Editorials Opinion and Analysis
Editorial: Nigerian riots
April 21 2011
Inter-religious violence will only add to this country’s woes
The election is over and the appeals for calm have begun. Nigeria's north witnesses angry-youth riots after incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, a 54-year-old Christian son of a canoe-maker who grew up in poverty on the oil-rich Niger River Delta, won Sunday's election by a landslide against Muhammadu Buhari, a 68-year-old former military ruler who first came to power by a coup in 1983.
Now a country historically divided between faiths and ethnic groups is seeing turmoil that is as much about political and economic dominance as it is about inter-religious strife. Although Buhari's Congress for Progressive Change has challenged the election results, claiming ballot-box tampering and questionably high numbers in favor of the incumbent in some districts, all sides are appealing for calm and an end to riots that have injured hundreds and displaced thousands. Nigeria’s Civil Rights Congress reports at least 153 people have died in senseless conflagrations that do more harm than good.
Angry rioters attacked Christians and churches in the Muslim north. A mosque was burned in Kano, which prompted vandals to ravage Christian-owned shops. The home of Vice President Namadi Sambo, a 56-year-old Muslim, was set on fire in Kaduna state where Sambo once served as governor, prompting a 24-hour curfew. Offices of the ruling People's Democratic Party were also vandalized and burned. The Red Cross reported that the most heated riots took place in the states of Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara. Soldiers were dispatched to quell the turmoil, clashing with rioters armed with sticks.
Officials from the Congress for Progressive Change have distanced themselves from the rioting, and Buhari pointed out that he contested election results in 2003 and 2007. "But I never resorted to violence," he said. "I urge people to remain calm and law-abiding."
President Jonathan went on national television making similar appeals and conjuring the prevailing judgment among local and international election watchers that this was the cleanest election Nigeria has seen in a long time.
Audu Grema, a development consultant living in Kano, told The Economist that the rioting is a "dangerous misunderstanding," saying youths in areas where Buhari has strong support have failed to understand that Jonathan has enormous support in other parts of the country.
Nigeria was named by Goldman Sachs to be a "Next Eleven" economy along with Egypt, the Philippines, Turkey, Pakistan and six other countries where the long view suggests these countries will become strong emerging economies in the foreseeable future. And as an OPEC member that outputs two million barrels of crude per day, Nigeria's problems can't be ignored by the developed world like they can for other African countries.
But Nigeria, home to 155 million people of seven major ethnic groups practicing two major religions, is also a country with profound problems. Oil may be Nigeria's economic keystone, but 70 percent of the labor force works in agriculture. Nigeria's mortality rate ranks near the top with Afghanistan, South Africa and Angola. On average, a Nigerian dies before the age of 48. Lagos is a major African megalopolis with over 10 million people. Rapid urban influx is catapulting the population of Nigeria's other major cities.
The list of challenges for whoever leads Nigeria is long. And after the riots subside, as they inevitably will, Nigerians will continue to live and struggle with these problems. With both sides in the election appealing for peace, getting back to the work ahead couldn't come sooner.
