EU aid to shore up Nigerian democracy

Date: 18/02/1999

By Gareth Harding

Having used the stick of sanctions against Nigeria for more than four years, the EU is dangling the carrot of half a billion euro in aid in front of the African state's nose to encourage moves towards greater democracy.

If presidential elections go smoothly next week and the military hands over power to an elected government in May as planned, the EU has vowed to lift sanctions and establish diplomatic ties with Lagos, thus ending years of strained contacts with Africa's most populous state.

Relations between the two sides took a nosedive in 1993 when General Sani Abacha seized power, cancelled democratic elections and embarked on a five year reign of terror.

As human rights violations grew, so did tensions in the oil-rich Niger delta. After the public hanging of environmental campaigner Ken Saro-Wira and other Ogoni leaders in 1995, the EU imposed sanctions and suspended all cooperation with the military regime.

Between 1995 and 1998, "there were great tensions between the two sides", according to European Commission official Hans Allden. The EU funded human rights projects in Nigeria and, in response, Lagos ran a public campaign against the Commission.

However, the situation changed dramatically with the sudden and unexpected death of General Abacha in June last year. New head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar "radically improved the situation in Nigeria", according to Allden, by releasing political prisoners and setting a timetable for democratic elections.

As a result, the EU eased sanctions in October and began talks on how to put relations between the two sides on a more stable footing after the planned hand-over in May.

The Commission has already handed over €3 million to support human rights and democracy in Nigeria, and has earmarked €4 million this year for projects to promote good governance.

In addition, the Commission is sending 100 EU observers and funding 10,000 local observers to ensure that the parliamentary elections to be held this Saturday (20 February) and the presidential elections a week later are a success.

But the most glittering potential prize for Nigeria is the €400-500 million in aid which the Commission has promised to unfreeze if the transition from military to civilian rule goes without hitches.

Discussions between the two sides have already begun on how to spend the money.

At an EU-sponsored conference on Nigeria last month, Commission official Nicholas Costello said that the most useful contribution the Union could make would be to fund programmes promoting open government and better management of the country's substantial resources.

The institution is also planning to finance a major poverty alleviation programme in the Niger delta, where most of the country's wealth is created but where some of the worst pockets of poverty are also found.

Costello said that although €400-500 million might sound like a lot of money, it was a small amount in comparison to both Nigeria's resources and needs.

With a population approaching 120 million, the Commission's programme adds up to h4 per Nigerian and, given the state of the country's services, "it will take a lot more than h4 per Nigerian to put matters right", according to Costello.

Whilst optimistic that the hand-over will go smoothly, civilian groups are also keen to dampen public expectations. After almost 30 years of military dictatorship since independence, "the term democracy has been distorted", said Bilikisu Yusuf of the Federation of Muslim Women in Nigeria. "This is our one chance to install good governance. If we flunk this, we do not know where we will be."

With corruption endemic, democracy fragile and tension between the regions rife, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in Nigeria warn that it will take a long time for the country to recover. "When the new lot take over, they will discover how serious the problems are," said Rabia Balewa of the African NGO Abantu.

The Commission is aware that "democracy raises expectations" and that the new government will be flooded with unrealistic demands. Nevertheless, Allden believes that with the current improvement in the political climate in Nigeria, "there is every hope for a positive future".