‘New President should take tough decisions early’ –Laing, British High Commissioner
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, has challenged the winner of Saturday’s presidential election to take the building of Nigeria’s economy a priority, adding that such a move will address the plaguing issues of insecurity, infrastructure decay, and foreign exchange challenges being a face in the country. In the interview on Channels TV Politics Today monitored by Deborah Onyofufeke, the envoy called on more women to participate in politics, emphasizing that Nigerian women are smart and successful in all facets of life except in politics where the representation is poor.
What did observe in the preparation to the polls?
I have been here for nearly four and half years which is quite unusually long, but I particularly wanted to be here for two election cycles, so, I arrived just before the previous election and I’ll be leaving soon after this one. So, the first thing I’ve observed is how different this election feels actually to the last one. There feels much more engagement particularly amongst the youth and we’ve seen that reflected in the much higher represent people who’ve registered to vote who’ve collected their PVCs, obviously you need to actually go out and vote on the day and I would urge them all to do so I think the second thing is the passing of the electoral act which enables electronic transmission of votes which also partly accounts I think for that increased engagement of the youth and obviously we have a bigger race this time there’s at least three candidates if not four as well as many other smaller parties participating so that’s creating a real sense of energy and enthusiasm and engagement so that’s all very positive and there are some challenges, Nigeria is a huge democracy, a huge country getting all the logistics in place for an election to run smoothly incredibly on the day but I think we’ve been impressed with what INEC has done so far and they’ve told us they are ready and obviously the security on the day is very important the security forces do their job impartially providing a secure environment for people to vote so still a few days to go and we’re all on tender hooks and it really is a close race I think we’re all becoming obsessed with Nigerian politics but we hope for the best.
As you have observed that Nigerians are very confident people, they don’t like to be told what to do, but there are a lot of lessons to learn from much older democracies what would you say you’ve observed with how politicians are comporting themselves?
So, I think, I mean Nigeria’s on a democratic journey but it’s commendable that you’ve stuck with it since 1999 and as you mentioned earlier that can’t be said for all countries in this region where we’ve seen quite a lot of democratic backsliding with queues with presidents refusing to step down after their time there’s never been any question of that in Nigeria the two times, four years term, has been stuck to and president Buhari himself has said he feels his most important legacy is a credible and peaceful election so I think that’s all very positive and that’s not to say there aren’t challenges. In each election, we hope to see some improvements what would be very worrying would be to see backsliding. on that democratic journey but I am confident and I think the people of Nigeria confidence certainly many of the youth who I’ve spoken to feel much more confident this time that their vote will count because it’s protected through the Beavers the electronic transmission of votes and because there’s more choice for them you know there’s candidates they feel they can relate to so nothing’s perfect no democracy in the world is perfect and UK we have challenges we learn but Nigeria is on that journey on a progressive journey and the world is indeed watching this election.
What do you think would be the impact on much younger voters I mean you said you have observed that there is more enthusiasm between the younger demography, what do you think would be the impact or the implication of that?
Well, I think the message to the youth is If you go and turn out to vote you know 50 per cent of this population is under 18 there are at least nine and a half million new registered voters and I think 75 per cent of them are in that 18 to 35 bracket you could potentially change the outcome of this election I’m not assuming who they’re going to vote for but the point is their vote will count so there’s a few days to go so it’s been encouraging people have registered picking up their cards but of course, the only poll that counts is on the day so people do need to go out and that will determine who the winner will be because the winner will determine on who votes on the day so I would urge them all to complete their journey and go out and vote and don’t feel intimidated it’s really important people feel they can vote peacefully
What do you think about the quality of some of the candidates, the top ones?
Well we’ve engaged with all the big four, as you might say but I’ve met some of the smaller parties as well you know them well and like channels TV, we’re not backing any particular candidate we can work with anybody who wins this election because that would be the choice of the people of Nigeria and I think whoever comes in is going to have an enormous set of challenges on the economy on the security so what we’ve urged all of the presidential candidates to do is to take bold early action, On those particularly, on the economy, because if the economy functions the security environment will also improve because much of the insecurity I think we see is related to joblessness livelihoods young men in particular not having an alternative viable livelihood so the two are very much linked. So, we’re very much convinced, on that day and we see who comes out assuming there’s no runoff we stand ready to work with whoever comes through.
The BREXIT in the UK, is perhaps one thing that most politicians in the UK would be biting their fingers about, an experience that if a lot of leaders in your country think again about if they had an opportunity to perhaps rethink their decision maybe they would have acted differently about the choice of getting a popular vote on that kind of decision that a lot of political analysts across the globe say you don’t leave to a popular opinion to the timing of such a very important decision or a matter in the life of the country as the UK looking back at that kind of experience that’s a lot of lessons to learn if you take that and transpose it to Nigerian experience what lesson do you think we could learn from some of the missteps of your country your democracy?
Well, I wouldn’t call them missteps, I mean I think the BREXIT referendum, like the Scottish referendum, was a choice that was put to the people of the United Kingdom and Scotland to determine what kind of future they wanted to have and it was a close vote and in the end, the no vote, the leave votes came through and it’s been challenging to for Britain to carve out a new set of relationships with Europe. I mean it takes time to unravel 40 years of single market integration and we’re still on that journey, but I think we’re making good progress, really good progress. The Northern Ireland protocol there’s been some really good progress on settling that very tricky bit of the infrastructure we’re getting there but I think from the Nigeria point of view there are opportunities that come from BREXIT because obviously, we have more choice now around, particularly on migration who can come to the UK we have control over our borders and indeed many Nigerians have benefited from that Nigerians the third biggest student population in the UK we’re benefiting from many talented young entrepreneurs coming to the UK so you know there are opportunities as well as some challenges. So, I was speaking in the political and the voting sense and what comes out of such a decision and how much people understand that the decision they make in an election will impact not only the economy, it will impact their livelihood generally and a lot of Nigerians who are watching you tonight and the reason why I asked the earlier question is perhaps the decision they make on Saturday will affect their lives in so many ways and that’s why I was asking for the lesson that Nigerians could learn also in making a dramatic or a very critical decision. Well, I think, I mean the referendum is very different obviously, from the election because it’s about one issue and you focus on it and you have to make a decision but the thing that’s similar obviously is that you should go into an election or a referendum doing your homework or your research and thinking about you know is you know does BREXIT how will it affect me personally my family and it was a complicated issue and some people think that shouldn’t go to a referendum because it’s almost too complicated but in an election all the key parties have published their manifestos I’ve seen them what’s been quite striking here actually is how similar they are, I didn’t see huge policy differences amongst the big four they’ve all told us they understand the importance of you know taking those difficult policy decisions but there are differences and you know candidates come with different perspectives and it’s clear the youth have mobilised particularly around one candidate, but in terms of policy, I didn’t see a huge set of differences in the candidates. However, the most important thing people do in their research they think about who overall, a candidate who reflects their interest most who will do the best for them in future Nigeria they make their choice, and then they accept the result that’s the most important thing and the one thing we do need to worry about in Nigeria because the sort of flip side of a very close election where there’s a lot of engagement is there is a lot at stake yeah there’s no predetermined outcome in this election that’s democracy.
How are you helping Nigeria in this election?
So, we’ve been working with Nigeria for many years, over 20 years to help you put in place the framework for this democracy so with INEC we’ve worked on for example most recently on the electoral act it was that supporting the electoral act which our network benefit from helping them do the training of their various people who will go out on the ground and we support civil society to have a voice a loud voice in terms of holding government to account passing the electoral act on the day we’ll support the various situation rooms including ‘YIAGA’ the not too young to run the campaign, we support their parallel vote tabulation so essentially we support INEC we’ve supported the judicial process and we’ve supported civil society.
It’s interesting that and I mean you’re not worried about those who are thinking that our colonial masters are back at it again, the game and you don’t think that people have that kind of feeling?
This is different, I don’t think people have that kind of feeling, I think most people I’ve spoken to welcome this because everyone has a stake in a peaceful credible election most of all the people of Nigeria so it’s undermining everyone’s rights to vote peacefully to express their preferences so we are just playing our part in supporting Nigeria’s democratic journey but this is not interference, this is not our election, it is your election.
What are your biggest fears about this election from what you have observed?
I think there is a worry about insecurity and violence, in this pre-election. The number of pre-election incidents is higher than the last election there’s the day of the election itself and following the presidential and senatorial elections, where we hope people can go out to vote peacefully but perhaps most worrying is the post-election. Where we have seen in the past in Nigeria that there’s been quite intense post-election violence so to avoid that what we’re urging the heads of the political parties to do is to ensure that their supporters go out and vote of course but as I said except the result and if they feel they want to challenge anything to do so through the courts through the judicial process to keep things calm during what is going to be a very close closely run election there’s a lot at stake so that’s I guess one of my fears and worries but assuming we can get through that I think the future looks very bright for Nigeria with the incoming presidential candidate, whoever it is, tackling those difficult challenges. The UK, like most of the international community, wants Nigeria to succeed and we’re going to be coming in fully behind you.
Oh yeah. I mean we need all the support, don’t we?
And I mean saying that the UK has a formidable ally in our democratic development gives someone I mean some kind of courage that we can push harder and further. On the final note, I see the old democratic journey as not only a Nigerian journey but a journey because if it’s good Nigeria there is some kind of influence and impact that it makes across the globe. After all, Nigeria we have the population and on the African continent we are a sample we are a great example for the continent in terms of the democratic process in terms of our political culture, and all of that I mean whatever happens here we see that also being transposed in other parts of the continent but what would you say is the biggest lesson that is that you think that this process has brought up in Nigeria this is an election where you have major candidate emerge in different parts of the country and it’s a big departure from what we have had in the past. I think it is that rise of the youth who recognise that a political awakening you’ve recognised and probably linked partly to the EndSARS movement, is finding a direction in this election to channel that energy that desires for their voice to be heard in Nigeria. Nigeria is a young country it is still ruled by relatively elderly people and I think that voice has now been found and that’s going to be so important and a real positive and the elderly who we all respect and we’re all becoming older and need to allow space for the youth to come through and I would also mention importance of women and that is something sadly Nigeria is backsliding on Nigerian women are successful in all walks of life just last week we were celebrating through International Women’s Day gala award that the female ambassadors here in Nigeria have put together amazing successful women in the media, in law, in everything but not in politics because it’s just too difficult you know the people who secured these positions in the National Assembly mostly men do not want women to come through sadly there are exceptions there are some really good fishes but there’s only one female gubernatorial candidate it’s just not good enough so the big lesson for Nigeria as well is like embrace this inclusion embrace the youth embrace women and that’s where Nigeria really will succeed.
For the person who becomes the winner of this election, what message do you have for such a person?
Be bold, take tough decisions, and take them early, have courage and we’ll come in behind you.
What would you say the next president should focus on as a priority?
Well, I think it’s got to be the economy’s number one priority because that’s what’s holding Nigeria back and as I mentioned I think the economy failing is also causing a lot of the insecurity, not all of the insecurity but a large part of it so there are you know two or three key decisions the incoming president has to take. First, is to remove the fuel subsidy which is draining the country but to do it in a way to protect the poor people. Secondly, to tackle the multiple exchange rates and businesses that just will not invest in this country if they can’t secure their foreign exchange. Thirdly, raise taxes you have one of the lowest tax ratios in the modern world and without raising revenue you can’t invest in public services, infrastructure, and education is key to the future.
But the other point I just wanted to emphasise again is whoever comes in builds a strong inclusive team with young people with women in your team at the top table bring all that talent together and reach out to other political parties strong inclusive team to help you and support you as a leader in what’s going to be a pretty enormous set of challenges.
You mentioned insecurity as one of the challenges, is the British government doing enough to assist?
We’ve been supporting the Nigerian government for many years particularly since the horrible incident with the taking of the Chibok girls so we do a lot of training of your military, particularly around how to conduct operations and human rights compliance way and we support the military and understanding it is not just a kinetic approach it’s non-kinetic as good drawing on very long experience we’ve had in Northern Ireland in Iraq and Afghanistan and so on. so we’ve got a very strong security and defence partnership we take stock every six months next one to round off with this administration will be in April actually and then we’re preparing the groundwork to do more on this counter-terrorism and cyber security on serious organised crime with an incoming administration listening to where they want us to focus and hopefully scaling up our support.
