Why The World Is Snubbing Nigeria
BY CHRIS ONUORAH-(AFRICAMESSAGE)-Nigerians are miffed that when United States President Barack Obama makes
his maiden official trip to sub-Sahara Africa between July 10th and 11th, he will not be going to Nigeria. Instead, Obama
will be visiting Ghana, a much smaller, poorer and less dominant country in African politics.
Why the leader of the most powerful nation in the world will chose to ignore the most powerful black nation on earth is
an issue that has been raising a lot of questions since the White House announced the president’s planned trip to
Ghana.
For sure, both Washington and Abuja have been making spirited efforts to explain away this development. The US
maintains that it continues to value its relations with Nigeria. Nigerian government officials have also been telling
Nigerians not to read too much into this gesture. But just who is listening?
Most analysts insist that the Obama ‘snub’ is indeed what it is, if not more. They also agree with Nigerians that this is a
clear message to Aso Rock that the United States is sick and tired of waiting on Nigeria to get its act together. The
world is snubbing Nigeria for reasons just too many to mention. The country has failed to live up to its billing as the
leader of the black world. Multi-nationals like Michelin, Virgin-Atlantic, South African Airways as well as local investors
are packing it up and heading to Ghana, Namibia, Ivory Coast and South Africa, among several countries. A Nigerian
bank is even opening shop in devastated Zimbabwe. A recent report stated that as many as 100 Nigerian industries
have folded due to energy and other crises.
Nigeria, the so-called giant of Africa, an international relations expert recently observed, is nothing more than a
dinosaur, lying belly up, in the sun, as it draws disdain, derisive laughter and chest-thumping from lesser beings.
During his presidential campaign last year, Barack Obama warned Americans to watch out for Nigerian fraudsters who
have invaded the world through all channels of communication while stealing billions of dollars from their victims. As he
did while visiting Mexico where the drug trade is threatening the country, Obama might have gone to Nigeria to talk
things over with the Nigerian government. But as observers have noted, the Nigerian government has not done
enough to prove to the world that it is capable of containing the countless problems plaguing the nation. Incidentally,
Ghana has made it warm for Nigerian criminals who tried to make that country their base.
Recent reports have x-rayed some of President Obama’s reasons for preferring Ghana to Nigeria. And why the world is
doing the same. In all, trust is at the heart of it all.
“Ghana is our most trusted partner in Africa,” explained a US official recently. With its huge oil fields, Nigeria is America’
s biggest trade partner in sub-Sahara Africa. It also depends on Nigeria’s wealth and military muscle to keep armed
conflicts in West Africa under control. Remember Liberia. Remember Sierra Leone. But when it comes to trust? Forget
it. Obama and the US are serious about most things. Nigeria is not.
Again, Ghana is one of Africa’s most stable democracies. Many of its recent elections have been considered free and fair
and transitions rather smooth for an African country. But not Nigeria. Where Ghana’s most recent presidential election
took moments to resolve, Nigeria’s own dragged on for years with even a Supreme Court ruling in favor of President
Yar’Adua looking less than convincing.
One Nigerian blogger even made the situation rather blunt with a question. “Why would you want to be identified with
civilization when you are not civilized?” The rumor in Nigerian circles now is that even a Nigerian request for Yar’Adua to
visit the White House was roundly rebuffed. So that’s it. We are not coming and we don’t want you around either.
Indeed, don’t call us. We’ll call you.
As a matter of fact, Nigeria, with over 150 million people, is the black world’s most populous country. With oil revenues
running in billions of dollars every year, Nigeria is also considered by many to be the richest black nation on earth. The
country also has the highest number of educated people in black Africa.
Yet for all its great potentials, Nigeria remains a parody of sorts. Where Ghana and other smaller African countries are
showing evidence of grappling with their problems, Nigeria continues to self-destruct. There is virtually no signs of
ethnic tensions in places like Ghana. But just about every fabric of the Nigerian society is torn by tribalism, religious
extremism and ethnic interests. To the extent that the Hausa-Fulani Muslims from Nigeria’s northern region claim the
country’s presidency as their divine right.
Astronomical official thievery, ineptitude and poor governance have become all too Nigerian. Armed robbers now rule
Nigerian streets and policemen run as they approach. Infrastructure in Nigeria collapse alarmingly while government
officials and contractors split millions assigned for projects that were not executed.
With all its resources, Nigeria continues to leave millions without education, food, shelter and medical treatment. The
environment is also the target of degradation even as anger continues to boil over. Today, Nigeria is as susceptible to
violent armed kidnappings and piracy second only to Somalia. Religious extremism also means that elements of the
dreaded al-Qaeda may have been finding a safe haven in Nigeria since most states in the country’s north introduced
Islamic law called Sharia some years ago.
Ghana is not the only country that has upstaged Nigeria. Nigeria helped sustain the black struggle against apartheid in
South Africa. Today, a free South Africa has more international goodwill than Nigeria can hope for. South Africa has
offered such excellent business environment that the rest of the world would rather invest there than think of Nigeria.
That may have accounted for South Africa’s selection to host the 2010 soccer World Cup. Even now, Nigeria is still
struggling to meet FIFA standards if it is to host the world Under-17 championship this year. President Yar’Adua even
sparked a national outrage when he recently attempted to surrender the hosting rights. He complained that Nigeria did
not have enough funds to see it through.
Obama’s visit to Ghana is certainly not his first to Africa since he became president in January. He made his most-
acclaimed outreach to the Muslim and Arab world in a recent speech he delivered at the Cairo University, Egypt.
Incidentally, no Nigerian university will be open for him even if he chose to visit Nigeria today. Reason? Nigerian
university teachers are on an “indefinite” strike as their demands for better pay, modern facilities and improved working
conditions have since fallen on deaf government ears. So Obama is not coming any time soon.
If Obama is not visiting Nigeria, neither will he be going to Kenya, the land of his fathers as president. He went there as
a private citizen seeking his roots.But as a serious-minded statesman whose claim to fame is visible change, Kenyans
who are still celebrating their “brother’s” rise to global power may wait a long time before Obama makes it to
uhuruland. Why?
Obama, like the rest of the world, witnessed the wild orgies of political violence that followed Kenya’s last presidential
election. A unity government was installed in Kenya after the mayhem. But anyone can tell that it is nothing but the
shadow of a government. The ghosts of hundreds of old people, women and children who were incinerated in their
homes and inside churches would think so too. And so will their Nigerian counterparts.
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