Rewarding honesty
A political outsider and newspaper publisher offers hope for Nigeria. Publicity won't solve the problem of corruption, but honoring good work might help. And, we should remember that Mashood Abiola, the winner of the 1993 presidential election, was also a media mogul who got into politics after making his millions.Using Star Power to Repair Nigeria’s Image
"It’s hard to rehabilitate a country — especially Nigeria, best known these days for violence in the oil-producing Niger Delta.
"But Nduka Obaigbena is used to long odds. The Nigerian media mogul... has been challenging his country’s often brutal kleptocracy for decades...
Nduka Obaigbena, right with Delta State governor, Dr. Uduaghan, left, and the governor's deputy, Professor Utuama.
"Every year since 2000, Mr. Obaigbena has honored Nigerians who fight graft or injustice, in particular government officials and corporate executives who exemplify good governance through financial transparency, accountability and respect for the law.
"But he celebrates them by hosting... star-filled events, including the ThisDay Awards, named for his media empire and the influential independent newspaper at its center...
"Though no one is saying Mr. Obaigbena is responsible for those changes... his optimism is not completely unwarranted. To be sure, half of Nigeria’s population lacks access to potable water, and the infant mortality rate is 1 in 10 births. But foreign investment nearly quadrupled from 2000 to 2006, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Because of a financial restructuring and swelling oil prices, Nigeria has almost no foreign debt, almost $50 billion in foreign reserves and a growing trade surplus...
"Crucial to that interest is the progression of Nigeria’s anticorruption efforts, which began in 2002 with the establishment of the Economic and Federal Crimes Commission.
"With $380 billion looted from the government treasury since independence in 1960, Nigeria has become synonymous with graft...
"Last year, ThisDay honored Nuhu Ribadu, the [recently replaced] anticorruption chief who oversaw 200 convictions in Nigeria since 2003...
"At the next... awards, Mr. Obaigbena plans to sound the drum for microfinance as the way to empower Nigeria’s 146 million people. As he sees it, if the sleeping giant that is this consumer market, the largest in Africa, were to rouse, 'African superpower' would no longer be a contradiction..."
BTW, if you're in Washington D.C., another ThisDay "Africa Rising" concert is scheduled for the Kennedy Center on August 1. Headliners are Beyoncé and Seal.
Labels: corruption, Nigeria
posted by Ken Wedding @ 7:47 AM
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