.

cc: lalasticlala, seun

Not-Too-Young-To-Run: Why The Nigerian Youth Are Not Yet Ready For Leadership By Chinedu George Nnawetanma

The 2019 Nigerian general election is less than a year away and preparations are predictably in top gear for the country’s fifth democratic transition since its return to civilian leadership in 1999. The atmosphere is politically charged and pre-electioneering buzz has taken over the print, broadcast and social media.

Among the issues on the front burner of conversations across the country is the role of the youth in Nigerian politics or, more specifically, the need to integrate the youth into the mainstream of Nigerian politics. The youth (persons between the ages of 18 and 35) make up about 30% of Nigeria’s population, but occupy a negligible fraction of its elected offices.

On the 26th of July, 2017, the Nigerian Senate passed the #NotTooYoungToRun bill, a historic move that will lower the ages of candidacy for the presidency from 40 to 35, the House of Representatives from 30 to 25 and the state houses of assembly from 30 to 25.

On February 15, 2018, it crossed the constitutional threshold of an endorsement by two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 state assemblies and it is now expected to be signed into law by the President in time for the 2019 polls, thereby creating an avenue for more youth to vie for elected offices in a political space that has been dominated by the older generations in recent times.

The youth have not always been on the periphery of Nigeria’s political landscape. In fact, Nigeria’s independence from Britain was won by the likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Mbonu Ojike, Obafemi Awolowo and Anthony Enahoro who utilized their youthful exuberance to agitate for Nigeria’s emancipation from colonial exploitation in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Upon this independence, youths were immediately propelled into political leadership positions across the country. Remarkably, Mathew Mbu, Mbazulike Amechi, Maitama Sule and Shehu Shagari became cabinet ministers in their 20s and 30s.

Nigeria’s first democratic experience would be brutally cut short by a military coup d’état in 1966, but even that ushered in 6 (out of a total of 8 ) military juntas that were led by generals in their 30s and early 40s. However, the marginalization of the youth in Nigeria’s political space can be traced to this era of military rule.

Many of the officers who held sway in that era have refused to pass the baton and leave the scene. They have recycled themselves from soldiers to politicians and from kingmakers to the so-called elder statesmen whose approval and blessings must be sought before one can aspire to occupy any political leadership position in the country. The likes of Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Abba Kyari and the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari, are still very relevant decades after their heydays in military fatigues.

This period of military rule also coincided with Nigeria’s social, economic and political derailment. Many of the soldiers who seized power were unprepared and ill-equipped for leadership. Secondly, the volatility of military rule made the juntas fixated on consolidating power instead of actually governing. Thirdly, the absence of checks and balances perpetuated corruption and brought the economy to its knees.

Unfortunately, these legacies of military rule were carried over to the prevailing democratic dispensation by the soldiers-turned-democrats. To put the country back on the track of development, Nigerians are in unison that the present ruling class of ex-soldiers and their acolytes must step aside for a leadership style that is more attuned to the 21st century.

It is for this reason that the youth are often called upon to assume the mantle of leadership. It is believed that they possess the innovation, radicalism and virility needed to transform Nigeria from its state of despondency to accelerated and sustainable development.

But, with the imminent amendment of the Constitution to accommodate the recommendations of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run bill – which will make all elected offices in Nigeria accessible to the youth – are they really ready for this responsibility? Do they possess the resources needed to wrestle power from the old guard?

I have no atom of doubt that there are capable, well-experienced and eminently qualified youth across Nigeria who can embrace this responsibility and provide the country with the digital leadership that it has so sorely lacked. What worries me is that there are so few of them.

For starters, a great deal of the youth in the country are not interested in politics. They are not politically conscious. They know next to nothing about Nigeria’s political terrain or its history or the recent developments therein and would rather talk about football, showbiz or fashion than engage in meaningful politics-themed conversations or make sense of economic indicators like the GDP, inflation rate and interest rate. I daresay that the number of youths who will watch the Nigeria vs. Argentina match at this year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia will be far greater that the number of those who will turn out to vote in the 2019 Presidential Election.

Out of the few Nigerian youth who are politically conscious, many of them are inexperienced, ill-equipped and unprepared for political leadership. On the one hand are those who see politics as a livelihood and a fast track to financial security. They are ready to toe the established line, kowtow to the kingmakers and propagate the status quo. When in power, they will be no different from the present ruling class. On the other hand are those who are genuinely interested in utilizing politics as a vehicle for creating positive change and rendering selfless service, but lack the requisite experience and skill sets to make meaningful impact in government.

Out of the very few Nigerian youth who are adequately experienced and prepared for leadership, many lack the wherewithal to muscle out the moneyed older politicians, who have looted the country’s treasury dry, and their cronies. While the Not Too Young To Run bill addresses the age barrier to running for elected offices in Nigeria, it does not address the financial barrier.

Electioneering all over the world is an expensive venture. In Nigeria, the nomination forms for the presidency, governorship, Senate and House of Representatives are sold for 10 million, 5 million, 2 million and 1 million naira respectively, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) estimates that political parties in the country spent about ₦11.65 billion on traceable media and other related expenses in the 2015 elections.

By contrast, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in a December 22, 2017 report, revealed that the combined youth unemployment and underemployment rate in Nigeria stood at 52.65%. Due to the dire economic state of the country, most youth are still struggling to find their feet professionally and financially, make ends meet and take care of basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter. How then can they run for election without soliciting the sponsorship of wealthy individuals with vested interests or the same crooked older politicians that they are so eager to dislodge?

This captures the predicament of the youth in Nigerian politics. The Not Too Young To Run bill may be on its way to becoming a law, but it is not yet uhuru for the youth in Nigeria’s inhibiting political space. However, it is a huge step in the right direction that must be optimized.

Firstly effort should be made to conscientize the Nigerian youth so that they can become more interested in politics, gain a deeper understanding of the political and economic terrains of the country, demand good governance and accountability from their leaders at all times and participate actively and effectively in the democratic process. This will harness the power of the youth and make them a powerful, active bloc in Nigerian politics.

Secondly, the youth should avail themselves of opportunities that will build their capacity and enhance their leadership exposure. Among other things, they should explore leadership training, mentorship, internship at public sector and civil society organizations, volunteerism, community development and entrepreneurship.

Thirdly, pro-youth and pro-democracy civil society organizations (CSOs) should coalesce around and mobilize financial support for credible young aspirants in a bid to help them surmount the financial hurdle of running for office in Nigeria.

Finally, young aspirants must endeavor to embed themselves in their local communities. They must be visible at the grassroots level and not just on Facebook and Twitter. The power of the social media cannot be overemphasized, but it can only go so far if it doesn’t engage the grassroots. Less than half of Nigeria’s population use the internet and even far less are reasonably active on the social media. Consequently, young aspirants must make their campaigns visible on the ground as well as virtually.

Chinedu George Nnawetanma is an alumnus of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Leadership Center West Africa, an initiative of the former US president Barack Obama that invests in the next generation of African leaders.

Email: chinnawetanma@gmail.com;

Twitter: @nnawetanma

http://saharareporters.com/2018/03/19/not-too-young-run-why-nigerian-youth-are-not-yet-ready-leadership-chinedu-george

The Supreme Pontiff, His Holiness Pope Francis, is considering visiting Nigeria, as part of his itinerary, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan has said.

Onaiyekan, however, said no date has, however, been fixed for the visit.

Onaiyekan said the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), extended an invitation to Pope Francis to visit Nigeria during their recent Ad Limina visit to the Vatican.

The former president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, however, said since the Pope is Head of State and head of the Catholic Church, he cannot visit Nigeria without the invitation of the Federal Government.

He added that since the Vatican has an ambassador in Nigeria (the Papal Nuncio) and the federal government has an ambassador in the Vatican, arranging the visit will not be problematic as both envoys will liaise with the respective authorities.

Speaking about the CBCN’s request, Onaiyekan told Daily Sun that: “Both the government and the church will be responsible for the visit.

“So, both governments and the church are involved. In other words, a Pope will not visit a country if the government of that country does not invite him.

“We have not reached the stage of contacting the government yet. All the formalities will normally start after there is a tentative decision by the Pope to visit. There is no point telling government to be making moves if the Pope is not thinking yet of visiting.

“In any case, you know that first, we have a Pope’s ambassador here in Nigeria and a Nigerian ambassador in the Holy See. So, these are the people who will handle all those diplomatic aspects,” he said.

http://dailypost.ng/2018/05/24/pope-francis-consider-visiting-nigeria-onaiyekan/

lalasticlala

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absolutely great writeup from the OP. My sentiments exactly. But sports threads rarely make the FP here on NL if they are not live matches or a celebrity gossip with Mikel Obi in it, lets hope this one does.

Ikenna351 , Afam4eva , OAM4J, lalasticlala

Hmmm... and this is coming from the official mouthpiece of the incoming APC govt. I smell big trouble for SA.

.

Femi Fani-Kayode: The controversial FFK, as he’s popularly called, once left the PDP for the APC, but returned to what he calls his “family” after a turbulent time as an opposition politician. He has since been a thorn in the flesh of the APC hierarchy and his outspokenness was rewarded with his appointment as the spokesman of the President’s campaign organization. But his style was akin to that of the president’s self-styled “attack lion” Doyin Okupe., often crossing the line by descending to personal insults, making derogatory statements and quoting bogus figures that favour his party.

The entire NNPC Hierarchy: To the average Nigerian, the NNPC is the seat of corruption in Nigeria. If this is true, then the entire hierarchy of the company will have a lot to worry about come May 29.

Ayo Oritsejafor: The showy and flamboyant president of the Christian Association of Nigeria has had his own fair share of controversies, ranging from the controversial manner in which his private jet was purchased to the $10 million South African arms scandal.

Olusegun Mimiko: He defected from the Labour Party and was appointed the campaign director of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan's reelection campaign in the South West, but when the results came in, he couldn't deliver his own. The PDP ended up losing woefully in the South West, where they were only able to win the sparsely populated Ekiti State.

Worthy of mention: Ayo Fayose, Peter Obi, Bode George, Ahmadu Ali, Babangida Aliyu, Namadi Sambo, Ibrahim Shekarau, Ike Ekweremadu and Gabriel Suswam.

And the Biggest Winner? Nigeria’s Democracy.

Follow me on Twitter @NCGBobby

Adamu Muazu: The PDP National Chairman spectacularly failed his party in the recently concluded weekend elections, leading his party not only to an embarrassing defeat at the presidential level, but also to a calamitous loss at the federal legislative level. These humongous losses have proven that he was the wrong candidate for the job. More so, it has laid bare the fact that he’s a political lightweight. This reality was especially brought to the fore when he could not even deliver his own state of Bauchi, losing to the opposition APC in his backyard by an almost 900,000 margin. He will consider himself especially lucky if he is still the PDP chairman come the April 11 elections.

Godswill Akpabio: The Akwa Ibom State governor and chairman of the PDP Governor’s Forum is one of the president’s closest and most trusted allies. As the president’s henchman, he is one of the hardest hit in the weekend polls. Though he triumph in his own election by securing a ticket to the senate, he will likely not enjoy his stay there as a member of the opposition party.

Dame Patience Jonathan: The First Lady was arguably the most vibrant and visible member of the pro-Jonathan campaign trail, vigorously campaigning for her husband from state to state, crisscrossing the length and breadth of the country in a bid to canvass support for her hubby. However, her voluble, controlling and controversial nature made her a divisive figure in the Nigerian political turf – even within her own Peoples Democratic Party – and it ended up nullifying her good work. For instance, her clash with Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State was a catalyst in his exist from the ruling party into the opposition. Likewise, her furore with Timipre Silva did her husband’s fortune no good. Latterly, she has also been at loggerheads with the incumbent Bayelsa State governor Seriake Dickson.

Diezani Alison-Madueke: Nigeria’s first female Petroleum Minister and the world’s first female OPEC president has been hit from all corners. Firstly, there is a 99.99% chance that she would not be recalled into the next cabinet as Buhari’s Petroleum Minister. Secondly, the consequences of that will inadvertently cost her the seat of the OPEC presidency. Thirdly, her tenure as the minister of Nigeria’s richest ministry and cash cow has been mired in allegations of widespread corruption. If they are substantiated, she is probably going to face prosecution.

Musiliu Obanikoro: The two-time Minister of State, one-time senator, one-time ambassador and multiple-time governorship aspirant in Lagos State has been accused of aiding and abetting electoral fraud in Ekiti State’s 2013 election. His nomination as a cabinet minister by President Goodluck Jonathan was vehemently opposed by opposition senators, leading to a walkout by the lawmakers.

Follow me on Twitter @NCGBobby

The Biggest Losers in the 2015 Presidential and National Assembly Elections

Goodluck Jonathan: Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, by virtue of his position as the beaten incumbent, is undoubtedly the hardest hit in the just-concluded presidential polls. His name will be in the history books for many reasons, some good, some bad. The worst obviously will be the ignominy of becoming the first incumbent Head of State in Nigeria’s democratic dispensations to lose his election. For a man who won the same election in 2011 on a platter of gold, rubies and platinum, this is such a spectacular descent from grace.

In the course of his near 6-year tenure as the number citizen of the country, he was the architect of a host of political faux pas which ended up haunting him. Internationally, he incurred the wrath of the West by signing the anti-gay act into law. On the home front, he incurred the wrath of Nigerians by failing to curb corruption. For these elections, he hired the wrong personnel, delegated much his responsibility to them and dinned with his enemies.

Be that as it may, he will also go down in the annals of history as a true democrat for conceding defeat, congratulating his victorious opponent and admonishing his teeming supporters to shun violence. He will also be remembered for some commendable feats, especially in the aviation and macroeconomic sectors.

He is a good man, but a naïve politician. I believe he had good intentions for the country, but his greatest undoing was the team he worked with. He is definitely down, but whether he’s out entirely depends on him. An objective assessment of his administration can only be made midway into the incoming administration. Only then can we compare and contrast.

David Mark: With the way and manner APC is sweeping the National Assembly elections in various states across the country – especially that of the Senate – it is likely that the ruling PDP will go into the Upper Chamber come May 29 as the Opposition Party. In the event of that, the incumbent Senate President David Mark will definitely lose his position in the red chamber and revert to an ordinary senator.

The above scenario is potentially embarrassing and it presents him with at least three options. Firstly, he can defect to the APC (which is very unlikely). Secondly, he can forfeit his slot as the senator-elect representing the Benue South senatorial zone and retire from active politics. Thirdly, he can borrow a leaf from the former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, who willingly stepped down to become the Minority Leader of the House following her Democratic Party’s loss of its majority in the lower house of Congress.

Follow me on Twitter @NCGBobby

.

LMAO

Richiez, olawalebabs, Fynestboi

Remembering Achebe

https://www.nairaland.com/2214896/remembering-achebe#31968692

However, Achebe’s fame and success go beyond *Things Fall Apart*; there was much more to him than one novel. In the course of a career spanning nearly 60 years, he published and edited dozens of other equally well-received and popular works, such as *No Longer at Ease,* *Arrow of God, A Man of the People, Chike and the River, Anthills of the Savannah, An Image of Africa: Racism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, The Trouble With Nigeria and
There Was A Country.*

In addition to being an adept storyteller and wordsmith, Achebe was also a distinguished academic and teacher. As a Professor of English and Literature, he lectured in the classrooms of several prestigious institutions the world over, including, but not limited to, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Bard College and Brown University – an Ivy League school where he was a David and Marianna Fisher university professor of Africana Studies till his death.

His tireless efforts and doggedness over the years were rightly rewarded with numerous awards and recognitions. In his lifetime, Achebe was a recipient of over 40 doctorates *honoris causa* from respectable institutions around the world, like the University of Kent, Harvard University, University of Toronto, Dartmouth College, Brown University and the University of Cape Town; the 2008 edition of the prestigious Man Booker International Prize; and the 2010 edition of the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize – an award given to “a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life.”

Though it’s been two years since his death, Achebe has continued to inspire generations of African writers, activists, philosophers, historians and art lovers who have been opportune to have come in contact his timeless works.
Among the most prominent are award-winning novelist and feminist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and African-American Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison.

Despite these towering achievements, it seems that the Nigerian government has not come to terms with the potentials in his greatness. Achebe has been arguably Nigeria’s biggest ever export; most non-Nigerian’s first exposure
to Nigeria came through Achebe’s books. I once came across a piece on the internet written by a Kenyan where he narrated how he looked forward to visiting Nigeria for the mere reason of having a taste of our jollof rice because of the savoury way it was described in one of Achebe’s books.

Sadly, for such an icon, the Nigerian government has not done enough to immortalize him the way it should have done. Achebe is a Nigerian brand that ought to be utilized the way England utilized William Shakespeare,
Charles Dickens, J. R. R. Tolkien and Agatha Christie, the way Colombia utilized Gabriel García Márquez, the way Germany and the Czech Republic utilized Franz Kafka, the way Russia utilized Leo Tolstoy, and the way the
United States utilized Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway and Ralph Waldo Emerson. But, as usual, our government is more interested in politicking, acquiring wealth and winning elections than it is in governance and image
laundering.

Be that as it may, it is not the exclusive preserve of the government to promote its own, though the buck stops with them. Well-meaning individuals should take it up and spread the Achebe gospel. Nigerians should come
together to ensure that the international community sees that good things can come from Nigeria. Nigeria must not only be associated with terrorism, corruption and internet frauds. This they can do that by ensuring that
Achebe lives on, to sell the Chinua Achebe brand to the world, because as it stands, only 1% of this brand has been utilized. The possibilities are enormous.

http://saharareporters.com/2015/03/21/remembering-achebe-chinedu-rylan-george

Saturday 21 March marked the 2nd anniversary of the passing of Professor Chinua Achebe. Here's a tribute on Sahara Reporters.

By Chinedu Rylan George

The much-admired Professor Achebe meant (and still means) different things to different people. He was described by South African Nobel Laureate, Nadine Gordimer, as the father of modern African literature. Likewise,
South Africa’s anti-apartheid hero and former President, Nelson Mandela, eulogized him as the one who “brought Africa to the rest of the world” and as “the writer in whose company the prison walls came down” during his
27-year incarceration in Robben Island.

As flattering as they may seem, these plaudits are not out of place. Achebe was indeed one of a kind. He laid the foundations of what is now known as modern African literature with the publication of his magnum opus, *Things
Fall Apart*. Putting it succinctly, he was to the indigenous African literature what Dante Alighieri was to the Italian language and what St. Paul was to Christianity. He didn’t invent African literature, neither was
he the first African to tell a story or write a novel about Africa or Africans, but it was he who produced the first African work that caught the eye of the world and finally made them pay attention to African literature.

It was like the discovery of a new world, akin to the “discovery” of a "lost" territory by an explorer. *Things Fall Apart*, published 57 years ago in 1958, was not like other African works before it; it managed to draw
the curiosity of the global audience who previously thought of African literature as literature about Africa, Africans and the African way of life by Europeans. Works like Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, H. Rider
Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Tarzan of the Apes and Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke’s Out of Africa easily come to mind in this regard.

Upon publication, it swiftly gained the acceptance and respect of the international community. Achebe’s perspicuous, firsthand exposition and description of Africa, its people and their erstwhile little-known culture
led the non-Africans into a thrilling imaginary journey to the “dark” world of the black man. His masterly fusion of tasteful local proverbs was the icing on the cake.

*Things Fall Apart* has since become a staple in schools across the world.
So far, the seminal work has sold over 12 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 60 languages, making it the most widely read book in modern African literature and Achebe, in the words of the New York State
Senate, “the most paraphrased African writer of all time.” American talk show queen and billionaire entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey described it as one of the “Five Books Everyone Must Read At Least Once.”

http://saharareporters.com/2015/03/21/remembering-achebe-chinedu-rylan-george

However, Achebe’s fame and success go beyond *Things Fall Apart*; there was much more to him than one novel. In the course of a career spanning nearly 60 years, he published and edited dozens of other equally well-received and popular works, such as *No Longer at Ease,* *Arrow of God, A Man of the People, Chike and the River, Anthills of the Savannah, An Image of Africa: Racism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, The Trouble With Nigeria and
There Was A Country.*

In addition to being an adept storyteller and wordsmith, Achebe was also a distinguished academic and teacher. As a Professor of English and Literature, he lectured in the classrooms of several prestigious institutions the world over, including, but not limited to, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Bard College and Brown University – an Ivy League school where he was a David and Marianna Fisher university professor of Africana Studies till his death.

His tireless efforts and doggedness over the years were rightly rewarded with numerous awards and recognitions. In his lifetime, Achebe was a recipient of over 40 doctorates *honoris causa* from respectable institutions around the world, like the University of Kent, Harvard University, University of Toronto, Dartmouth College, Brown University and the University of Cape Town; the 2008 edition of the prestigious Man Booker International Prize; and the 2010 edition of the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize – an award given to “a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life.”

Though it’s been two years since his death, Achebe has continued to inspire generations of African writers, activists, philosophers, historians and art lovers who have been opportune to have come in contact his timeless works.
Among the most prominent are award-winning novelist and feminist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and African-American Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison.

Despite these towering achievements, it seems that the Nigerian government has not come to terms with the potentials in his greatness. Achebe has been arguably Nigeria’s biggest ever export; most non-Nigerian’s first exposure
to Nigeria came through Achebe’s books. I once came across a piece on the internet written by a Kenyan where he narrated how he looked forward to visiting Nigeria for the mere reason of having a taste of our jollof rice because of the savoury way it was described in one of Achebe’s books.

Sadly, for such an icon, the Nigerian government has not done enough to immortalize him the way it should have done. Achebe is a Nigerian brand that ought to be utilized the way England utilized William Shakespeare,
Charles Dickens, J. R. R. Tolkien and Agatha Christie, the way Colombia utilized Gabriel García Márquez, the way Germany and the Czech Republic utilized Franz Kafka, the way Russia utilized Leo Tolstoy, and the way the
United States utilized Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway and Ralph Waldo Emerson. But, as usual, our government is more interested in politicking, acquiring wealth and winning elections than it is in governance and image
laundering.

Be that as it may, it is not the exclusive preserve of the government to promote its own, though the buck stops with them. Well-meaning individuals should take it up and spread the Achebe gospel. Nigerians should come
together to ensure that the international community sees that good things can come from Nigeria. Nigeria must not only be associated with terrorism, corruption and internet frauds. This they can do that by ensuring that
Achebe lives on, to sell the Chinua Achebe brand to the world, because as it stands, only 1% of this brand has been utilized. The possibilities are enormous.

http://saharareporters.com/2015/03/21/remembering-achebe-chinedu-rylan-george

Saturday 21 March marked the 2nd anniversary of the passing of Professor Chinua Achebe. Here's a tribute on Sahara Reporters.

By Chinedu Rylan George

The much-admired Professor Achebe meant (and still means) different things to different people. He was described by South African Nobel Laureate, Nadine Gordimer, as the father of modern African literature. Likewise,
South Africa’s anti-apartheid hero and former President, Nelson Mandela, eulogized him as the one who “brought Africa to the rest of the world” and as “the writer in whose company the prison walls came down” during his
27-year incarceration in Robben Island.

As flattering as they may seem, these plaudits are not out of place. Achebe was indeed one of a kind. He laid the foundations of what is now known as modern African literature with the publication of his magnum opus, *Things
Fall Apart*. Putting it succinctly, he was to the indigenous African literature what Dante Alighieri was to the Italian language and what St. Paul was to Christianity. He didn’t invent African literature, neither was
he the first African to tell a story or write a novel about Africa or Africans, but it was he who produced the first African work that caught the eye of the world and finally made them pay attention to African literature.

It was like the discovery of a new world, akin to the “discovery” of a "lost" territory by an explorer. *Things Fall Apart*, published 57 years ago in 1958, was not like other African works before it; it managed to draw
the curiosity of the global audience who previously thought of African literature as literature about Africa, Africans and the African way of life by Europeans. Works like Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, H. Rider
Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Tarzan of the Apes and Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke’s Out of Africa easily come to mind in this regard.

Upon publication, it swiftly gained the acceptance and respect of the international community. Achebe’s perspicuous, firsthand exposition and description of Africa, its people and their erstwhile little-known culture
led the non-Africans into a thrilling imaginary journey to the “dark” world of the black man. His masterly fusion of tasteful local proverbs was the icing on the cake.

*Things Fall Apart* has since become a staple in schools across the world.
So far, the seminal work has sold over 12 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 60 languages, making it the most widely read book in modern African literature and Achebe, in the words of the New York State
Senate, “the most paraphrased African writer of all time.” American talk show queen and billionaire entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey described it as one of the “Five Books Everyone Must Read At Least Once.”

http://saharareporters.com/2015/03/21/remembering-achebe-chinedu-rylan-george

At the last count (in 2013), Facebook – the most popular social network in Nigeria – had a mere 11 million users within the country. This would currently be in the range of 12-13 million. The microblogging website Twitter follows closely with about 6 million active users, while the other social media sites account for another 6 million. These figures may overlap; someone can maintain accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media sites at the same time. With all that accounted for, the number of social media users in Nigeria may not be more than 20 million.

A good number of the 20 million or so Nigerians who have access to the social media are below the age of 18, so they cannot vote. They will be mere onlookers and spectators in the real electoral process. Some others are above 18, but they have no Permanent Voters Cards. No PVC means no voting, unless INEC says otherwise. Also, some of those Nigerians who flood our social media space and spray comments here and there do not even reside in Nigeria. They are often the most vocal, but they will eventually be monitoring the situation from afar.

Some would argue that the social media echoes the sentiments of Nigerians. However, in it, everybody is responsible for his or her own opinions and cannot be said to be speaking for others. In France, the UK and the US, the social media will be an adequate tool to measure and sample the feelings of the entire population, but the same cannot be said over here. 20 million Nigerians cannot be said to be speaking the mind of 160 million others.

The market woman in Lagos state has a PVC, but has no interest in the social media so her political inclinations and sentiments are not known. The businessman in Onitsha is so immersed in his electronics business that he barely has time for the trappings of the social media. When he uses it, he only comes there to read news stories, read the comments and leave. He doesn’t drop his own comment or engage with the community so his opinions are not sampled. Likewise the farmer in the village armed with his PVC and the PVC-clad pensioner in the city who doesn’t understand or use the internet.

In essence, it is dangerous to rely on the social media when predicting electoral fortunes in Nigeria – only 20 million of us actively use it. Those who already have the social media in their pockets should not relax and believe that victory is theirs. The social media is only one of the several battles that make up the contest. There are other more important battles to be won, including those that happen behind the scenes which are not reported in the pages of newspapers, in blogs or on social networks.

That notwithstanding, I’m not totally dismissing the impact or importance of the social media in the electoral process. The social media is integral to the 21st century politics and advocacy. It has come to say. As a social media aficionado myself, I’m well aware of its possibilities. Needless to say, it helps to shape people’s opinions and any message sent to the social media can be delivered to millions at home and abroad within a few hours. Its importance cannot be overemphasized, but it should not be the focal point of an electioneering process.

Mr. Chinedu Rylan George wrote in via chinedurylan@gmail.com

He tweets from @ChineduRylan

http://saharareporters.com/2015/03/01/elections-2015-why-social-media-highly-overrated-chinedu-rylan-george

At the last count, the internet population of Nigeria stood at about 65 million, a measly 36% in a country of nearly 180 million people. In France, for instance, the total population, according to official estimates is about 67 million, while the population of people who have access to the internet over there is about 56 million, giving it an internet penetration of 84%.

In the United Kingdom, the figures are identical. The entire population of the country is put at 64 million, while the internet population is about 55 million, giving it a penetration of 86%. In the United States, the population is estimated to be 320 million, while the internet population is 280 million, giving it an internet penetration of 88%.

We are far behind here in Nigeria. The internet population is still low, though it has been improving tremendously over the past few years, having increased from 30.9 million in 2009 to where it currently is, but that is still not enough.

It is also pertinent for me to mention here that internet population does not equate to social media population. It is not everybody that has access to the internet that makes use of the social media. The social media is distinct from the internet, though it is subsumed under it.

Going by the definition given by Merriam-Webster, social media is a “form of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos).” The Oxford Dictionaries gives an even more direct definition, describing it as “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.”

These definitions therefore limit the scope of the social media to social networks (like Facebook and LinkedIn), blogs (like Sahara Reporters), microblogs (like Twitter), media sharing websites (like YouTube and Instagram), bookmarking websites (like Reddit), social news websites (like StumbleUpon), wikis (like Wikipedia), message boards (like Nairaland), podcasts (downloadable audio programs) and virtual worlds (like multiplayer online gaming). Other internet services like emails – though very powerful in information dissemination – and internet banking do not qualify as social media.

By Chinedu Rylan George

If elections are conducted on the social media, it would be safe to say that Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has already won it – and by miles too. This is a known fact. Even the most hardcore of the Goodluck Jonathan supporters won’t tell you otherwise. The retired general’s support on the social media is nothing short of massive, far overshadowing that of Mr. President whose social media performance in the run-up to the poll leaves much to be desired.

Right from the onset, the tactics and strategies employed by his social media campaign handlers have been reactionary, defensive, timid and uninventive. The APC have all the while been having a field day, until recently at least. The evidence is there for all to see, from Twitter to Facebook and from blogs to internet forums. Beyond what the eyes can see, there are statistics to back it up.

A Nigeria-based management consulting firm, Sterling & Greenback, recently conducted a Twitter-based sentiment analysis to determine the attitude of Nigerians towards the two leading parties in the upcoming elections. Unsurprisingly, the ruling People’s Democratic Party trailed the opposition All Progressives Congress in many indices. According to their figures, the PDP had a national penetration of 1.82%, while the APC’s was 15.98%.

Be that as it may, elections are not conducted on the social media, neither is social media popularity a reliable pointer to or reflection of the support a candidate or a party enjoys. In more advanced countries where the internet penetration is up to at least 80%, it could be a reliable barometer to gauge this, but this doesn’t hold true in a developing country like Nigeria.

justiceman:


Social media engineered the arab revolution. Excerpts:

"In countries like Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen, rising action plans such as protests made up of thousands, have been organized through social media such Facebook and Twitter. “We use Facebook to schedule the protests” an Arab Spring activist from Egypt announced “and [we use] Twitter to coordinate, and YouTube to tell the world.”

http://mic.com/articles/10642/twitter-revolution-how-the-arab-spring-was-helped-by-social-media

Those countries have high internet penetration rate.

tobechi74:
The most sensible message ever from sahara reporters.

I keep saying this.

Nairaland has 1million users
less than half are active
nigeria has 140million people
less than 1percent of nigerians are in nairaland.
So nairaland isnt a true reflection of who wins april election.

Exactly.

ajixkhid1:
Who read this

Intellectuals.

CRICKET!! Followed by Golf, Baseball and Boxing. They are all snooze-worthy.