Global Voices » Nigeria

Occupy Nigeria: From Cyberspace to Face-to-Face

Nwachukwu Egbunike — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:00:45 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.

Occupy Nigeria is a national protest which began in Nigeria on Monday, January 2, 2012. The civil outrage is organized by trade unions who are incensed by the removal of fuel subsidy by the government. The protest has been fueled by the democratization of information as personified by young Nigerians through their use of social media. For days, the nation had been shut down: no one worked, earned or learned.

The synergy between online and real time protest was articulated by African Urbanism:

Occupy Nigeria Logo (Courtsey: Nigerianstalk.com)

As a lover of communications, media and especially social media, there are two things about this movement that make me especially excited: 1) First, the impressive role that social media is playing in terms of documenting and for coordinating activities and 2) the astounding amount of people that are making use of this medium to make their voiced heard… “Follow #occupynigeria #fuelsubsidy for just a couple minutes and you'll see precisely what I'm talking about — in a highly mobile country of more than 150 million, tweets are coming in so fast at times its almost impossible to keep up with the conversation.

The Nigerian government insists that the deregulation of the petroleum sector is not only a panacea for development but also a means of strangulating corruption in the industry. This is part of economic reforms spearheaded by the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan with the support of Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealla (@NOIweala) and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (Governor of the Central Bank).

The position of the government in ending the fuel subsidy was articulated in this article by Sanusi:

Fraud like theft thrives not only because of the existence of greed and benefit but of opportunity… 1. You can off load 5,000 MT and bribe customs and other officials to sign papers confirming u offloaded 20k MT. Then do the same across the chain with a paper trail showing you delivered 20k MT to a tank farm, and maybe even that u transported it to Maiduguri entitling you to a share of the price equalization fund. Maybe for N20-N30 per litre u bribe all those who sign the papers. The 15k MT you take to Benin or Ghana or Cameroun and sell at market price thus making an additional “profit” of N55/ltr on 15,000MT! 2 you can just forge documents and have them stamped without bringing in anything and collect the subsidy-PPPRA pays based on DOCUMENTS. 3 you can bring in the fuel, load on tankers, sell some at N65N some at 80 some at 100 some across the land borders. You can do all this and no one can catch it or prove it because somebody was paid to sign off on docs. And with a high enough margin there is too much temptation to be resisted and firepower for bribing officials.

In effect, the Nigerian state has been subsidizing fuel, not for the common man/woman in the street but for some rent-seeking parasites. Nonetheless, Sanusi frankly explained that in addition to removal of subsidy, corruption and wasteful government expenditure has to be curtailed:

Finally: removing subsidy is not a silver bullet that solves our economic problems. And there is a huge trust deficit that government has to address. Government needs to investigate subsidy payments and punish any violations of extant guidelines. It needs to cut on unnecessary and wasteful expenditure. It needs to fight corruption and show seriousness in that. It needs to deliver on capital projects, power and infrastructure including irrigation, farm-level storage and agri-processing. These are all valid issues that are to be taken IN ADDITION to and not in place of subsidy removal.

However, this stance of the government has neither convinced labour nor civil society. @ toluogunlesi asserts here that:

But over time corruption has crept into the system, and dubious importers have found ways of inflating their receipts. Between January and October 2011, the government claims to have spent 1.3 trillion naira (about $8bn) on subsidies, instead of the budgeted N248bn. The government has admitted the existence of a cartel, but has done nothing to confront or expose it. The only solution, they've argued, is to scrap the entire subsidy, the only thing that resembles welfare in a land teeming with poor people.

As @toluogunlesi maintains, it’s a matter of trust:

At the root of the opposition is a trust deficit. So for Enough is Enough Nigeria and most Nigerians, the conversation is not merely about the fuel subsidy, but about a wasteful and corrupt leadership, given to making false promises and asking citizens to sacrifice for a better future. The message to President Jonathan and his government is simple: earn our trust with the trillions you already have in your possession, then we can, and will, wholeheartedly hand over this subsidy trillion to you.

Nigerians have always mistrusted their leaders due to many years of broken promises. In a blog post, @feathersproject concurs with @toluogunlesi that government wasteful spending has changed the conversation about the protest:

Occupy Nigeria … is certainly no longer about fuel subsidy but about the basic tenets of democracy and good governance. He who seeks equity must do so with clean hands. If government prescribes austerity for her citizens, then our leaders must also feel the pinch. Anything else is scandalous hypocrisy!

In a rejoinder to Sanusi's write-up, Tunji Olatunji advocates a more humane solution:

A protestor holding a placard that reads: 'NIGERIANS SAY NO TO REMOVAL OF SUBSIDY.' Photo courtesy of starafrica.com (via myweku.com).

Like the Yorubas would say “ori bibe ko ni oogun ori fifo”. This means that you cannot recommend beheading a man as a prescription for his headache. Yes we know that beheading a man would end the headache, but the cost to the man is the ultimate price. This is why it is my view that further impoverishing Nigerians with the domino impact of the oil subsidy removal at a time when the nation is grappling with the menace of religious and politically motivated mass killings is an exercise that suggest that those in charge of national policy decisions are too far detached from the reality on our streets and have sanity that leans towards cruelty. Their choice of time to introduce their volatile and controversial economic policy, which coincided with a time hundreds are being slaughtered in a part of the country while other parts are threatening reprisal attacks indicates that they lack any scintilla of patriotism in them. The real opportunity cost of a reform in that sector at this time should be the denial of further opportunities for those who abused or took advantage of the system via a change in processes empowered by appropriate relevant modern technology.

Occupy Nigeria movement has also spread as far as the United Kingdom. MyWeku interviewed one of the main organizers of Occupy Nigeria (UK), Nicholas Ibekwe:

Q:The Occupy movement is now synonymous with protests that relate to social and economic injustice worldwide. The “Occupy” tag, however, especially for a distinctly Nigerian or African movement seems unoriginal. Were there discussions amongst organisers to come up with a more African name or slogan?

A: Like you acknowledge in one of your questions, the Occupy movement is synonymous with protests around the world. So, it was only normal for the popular revolt in Nigeria to be christened after the Occupy trend. This inevitably has helped to attract attention to the protest back home even as the government is doing everything to silent the Nigerian media (electronic) from broadcasting it to the world. But with the help of social media and the Occupy tag attached to the struggle young Nigerians who have always yearned for a change of the evil status quo in the country have been able to identify with the movement. In fact the London protest wasn’t even called Occupy Nigeria protest. The London protest was organised by a group of mostly Nigerian student from across the United Kingdom.

Should Nigerians have chosen a different name to describe the protests?:

The “Occupy blah blah” tag helps protesters whatever their gripe is to rally around a tag that has now become synonymous with protests. However, it is clear that to date unlike “real” revolutions in North Africa, the Occupy this and that protests have achived little if anything. It is, therefore, a surprise that Nigerians are increasingly using the “Occupy” tag to kickstart their campaign against the removal of fuel subsidy . With every “Occupy” protest these days a detailed and stylish wikepedia Page is necessary and that has been set up for Occupy Nigeria in the last couple of days. There is even an Occupy Nigeria petition and a Facebook Page or two named “Occupy Nigeria”. There is also a rallying point on this website - with the twitter hashtag #OccupyNigeria.

Nonetheless, what seems to be in everybody's mind is the speedy resolution of the conflict. However, opinions differ on the best solution. In addition, with each passing day there are options: government either backs down and assents to the demands of labour/civil society or that the protest fizzles out and it's back to business as usual. Reaching a compromise between both parties is not impossible.

This post is part of our special coverage #Occupy Worldwide.

Nigeria 2011: A Year of Small Victories and Great Challenges

Eremipagamo Amabebe — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:17:58 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Nigeria Elections 2011.

2011 will go down in Nigeria's history as the year of the nation's third presidential election since independence. For the first half of the year, the blogosphere was abuzz with discussion of the election: protests, campaigns, debates, the role of technology, preparations for the polls, election day itself.

In the wake of the election, violence erupted in Northern Nigeria, marring hopes for a new era. Despite small victories in the political and cultural landscapes, the latter part of the year was overshadowed by sectarian violence in the northern part of the country.

A historic election

Nigeria has a tradition of rotating the presidency between candidates from the Muslim-majority North and Christian-majority South. This arrangement was upset when former President Umaru Yar'Adua died in office in 2010, leaving his second-in-command, southerner Goodluck Jonathan to fill the position.

Jonathan's subsequent presidential run in 2011 angered many northerners, who felt the north had been cheated out its turn in power.

A broad-based national movement, Reclaim Naija, used Ushahidi-based platform to monitor elections. Image source: Reclaim Naina website.

The election was widely hailed as being “free and fair” despite some minor irregularities and fraud. Nigerians celebrated this unprecedented success across the country and the diaspora. Kunle Durojaiye summed up the general sentiment:

One cannot deny that there is a sense of a wind of change. People voted, and waited behind to witness the counting and collation of votes; media stations ran a live coverage of the elections while it lasted, and very importantly, young people influenced the exercise with the flood of information available via twitter, facebook and blackberry messaging. Without mincing words, change is inevitable, but one just wonders if the stage is truly set.

Sectarian violence

However the success of the election appeared a small victory in light of the violence that followed. North-South tensions regarding the election came on top of an already charged situation in Northern Nigeria, where violent attacks and bombings have gained momentum since police forces clashed with Islamist sect Boko Haram in 2009.

Soon after Jonathan's victory, violence again erupted in the North, with a series of bombings in Abuja and elsewhere claimed by Boko Haram. As the year wore on, the intensity of the violence increased, leaving hundreds dead and forcing thousands to leave their homes.

@jongambrellAP described the situation:

@jongambrellAP: Things remain incredibly tense in rural Kaduna state as townspeople around here flee with their belongings. #nigeriadecides

Small victories

In spite of the violence, the latter part of the year also brought positive developments. Many Nigerians were excited about the appointment of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former managing director of the World Bank, as Nigeria's new finance minister.

In a post titled, Nigeria: Adrift, Awaiting the Arrival of a Woman, Nwachukwu Egbunike sampled responses to Okonjo-Iweala's appointment, including this one from Nmachi Jidenma:

For corrupt and undisciplined government officials: ‘wahala dey'. It looks like ‘the trouble woman' is back in town! This is of course good news for Nigerians and most of us would be happy to have her back.

Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of SaharaReporters. Photo credit: chatafrikarticles.

In another post, Egbunike pointed to Sahara Reporters, dubbed “Nigeria's Wikileaks”, as a bastion of free expression in a troubled landscape for press freedom.

The 419 Positive Project collected developments like these and challenged people to say something positive about Nigeria in hopes of changing the country's negative image.

@gbengasesan wrote of the project:

I have travelled across Nigeria, and met Nigerians around the world and I have noticed a kind of ‘Nigerian energy’ about them — the ability to get things done under unbelievable circumstances. It may be related to the challenges they have had to endure, but no one can deny the fact that when a Nigerian sets their mind on a goal, little can discourage them.

This post is part of our special coverage Nigeria Elections 2011.

Nigeria: Meet the Organiser of Occupy Nigeria in London

Ndesanjo Macha — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:36:45 +0000

MyWeku interviews the UK organizer of Occupy Nigeria movement: The removal led to petrol prices doubling overnight and triggered a spate of protests that seem to be gathering momentum. The demonstrations are being led and organised by Occupy Nigeria under the globally recognised “Occupy Movement”.

Nigeria: Protests, Fuel Subsidy Removal and the Role of Social Media

Ndesanjo Macha — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:41:53 +0000

Victoria discusses protests, fuel subsidy removal and the role of social media in Nigeria: “Follow #occupynigeria for just a couple minutes and you'll see precisely what I'm talking about — in a highly mobile country of more than 150 million, tweets are coming in so fast at times its almost impossible to keep up with the conversation.”

Africa: Startups in Africa 2011 and Beyond

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:50:11 +0000

Erik believes that 2011 was a great year for startups in Africa: “The past few years have been about building an infrastructure that improves the chances of the technology startups in Africa to succeed. Seeing this buildout in action in 2011 was exciting, but it should be recognized for what it really was: a setup for 2012 and beyond.”

Africa: A Mashable Anthology of African Modernity

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:41:18 +0000

Bunmi Oloruntoba and Emmanuel Iduma come up with 3bute: “3bute [pronounced: tribute] is an online anthology devoted to the question of African modernity. Along that theme, we look on the web for what writers–especially African bloggers–have written and we recycle/ adapt selected writing into 3 pages of narrative art.”

Nigeria: To The Streets, Oh Nigerians!

Ndesanjo Macha — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:31:34 +0000

The June 12 Coalition of Democratic Formations in Nigeria reacts to the increase in the price of fuel: “We are hereby calling on all Nigerians to rise up together to challenge this illegal and inhuman policy of petrol price hike by the Goodluck administration by joining forces with the organized labour, civil society groups and other pro masses organizations…”

Africa: 10 West African Club Tracks

Ndesanjo Macha — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:15:56 +0000

This is Boima Tucker's 2011 10 club friendly Afropop tracks: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one song dominate a nation’s psyche like Junior Freeman and African Soldier’s “Dumyarea” did in Liberia this summer. Maybe it was because it was an election season, and all the politicians co-opted the song for their own campaigns…”

Africa: 12 Predictions for Africa’s Tech Scene in 2012

Ndesanjo Macha — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:02:06 +0000

Read Mbwana Ally's 12 predictions for Africa's tech scene in 2012: “New models of mobile money will be explored that are less dependent on mobile operators, such asPagatech in Nigeria, but their growth will be slow given the lack of a strong agent network to begin with.”

Nigeria: My Interview With Santa Claus

Ndesanjo Macha — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:26:12 +0000

Crazy Nigerian interviews Santa Claus: “Me: There’s so much I’ve been dying to ask you…like why don’t you ever come to Nigeria? Santa: Oh, all the houses there don’t have any chimneys. Me: But you can’t expect chimneys in a country that’s hot virtually all year round! Santa: Sorry my boy, I can’t change a century-old tradition.”

Nigeria: Portraits of Kalakuta Queens

Ndesanjo Macha — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:10:27 +0000

Vanessa shares James Petrozzello‘s portraits paying tribute to Fela Kuti's queens: “The first time I saw his ‘queens’ I was struck by their radical style. I wanted to make these photos to pay homage to their beauty and to bring attention to the women who contributed so much to Fela’s life.”

Nigeria: On Same Sex Marriage Bill 2011

Ndesanjo Macha — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:48:46 +0000

Sokari reacts to the passing of the Nigerian “Same Sex Marriage Bill 2011: “The rationale behind the Same Sex Marriage Bill and its proposed counterpart in Uganda, is a huge deceit being spread by secular and religious leaders that decriminalising LGBTI persons would be an imposition from western imperialists and moral decadents.”

Nigeria: Investigating Perceptions of Blackness, Gender and Place

Ndesanjo Macha — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:13:46 +0000

Sokari blogs about the Nigerian artist Toyin Odutola: “The Nigerian-born, American-raised artist employs a painstakingly thorough creative process that uses rudimentary tools – ballpoint pens, ink and paper – to investigate perceptions of ‘blackness’, gender and place.”

Nigeria: Celebrating Nigerian Fashion in Abuja

Ndesanjo Macha — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:00:10 +0000

Damilare Aiki shares photos from Mode Demarrage fashion show in Abuja, Nigeria: “The show truly lived up to its meaning ‘Fashion’s Start’ as it marks the beginning of a new age of fashion in Abuja.”

Nigeria : Homes made of Plastic Bottles

Ahmed Medien — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:06:42 +0000

In the village of Yelwa — North of Nigeria — a new style of construction intrigued the curiosity of the locals. Noorinfo publishes photos of rounded huts [fr] built with plastic bottles. These new constructions look like a potential alternative to the old-fashioned bricks.