The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari in Nigeria’s presidential
election is a welcome break in a country where changes in governments have only
happened when the military has intervened.
In the past 15 years, the baton has merely passed from one
member of the same party to another.
With all his faults, and there are many, Goodluck Jonathan
must be lauded for accepting defeat. And now the country needs to move on and
address the enormous challenges the new president will face.
These include security, the economy and corruption, all of
which are related.
The Nigerian electorate has given the mandate to a man with
a unique skillset and track record. The country has the resources and the new
leader has demonstrated that he is up to the job.
Buhari is rare among Nigeria’s leaders in that when he ruled
the country in the 1980s, he did not amass millions.
As a leader he took measures to develop the country’s
industry and attempted to make the country a more disciplined society. While
there were issues with measures adopted, the objectives are still very
relevant.
The first challenge that the new president will face is
national security, namely, the Boko Haram problem and the long simmering unrest
in the Delta region.
The Boko Haram problem must be resolved using hard and soft
power and Buhari as a northerner, Muslim and former army general, is well
placed to deal with it.
He needs to give the military the necessary support and
direction and work closely with neighbouring countries to defeat the
insurgents.
He must also engage political, ethnic and religious leaders
to counter Boko Haram propaganda. He must take measures to enhance economic
growth and reduce unemployment to remove incentives to young people attracted
to the group.
A similar approach is necessary for the Delta region but, in
this case, the emphasis must be on ensuring that a significant proportion of
oil revenues are used for development in the region where Nigeria gets most of
its revenue.
Resolution of these security issues is paramount if the
country is to attract investment and embark on other measures noted below.
The key to Buhari’s success is the economy. He needs to come
up with a comprehensive and cohesive plan and implement it as soon as possible.
The cornerstone of this plan should be the infrastructure,
namely, the physical and soft infrastructure. The plan must make use of the
country’s rich and diverse resources to enhance Nigeria’s status as the largest
economy in the continent.
A top priority must be electricity power generation to make
sure that a country with oil, gas, rivers and abundant sunshine has ample and
regular electricity throughout.
MEMORABILIA: A hawker sells hats outside the event
It is perverse that Nigeria with its huge potential has one
of the lowest per capita electricity power consumption on the continent. He
needs to move away from the crony privatisation adopted by his predecessor and
attract foreign investment in the sector. Huge improvements in electricity
power generation are essential for all sectors. Other improvements need to be
made in roads, railways, ports and airports to attract local and foreign
investment.
President-elect Buhari also needs to invest in what is often
referred to as soft infrastructure, the building blocks for development,
namely, education and governance.
The emphasis must be on science and technology to ensure
that the country’s schools, technical colleges and universities provide the
skills required by industries.
Government policy and support must be heavily weighted in
favour of institutions that have a science and technology bias. The
administration must take measures to make state and federal employees more
efficient and effective, that their raison d’etre is serving the public and
businesses.
These institutions must be partners in the development effort
rather than as is often the case, merely vehicles for the enrichment of office
holders. A major war must be waged on corruption, the cancer that is a huge
drag on the country’s development.
He must take bold and comprehensive measures with severe penalties
and incentives to the public, the media and civil servants who expose
corruption. A starting point must be an audit of President Jonathan’s officials
with penalties and incentives to make sure that those who have unjustly
enriched themselves pay back funds stolen.
The measures adopted on the infrastructure must be augmented
by policies to encourage investment in the country
RIDING THE WAVE: Buhari is enjoying huge popularity but
could easily fall out of favour
By adopting these measures the government will demonstrate
to local and foreign investors that it is open for business. Policies must be
taken to encourage investment in agriculture and industry to make use of the
country’s vast resources and market.
The new president has many challenges but the country is
well placed to enhance its role as a major player in Africa. It has the natural
resources, huge market and a resourceful population. It must make the most of
these and in doing so, it can draw on the African experience.
He may need to talk to Jerry Rawlins who rescued Ghana from
the abyss and cracked down hard on corruption. He may also need to look at the
Rwanda situation where the government has achieved major success in the
efficiency of services to the benefit of the general public and investors.
He needs to look at his predecessor’s action with Boko Haram
to see how an African solution is often the best.
President Jonathan made a trip to Paris even before visiting
the epicentre of the problem. The recent success against the group has come
from the coordinated approach of the country’s neighbours, Chad, Niger and
Cameroon, indicating that solutions are often much closer to home than African
leaders realise.
The challenges facing the nation are significant and he must
avoid quick fixes and instead focus on the fundamental changes required to make
the country realise its potential.
Buhari would also need to overcome the challenge relating to
his military background as well. The job description for his new role is quite
different from his army role where orders are given and taken.
As President he needs a consultative approach, selling his
ideas to other politicians of all parties and the general public. In a previous
paper I noted how, in a speech given at Oxford University, he did not quite
have the appropriate sales pitch.
He may have overcome that hurdle to win the election. Or it
may be that the electorate were so fed up with Goodluck Jonathan that they
voted for him. Governing is different though.
Buhari’s victory is a new and better leaf for the country,
Africa and democracy and a huge improvement on the outgoing administration. He
needs all the support he can get from the electorate and the rest of the world.
J Boima Rogers is principal consultant at media firm MEMO
based in Oxford, UK.
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