The inauguration of Nigeria’s new President Umaru Yar’Adua, like all changes of administration, brings hopes for change and a new beginning. And many Nigerians fervently believe their country does need to be transformed. Greed, corruption and incompetence on an often breath-taking scale have meant that while oil revenues have boomed, the average Nigerian has actually become poorer.
The global anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International, has estimated that since independence in 1960, a barely credible $400 billion has gone missing from state coffers. Meanwhile the average annual income of 130 million Nigerians is no more than $560 a year. Africa’s most populous country ought to be its most prosperous. That it is not is an indictment of all previous governments, both military and civilian.
So, can Yar’Adua really bring change? His personal integrity is not really in question. He was cleared by Nigeria’s anti-corruption commission of graft accusations, which may have been politically inspired. Indeed, when he became governor of the northern province of Katsina in 1999, he took the unusual step of making all his assets public. But personal rectitude alone will not be enough to break the pernicious hold of corrupt local and national politicians and officials. Yar’Adua will need to surround himself with a team of honest aides and allies to confront some powerful and potentially dangerous enemies before any real headway can be made.
Yar’Adua also begins work after winning an election which was widely condemned by international monitors as a charade. The outgoing president, Olusegun Obasanjo, is widely thought to have hand-picked the mild-mannered new president.
Nigeria’s new president would seem therefore to have everything to do. His inaugural speech was promising. If he himself demonstrates the values of “modesty and generosity” that he called for, Nigerians will probably warm to him. He might begin by picking the low fruit, tackling the inefficiency and waste that is endemic in government projects. A moral campaign against graft and payola might be popular but in truth, Nigeria’s vibrant and diverse press has been hammering on about corruption and inefficiency for years. There is at the same time an intellectual argument that Yar’Adua could make, which could appeal even to the most crooked of Nigerians. It is that the wealth being siphoned from the economy is depriving not simply the majority of Nigerians of a decent standard of living but also condemning Nigeria to poverty and backwardness. The stolen funds could build a strong and prosperous country full of opportunities for every citizen. The alternative is that if most Nigerians remain paupers, discontent and crime will continue to increase and the current rebel violence in the east of the country will become widespread with social breakdown following. If he is serious about bringing change, President Yar’Adua has much work to do and should begin without delay.
