Freedom in the World 2001 - Nigeria

2001 Scores

Status: Partly Free
Freedom Rating: 4.0
Civil Liberties: 4
Political Rights: 4

Ratings Change

Nigeria's civil liberties rating changed from 3 to 4 because of increasing inter-religious and inter-ethnic clashes that left hundreds dead.

Overview

A visit by U.S. President Bill Clinton in August served as symbolic approval for Nigeria's reentry onto the world stage after 15 years of corrupt military rule, and for steps taken by the elected government of President Olusegun Obasanjo to consolidate democracy, reduce corruption, and improve human rights. Although Clinton's visit brought a flood of aid to Nigeria, including $66 million in military aid, it did not lead to the government's hoped-for cancellation of the country's nearly $30 billion debt.

The military ruled Nigeria for all but ten years since independence from Britain in 1960. Its generals and their backers argued that they were the only ones who could keep a lid on simmering tensions between Muslims and Christians on the one hand and the 122 million people who constitute the country's 250 ethnic groups on the other hand. The Hausa-Fulani from northern Nigeria dominated the military and the government from independence until Obasanjo, who is from the north, was elected. The Yoruba and Igbo peoples and smaller groups in the south deeply resent northern domination, and what many see as exploitation of their far richer lands. The north is largely Muslim while the south is mainly Christian.

Nigeria initially appeared to be emerging from several years of military rule under General Ibrahim Babangida in 1993, when presidential elections were held. Moshood Abiola, a Muslim Yoruba from the south, was widely considered the winner, but the military annulled the results. It continued to rule behind a puppet civilian administration until General Abacha, a principal architect of previous coups, took power himself in November 1993. A predominantly military Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) was appointed, and all democratic structures were dissolved and political parties banned. Abiola was arrested in June 1994 after declaring himself Nigeria's rightful president. He died in detention, after suffering from lack of proper medical care, just five weeks after Abacha himself died suddenly in June 1998.

The departure of the two most significant figures on Nigeria's political landscape opened possibilities for democratic change. General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the army chief of staff, emerged as the consensus choice of the military's PRC as the country's next leader and promised to oversee a transition to real civilian rule in 1999. Fraud and irregularities marred the polls, especially the presidential election, but most observers agreed that the election of Obasanjo reflected the will of the majority of voters. Obasanjo is a former general who led a military regime in Nigeria from 1976 to 1979, and spent three years in prison under Abacha.

Hostage-taking of oil workers and sabotage of petroleum installations in the southern Niger Delta region continued in 2000, and the government sent in the military to restore order, raising protests by human rights groups. Nine northern states have introduced Sharia (Islamic law), which allows amputation, flogging, and decapitation as penalties. Fighting between Christians and Muslims left hundreds dead during the year. Ethnic clashes and ethnic militancy are on the rise. A panel on human rights, modeled on South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, began hearing some 150 cases of alleged abuses spanning from the start of the Biafran war in 1966 through the regime of General Sani Abacha in the 1990s.

A priority of the Obasanjo government is to try to rid Nigeria of the corrupt practices of the past that have bled the country of billions of dollars in oil revenue. An anti-graft commission was set up in September 2000, and lawmakers in December passed an anti-corruption bill. The International Monetary Fund in August approved a $1 billion standby credit, and discussions were ongoing with the World Bank on a $3 billion concessionary loan. Most Nigerians are engaged in small-scale agriculture.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Nigerians had the right to change their government for the first time in 16 years in 1999. Although the voting was free, it was not fair in many areas in both the presidential and legislative polls. Irregularities occurred at each stage of the electoral process. During the presidential nominating convention, large sums of money were offered by both political camps to delegates to vote against political opponents. International observers witnessed serious irregularities during the presidential election, including the local purchase of false ballots and fraudulent tally sheets. The production of "ghost votes" in some states amounted to as much as 70 or 80 percent of the total reported votes. Obasanjo won the presidency, which carries a four-year term, with 63 percent of the vote compared with 37 percent for Samuel Oluyemi Falae of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). International observers confirmed the results and stated that, despite widespread fraud, Obasanjo's victory reflected the will of most voters.

Members of the bicameral national assembly are elected for four-year terms to 109 seats in the senate and 360 in the house of representatives. Obasanjo's People's Democratic Party won 59 senate seats and 206 house seats. The All People's Party won 24 seats in the senate and 74 in the house, while the AD won 20 senate seats and 68 house seats.

The Independent National Electoral Commission is working with several international electoral assistance organizations to help improve the process in 2003. No commission officials, however, have faced disciplinary action as result of their involvement in corrupt activities in the 1999 elections.

The judiciary is subject to political influence and is hampered by corruption and inefficiency. Lengthy pretrial detention remains a problem. The country's prisons are overcrowded, unhealthy, and life-threatening. The government has allowed international nongovernmental organizations to visit detention facilities, and some improvements have been made.

Respect for human rights has improved considerably under Obasanjo. The Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, which is modeled on South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, began hearing about 150 cases during the year, or those deemed the most serious, of some 11,000 complaints that were filed. Despite these efforts, there are continuing reports of abuses. Members of the security forces, including the police, anticrime units, vigilante groups, and the armed forces, committed serious violations. These included extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, torture, and beatings. Human Rights Watch reported in December that security forces deployed to the oil-rich Niger Delta region carried out summary executions, assaults, and other abuses against civilians. The government has taken steps to curb the torture and beating of detainees and prisoners.

Freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed, and the Obasanjo government respected these rights far more than the previous military administrations. Several private radio and television stations broadcast, and numerous print publications operate largely unhindered. However, violations against press freedom continued during the year, according to the international Committee to Protect Journalists.

Armed members of the State Security Service raided the Abuja offices of the independent daily This Day in April and roughed up several employees. An editor who reportedly was targeted said the raid stemmed from reports about a state security advisor allegedly involved in graft under the Abacha regime. In January, more than 50 police, some heavily armed, stormed the International Press Center in Lagos with their guns drawn and arrested several people, including four journalists. The reporter Funmi Komolafe of the private daily Vanguard was beaten in July by a group of striking labor union workers before an interview with an official from the Nigeria Labor Union.

The freedoms of assembly and association are guaranteed and are usually respected in practice. The constitution prohibits ethnic discrimination and requires government offices to reflect the country's ethnic diversity. Obasanjo's government is both ethnically and religiously diverse, but societal discrimination is widely practiced and clashes frequently erupt among the country's 250 ethnic groups. A number of armed youth groups have emerged to defend their ethnic and economic interests, including the pro-Yoruba Oodua People's Congress (OPC), the pro-Hausa-Fulani Arewa People's Congress, and Ijaw militants of the Niger Delta. An OPC attack in October 2000 on Hausa-Fulanis living in Lagos claimed more than 100 lives. Ethnic minorities in the Delta region feel particularly discriminated against, mainly in terms of receiving a share of the country's oil wealth. A secessionist group, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, emerged during the year. Several people were killed in December when government troops were deployed against the group.

Religious freedom is guaranteed by the constitution, but officials often discriminated against those of a religion different from their own. Private businesses frequently practice religious discrimination. Religious violence has become increasingly common and often corresponds with regional and ethnic differences. Clashes between Christians and Muslims in the northern city of Kaduna in February and May 2000 left at least 200 people dead and forced thousands of people to flee their homes. An armed vigilante group has emerged in the northern state of Zamfara to enforce Sharia. Nine northern states have declared Islamic law since the return to democratic rule. Conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims occasionally flares.

Nigerian women face societal discrimination, although educational opportunities have eroded a number of barriers over the years. Women play a vital role in the country's informal economy. Marital rape is not considered a crime, and women of some ethnic groups are denied equal rights to inherit property. About 60 percent of Nigerian women are subjected to female genital mutilation. Trafficking in women for prostitution continued, particularly to Western European cities. Women's rights suffered serious setbacks in many northern states where Sharia law was declared during the year. Women were sentenced to be flogged for having premarital sex. Child labor, marriages, and trafficking remain common.

The transitional government of General Abubakar lifted decrees promulgated under Abacha that repressed labor rights, including the right to strike, and the country regained its position in the International Labor Organization. Workers, except members of the armed forces and those considered essential employees, may join trade unions. About ten percent of the workforce belong to unions. No laws prohibit retribution against strikers and strike leaders, but strikers who believe that they are victims of unfair retribution may submit their cases to the Industrial Arbitration Panel with prior approval of the Labor Ministry. The rights to organize and to bargain collectively are guaranteed