Ajene, U.O. (1998, September 15). Nigeria’s troubles. The Boston Globe (Op. Ed.), p. A19.

OVERVIEW

Visits to Nigeria by outsiders are bound to impress in terms of the potential of this great country and discourage in terms of the contrast between resources and standard of living. Many leaders and the rich seem quite optimistic...at least to outsiders. The poor are more ready to complain.

Those who have left Nigeria, whether as students or workers, often express deep concern about their homeland. What is striking about this article is that it was written by a teenager, and it seeks to strike a positive balance. The author, a freshman at George Washington University, graduated in 1998 from Boston Latin School. He does not want to take his university education for granted, remembering his peers who are waiting for university opportunities to open.

Ajene reflects on a oil-rich and producing country where people have to buy imported petroleum products through the black market...and on the burden of performing daily tasks in his homeland:

The rich are the only ones who actually have access to cars and electricity; those in the ‘middle class’ are in the same boat with the poor. Not only do they not have access to transportation and electricity, they often have no running water. They live from day to day, wondering where their next good meal will come from.

This young writer reflects on the general turmoil (economically, politically, socially...issues of oppression, crime, fraud, and neglect) of this "Giant of Africa" with a population of 100 million (the most populous country of Africa and 10th in the world):

In recent months the two men who represented the extremes of Nigerian politics both died—General Sani Abacha, the military dictator whose regime caused a constant state of confusion, and Moshood Abiola, who carried the people’s hope of slowly transitioning back into a democratic society...

Abiola was on his way to winning the last elections...when they were annulled. Abacha soon took over and began to imprison those who spoke out against the totalitarian government on charges of treason. He was responsible for the deaths of many political prisoners, including human rights activist and playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa....

The new interim president, General Abdusalam Abubakar, has promised to release prisoners and hold elections next year and to hand over the government to the winner. But Nigerians have not forgotten that Abubakar assisted Abacha in running the dictatorship. And even if it turns out he is sincere, he could be overthrown.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. How and why is Nigeria important to Africa and to the world?
2. How much do you know about Nigeria? Do you know anything about Nigeria’s part in bringing relative stability to Liberia after that country’s disastrous civil war?
3. Do you think middle-class Nigerian families should stay and struggle in their country or emigrate, if they get the chance, to a place where they can secure a better living standard and give their children a more dependable education?
4. This writer’s mother brought her family to the United States in 1990. What do you think he should do when he finishes his education: return to his country, or look for a good job and possibly raise a family in America?
5. How can other nations and individuals help Nigeria and its people most effectively?

IMPLICATIONS

1. Increasingly, we are a global community. What goes on any place in the world has many different kinds of effects on all of us. To overlook the woes of a particular region of the globe may bring long-term difficulties on those who feel more advantaged and secure.
2. At all levels and in many ways nations and people can help one another. Every nation needs cultural and natural resources from other parts of the world.
3. Since we are inter-related cultures today, we must learn better ways to communicate and interact cross-culturally.

Dean Borgman cCYS