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A Special International Report
Prepared by
The Washington Times
Advertising Department - Published on September 30, 1999
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Sponsors (1) Federal Ministry of Finance
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It’s a new dawn over Nigeria
People flocked to the capital, eager to catch a glimpse of the man who would return Nigeria to its rightful place in the society of nations. Gray-bearded elders and village chiefs were ensconced in carved wooden chairs. Traditional elites clothed in brightly colored wraps arrived in Mercedes cars. Peasant women with babies tied around their waists bustled through the crowds. Diplomats from Britain, the United States, Europe and across Africa arrived flanked by security, and thousands upon thousands of young men swayed in crowds, chanting “Obasanjo” over and over. For that moment democracy was palpable, shared by all Nigerians regardless of ethnicity or class. Obasanjo waved as he drove around the square side by side with General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the man who helped make the transition to democracy a reality.
“Abubakar ran a faster race in 11 months than many run in 10 years,” commented the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the inauguration. “He deserves tremendous credit for this transition, because he could have had the military power to have kept this going for several more years. Instead he chose democracy.”
Winning Back Trust
Nigeria now stands on the threshold of realizing her potential. Her people, for too long subjects of military rule, have made a choice. Abundant natural resources will no longer lie neglected or exploited without their benefit. Corruption and poor governance will no longer be tolerated. Nigerians refuse to allow the country’s dark past to cloud its future. This is a new dawn in Nigeria and this time, say Nigerians, there is no turning back.
Nigerians seem happy with their new leader. Obasanjo is an experienced statesman. Thrust into power for the first time following the assassination of General Murtala Mohammed in a 1976 coup, Obasanjo kept to his word and ushered in an elected civilian government led by Shehu Shagari. The act earned him the respect of both Nigerians and the international community, a respect that has only grown since he reassumed power.
This year’s transfer of power from one government to another, was important in gaining people’s confidence in a nation where coups have been all too frequent. Nurturing the energy Nigeria’s transition has created, Obasanjo is moving his country forward. He has set in motion a program to raise the standard of living of the average Nigerian by diversifying industry, rebuilding the country’s once renowned education system and increasing agricultural production to feed the nation.
No one doubts that the road will be rough. The world’s largest black nation, Nigeria is a complex society with more than 250 different ethnic groups, some 3,000 different languages and traditions that predate its existence.
More than half Nigeria’s population lives in poverty. The economy is in tatters; infrastructure is crumbling and rampant corruption has created widespread cynicism about the trustworthiness of government. Relationships both within and outside the country need to be mended.
Despite its problems, Nigeria is potentially Africa’s largest market with tremendous untapped investment opportunity and an unbridled entrepreneurial spirit. Transforming that potential into infrastructure and enterprise that will bring wealth and long-term prosperity will take both international assistance and private-sector investment.
“This is a government that intends to serve Africa and its people, and is wise enough to know that it can’t do that unless it has good relations with the U.S. and the private sector in the global economy,” said Ambassador Andrew Young, a longtime friend of Obasanjo’s.
The new president is busily rekindling lost friendships and forging new ties to ensure the broad support necessary to achieve his goals. Few doubt that Nigeria’s success as a nation and as a leader in Africa would benefit the international community.
Pledging U.S. support for Nigeria’s transition in March, Thomas Pickering, under-secretary for political affairs, acknowledged Nigeria’s global importance: “Our mutual stake in Nigeria’s future is significant, most especially because Nigeria is a leader, and its choice in favor of democracy would be a model throughout the African continent.”
Clearly, the stakes for the U.S. are considerable. Last year, Nigeria was the U.S.’s second largest trade partner in Africa. It and American companies have invested more than $7 billion in the country’s petroleum sector. Nigeria currently ranks as the fifth largest supplier of oil to the American market, with U.S. firms accounting for roughly half of its oil output.
Regaining International Status
For years Nigeria has been shunned by the international community with sanctions and the diplomatic cold shoulder. But the former pariah state has now been welcomed back into the fold.
May 29 marked Nigeria’s full resumption of Commonwealth membership while U.S. sanctions were lifted. More recently Secretary of State Madeline Albright designated Nigeria as one of four ‘priority countries’ across the world.
Since then, Nigeria’s relationship with the U.S. has thrived. Team after team of Americans including Pickering, then Under-Secretary Stuart Eizenstat, Commerce Secretary William Daley and Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, and various members of Congress, came to discuss possible areas of cooperation with their Nigerian counterparts. At the request of President Clinton an interagency team spent almost two weeks in Nigeria discussing with government, civil society leaders and U.S and Nigerian companies to determine how best to direct both this year’s and future assistance programs.
The talks have been fruitful and new projects are beginning to emerge. Already some $30 million in development assistance has been earmarked by congress to assist in building Nigeria’s democratic institutions and strengthening civil society. Military to military ties have also been resumed, beginning with a USAID/Office of Transition Initiatives funded team from the private company Military Professional Resources Inc. (MPRI), which is finishing a comprehensive review of the nation’s military and working on determining the best course for its reprofessionalization. Meanwhile the Department of Transport and Nigeria’s Ministry of Aviation are working hard to ensure American flights resume before year-end.
“Nigeria’s successful transformation is key to anchoring the climate of peace and rapid development that our citizens hope to see throughout Africa, and thus central to meeting all our economic, security, and political objectives in the region,” said Ambassador Howard Jeter, Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs in his August 3 testimony before the House International Relations Committee Subcommittee on Africa.
Today, with sanctions lifted, the ties between the U.S. and Nigeria have been renewed and a future of long and fruitful relations seems to lie ahead.
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Table of Contents (1) It's a new dawn over Nigeria |
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During its transfer to democracy in May of this year, Nigeria celebrated and the world looked on as tensions, grievances and some 15 years of military rule were submerged beneath a tidal wave of democracy. Smiles swept across thousands of Nigerians’ faces and cheers rang out across Eagle Square in the nation’s capital, Abuja, as they watched President Olusegun Obasanjo inaugurated as their new civilian leader.