USAID/OTI Nigeria Field Report
August 14 - August 27, 2000
Program Description
The Office of Transition Initiative's (OTI) principal mission in Nigeria is to sustain the current transition toward national reconciliation and democracy. Since launching the program in May 1999, OTI has provided $11.03 million in assistance to Nigeria. The majority of OTI's grants are to civil society groups, local governments, and community and media organizations focusing on conflict management, public awareness of key reform issues, and civil society development. The bulk of program activities on civilian-military relations and police reform are funded out of OTI headquarters in Washington, DC.
OTI's Nigeria program has offices in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano and works with Louis Berger International to implement the program. OTI is scheduled to complete its program in Nigeria in FY2001, handing off activities to other USG agencies, the Government of Nigeria, and other donors.
Country Situation
The visit by U.S. President Clinton Aug. 25-27 awakened hope among Nigerians as it brought the country into the global limelight and demonstrated tremendous goodwill. The visit was viewed as a major democratic dividend to a country that only recently emerged from international isolation. Only two years ago when President Clinton visited Africa, the country was treated as a rogue state; this year, Clinton spoke with great admiration and support for Nigeria and its people and appeared genuinely inteested in the everyday challenges people face. His visit was well received and helped Nigerians from all walks of life to see the United States as a friendly nation.
President Clinton's visit also provided an opportunity for political attacks between the executive and National Assembly. The Speaker of the House used President Clinton's address to the National Assembly as an opportunity to accuse Nigeria's president of political arrogance and infringement of the separation of powers. President Obasanjo later the same evening shot back at the speaker, insisting that he will not abandon his principles for political exigency. The conflict between Nigeria's executive and legislature is likely to increase after the visit.
Nigeria's military has scored itself low on reform after one year of democracy. Addressing the Nigerian Navy, the Commanding Officer stressed that they are not exhibiting attitudes that are compatible with present democratic realities. He added that democracy has also exposed grave professional lapses in the military that need to be addressed urgently. The military high command has complained lately of neglect and lack of facilities in barracks. This is a signal that the military is becoming restive again and a warning that the government needs to redouble its efforts to bring about more democratic dividends.
The volatile Niger Delta may suffer another military action soon. Vice President Atiku Abubakar issued a warning to governors of the oil-producing states to put a stop to vandalization of oil pipelines and other installations within two weeks or military will be sent to the area to enforce law and order. Nigeria has lost N4.4 billion (approximately $44 million) worth of petroleum products since January of this year to vandalism and theft.
A. Narrative Summary
Political tensions, corruption and communal conflicts continue to pose serious threats to Nigeria's democratic transition. OTI's programming continues to meet this challenge.
Activities included:
NIGERIA JOURNALISM NETWORK OPENED: On
Sunday, August 27, OTI/Nigeria staged two successful events as part
of the visit by President Clinton and his delegation. The first was
the launch of seven internet-capable journalism centers throughout
the country, held at the National Centre for Women's Development
(NCWD). Simultaneously, a roundtable discussion between U.S. mayors
and journalists was held at the National Headquarters of the
Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Vivian Lowery-Derryck, Assistant Administrator of USAID's Africa
Bureau, led the launch at the NCWD. She was supported by the
Minister of Women's Affairs and Youth Development, Hajiya Aisha
Ismail, as well as her Deputy, Minister of State Dr. Becky Igwe.
The Internet journalism center at the NCWD was received with
enthusiasm. NCWD feels that it will be of great benefit to women
journalists and to the coverage of women's and children's issues.
The national network as a whole will add greatly to information
sharing and timely coverage of events, as journalists can now
instantly inform each other of what is happening in their respective
regions.
A second activity linked to the commissioning was a roundtable
discussion involving seven U.S. Mayors and a selected group of
journalists earlier trained by an OTI grantee, the Institute of
World Affairs. Participants at the roundtable concluded that the
Internet provides a ready means for Nigerian journalists to be
connected to U.S.-based mayors, journalists and academics. The
ceremony was so successful that at the NUJ center, journalists were
using the system until well after the ceremony had concluded. All
seven of the centers were "operational" and interactive.
Evidently a number of organizations, particularly women's
organizations, who were made aware of the power of this new tool at
the event, now want to participate. The system has considerable
potential for early warning, preventive action and mitigation of
conflicts. OTI is working now to see how these can be effectively
applied.
WOMEN AND YOUTH FOR RELIGIOUS/ETHNIC HARMONY: OTI worked with the Women Opinion
Leaders Forum in Kaduna to run a workshop on "Women and Youth
as Tools for Religious/Ethnic Harmony." Objectives of the
two-day event were to encourage religious understanding and peaceful
coexistence, re-establish trust among residents of Kaduna, equip
women and youth with conflict mediation skills, increase awareness
about the values of peace and celebrate the International Year of
Culture of Peace. Two hundred women and youth group representatives
attended. Dignitaries at the occasion included the Deputy Governor
of Kaduna State, permanent secretaries, chairmen of local government
councils, the President of the National Council of Women's Societies
and Senator Khairat Gwadabe. The workshop opened with a drama piece
produced by the Ahmadu Bello University Theater Group, which
emphasized the mediation role women and youth can play in conflict
situations.
EDUCATION FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION: The
Center for Peace, Education and Development, with OTI assistance,
held a performance of its drama on conflict resolution. This project
was necessitated by ongoing disputes between chiefs in Abeokuta,
Osun State, over supremacy issues occasioned by the Abacha regime's
effort to divide traditional rulers in the late President-elect
Abiola's home community. Even after the election of a democratic
government, these disputes have continued to threaten peaceful
coexistence in the area. The project was designed to prevent the
feuding from exploding into violence. It started with advocacy
visits to identify project sites, and was followed by a baseline
survey to identify and determine the prevailing attitudes on
chieftaincy issues in Egbaland. A musical drama piece was staged in
eight locations between August 16-24. About 1,000 people attended
each of the functions for a total of 8,000. T-shirts, posters and
leaflets, car and door stickers inscribed with peace messages in
both English and Yoruba languages were distributed.
DEMOCRACY MONITORING TRAINING: OTI worked
with the Justice, Development and Peace Commission of the Catholic
Church to organize another training workshop for community-based
organizations in Ogbomoso South Local Council. This workshop follows
an earlier one for trainers to strengthen civil society groups and
provide representatives of grassroots communities with monitoring
skills to enhance accountability and transparency in governance. At
the two-day workshop, which was attended by sixty participants,
t-shirts, posters and stickers were distributed. The Commission is
publishing a monthly newsletter with the title "Democracy
Monitor" and sponsors a weekly phone-in television program on
civic education and the democratic process.
Grants Activity Summary
OTI Nigeria grant breakdown as follows, FY00:
Total number of grants FY00:
186 ($2,836,465)
Total number of contracts FY00: 1 ($192,686)
Total committed: $3,029,151
Grant numbers by sector
| Civilian/Military |
5 grants
1 contract |
$42,221
$192,686 |
| Conflict Resolution |
54 grants |
$1,128,573 |
| Dialogue & Advocacy |
1 grant |
$2,000 |
| Anti-corrption |
17 grants |
$612,654 |
| Fiscal Federalism |
4 grants |
$120,854 |
| NGO Capacity Building |
4 grants |
$215,566 |
| Good Governance |
14 grants |
$165,881 |
| Civic Education |
8 grants |
$167,983 |
| Media |
42 grants |
$350,531 |
| Economic Growth/Reform |
23 grants |
$187,871 |
| Women |
12 grants |
$48,875 |
FY99 & FY00 grants
and contracts: $11,028,409
C. Indicators of
Success
Speed/Flexibility
The commissioning of the Nigeria Journalism Network was an event
that necessitated speed and flexibility. Initially the network was
intended to link five centers. However, the interest generated by
the project called for expansion. An additional center was then
created in Lagos, the city with the highest concentration of
journalists. The National Center for Women's Development was also
granted a request for an Internet Center that will assist in the
coverage of women's and children's health and education. The Center
was refurbished, furnished and equipped with Internet capability
within a week, and it was from this Center that the network was
commissioned. Already, several groups including the House of
Representatives have made inquiries on possible OTI assistance to
set up their own Internet Centers.
D. Program Appraisal
The facilitative conflict mediation training conducted separately
for the Ife and Modakeke communities to contain a century old
conflict, has been so successful that the two communities have
requested a joint program to enable them to cement the peace. For
several weeks now, there has not any breach of peace in the
area.
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
The program staff will be having a retreat in Asaba, Delta State to review OTI's country goals and objectives. Several initiatives will also be considered for handing-off programs before OTI exits next year.
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