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NIGERIA & GHANA: IDENTICAL TWINS?
BY: LLES LEBA (Email: llesleba@hotmail.com)
The phenomenon of simultaneous multiple births is not peculiar to any specific region in the world, though research has shown that people from the South Western part of Nigeria produce more twin births than people from most other parts of the world. The causes of this unusual endowment on the children of Oduduwa are yet to be properly defined but the rich cultural positioning of twins in Yoruba society is well acknowledged. The sublime phenomenon of identical twins does not so far show preponderance in any particular region worldwide. However, wherever it occurs, the magic of beholding a live duplicate of another person never ceases to amaze and fascinate the beholder. The mystique is embellished when it can be observed that not only do the twins look identical but they also behave in almost exactly the same way, reacting to events and impulses in a uniform pattern even when the twins may be miles apart from each other.
In the same manner, we may recognize striking similarities in the salient characteristics of cities and indeed sovereign nation states worldwide at various periods in their historical journeys. The overriding feature of poverty is a common index in the profile of third world countries while affluence and unrestrained consumption generally typifies the rich countries. The matrix of the social, economic and political mix which each country, whether poor or rich adopts for its sustenance may indeed vary, but as with identical twins, it is possible to occasionally identify two or sometimes more countries who seem to be traveling along identical tracks with identical steps, with identical reactions to identical threats and opportunities. Yes, most African nations may show ‘genetic’ traits of brotherhood but the special phenomenon of almost identical behaviour is often a rare occurrence bothering on the mystique of the natural phenomenon of identical twins.
In this regard a nimble examination of the behavioural reactions of Nigeria and Ghana to threats and opportunities in their social, economic and political history may be quite revealing. Ghana and Nigeria were the two most important British colonies in West Africa. Both countries consist of multiple ethnic nationalities and are bounded on three sides by Francophone countries and commonly in the South by the Atlantic Ocean.
Although Ghana became politically independent three years ahead of Nigeria, they have since shared a similar post independence political history. The democratically elected post independence governments were overthrown by military juntas within 12 month of each other. The second republic in each country was also soon overthrown by a second round of military adventurism.
The third republic was born in Ghana with an ex-military president in 1992; Nigeria missed a step in 1993 and eventually got it right in 1999, but also, with an ex-military ruler as president. The vestiges of British parliamentary systems which ushered in independences at the end of the 1950s had since been erased with the enthronement of varying models of the U.S. presidential system in the administration of both countries.
Nigeria and Ghana have basically agrarian economies and have maintained their colonial heritage as suppliers of primary produce for further processing in the industrial countries of the world. The feeble attempts to industrialize were driven through state owned corporations which soon collapsed under the burden of inefficiency and corruption. Agencies have since been set up in each country to unload the carcasses of these state enterprises to the private sector. The process of privatization in both countries has come under severe criticism for various reasons, but generally, the people in both countries feel short changed even if they accept the argument that state owned businesses are usually badly managed. Poor infrastructure, particularly uninterrupted power supply remain major constraints to industrial development and social welfare; (even though the power supply situation in major urban centres in Ghana is considerably better than in Nigeria, though this may not be so in Ghana’s rural communities).
Nigeria and Ghana had merchant fleets which were the envy of most other African and developing countries. Sadly, both the Black Star Line, and the Ghana Airways now share the same moribund state as the Nigerian National Shipping Line and the Nigerian Airway s. Indeed, both Ghana Airways and Nigerian Airways are currently in various states of negotiation to establish new national carriers with private overseas partnerships. The issue of payment of terminal benefits to employees of the defunct fleet and air lines remain to be satisfactorily resolved in both countries.
The governments of both countries seem to be befuddled with the formulation and management of coherent macro economic policies for lifting the masses of their people from the clutches of poverty. The welfare of the nationals of both countries seem to have declined significantly from pre-independence levels. The rate of inflation in both countries is over 18% and interest rates hover around 25%; rates which can hardly support improved welfare or rapid industrialization. Indeed, President Kuffour, last month, praised his own administration’s ‘success’ in bringing interest rates down from its rate of about 50% just four years ago, when he took over the reins of power!
The rates of exchange between the currencies of both countries and the dollar have suffered a freefall from almost parity in the early 1970s, the Nigerian naira now exchanges for N133 = $ while the Ghanaian cedi now exchanges for C9,100 = $! Nonetheless, the administration in both countries insist and pat themselves on the back that their currencies have been relatively stable (note, not resistant!) against the dollar but are silent with regard to the depreciation still suffered against the other major currencies like the Euro and the Sterling which have gained almost 20% against the dollar in the last 12 months or so! In other words, prices of imports from all other sources except the USA have increased by this margin in naira and cedi terms.
The domestic markets in both countries have become dumping grounds for cheap consumer imports from erstwhile third world countries who had occupied lower rungs on the development index just 30 years ago! The CEO of Unilever, Ghana challenged the reality of the expectation for competitive industrial production in the sub region when industries have to pay interest rates of 26% and above , and also provide their own infrastructural support in most cases, while government revenue agencies continue to see industries as orphan cash cows for milking.
Both Nigeria and Ghana have a rising debt profile and both are currently classified as among highly indebted poor countries, and have consequently gone cap in hand to international finance agencies for ‘debt forgiveness’. The domestic debt level in both Ghana and Nigeria has remained largely unhealthy. Local contractors are owed sums which exceed the market capitalization of the stock exchange in each country. The fate of pensioners and legionaries become precarious as payments of emoluments are intermittent and fraught with avoidable protocol.
The facilities for potable and drinkable water supply have become abysmally inadequate for an ever-increasing population. Entrepreneurs who have stepped in to provide packaged drinking water in cellophane sachets and provide significant employment for our jobless youths have now become beleaguered in both countries. There was talk in the last quarter of last year in both Lagos and Accra of a possible ban on the further production of ‘pure water’ because of the nuisance value of the non degradable packaging. Critics of this potential ban have argued that the nuisance value should be seen as an opportunity for additional job creation for official scavengers to clean up the mess!
Nigerian and Ghanaian youths swell the illegal immigration routes to Europe and America. The hopeless job situation at home has motivated mass migration of youths who trek the Sahara desert and swim across the Mediterranean to clean streets and wash dishes abroad, despite the sacrifice made by their home governments and parents to provide them with university and higher education in their home countries.
The debilitating effects of corruption seriously prevail in both countries. A due process agency for government contracts and capital expenditure has been established both in Nigeria and Ghana. However, most critics maintain that these agencies may just be toothless bulldogs who acquire fangs only when there is political opposition to be decimated! Nigeria at least continues to enjoy pride of place amongst the world’s most corrupt countries while the people of Ghana are not impressed by their government’s attempts to tackle corruption.
The identification of similarities between Ghana and Nigeria cannot end without recognizing their identical performances and posturing in sports. The beautiful game of football remain the main sporting passion in both countries; Nigeria and Ghana have both won FIFA Youth Championships at least twice but have remained unable to achieve the same feats at the senior levels of FIFA World Championships.
Nigeria and Ghana have similarly produced at least two World Champions each in the boxing arena, but no national of either country currently holds any major boxing title!
I am sure that even a casual observer of the twin histories of Nigeria and Ghana will recognise a lot more similarities which would support the concept of Nigeria and Ghana as identical national twins, however, it may be more difficult to accept the similarities as naturally genetically driven as in the case of identical twin births. In this event, we may attribute the striking similarities between Nigeria and Ghana to plain accident or ‘happenstance’. Some cynics, however, argue that the similarities are too numerous and pervading to be just accidents! They argue that these features could only exist in the manner in which they occur if the circumstances are driven along the contours of a Grand Design! This may or may not be so, but if it is, who is the puppeteer!
