NIGERIA'S GENERATIONAL DIVIDE & REUBEN ABATI

Reuben Abati recently criticized younger Nigerians for their shortening of the nation's name from Nigeria, to Naija or Nija, calling it an illustration of a national identity crisis amongst younger generations. While one can understand the discomfort certain more mature segments of Nigerian society might have with regard to this reality, the fact that younger Nigerians are changing Nigeria, its norms and indeed the very name of the nation is not necessarily something to demonize. The time should be taken to understand this change, as it might not be as negative as some believe. Hence, people like Abati should reconsider their views and realize that this transformation in the name younger Nigerians use to refer to their country is actually a good thing that can be beneficial over the long run. The generational divide does not have to be wide.

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AGREEING WITH OJO MADUEKWE

Despite the issues I have with this administration, I try to acknowledge when something good comes out of Nigeria's government.

At a recent conference, Nigeria's Foreign Minister, Ojo Maduekwe, made the following statement,

"please don't criminalize Nigerians even if they left Nigeria without adequate papers. They are working hard in your economy, they are adding value to your economy, regularize their papers,"

"If a Nigerian is working hard in London, Sweden, United States or any other country but doesn't have papers, give him his papers after all that is a typical case of using diplomacy. Most Nigerians are honest and hard working people. I think I am sick and tired of this criminalization of my countrymen because this is one of the most beautiful countries in the world,"

I am happy to hear someone, anyone, say something good about Nigerians. Some Nigerian officials have no problem disrespecting Nigerians by not only ignoring the people's needs but speaking of them disparagingly like IBB did in 2007. So when a Nigerian official speaks up for the people, he deserves a little spotlight.

Related Articles of Interest:
- Speaking Frankly
- Keeping It Real
- Why I Blog About Africa
- I think Nigeria Needs A Revolution
- The Nigerian Psyche
- Persistent Psychological Paralysis
- The Significance of Persistent Psychological Paralysis

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THE BRUTES LOST

Ayodeji Omotade, the Nigerian man whose protest of the inhumane treatment of a fellow passenger, led to Brutish Airways throwing over 130 Nigerians off a flight, has now been vindicated. Sued by Brutish Airways in 2008, a court recently cleared him of all charges.

 

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POSTURING & THE HALLIBURTON PANEL

In April 2009, Nigeria's government announced the creation of a panel charged with investigating the Halliburton corruption scandal and identifying those Nigerians who received some of the $180 million the company paid to Nigerian officials in bribes. Given Nigeria's serious 'punishment problem', many wondered whether the panel, given a 8 week limit, would accomplish its goal. The time limit is technically up and not only is there little word on the panel's report, but media reports indicate that the Yar'Adua administration is pointing the blame for possible failure at the United States.

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WATCH "DOLLARS & DANGER" RIGHT HERE...

For those who were unable to catch the showing of "Dollars and Danger: Africa, the Final Investment Frontier" on CNBC, please feel free to watch the entire program, with limited advertising below.

Also, check out my reviews of the program and ensuing discussion -
- Part 1
- Part 2



Related Articles
- A Nigerian Reviews "Dollars & Danger"
- A Nigerian Reviews "Dollars & Danger" Part 2
- Nigerian Ingenuity
- Nigeria's Re-branding Effort
- Using Nigerians to Re-Brand Nigeria
- Re-Branding Nigeria: Success Is The Key
- Rebranding Nigeria: With Britain's Help?

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MUSIC XIII: ASA'S "THE PLACE TO BE"

A reader came to my other blog, 'It Was So Much Easier When I Only Had One...' and commented that Asa had a new song on the airwaves. As Asa is one of Nigeria's most respected contemporary artists, I had to go find the track.

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A NIGERIAN REVIEWS CNBC'S "DOLLARS AND DANGER" PT 2

As discussed in Part 1, Erin Burnett's program "Dollars and Danger: Africa, the Final Investment Frontier"managed to present a balanced portrayal of the business challenges and opportunities in Nigeria and indeed the entire continent. While my last post focused on the program's discussion of Nigeria, this post will concentrate on other larger issues related to investment in Africa.

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A NIGERIAN REVIEWS CNBC'S "DOLLARS AND DANGER"

When I first learned that CNBC's Erin Burnett visited Nigeria and would present a documentary on the country, I got worried. Far too often, Nigerians are simplified to fit certain basic stereotypes - corrupt, dirty, poor, corrupt, and the list of negative connotations could go on. Inspite of my concerns, "Dollars and Danger: Africa, the Final Investment Frontier" did not present a negative or overly-simplistic picture of Nigeria, Nigerians and the African continent.

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MICROSOFT, NIGERIA AND CYBER CRIME

Whenever there is a discussion of cyber crimes, the word "Nigeria" will soon be raised. This is the unfortunate reality for the country which has a reputation as the home of many online scammers and other criminals. Yet, Nigeria has been in partnership with Microsoft to combat cyber crime for at least 4 years. Unfortunately, it is not clear whether this partnership has produces significant benefits for the country and its damaging reputation.

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OBAMA'S MISSED AFRICAN OPPORTUNITY

Even before becoming President, Obama's favorability was high in Africa. Kenyan's lauded him as one of their own, Tanzanians wore his face emblazoned on traditional clothes and fabrics and 66% of Nigerians wanted him to win the Presidential election. Such popularity was the norm across the continent. And when it was revealed that he would be visiting the continent, some thought it was an acknowledgment of the continent's importance, others, like many Nigerians, felt snubbed by his decision to not visit that nation, and others yet, were happy that he would specifically visit their countries. But despite the support Obama receives and the excitement he generates, Obama's first official trip to the African continent is a missed opportunity to endorse the very democratic change he championed on the African continent. On a continent where many countries are struggling to create systems of democratic representation that work for them, this missed opportunity could have dire consequences.

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NIGERIA IS NOT THE HOME OF CYBER CRIME

A 2008 report by the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is a partnership between the FBI and America's National White Collar Crime Center, revealed the top 10 countries of cyber crime perpetrators. They are

1. United States of America (66%)
2. United Kingdom (10%)
3. Nigeria (7%)
4. Canada (3%)
5. China (1%)
6. South Africa (1%)
7. Ghana (1%)
8. Spain (1%)
   
9. Italy (.5%)
   
10. Romania (.5%)
    

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CHAOS, THE STATUS QUO AND A NATION'S FUTURE

The 2nd Anniversary of the Nigerian Proclamation was on Friday May 29th. That day was also a holiday in Nigeria set aside to celebrate the transition to democracy and on that day in 2007, current President Yar'Adua was inaugurated. In 2007, bloggers reacted to the unsatisfactory elections by sharing the Nigerian Proclamation online. Considering that the general and Presidential elections of 2007 were rife with violence and irregularities, there is definitely room for improvement on the quest to a free and fair democratic system. It is also hard to ignore that the most recent elections in Ekiti State reflected a harsh reality - that fair and peaceful democratic elections are still the exception to the norm.

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