Germany and Nigeria

Walter Lindner is the German government's Africa Commissioner. Deutsche Welle talked to him about the current wave of protests in Nigeria, triggered by the government's removal on January 1 2012 of a subsidy on oil prices. President Goodluck Jonathan is also under pressure to reconcile the country's Christian and Muslim communities following a spate of deadly attacks on institutions belonging to both religions.

Deutsche Welle: What is the German government's view of the current situation in Nigeria?

Walter Lindner: The German government is concerned at events in Nigeria, at the increase in acts of violence perpetrated by terrorists, especially in the north of the country. We are concerned that the country should not forfeit its stability. Now there is also the general strike caused by the removal of the oil subsidies. Nigeria is not just any country in Africa. It is the most populous nation with more than 150 million inhabitants and the second largest economic power on the African continent. And so there must be no loss of stability.

How would you assess the response of President Goodluck Jonathan so far?

It is important to realize that the acts of violence are targeting both Christians and Muslims. It would be a mistake to fall into Boko Haram's trap and say this is a religious conflict. That is what Boko Haram probably wants, to stoke resentment between different groups in the population. The causes are not so much religion but rather social inequalities, economic disadvantages, ethnic tensions.

President Goodluck Jonathan must protect the people, resolve conflicts peacefully and safeguard the practice of religion as a basic right for all. To this end he has implemented several measures, all of which go in the right direction. For example, he has set up a committee chaired by former President Obasanjo, which has been asked to come up with detailed proposals. Jonathan has also called for calm and reconciliation and has instructed the security forces to restore peace without giving preferential treatment to any ethic group. All these are steps in the right direction. But more needs to be done to abolish social injustice.

There have also been acts of repression by the police against demonstrators. What do you say to this?

We have to differentiate between the attacks and murders perpetrated by terrorists, and on the other hand, the economic measures that have been implemented, namely the removal of the oil subsidy. I believe the economic necessity of these measures is generally accepted by economic experts. What is important is that the social component is not neglected. The massive subsidy cuts should not lead to an increase of poverty within individual groups in the population. A social component needs to be included, and I believe the president has indicated that he intends to do this and has demonstrated a willingness to engage in dialogue. Again, the measures must be made socially bearable.

You say it's a question of social equality, but on the other hand Nigeria is one of the world's leading oil exporters. How do you reconcile that?

It is, of course, a paradox. Nigeria is a country that earns millions of dollars through the export of oil. But it still has to import petrol because there are no refineries in the country. There is corruption and mismanagement and the unjust distribution of wealth; these are all things the government needs to address. Nigeria is a complex country, the tensions have been there for some time but I believe the president knows he must take steps in the energy sector, and also improve the infrastructure. If he does not, then the stability of the country will be seriously endangered. I believe the president knows this. This paradox must be eliminated. That will take some time but we will try and help.

Aside from financial aid, what can the German government do?

Germany and Nigeria have close bilateral relations; there's a bilateral commission, there are economic ties, there's also development cooperation. Social projects are being supported in Nigeria, there are job creation schemes. The European Union is also active in this sector and has a series of projects. Perhaps we should increase the level of coordination here. We could also perhaps see what can be done to promote dialogue between ethnic groups, and whether projects can be started with this specific aim. Most important is that the message gets through to the government in Nigeria that action needs to be taken to counter social injustice in the country.

Returning to the issue of the subsidy removal, the government says it wants to use the money for improving the infrastructure. Is this a convincing argument?

The government will of course be judged on whether it keeps its word. The money must be properly administered. I think everyone, not just the opposition but also the international community, is watching closely to see if this happens because social peace in the country depends on this.

Interview: Eric Segueda / sh
Editor: Mark Caldwell / rm