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Anchor Marco Werman gets the latest from the BBC’s Caroline Duffield in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit there today.
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MARCO WERMAN: I’m Marco Werman. This is The World. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was in Nigeria today. This is a key stop for Clinton during her 11-day tour of Africa. Key for a number of reasons. Nigeria is considered a leader among African nations so it’s an important place for Mrs. Clinton to deliver her central message for the trip promoting good governance and democracy throughout Africa. Nigeria is also the fifth largest oil supplier to the United States. It’s also a place where there is frequent unrest. And then there’s this diplomatic challenge. Some Nigerians took offense last month after President Obama visited nearby Ghana but skipped their country. The BBC’s Caroline Duffield is in the Nigerian capital Abuja. She says it all made for a very delicate mission for Secretary Clinton.
CAROLINE DUFFIELD: People have been saying you know how she speaks to the Nigerian government will really set the tone for how the rest of the international community talks to Nigeria right now. A lot of diplomats, a lot of high-profile government figures in Abuja are very worried about the state of Nigeria, that there’s a perception here that there are more signs of deterioration then there are progress in Nigeria’s democracy. And so Hilary Clinton is very much walking a bit of a tight rope in that she’s clearly here to deliver a message about corruption, about good governance, about transparency, and about electoral reform. And she also is obviously is trying to sooth ruffled feelings as well.
WERMAN: I mean Obama is seen as the first US president with real ties to Africa. I’m wondering if this carries over to Mrs. Clinton because she is his Secretary of State. What’s the tone of the meetings been like in Nigeria so far?
DUFFIELD: Well so far we’ve only heard about what’s been happening with the foreign minister who she met this morning. And also with senior senators and ministers and a lot of people I spoke to who were in the meeting with her came out rather surprised and relieved. One senior senator said to me, “It was lovely. It was a pleasure. It was like meeting an old family friend.” And when we saw all the press conferences and things she had to say she went out of her way to express great appreciation for Nigeria. She went out of the way so that Nigeria was a friend and ally, an important country, that America needs a strong energy relationship with. Albeit she did deliver her strong message that Nigeria needs to sort out its problems with corruption. This is an issue that taints life here. See she delivered quite a clear, albeit gentle, message about that. And she also said it was very necessary for Nigeria to embark on a proper process of electoral reform by the 2011 elections. So it was a muted message but it was clear and it was there. What she says in private may be rather stronger.
WERMAN: Secretary Clinton also praised President Yar’Adua for aiming to strike an amnesty with rebels in the Niger Delta where a lot of oil reserves are located. And as you say she’s also distanced herself from the leadership in Nigeria with these messages about corruption. That being the main issue – corruption in Nigeria – what can the US actually do to stem corruption in Nigeria?
DUFFIELD: That’s interesting. Sort of a lot of Nigerians do want to see America deliver a strong clear message to their own government. There’s a huge amount of money missing from this country. Political leaders, state governors, former military leaders, have taken huge amounts of Nigeria’s oil revenue out of the country and taken it aboard. Much of it is thought to be held in Swiss Banks. And people in the opposition would like to see the international community take a very robust line with helping them to track down money that is owed to Nigeria that should come back to this country. The other thing that they want to see of course is investment. And this goes back to Barack Obama’s comments in Ghana. The president said you know no country, no businessman, wants to invest in a country where the government routinely skims 20% off the top. And that is a situation that oil companies face in Nigeria right now. So that needs a whole change in culture in this country. And how do you change this issue of corruption that is a rot in the system in virtually every bank and virtually every public body and virtually every sector of the economy in this country.
WERMAN: Caroline you mentioned the dynamic of oil in Nigeria but there are any number of countries in Africa that suffer from corruption to a large degree. Why should corruption in Nigeria matter more than anywhere else? Is it simply the fact that Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa? It’s a matter of scale?
DUFFIELD: I think that’s certainly a part of it but I think also the sheer amount of money to be made in Nigeria is stunning. The problems in the Niger Delta are really fueled by this illegal oil bunkering industry. You have militant groups tapping into oil pipes and basically stealing crude oil. The problem is that the oil that is stolen benefits directly many senior political figures in this country and it is hard to see the incentive that anyone in this country has for bringing about peace and for ending this cycle of corruption in this country that makes so many people so rich.
WERMAN: The BBC’s Caroline Duffield in Abuja Nigeria’s capital. Thank you so much for your time.
DUFFIELD: You’re welcome.
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i think what mrs cliton delivered is the right word to tell the government of Nigeria. our election is corrupt,therefore, if election should be a corrupt one then it is sure that the economic must surffer. thanks.