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Repackaging Nigeria
Repackaging Nigeria
OBUCHES FRANKLINE
IN
1975, the US then Secretary of State had written to Lagos expressing his
intention to visit Nigeria on account of the Angolan crisis. But the late Gen.
Muritala Mohammed promptly instructed his aides to write back to Washington that
Henry Kissinger would not be welcomed in Nigeria. Beyond that, the Nigeria
government went ahead to pursue its aggressive African policy which Washington
considered grossly anti-American.
The assassination of General Mohammed did
not in any way water down this policy of Africa being the centrepiece of
Nigerian foreign policy but got accentuated under General Obasanjo. It was under
our very nose and to the chagrin of the West that British companies were
nationalized. Similarly, Nigeria, against Western interests, supported the
presence of Cuban soldiers in Angola while at the same time showed open support
for the MPLA faction in Angola.
On South Africa, Nigeria’s open criticism
and opposition to the apartheid regime in Pretoria was even more irritating and
nauseating to Washington. They could not understand why a country that had
identified as its traditional ally and even dependence on her for many of its
imports and techno-military assistance could so crassly confront a super power
country like the US.
And so, while the US pursued its policy of
constructive engagement with apartheid South Africa, Nigeria would not spare any
kobo in supporting the African National Congress ANC’s nationalist activities.
Similarly, at the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the role of Nigeria as
leader of the continent was not mistakable. And in world affairs then marked by
sharp ideological cleavages, Nigeria approached its diplomacy with a courageous
policy of non-alignment in the pursuit of global peace.
In spite of some critical observations
that the Mohammed / Obsanjo foreign policy over-reached itself and consequently
under-achieved, it remains an unassailable fact that those were the glorious
years of Nigeria’s foreign policy. Nigeria was thus not just playing leadership
role in Africa but also highly capable of making credible threats in the
international system. We can only look back with nostalgia to those years and
dream dreams of the country’s capability for power projections abroad.
Instead of spending more time bemoaning
our current near-docile role in global affairs or perhaps what some foreign
policy analysts aptly referred to as "crises in Nigerian foreign policy", is it
not worth the while identifying why the Mohammed/Obsanjo regime gave us an
assertive foreign policy?
Many reasons have been advanced by
scholars on why Nigeria’s influence abroad, from 1975 to 1979, has not been
rivaled by another era. They include a virile economy, the understanding by the
leadership of foreign policy matters, the nature of the international system at
the time and of course domestic support. Little attention was paid to the fact
of our distinctive national character! Nigerians are said to be loud people.
What is, however, mistaken for loudness is indeed our lively nature, pride and
assertiveness. The Nigerian love to excel in anything they advert their minds
to. And the indomitable spirit of the Nigerian is reassuring. They also like to
be seen and heard, if lacking in dissimulation sometimes. It is a known fact
that there must be a Nigerian in every five Africans. In fact, our distinctive
character is such that if five Africans are accosted on the streets of America
on account of their identity only our national will identify himself as a
Nigerian. Others will simply say that they are Africans!
Thus, from the late 1970s to early 80s the
image of Nigerians abroad was simply that of a black power while our image at
home was that of a united, peaceful and progressive country. Indeed it was so
good for us that as late as 1982, nationals of Western countries were coming to
the University Teaching Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, for medical treatment. And our
citizens studying abroad were returning in their droves to take up appointments
at home.
However, from the period of the coup of
1983 that ousted the constitutional government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the
image of Nigeria took a soured dimension. In the United States and indeed the
entire West, Nigeria was regarded as little more than a rogue state. It was that
bad that Professor Jide Osuntokun once remarked that if Nigeria was to contest
for the post of rat catcher in the international system in the 90s no country
would vote for her!
Three major factors can be said to account
for that unwholesome development:
First, is the change in structure of the
international system as a result of the end of the cold war between the East and
West. That war marked by third-party conflagrations ended in the early 90s with
the United States emerging as the dominant power in the world and thus throwing
up American values and nuances as the criteria for international association.
This can be explained by the globalization of democracy and the patent distrust
and distaste for military rule the world over. Those countries that refuse to
democratize their government began to be increasingly regarded as rogue states
while on the same scale denying them of grants in aid. The wave of
democratization that spread through Eastern European countries put greater
pressures on African countries like Nigeria.
Second is self-destructing internal
policies. Prominent among these is the unfortunate annulment of the June 12,
Presidential elections in 1993, and the muscular attitude of the Abacha
Government towards opposition at home.
And third is the international conspiracy
against Nigeria. The knowledge of the attributes of potential greatness
possessed by Nigeria is not lost on the West. Our population, our people -
variegated as they are - our climate and our indomitable spirit continue to
threaten the developed countries of the West. And to make sure that Nigeria does
not attain its full potentials, it becomes necessary to spread false information
and run a smear campaign against Africa’s most important country. This explains
why at one time we were said to be the happiest people on earth; at another time
we were said to be amongst the most corrupt country of the world and yet at
other times, we became the most religious people on earth. What is the
relationship between religion and corruption!
Though the major target of this smear
campaign is diasporan Nigerians and investors. As Philip Emeagwali, a Nigerian
scientist creating wealth for America, put it, part of the misinformation is
"regarding Nigeria as an importer of finished products and supplier of raw
materials" According to this father of the internet, Nigeria is also supplying
rich human resources to the West, particularly, the United States. Apart from
capital flight, Emeagwali also identifies intellectual flight as one of the new
instruments of neo-colonialism. Thus, by painting Nigeria black as a country of
cheats, robbers and violence, our citizens studying abroad (some of them on
government scholarship) are deceived into staying back to develop their host
countries.
Beyond that, investment and business only
thrives in an ambience of peace and order. The smear campaign against Nigeria
abroad is meant to scare away investors from our economy. Yet the reality of
contemporary international economy is such that no country can survive without
foreign direct investment.
The total effect of all this is that
Nigeria is now flying an ordinary pitch on all points. Thus Nigerian foreign
policy over the years has become jejune and uninspiring, our economy prostate,
even our self-belief as a country is continually being eroded.
This is where the Nigerian image project
that Minister for Information, Chief Chikelu, is pursuing is very timely and
deserving of the support of all Nigerians. One, there is great need to correct
the wrong image being pasted on us. Nigerians are honest and hardworking lot.
Yes, we may be loud, but that is part of our self-diffidence. Yes, we may have
our problems of ethnicity yet the pockets of skirmishes that arise therefrom do
not in any way approximate the urban violence in the cities of New York, Bronx,
Texas, London and even Johannesburg. Neither can it be compared with the
terrorist attacks that have become the sad lot of the West. Yet some countries
have the audacity to dub Nigeria as unsafe!
And as can be deduced above, the
advantages of the image project will rub-off on all facts of our national life.
First it will restore part of our dignity long stolen and maligned. Second, it
will restore confidence in our trading partners and attract more foreign
investment, and third, it will strengthen our hands not only to be more visible
actors in the international system but also to be able to issue more credible
threats, particularly in the African region.
And above all, our citizens whose high
technical and intellectual skills are developing other countries will now
realize that nowhere can be better than home and thus come back home and become
critical ingredients of the Nigeria project
Any amount of money expended on projects aimed at stopping
the indignity meted out to Nigerians at Arrival Halls of different western
airports, encouraging the return of our nationals seeking refugee status in
foreign countries, including those poorer than Nigeria, and reducing the
embarrassing number of citizens queuing endlessly for visas in foreign embassies
would be money well spent. The minister should therefore be encouraged to
correct the mistake of the past - sitting down and allowing foreign media alone
to determine what is written and said about our country. We are not saying that
Nigeria should not be reported but the Minister through different organs must
ensure that rejoinders are raised to wrong remarks and stories about Nigeria.
More importantly, there is no reason why we should not influence the way the
stories about our country is reported. These should form part of the brief of
the Minister’s image project.
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