Abuja; Africa's Political Capital
Abuja
can & should be Africa's political influence capital but for the
current security situation in the country which seems out of hand &
raises the risk-level for high-powered delegations/personalities to
travel & hold meetings there.
Essentially, Abuja already started gaining such relevance in a regional sense & it would have easily fitted into the role of Africa's Political capital with the right combination of lobbying/packaging plus economic & institutional viability/infrastructural development. In terms of location, & existing infrastructure...Abuja is indeed well primed for such a role almost perfectly especially aesthetically being a convener's paradise!
Again, looking at the wealth of politicians/statesmen and diplomats Nigeria has...with the right conditions in place I feel Nigeria's 'numbers' would still play a great part in making Abuja, Africa's Brussels...albeit with less historical significance being a modern creation of recent; a far-cry from the ignoble heritage of Brussels as one of the centre-stage places where colonialists 'shared' the African continent amongst themselves.
Lastly looking at the future, one will not rule out Nigeria reasserting itself and rising from the seeming abyss it has been plunged by a multivariate of phenomena. And indeed barring any doomsday event on the country...Abuja would be eagerly waiting to snatch away the bragging right to be called: Africa's Political Capital.
Another angle to look at it from is on the issue of UN Security Council seat for Africa. Given my forgoing analysis, and all things being equal the ability of Nigeria to make it into the Security Council would in a way pre-conclude Abuja's fate.
Yet all these pros are hinged on the stability and prosperity of the country which is hanging in the balance.
Haidar Wali
[P.S. Brussels hosted two less popularized conferences in 1876 & 1889-90 which are overshadowed by the more popular Berlin conference of 1884-5. For more see: The Second Brussels Conference and the Partition of AfricaChristopher FyfeReviewed work(s):Britain and the Ending of the Slave Trade by Suzanne MiersThe Journal of African HistoryVol. 18, No. 1 (1977), pp. 140-142]
Essentially, Abuja already started gaining such relevance in a regional sense & it would have easily fitted into the role of Africa's Political capital with the right combination of lobbying/packaging plus economic & institutional viability/infrastructural development. In terms of location, & existing infrastructure...Abuja is indeed well primed for such a role almost perfectly especially aesthetically being a convener's paradise!
Again, looking at the wealth of politicians/statesmen and diplomats Nigeria has...with the right conditions in place I feel Nigeria's 'numbers' would still play a great part in making Abuja, Africa's Brussels...albeit with less historical significance being a modern creation of recent; a far-cry from the ignoble heritage of Brussels as one of the centre-stage places where colonialists 'shared' the African continent amongst themselves.
Lastly looking at the future, one will not rule out Nigeria reasserting itself and rising from the seeming abyss it has been plunged by a multivariate of phenomena. And indeed barring any doomsday event on the country...Abuja would be eagerly waiting to snatch away the bragging right to be called: Africa's Political Capital.
Another angle to look at it from is on the issue of UN Security Council seat for Africa. Given my forgoing analysis, and all things being equal the ability of Nigeria to make it into the Security Council would in a way pre-conclude Abuja's fate.
Yet all these pros are hinged on the stability and prosperity of the country which is hanging in the balance.
Haidar Wali
[P.S. Brussels hosted two less popularized conferences in 1876 & 1889-90 which are overshadowed by the more popular Berlin conference of 1884-5. For more see: The Second Brussels Conference and the Partition of AfricaChristopher FyfeReviewed work(s):Britain and the Ending of the Slave Trade by Suzanne MiersThe Journal of African HistoryVol. 18, No. 1 (1977), pp. 140-142]
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