the protests that the government prioritise “pro-poor policies” such as investments in education and youth empowerment to engage the country’s teeming youths (aged below 30 years) that account for 70% of the total population. [30] #EndSars was birthed by gross human rights violations and sheer disregard for human life. It is only reasonable that future policies make room for effective human rights protection to address the many problems the campaign has highlighted.

[*] Allwell Uwazuruike, Lecturer in Law, University of Central Lancashire.

[1] Magdalene Larnyoh, Twitter Unveils Emoji in Support of #EndSARS Protests, Business Insider Africa (Oct. 16, 2020), https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/twitter-unveils-emoji-in-support-of-endsars-protests/7emvggn .

[2] End Swat: Nigerians Reject Police Unit Replacing Hated Sars , BBC News (Oct. 14, 2020), https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-54531449 .

[3] End Sars: How Nigeria’s Anti-police Brutality Protests went Global , BBC News (Oct. 16, 2020), https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-54575219 .

[4] See Jacob Olatunji et al., For Fourth Time in Four Years IGPs Ban SARS, Daily Tribune (Oct. 5, 2020), https://tribuneonlineng.com/for-fourth-time-in-4-years-igps-ban-sars ; Nigeria: Authorities Repeatedly Failing to Tackle Impunity Enjoyed by Notorious SARS Police Unit, Amnesty International  (Oct. 6, 2020), https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/10/nigeria-authorities-repeatedly-failing-to-tackle-impunity-enjoyed-by-notorious-sars-police-unit/ .

[5] See Criminal Force: Torture, Abuse, and Extrajudicial Killings by the Nigerian Police Force , Open Society Justice Initiative (2010), https://www.justiceinitiative.org/uploads/8063279c-2fe8-48d4-8a17-54be8ee90c9d/criminal-force-20100519.pdf ; ‘You Have Signed Your Death Warrant’: Torture and Other Ill Treatment by Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Amnesty International (2016), https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/AFR4448682016ENGLISH.PDF .

[6] Open Society Justice Initiative, supra note 5.

[7] Nigeria: Investigate Widespread Killings by Police , Human Rights Watch (Nov. 18, 2007), https://www.hrw.org/news/2007/11/18/nigeria-investigate-widespread-killings-police .

[8] Open Society Justice Initiative, s upra note 5, at 22.

[9] Samson Folarin, Policemen Shoot Dead Suspected Phone Thieves in Lagos, PUNCH (Aug. 20, 2019),

https://punchng.com/sars-operatives-shoot-dead-suspected-phone-thieves-in-lagos/ .

[11] Open Society Justice Initiative, s upra note 5, at 12.

[12] Amnesty International, supra note 5.

[15] Abraham Achirga, Nigerian Police Accused of Abusing Prostitution Suspects , Reuters (May 6, 2019) https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-police-women-idUSKCN1SC1KD .

[16] Open Society Justice Initiative, supra note 5, at 22.

[17] BBC News Africa, The Torture Virus: Tabay ‘Rampant’ Among Nigeria’s Security Forces – BBC Africa Eye Documentary , YouTube (Feb. 9, 2020),   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzqP7z62ilU&t=26s&bpctr=1603329234 .

[18] Open Society Justice Initiative, supra note 5, at 7.

[19] See Shagari v. Commissioner of Police [2007] 5 NWLR 275.

[20] Peace Hyde, Nigeria Dissolves SARS But The Youth Demand Justice , Forbes Africa (Oct. 13, 2020) https://www.forbesafrica.com/current-affairs/2020/10/13/nigeria-dissolves-sars-but-the-youth-demand-justice/ .

[21] Enola Akinkuotu et al, Black Tuesday: 49 killed as protests turn bloody , PUNCH (Oct. 21, 2020) https://punchng.com/black-tuesday-49-killed-as-protests-turn-bloody/ .

[22] Timileyin Omilana, ‘I pretended I was dead’: Chaos and violence grip Lagos as End Sars protestors continue to defy curfew , The Independent (Oct. 23, 2020) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/nigeria-protests-end-sars-lagos-riot-looting-b1228242.html .

[23] Taiwo-Hassan Adebayo, Looting Across Nigeria as Arsonists, Hoodlums, Thieves, Take Control , Premium Times (Oct. 25, 2020) https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/422994-looting-across-nigeria-as-arsonists-hoodlums-thieves-take-control.html .

[24] #ENDSARS: Looting Spree in Nine States , Vanguard (Oct. 25, 2020) https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/10/endsars-looting-spree-in-nine-states/ .

[25] Bukola Adebayo, Nigeria Overtakes India in Extreme Poverty Ranking , CNN (June 26, 2018) https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/26/africa/nigeria-overtakes-india-extreme-poverty-intl/index.html .

[26] Olorunwa Lawal, SERAP Asks ICPC to Probe Alleged Hoarding of COVID-19 Palliatives in Nigeria , News Central (Oct. 26, 2020) https://newscentral.africa/serap-asks-icpc-to-probe-alleged-hoarding-of-covid-19-palliatives-in-nigeria/ .

[27] Chris Olaoluwa Ogunmodede, How the #EndSars Movement Upended Politics as Usual in Nigeria , World Politics Review (Oct. 28, 2020) https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/29170/how-the-endsars-movement-upended-nigerian-politics .

[28] Constitution of Nigeria (1999).

[29] Okogie v. Attorney General Lagos State [1981] 2 NCLR 337, 350.

[30] Funke Fayehun and Uche Isiugo-Abanihe, #EndSARS: How Nigeria can Tap into its Youthful Population , The Conversation (Oct. 25, 2020) https://theconversation.com/endsars-how-nigeria-can-tap-into-its-youthful-population-148319 .

ENDSARS Protest and Centralized Police System in Nigeria

• Living reference work entry
• First Online: 11 July 2021
• Cite this living reference work entry

• Raphael Abumchukwu Ekwunife 2 ,
• Ononiwu Anosike Oparah 3 ,
• Rosemary Effiong Akpan 3 &
• Humble Sunday Thomas 3  

24 Accesses

2 Citations

Centralized police system ; Government response ; People’s demand ; Sound governance ; The media

Definitions

SARS: Special Anti-Robbery Squad – one of Nigeria Police Force’ units created in 1992 to tackle and prevent criminal-related offences such as highway robbery, kidnapping, and armed robbery, among others.

ENDSARS: a sweeping campaign led by Nigerian youths in October 2020, agitating against the operations of the special anti-robbery squad. Allegorically, ENDSARS is a metaphor to end bad governance/leadership in Nigeria.

Social media: these are strong technological platforms of unconventional media such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and YouTube, among others, used to advance and give weight to the ENDSARS campaign in Nigeria.

Centralized police system: a system of policing in Nigeria whereby the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) remains the only police authority in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Sound governance: this refers to a more comprehensive governance. It has all the...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Adebayo B (2020) How a social media movement against police brutality prompted Nigerian government to act. Retrieved at https://edition.cnn.com . 4/4/2021. 03:15pm

Ademoroti N (2020) What it means when the police say they are dissolving SARS. Retrieved at htttps://www.bellnaija.com. 21/04/2021. 03:19pm

Google Scholar  

Adewole K (2018) SARS reform is the best alternative to #ENDSARS. Nigeria: The Cable. Retrieved at https://www.thecable.ng . 16/4/2021. 09:12am

Al Jazeera (2020, October 11) #ENDSARS: Nigeria says Special Anti-Robbery Squad dissolved. http://www.aljazeera.com . 02:20pm

Aljazeera (2020a, October 14) We need to live’: Young Nigerians on why they are protesting. Retrieved at http://www.aljazeera.com . 05:19pm

Aljazeera (2020b, October 21) SARS: Lagos protesters break curfew amid gunfire, chaos. Retrieved at http://www.aljazeera.com . 01:11pm

Aljazeera Media Network (2020, October 9) #ENDSARS: Nigerians protest against police brutality. Retrieved at http://www.aljazeera.com . 03:20pm

Amnesty Organization (2020, October 20) Killing of protesters by the military must be investigated. Retrieved at https://wwwamnesty.org

BBC News (2020a, October 20) End Sars protest: People shot dead’ in Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved at https://www.bbc.com . 22/4/2021. 8:09pm

BBC News (2020b, October 12) Sars ban: Two dead in Nigeria police brutality protest. Retrieved at https://www.bbc.co.uk . 5/4/2021. 05:05pm.

BBC News (2020c, October 9) Nigerian police fire tear gas at #ENDSARS protest against brutality. Retrieved at https://www.bbc.com . 15/4/2021. 11:05am.

BBC Pidgin (2017, December 3) End SARS or we go protest for January 2018 – Nigerian youths. Retrieved at https://www.bbc.com . 14/03/2021.03:19pm

Bella, Naija (2017) #ENDSARS: Nigerians take to the Streets in Protest. Retrieved at https://www.bellanaija.com . 8/04/2021. 07:08am

BET (2020, October 14) Burna Boy, Jidenna, Diddy and more show solidarity for #ENDSARS movement. Retrieved at http://www.bet.com . 1/2/2021. 10:05pm.

Busari K (2017) Senator backs calls for police SARS scrapping. Retrieved at https://www.premiumtimesng.com . 10/02/2021. 12/3/2021. 05:05pm.

Busari S (2020) Nigeria’s youth finds its voice with the ENDSARS protest, movement. Retrieved at https://www.cnn.com . 5/3/2021. 07:05pm.

Busari S, Sunday O and Salaudeen A (2020a) Nigerians take to the streets in protest against Controversial Police unit accused of Brutality. https://edition.cnn.com . 5/4/2021. 05:05pm.

Busari S, Sunday O and Salaudeen A (2020b) Nigerians take to the streets in protest against controversial police unit accused of brutality. Retrieved at https://edition.cnn.com . 5/4/2021. 06:05pm.

Channels Television (2020, October 14) Protest continue, Nigerians demand #EndSWAT. 5/4/2021. 05:05pm

Egbunike N (2020, December 24) Twitter page accessed. 01/03/2021. 08:10pm.

Ekwunife R et al (2020) Citizen journalism and crisis management: Nigeria and South Africa. In: Farazmand A (ed) Global encyclopedia of public administration, public policy and governance. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_4119-1

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Erunke J (2018) #ENDSARS: We won’t scrap SARS, Police reply anti-SARS campaigners. Retrieved at https://www.vanguardngr.com . 13/4/2021. 05:00pm

Farazmand A (2017) Sound governance in the age of globalization: a conceptual framework. In: Farazmand A (ed) Global encyclopedia of public administration, public policy and governance. Springer, Cham, pp 37–50

Goal.com (2020, October 9) #ENDSARS: Nigeria captain Musa, Balogun and Ogu join youths in protest against police brutality. Retrieved at https://www.goal.com . 16/4/2021. 09:16pm

Ibrahim M (2017) Trending: Nigerians say ‘enough is enough’, it is time to #ENDSARS. Retrieved at https://www.thecable.ng . 06/04/2021. 06:08pm

Ifeoluwa, Adediran, Ayitogo and Nasir (2020) Lagos #EndARS panel…. Retrieved https://wwwpremiumtimesng.com

Jemibewon D (1978) A combatant in government. HEBN, Ibadan

Kazeem Y (2020) Young Nigerians are leading protest yet again to disband a rogue police unit. https://qz.com . 5/1/2021. 08:25pm

Lambo D (2020) Angry youths protest as cop shoots Rivers musician dead. Retrieved at https://punchng.com . 5/3/2021. 03:018pm.

Makinde T (2020) #ENDSARS protest in Nigeria show that the youth wants change, now. Retrieved at gal-dem. 11/03/2021. 13:07am

Nwosu A (2020) End SARS: Google drops statement on campaign. Retrieved at https://dailypost.ng . 10/02/2021. 15:22.am

Ogundipe S (2017a) #ENDSARS: Police mum as Nigerians recount atrocities of Special Anti-Robbery Squad. Retrieved at https://www.premiumtimesng.com . 11/03/2021. 13:07am

Ogundipe S (2017b) #ENDSARS: Nigeria police threaten Leader of campaign against notorious anti-robbery squad. Retrieved at https://wwwpremiumtimesng.com . 11/03/2021. 22:09am

Okon D (2020) Nigerians insist on disbandment of SARS as IGP bans killer police unit for third time. Retrieved at https://businessday.ng . 1/03/2021. 1:17am

Paquette D (2020) Nigeria abolishes special police squad after Nationwide Protest. Washington Post. Retrieved at https://wwww.washingtonpost.com . 11/03/2021. 13:50am

Premium Times (2020, October 24) #ENDSARS: Sanwo-Olu confirms two deaths from Lekki shooting. Retrieved at https://www.premiumtimesng.com . 12/03/2021. 11:17pm

Premium Times Nigeria (2020, October 12) Another #ENDSARS protester shot dead. Retrieved at https://premiumtimesng.com . 12/04/2021. 9:07pm

Projectstore (2020, October 15) Brief History of how ENDSARS Campaign started in Nigeria. Retrieved at http://projectstore.com.ng . 10/02/2021. 12:00pm

Punch Newspaper (2020a) Protesters insist on #ENDSARS as Lagos deputy gov pleads for reform. Retrieved at https://punchng.com . 8/04/2021. 08:07pm

Punch Newspaper (2020b, November 6) CBN obtains order to freeze #ENDSARS promoters’ accounts till January. Retrieved at https://punchng.com . 17/03/2021. 2:0opm

Reuters (2020, October 10) Police fire teargas at Nigerians protesting at alleged brutality, witnesses say. Retrieved at https://uk.reuters.com . 08/01/2021. 1:09am

Salaudeen A (2017a) Nigerians want Police’s SARS Force scrapped. Retrieved at http://www.aljazeera.com. 19/09/2021. 7:07pm

Salaudeen A (2017b) Nigerians want police’s SARS force scrapped. Retrieved at http://www.aljazeera.com . 1/01/2021. 2:07am

Salaudeen A (2018) Nigerians want police’s SARS force scrapped. Retrieved at http://www.aljazeera.com. 08/03/2021. 08:08pm

Shyllon F (2008) The problem of a single police force in a federal system. In: Udoma U (ed) History and the law of the constitution of Nigeria. Malthouse Press, Lagos

Tamuno T (1970) The police in modern Nigeria, 1861–1965: origins, development and role. Ibadan University Press, Ibadan

The African Media (2020, October 20) Nigeria unrest: #ENDSARS protest turns fire and blood. Retrieved at https://www.the africanmedia.com . 1/04/2021. 06:00pm

The Guardian (2020, October 21) Police brutality is just tip of the iceberg for protesters in Nigeria. Retrieved at https://www.theguardian.com . 3/04/2021. 6:09am

Thisday Newspapers Limited (2017, December 17) End SARS as a mob project. Retrieved at https://www.thisdaylive.com . 16/04/2021. 03:04am

Trends24 (2020, October 4) Nigeria twitter trending hashtag and topics today trends24.in. Retrieved at https://trends24. 16/03/2021. 7:07pm

Ujene GI, Orji-Egwu A (2018) Information communication technology as a tool for social control: a study of Nigeria’s #ENDSARS. J Hum Cap Dev (JHCD) 11(2):1–16

Vanguard News (2020a, October 12) Five demands from #ENDSARS protesters. Retrieved at https:www.vanguardngr.com. 16/03/2021. 13:12pm

Vanguard News (2020b, October 22) Laser cameras, not CCTV, removed at Lekki Tollgate ― Sanwo-Olu. Retrieved at https://vanguargngr.com . 17/04/2021. 11:24pm

Vanguard Newspaper (2018, January 31) Kingsley, Omonobi and Joseph Erunke Anti-SARS campaign: IG orders investigation of anti-robbery squad. Retrieved at https: www.vanguardngr.com . 15/04/2021. 1:00pm

Wayback Machine (2020a) ENDSARS. Retrieved at https: www.wayback machine.com . 17/04/2021. 11:30pm

Wayback Machine (2020b, October 16) ENDSARS protesters ground activities in Jos. Retrieved at www.thisdaylive.com . 18/03/2021. 23:00am

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Mass Communication, Evangel University Akaeze, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Raphael Abumchukwu Ekwunife

Department of History and International Studies, Evangel University Akaeze, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Ononiwu Anosike Oparah, Rosemary Effiong Akpan & Humble Sunday Thomas

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA

Ali Farazmand

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Cite this entry.

Ekwunife, R.A., Oparah, O.A., Akpan, R.E., Thomas, H.S. (2021). ENDSARS Protest and Centralized Police System in Nigeria. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_4353-1

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_4353-1

Received : 23 April 2021

Accepted : 05 May 2021

Published : 11 July 2021

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-319-31816-5

Online ISBN : 978-3-319-31816-5

eBook Packages : Springer Reference Economics and Finance Reference Module Humanities and Social Sciences Reference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Articles on #EndSARS

Displaying 1 - 20 of 22 articles.

Young middle-class Nigerians are desperate to leave the country: insights into why

Jing Jing Liu , MacEwan University

The Black Book is a gritty new thriller that raises the bar for Nollywood

Ezinne Ezepue , University of Nigeria

Nigeria’s new police chief faces structural challenges - 5 key issues to tackle

Lanre Ikuteyijo , Obafemi Awolowo University

Economy and security on the ballot in Nigeria – 5 things to watch in presidential election

Carl LeVan , American University School of International Service

Nigerian elections: Eight issues young people want the new government to address

Tope Shola Akinyetun , Lagos State University of Education

Nigerian police: why improving public trust has proven difficult

Tarela Juliet Ike , Teesside University

Nigeria’s police work under terrible conditions: what needs to be fixed

Young Nigerians turned to Twitter on the night of the Lekki shootings: what that tells us

Tamar Haruna Dambo , Eastern Mediterranean University

Nigeria’s police: few promises of reform have been kept a year after #EndSARS protests

Nigerians refer to violence as ‘intergroup conflict’: what’s actually at play is xenophobia

Tosin Olonisakin , Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti

Nigeria has a new police chief. Here’s an agenda for him

Nigerians got their abusive SARS police force abolished – but elation soon turned to frustration

Samuel Fury Childs Daly , Duke University

Nigeria is not a failed state, but it has not delivered democracy for its people

Synda Obaji , University of Birmingham

Nigeria’s federal system still isn’t working: what should change

Emmanuel Remi Aiyede , University of Ibadan

Why has protest music dried up in Nigeria?

Florence Nweke , University of Lagos

Livestreaming Lekki: digital evidence of #EndSARS shooting in Nigeria makes impunity much harder

Olamide Samuel , SOAS, University of London

#EndSARS: How Nigeria can tap into its youthful population

Funke Fayehun , University of Ibadan and Uche Charlie Isiugo-Abanihe , University of Ibadan

Pasha 83: Talking #EndSARS and the new proposed unit

Ozayr Patel, The Conversation and Ogechi Ekeanyanwu, The Conversation

#EndSARS: What it feels like to be in the shoes of a young Nigerian

Oludayo Tade , University of Ibadan

Why #EndSARS protests are different, and what lessons they hold for Nigeria

Damilola Agbalajobi , Obafemi Awolowo University

Related Topics

• Nigerian police
• Nigeria police
• Peacebuilding
• Police brutality
• Social justice

Top contributors

Senior lecturer, Obafemi Awolowo University

Professor of Political Institutions, Governance and Public Policy, University of Ibadan

Associate professor, University of Ibadan

Track II Diplomat and Expert in Nuclear Politics, University of Leicester

Lecturer, Political Science, Obafemi Awolowo University

Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia

Professor of Demography, University of Ibadan

Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Policing, Teesside University

Teaching Fellow, University of Birmingham

University of Lagos

Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies, Duke University

Social Psychologist, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti

Lecturer, Eastern Mediterranean University

Professor, Politics, Governance and Economics, American University School of International Service

Researcher, Lagos State University of Education

• X (Twitter)
• Unfollow topic Follow topic

Along with Stanford news and stories, show me:

• Student information
• Faculty/Staff information

We want to provide announcements, events, leadership messages and resources that are relevant to you. Your selection is stored in a browser cookie which you can remove at any time using “Clear all personalization” below.

Image credit: Claire Scully

Gen Z is growing up: In 2024, the generation born between 1996 to 2010 is expected to overtake Baby Boomers in the full-time workforce, according to a recent analysis by Glassdoor .

They are bringing to the office a different set of values, behaviors, and expectations than prior generations, according to research by Roberta Katz , a former senior research scholar at Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) . Katz collaborated with a team of researchers to conduct a large, multi-year study to find out what matters to Gen Z and why – findings that culminated in a book and website .

Stanford Report sat down with Katz to talk about this research and what to expect from Gen Z in the workplace.

1. Gen Z expects change

The world Gen Zers came of age in was fundamentally different from that of their parents and even millennials, people who were born in the early 1980s to 1996.

The world of Gen Z has been defined by technological changes happening at rapid speeds that also reshaped social experiences. Disruption and impermanence have always been part of the world Gen Z experienced – for them, it’s a norm, not an exception.

“There is an expectation of constant change,” said Katz.

Growing up amid uncertainty has given Gen Z a unique set of characteristics, including being flexible and resilient. It has opened them up to new ways of thinking about the future and doing things – and questioning the ways things are done, which leads to the next trait Gen Zers will bring with them to work.

2. Gen Z is pragmatic

Gen Z has a strong sense of self-agency.

Gen Z lives in a world that has always been one search engine result away. If they want to know more about something, they readily seek the answer out for themselves ( even if it’s not always the correct one ).

They question everything and everyone – from their peers, parents, or people at work. “They don’t necessarily see elders as experts,” Katz said. “They want to understand why something is done in a certain way. They’re very pragmatic.”

They are also not afraid to challenge why things are done the way they are.

“When an older person says to them, ‘This is how you should do it,’ they want to check that out for themselves. It doesn’t mean they’re always right; it’s a different way of understanding,” Katz explained.

3. Gen Z wants to make a difference

Gen Zers not only expect change – they demand it.

They are inheriting a set of complex problems – from climate change to inequality to racial injustice, to name but a few – and want to fix it. They want to work for a place that they believe is doing good in the world.

Some Gen Zers will hold their employers accountable on the causes and issues that matter to them.

Katz warns that for some employers, it can be challenging – if not untenable – to take a position on politically charged or sensitive topics. “It is impossible for most institutions that represent lots of people and lots of identities to satisfy everybody,” Katz said.

4. Gen Z values collaboration and teamwork

For some Gen Zers, the digital world helped shape their identity: Through social media and in online groups, they found subcultures to connect and interact with.

They grew up with wikis – websites collaboratively built and edited by its users – and fandoms – enthusiastic and energetic communities centered around a shared, common interest. For example, K-pop sensation BTS has its Army , Beyonce has her Beyhive, and Taylor Swift has her Swifties.

“They’re in a posse – even with their headphones on,” Katz said.

To get things done, they value collaboration.

“There is a hope that everybody who is contributing is in it for the good of the whole,” Katz describes. “They want to have a team spirit.”

5. Gen Z wants leaders who guide by consensus

Gen Z is also less hierarchical than previous generations.

“They don’t believe in hierarchy for hierarchy’s sake,” Katz said. “They do believe in hierarchy where it is useful.”

Instead, Gen Zers prefer leadership that is dependent on expertise that is task or time specific. That could mean they favor management where team members take turns leading the group (known as a “rotating leadership” model). Another style they may prefer is “collaborative leadership,” in which people from across the organization participate in decision-making and problem-solving.

Transparency is also important.

Gen Zers value consensus and they look for leaders who are in service of the group (also called “service leadership”).

6. Gen Z cares about mental health and work-life balance

Gen Z grew up in a period that saw the blurring of the 9-to-5 work schedule and the rise of flexible work models – a mode of working that led to older generations feeling a pressure to always be “on.”

“Work and home life are all so integrated that if you don’t pay attention, you could be working all the time,” said Katz. “I think Gen Z is sensitive to that.”

Having a work-life balance and maintaining mental and physical health is also important to Gen Z.

“They’re placing a value on the human experience and recognizing that life is more than work,” Katz said.

7. Gen Z thinks differently about loyalty

Because Gen Z grew up amid so much change, Gen Z has a different perspective on loyalty.

But as Katz pointed out, “they also grew up with workplaces not being very loyal to their employees.”

Gen Zers were raised in the shadows of the global financial crisis of 2008, an event that has had long-lasting impacts on employment and the nature of work. “It used to be that people went to work for big companies thinking they’d be there for their entire career and that the company would watch out for them: providing health insurance, and so on,” Katz said.

But after the 2008 recession, and even more recently following the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have cut back labor costs and implemented other cost-saving measures, like reducing perks and benefits. Meanwhile, mass layoffs have also been rampant.

“There’s a reason that employees don’t feel the same degree of loyalty, too,” Katz said.

Meanwhile, the gig economy has also been present throughout Gen Zers’ lives, as has the rise of contract work. They are entrepreneurial, which is part of their pragmatic tendencies.

8. Gen Z looks for trust and authenticity

Gen Z also values authenticity.

“Authenticity is about trust,” Katz said. “Words and actions need to match.”

Honesty and openness are important.

For Katz, it’s all about mutually respectful communication. “My bottom line always to employers is stay open to hearing about different ways to get things done, because Gen Z has one foot in the future.”

Katz is associate vice president for strategic planning, emerita, and is currently involved in a strategic role with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence . She also serves as vice chair of the board of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS).

Katz studied Gen Z as part of a multi-year CASBS research project with Sarah Ogilvie, a linguist at the University of Oxford and formerly at Stanford; Jane Shaw, a historian who is the principal of Harris Manchester College at Oxford and was previously dean for religious life at Stanford; and Linda Woodhead, a sociologist at King’s College London. The research was funded by the Knight Foundation.

From 2004 to 2017, Katz served under Stanford University Presidents John Hennessy and Marc Tessier-Lavigne as associate vice president for strategic planning, and in 2017 as interim chief of staff.

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Science and Technology Directorate
• IRD Strategic Plan Prepares DHS for Future Homeland Security Challenges

News Release: Innovation, Research and Development Strategic Plan Prepares DHS for Future Homeland Security Challenges

For immediate release s&t public affairs , 202-286-9047.

Plan will prepare DHS to meet emerging technological needs and maximize strategic impact.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the first-ever department-wide Innovation, Research and Development (IRD) Strategic Plan , articulating key investment goals over the next seven fiscal years. Developed at the direction of Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the Strategic Plan serves as a blueprint for DHS to keep pace with technology by leveraging research and development to address homeland security challenges.

“This visionary roadmap, informed by scientific efforts, will empower DHS and its components to reduce risks to the homeland through optimized innovation, research and development investments,” said Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov, DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology. “The technologies resulting from our IRD investments play a critical role in equipping the Department’s front-line operators with necessary tools to outpace our adversaries and enhance our preparedness and response capabilities.”

In 2022, Secretary Mayorkas tasked the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) with examining DHS’s execution of research and development (R&D), including through developing a coordinated strategy focused on areas for long-term Departmental research. The resulting IRD Strategic Plan will help the Department and its partners make coordinated, integrated investments. In addition to capturing current IRD efforts already underway – compiling data from every DHS component and office – it provides an overview of complementary efforts led by federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, nongovernmental and private sector entities.

From this analysis of common research fields, the plan highlights eight Strategic Priority Research Areas (SPRAs) and future capabilities that DHS needs across its missions. The SPRAs will enhance the coordination of R&D across DHS while giving a demand signal for industry, interagency, academic, and international communities about future partnership opportunities. The Strategic Priority Research Areas for Fiscal Years 2024-2030 are:

• Advanced Sensing – next-generation sensor capabilities to provide enhanced detection performance against a broad spectrum of threats.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Autonomous Systems – automated technologies to provide predictions, recommendations, or decisions across a wide variety of operating environments, including means to deal with adversarial AI.
• Biotechnology – augmented capabilities to predict, detect, and defend against current and emerging bioagents and biotechnologies of concern.
• Climate Change – technologies to strengthen climate adaptation/resilience, improve equity, protect critical infrastructure, and reduce carbon emissions.
• Communications and Networking – enhanced communications and networking capabilities, while maintaining security and resiliency.
• Cybersecurity – enhanced resiliency, protection, and operational assurance across data, software, hardware, and communications networks.
• Data Integration, Analytics, Modeling and Simulation – enhanced, integrated data ecosystems, analytics, and modeling to enable better and more accurate data-driven insights, predictions, and decisions.
• Digital Identity and Trust – enhanced capabilities to establish and verify both individuals’ identities and the validity, integrity, and privacy of associated data.

In collaboration with stakeholders from across DHS, S&T is advancing implementation of the Strategic Plan by developing IRD investment roadmaps for each SPRA. These roadmaps will inform the Department’s budget process for FY 2027 and beyond. 

More information about the IRD Strategic Plan and its priorities can be found at DHS IRD Strategic Plan FY24-30 | Homeland Security .

• Science and Technology
• Strategic Plan

• Departments
• Program Finder
• Admissions Services
• Course Directory
• Academic Calendar
• Hybrid Campus
• Lecture Series
• Convocation
• Strategy and Development
• Implementation and Impact
• Integrity and Oversight
• In the School
• In the Field
• In Baltimore
• Resources for Practitioners
• Articles & News Releases
• In The News
• Statements & Announcements
• At a Glance
• Student Life
• Strategic Priorities
• Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE)
• What is Public Health?

Mental Health in the Workplace: A Conversation Bridging Research and Practice

How can we promote mental health in the workplace? 

This is a question that Zhiqing (Albert) Zhou , PhD, and Lawanda Lewis are constantly asking themselves in their work, just from different perspectives. As an associate professor in the Department of Mental Health , Zhou researches how employees’ work-related experiences impact their health, well-being, and safety. As an HR Business Partner who oversees multiple academic departments at the Bloomberg School, Lewis has firsthand experience with assessing the mental health needs of employees and the effectiveness of workplace mental health and wellness programs.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, Zhou and Lewis came together for a wide-ranging conversation about research, practice, program implementation, and what still needs to be learned to help workplaces manage and support the mental health of their employees.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Lawanda Lewis: Post-COVID, we’re seeing different work modalities, from fully remote work to hybrid work to a mix. Hybrid work seems to be the way of the world now. What approaches can organizations take to better promote mental wellness in a hybrid workforce?

Albert Zhou:  There is consistent evidence of the benefits of hybrid work, such as more flexibility, more autonomy, reducing commuting time, and better work-life balance. Meanwhile, there are reports of remote or hybrid workers feeling lonely or isolated, dealing with the added stress of shared spaces and family responsibilities, and feeling pressure to always appear available and present. We published a study in 2022 in the International Journal of Human Resource Management that found that workers’ mental health was negatively impacted when they felt too closely monitored by their managers.

One way to deal with this is to make sure managers are trained to prepare, support, and better communicate expectations and guidelines for hybrid and remote workers, while giving workers flexibility and more control over their time. Social and emotional support from coworkers and supervisors is also instrumental to building a healthy work life. People should be able to ask questions, connect with their colleagues, and access resources regardless of when and where they’re working. My collaborators and I are trying to understand how hybrid or remote work can be better managed so that workers can enjoy the benefits and reduce the negative consequences for their mental health.

LL: What has recent research revealed about the mental health benefits of transitioning to a four-day work week with no pay reduction?

AZ: We still need to do more research on the four-day work week, and we don’t yet have consistent solutions, even though this topic has been discussed for over 50 years. But there have been pilots and case studies in several countries that have shown evidence of increased productivity. Workers in these studies reported that they are more satisfied with their work, have better work life balance, and experience less stress and burnout. However, one issue that came up is scheduling problems. For example, I’m working for four days, but my clients are not, so how can we align our work? When we studied weekly work cycles , we found that Monday is already the most stressful day. Since working on Friday is off the table, how do I make sure too much work doesn’t pile up on Monday? 

It’s important to note that these pilot programs were tested with a small number of organizations who voluntarily participated, which means they were already open to the idea of a four-day work week. It's unclear, then, whether their practices can be generalized to other workplaces. The transition to a four-day work week may be easier for office workers, but it would be harder for people in industries where people’s work schedules are less flexible, like blue collar workers or healthcare workers. Again, more research is needed, especially with HR professionals like you, since a lot of these changes will be implemented through HR functions. You are at the front line of making sure that it works as planned, taking feedback, and continuously shaping the practice.

I’m learning a lot about HR practices, and I was wondering if you could give examples of programs you have implemented to promote workplace mental health. 

LL:  One of our most important programs is the Johns Hopkins Employee Assistance Program (JHEAP), which provides confidential counseling, resources, and referrals to employees and their families for personal and work-related issues. And we’ve implemented flexible work arrangements. Hybrid or modified hybrid schedules allow employees to meet the needs of their roles and divisions while still managing their personal and work lives. 

We also provide programs that can help employees manage their physical, emotional, social, and financial well-being, like meditation and yoga classes; premium memberships to tools that reduce stress and improve focus, like the Calm app; and the Healthy at Hopkins Wellness Initiative hub for resources and benefits.

Our leadership trainings raise awareness of mental health and unconscious bias and help supervisors recognize and manage employee stress. To reduce the stigma of talking about mental health, we regularly coach managers on how to create open dialogue with their employees about issues like stress and workloads. Through these kinds of initiatives, we want to help managers create a psychologically safe work environment. 

AZ:  Offering a variety of programs is great for addressing individuals’ different needs and creating psychologically safe relationships, while also caring about the overall work environment. Of all these different programs, what has worked well? 

LL:  Our Employee Assistance Program has evolved over the years. The University has been good at adapting it as work set-ups change and employee needs change, so that flexibility has led to a lot of reinventions over the years. Being flexible with our employees’ work arrangements has also worked really well. Everyone is dealing with day-to-day issues and unpredictable situations, so we want managers to balance knowing what needs to be done with caring for their employees. 

JHU’s supervisor trainings have helped managers lead fairly, create open communication, and provide timely feedback so that employees always know where they stand. We also think it’s important to show employees appreciation and recognition for their hard work.

AZ:  Definitely. We’ve seen in research that lack of recognition negatively affects productivity, performance, and mental well-being. It’s always good to see appreciation and recognition coming from the top down. Are there other workplace mental health topics that HR professionals like you are interested in right now?

LL:  I'm interested in learning more about efforts to reduce stigma and promote open dialogue, especially when it comes to relationships between supervisors and their subordinates. What should organizations look out for when managing that relationship?

AZ:  That's a great question because supervisors play an important role in employee mental health. From the research perspective, we develop specific, reliable, and valid measures to assess supervisor behaviors. The commonly used approach is asking workers to answer questions about the frequency of certain supervisor behaviors, such as rudeness or inattention. Those kinds of behaviors are subtle and sometimes low intensity but can affect people’s well-being if experienced regularly.

It's important to note that sometimes employees’ perceptions might not correspond to the actual behavior of the supervisor. The supervisor might not intentionally be rude, but their behaviors can still be perceived as rudeness or incivility. That's why when we study supervisor behaviors, it's important to calibrate across multiple direct reports of the same supervisor. That's an indication of a pattern of behavior and that action needs to be taken in terms of interventions or training. So, I think it’s important for organizations to continuously gather employees’ perceptions and combine data from multiple sources to get a more accurate reflection of supervisor behaviors. To prevent incivility in the workplace, it's important to build an environment where people are aware of their behavior and are mindful of their impact and talk about mental health.

LL:  Reducing mental health stigma is a major theme. We want to raise awareness of resources and make sure that people get the support they need. But when we start talking about illnesses, we start to trickle into the lines of protected health information and figuring out how to handle that information. We have an office that supports employees who need accommodations, but we are still learning. 

AZ: It’s great that HR is thinking about and prioritizing workplace mental health because that’s not the case everywhere. The research on workplace mental health is also still evolving. I’m doing a review piece with a student about disclosure of mental health conditions and how we can foster more open communication so support can be provided. But there’s still a long way to go. As a researcher, I want to keep providing evidence to help teams like yours who are doing actual implementation and supporting employee health and well-being. 

Related Content

How to Offer Support and Find Strength on a Trauma Anniversary

Activity, Sleep & Dementia

Rev. Pamula Yerby-Hammack Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health

Inside the Movement to Transform Mental Health in Sierra Leone

For Healthy Aging, Stay Connected

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

3 Challenges to Hybrid Work — and How to Overcome Them

• Mark C. Bolino
• Corey Phelps

Advice on aligning schedules, fostering culture, and ensuring productivity.

Managers struggling to implement hybrid work policies confront three key challenges: scheduling, culture, and productivity. Research into companies allowing employees to be both remote and in-person suggest these obstacles can be overcome. In scheduling, shift to a focus not on how often workers are in, but which activities are better done in the office. To build and maintain culture, encourage employees to come in not for the organization or themselves but for their colleagues. And to ensure productivity, avoid surveillance in favor of support.

More than four years after the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated an immediate shift to remote knowledge work, it’s clear that, despite some organizations’ attempts to lure employees back to the office full-time, hybrid work arrangements are here to stay . And yet employers are still struggling with  implementation. In particular, the managers we have talked to point to three key issues: scheduling, culture, and productivity.

• Mark C. Bolino is the David L. Boren Professor and the Michael F. Price Chair in International Business at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business. His research focuses on understanding how an organization can inspire its employees to go the extra mile without compromising their personal well-being.
• CP Corey Phelps is the dean, the Fred E. Brown Chair of Business, and a professor of entrepreneurship and strategy at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business. His research explores how organizations innovate, grow, and adapt to changing competitive conditions.

Partner Center

Research Assistant

How to apply.

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

The Department of Psychiatry is applicants for a full-time Research Assistant to EEG studies for Dr. Soo-Eun Chang at the Rachel Upjohn Building in Ann Arbor. The position involves supporting multiple ongoing research studies which use EEG and behavioral data collection to investigate the neurophysiological bases of childhood brain development and speech disorders such as stuttering. The ability to work on short-term projects as requested is also required.

Why Join Michigan Medicine?

Michigan Medicine is one of the largest health care complexes in the world and has been the site of many groundbreaking medical and technological advancements since the opening of the U-M Medical School in 1850. Michigan Medicine is comprised of over 30,000 employees and our vision is to attract, inspire, and develop outstanding people in medicine, sciences, and healthcare to become one of the world’s most distinguished academic health systems.  In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. Work at Michigan Medicine and become a victor for the greater good.

What Benefits can you Look Forward to?

• Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage effective on your very first day
• 2:1 Match on retirement savings

Responsibilities*

In this role you will oversee all aspects of day-to-day study activities including recruitment, screening, enrollment, consenting, scheduling visits, and EEG visits, assisting with other data collection, interfacing with parents and families, providing payment to families upon completion of the study, maintaining all study documents, and other tasks as needed.

Required Qualifications*

To be considered for this position, you must have:

• a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Neuroscience, Communication Sciences or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• at least one year of relevant experience. 
• outstanding organizational skills.
• meticulous attention to detail.
• excellent verbal and written communication skills. 
• availability to work occasional evenings and weekends.

Desired Qualifications*

Other qualifications that would help prepare you for this role include: 

• previous work experience as a research assistant on studies involving children and their families. 
• knowledge of and interest in speech, language, and/or neurodevelopmental disorders. 

Work Schedule

Weekdays. Some late afternoon (e.g. 3 to 8 PM) and weekend shifts may be required to support study objectives.

Work Locations

Rachel Upjohn Building, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI.

Additional Information

The Department of Psychiatry is firmly committed to advancing inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and belonging. These values are core to our mission, and we strive to create a culture where each team member feels respected, valued, and safe. We strongly support recruiting and cultivating a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the diverse people of the State of Michigan, and the world. 

Background Screening

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background screenings.  Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

In addition to the screenings indicated above under Michigan law, a criminal history check including fingerprinting is required as a condition of transfer or employment for this position.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan participates with the federal EVerify system.  Individuals hired into positions that are funded by a federal contract with the FAR EVerify clause must have their identity and work eligibility confirmed by the EVerify system.  This position is identified as a position that may include the EVerify requirement.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Watch CBS News

How vulnerable are America's bridges? Engineers aim to find out in landmark research after Key Bridge collapse

By Mike Hellgren

Updated on: May 29, 2024 / 6:36 PM EDT / CBS Baltimore

BALTIMORE - In the wake of the Key Bridge collapse, Baltimore's worst maritime disaster, engineers and students at Johns Hopkins University quickly got to work, aiming to find out which bridges nationwide are at risk of a catastrophic collapse. 

"What are the chances that these vessels are going to go off course that they're going to potentially collide with a bridge? What is the real risk to the major bridges across the country?" asked Johns Hopkins associate professor Michael Shields, who is helping lead the investigation, fueled by a rapid response grant from the National Science Foundation.

"We have a team of seven students and three investigators who will be pouring over global shipping data that looks at the frequency of vessel traffic under American bridges, so we're specifically looking at major American ports—East Coast, West Coast, Gulf of Mexico—and looking at the major bridges, the large bridges that these huge vessels are traveling underneath," Shields told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. 

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, built in 1977, passed all recent inspections including one less than a year before its collapse with a "fair" rating.

NTSB concerns 

The National Transportation Safety Board has long warned ships, many now weighing tens of thousands of tons, are getting bigger and posing greater risks to bridges across the country. 

"You have a bridge that was opened in 1977, and over time, it's not the bridge that's getting larger. It's not the waterway that's getting larger. It's the vessels that are getting larger," National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy told Congress earlier this month .

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, like the Key Bridge, is considered "fracture critical." That means if one major support fails, the whole structure could fall.

And it is not alone in being vulnerable.

CBS News' Innovation Lab recently reported on whether the majority of U.S. bridges lack impact protection.

"One of the major factors that we're looking at is ship traffic of these enormous vessels. When the Key Bridge was built in the 1970s, the largest vessels weren't anywhere near what they are today, and the volume of traffic was much, much less, and so the risk to bridges at that time was much lower than it is now," Shields said. "But the real impetus for this study is we don't really have a good assessment. We don't have a good understanding of what the risk to the current bridges is, and we need to put a good assessment in place so that we can make infrastructure decisions so policymakers can put investments where they're really needed."

According to Johns Hopkins, there were 17 major bridge collapses between 1960 and 2011, averaging one every three years. 

"Our hypothesis is the probability of these events occurring is higher than it is intended to be," Shields said. "These types of events are intended to be very rare in fact the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials aims to have the annual probability of one in 10,000, and anecdotally, were not seeing anything close to that."

Study timeline

A preliminary report on the research should be finished by the end of this summer with the full report released by the end of the year.

The findings will help lawmakers prioritize infrastructure improvement spending.

"The team's findings will be crucial in reassessing and potentially redefining the safety standards for transportation infrastructure," said Johns Hopkins professor and structural engineer Ben Schafer. "Given the estimated $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion cost to rebuild the Key Bridge and the potential billions needed to retrofit existing bridges, accurate risk assessment is vital to ensure the sustainability of society's critical infrastructure."

New satellite images 

New before-and-after satellite images from Maxar show the swift progress clearing the Key Bridge wreckage from the Patapsco River.

President, governor meet at White House

More than 50 days since President Biden's Baltimore visit, he met privately with Governor Moore in Washington this week. 

The White House summed it up, writing, "During the meeting, the President underscored his Administration's commitment to standing with Baltimore every step of the way in this recovery ." 

The White House noted, "The meeting also focused on continued support for impacted workers, small business owners, and families of the victims of the bridge collapse. The group also discussed how Baltimore is open for business, and the President reiterated his support for bringing commerce and tourism back to the city." 

WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren came to WJZ in the spring of 2004. Solid reporting credentials and a reputation for breaking important news stories have characterized Mike's work. Mike holds a B.S. degree in journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and grew up partly in both Chicago and Louisiana.

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

Maryland recovery centers for those impacted by Key Bridge collapse to close Friday

Cancer survivor and her nurse, connected through running, primed for Maryland Half Marathon

How businesses handled Baltimore's port closure after Key Bridge collapse

Baltimore County hires law firms to pursue claims over Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

• Artificial Intelligence /

Perplexity will research and write reports

A new feature called pages will do the searching, writing, and laying out of a report with just a prompt..

By Emilia David , a reporter who covers AI. Prior to joining The Verge, she covered the intersection between technology, finance, and the economy.

Share this story

AI search platform Perplexity is launching a new feature called Pages that will generate a customizable webpage based on user prompts. The new feature feels like a one-stop shop for making a school report since Perplexity does the research and writing for you.

Pages taps Perplexity’s AI search models to find information and then creates what I can loosely call a research presentation that can be published and shared with others.  In a blog post , Perplexity says it designed Pages to help educators, researchers, and “hobbyists” share their knowledge.

Users type out what their report is about or what they want to know in the prompt box. They can gear the writing more toward beginners, expert readers, or a more general audience. Perplexity searches for information, then begins writing the page by breaking down the information into sections, citing some sources, and then adding visuals. Users can make the page as detailed or concise as they want, and they can also change the images Perplexity uses. However, you can’t edit the text it generates; you have to write another prompt to fix any mistakes.

I tried out Pages ahead of time to see how it works. Pages is not geared toward people like me who already have an avenue to share our knowledge. But it doesn’t seem geared toward researchers or teachers, either. I wanted to see how it can break down complex topics and if it can help with the difficult task of presenting dense information to different audiences.

Among other topics, I asked Perplexity’s Pages to generate a page on the “convergence of quantum computing and artificial intelligence and its impact on society” across the three audience types. The main difference between audiences seems to be the jargon in the written text and the kind of website it takes data from. Each generated report pulls from different sources, including introductory blog posts like this one from IBM . It also cited Wikipedia, which drove the student report vibe home.

The Perplexity-generated page did a passable job of explaining the basics of quantum computing and how AI fits into the technology. But the “research” didn’t go as deep as I could have if I were writing the presentation myself. The more advanced version didn’t even really talk about “the convergence of quantum computing and AI.” It found blog posts talking about quantum inflection points , which is when quantum technologies become more commercially viable and is not at all related to what I asked it to write about.

Then, I asked Pages to write a report about myself, mainly because the information there is easily verifiable. But it only took information from my personal website and an article about me on my high school’s website — not from other public, easily accessible sources like my author page on The Verge . It also sometimes elaborated on things that had nothing to do with me. For example, I began my journalism career during the 2008 financial crisis. Instead of talking about the pieces I wrote about mass layoffs, Perplexity explained the beginnings of the financial crisis.

Pages does the surface-level googling and writing for you, but it isn’t research. Perplexity claims that Pages will help educators develop “comprehensive” study guides for students and researchers to create detailed reports on their findings. I could not upload a research paper for it to summarize, and I couldn’t edit the text it generated, two things I believe users who want to make the most of Pages would appreciate.

I do see one potential user for Pages, and it isn’t one Perplexity called out: students rushing to put out an assignment. Pages may improve in the future. Right now, it’s a way to get easy, possibly correct surface-level information into a presentation that doesn’t really teach anything.

Pages will be available to all Perplexity users, and the company says it’s slowly rolling it out to its free, Pro, and Enterprise users. 

Google confirms the leaked Search documents are real

All of microsoft’s macbook air-beating benchmarks, google won’t comment on a potentially massive leak of its search algorithm documentation, electric bikes are about to get more expensive, and the timing couldn’t be worse, amazon prime now comes with free grubhub food delivery.

More from Artificial Intelligence

Alexa’s Fire TV search has a new AI, but it needs some work

Anthropic’s AI now lets you create bots to work for you

Google Zero is here — now what?

Custom GPTs open for free ChatGPT users