THE BUHARI ADMINISTRATION: A NEW BEGINNING FOR NIGERIA

Nigeria’s new president has a chance to transform the country into a model social democratic nation

Africa has long been a continent of contradictions, blessed by great beauty and natural resources on one side but cursed by widespread poverty and corruption that have long cast a dark shadow over its people. This sad state of affairs is arguably a byproduct of Africa’s lack of widespread liberal democratic systems of governance, with only 11 of its 54 nations ranked as “free” according to various criteria. It should be a source of optimism, however, that many of the former are governed by parties of the democratic left, whose record in government has demonstrated the kind of positive social and economic progress that can be achieved if other African countries follow their example. In Mauritius, decades of socialist rule have left the island nation one of the richest in Africa, while governing centre-left parties in South Africa and Namibia have presided over improvements in levels of social protection under their leadership. Further north, progressive governments in Ghana and Cabo Verde can point to similar achievements in enhancing levels of social development under their watch.

Until recently, such administrations only represented a small proportion of the continent’s total population, limiting the extent to which their reforms could be felt by people across Africa. All that changed last year, however, with the coming to power of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria.

The general election held in Nigeria in March 2015 was a historic one for Africa’s most populous country, witnessing not only the end of the 16-year rule of the incumbent People’s Democratic party, but also the first time in the country’s history that an opposition figure won peacefullythrough the ballot box. It is perhaps a sign that Nigeria’s relatively young democracy has finally matured, and that the country may finally be leaving behind its legacy of military coups andpredominately authoritarian regimes once and for all.

One may question, though, the kind of ideologically driven path that the APC will follow, given that the party (despite its characterisation as a centre-left party by numerous observers) does not define itself by any particular political philosophy. Nevertheless, the APC’s consultative membership of Socialist International (an organisation of predominately left-of-centre parties) indicates a commitment to values of social and economic justice, which is clearly reflected in its proposals for government. For students, the APC has pledged itself to providing subsidised meals for childrenand free tertiary education for those who wish to study maths, engineering, and science and technology – three subjects crucial to a country’s economic development. Also promised are auniversal system of national health insurance and monthly cash allowances for indigent Nigerians.

From a humanitarian perspective, such policies should be welcomed for their contribution towards enhancing national prosperity and alleviating deprivation. The provision of school meals could domuch to combat the scourge of child malnutrition (believed to afflict more than half of the nation’s children) while also improving performance at school. In addition, the APC’s universal health plan would not only improve the life chances of the nation’s population as a whole, but lift financial barriers to the treatment and medications that people need to lead a healthy life.

Although elected on a comprehensive platform of change, the APC faces the challenge of confronting a myriad of social problems that it still needs to develop cogent plans for tackling if it hopes to provide working people and their families with a better life. Current legislative restrictionson the right to strike and trade unions should be removed to allow workers greater freedom to attain the representation they wish for and to voice calls for a better deal at their places of work. A stronger and more efficient system of workplace inspection should also be established to ensure that health and safety standards are enforced and that workers are adequately shielded fromaccidents at work, without fear of injury or loss of life.

Another issue that needs tackling is the inequitable system of taxation in Nigeria, with the country’s affluent minority taxed at a pitifully low rate of three per cent. To tackle this unjust situation, new taxes could be introduced on luxury goods, capital gains, and government contractors, while levies could be imposed on such groups as large commercial farmers and the telecommunications industry, who currently contribute little to the state’s coffers. Developing a fairer system of taxation would not only wean the country away from its over-reliance on oil as a source of revenue, but also provide the APC with the funds it needs to finance its reform programme.

Perhaps the most controversial issue facing the APC is the authoritarian past of its leaderMuhammadu Buhari. One of the many military leaders who controlled Nigeria throughout the postcolonial era, Buhari previous served as president from 1983 to 1985. Although admired for his strong anti-corruption stance, his time in office was marred by human right abuses and economic austerity measures (including a withdrawal of food subsidies) that led to mounting unemploymentand an erosion of living standards. It is perhaps unsurprising that such actions led to a popular coup against Buhari, and his exclusion from high office for nearly three decades.

In the years following his removal from power, Buhari appeared to have undergone something of a Damascene conversion, with the former military ruler promising during his political comeback to uphold democratic values such as free speech and freedom of expression if elected president. While Buhari’s change of heart may be sincere, he must prove this by not only respecting democratic institutions and the rule of law, but make the hopes and dreams of his supporters for a happier and more prosperous life come true.

With Buhari enjoying a majority in parliament, and with a governing cabinet recently formed after months of waiting, he and his ministers have the chance to change Nigeria for the better and turn it into a model social democratic nation. For the sake of their many supporters and for the future prosperity of Nigeria, they must not fail.