The under 17 world cup: the net worth of Nigeria’s double-speak

By Ilobi Austin

Some Nigerians, including media personalities, had on learning that President Yaradua’s had renounced the country’s hosting right of the under 17 youth competition, had gone to town to regale the rest of us with all the dire consequences-FIFA and non-FIFA, of his actions.

But somehow, I knew or felt it, that he was just bluffing or better still, engaging in double speak that was meant to convey a message: that Nigeria was not unaware of the current global economic crisis and that, under this new leadership, the era of thoughtless spending-Abuja stadium, in the name of sport or any other what-not “development”, was over in Nigeria.

That exactly I submit was the net worth of the double speaks. Otherwise, there was really nothing that made any sense in the so-called cancellation and was therefore, bound to be reversed.

Considering the financial crisis that is currently ravaging economies around the world, it would not have been too good for our image as a people and as a nation not to have demonstrated the fact that we like the rest of the world, was, even if not yet as severe, facing a massive reduction in our revenue profile. That would have been the height of irresponsibility; to have behaved as if we were insulated from the happenings around the world.

But even if we it was to be a period of financial Eldora do like the Gowon to Shagari era, Nigeria I believe, remains the least encumbered nation to host such a jamboree; however the so called gains. As a nation, we are yet to surmount the basic challenges of nationhood. We can’t feed nor cloth ourselves without massive importation. Our infrastructures-road, hospitals, schools, is worse than that of a war ravaged nation like Iraq not to talk of Georgia. We can’t even provide electricity for the most essential of places like hospitals, schools and research centers.

I read some people’s opinions about the negative impact of the cancellation on youth development, supposed revenue from foreigners and the possibility of a return in the future, an opportunity to show case our potentials and such others. And I ask, is youth development all just about hosting sport competitions? And if so, have we not hosted competitions of this magnitude if not bigger, in the past and till date; we- the vast majority, not still waiting like our wait for the democracy dividends, to reap from such investment? Is there really anyone in this country who honestly believes that we can attract investors and suddenly smell like roses before the international community by assembling sport men and women from every corners of the earth and lighting up just the venues and accommodation centers with giant power generators imported from their home countries? Or that they will be deceived by the more than war scenario we paint around their hotels in the name of security when we flood the entire vicinity with military, police, and the SSS, complete with all they have got in their respective arsenal?


The world knows us more than we would like to believe. The country is brimming with nationals from different nations of the world who interact constantly with their relations and government back home on their perception about us and our government. It is the same with our people who return from across the sea to tell us about their experience. That is the most authentic source of information to them than our cosmetic laundering exercise.

In fact, they know that there is a bush path outside Lagos that leads to Edo state in south-south Nigeria. And that between that Edo state and Rivers state, you are likely to be kidnapped over a dozen times in traffic, shopping malls, hotels and such other places by either MEND or any of their variant for either shield from soldiers, ransom or rituals-otokoto, depending whose hand they are lucky or unlucky to fall into.

Let’s just stop deceiving ourselves. We will host the world because we willingly lobbied to do so and nothing more. We must always strive to be a nation whose people’s words are as good as their legally binding contract.

The good news in this is that in passing across this message to the rest of the world, it is doubtful if it was ever intended but the government was able to drastically reduce the monetary cost of the hosting on the government. From a cost estimate of almost #40 billion, the burden on the government was scaled down to #9 billion with the private sector getting heavily involved in such venture for the first time.

As for the so-called football lovers-pretenders, in Nigeria, In the future, we should be made to bid and underwrite 100% the bills for such competition. Our fanaticism should not just be about criticizing the government actions and inactions. Fanatics in other parts of the world die for what they believe in, ours should not be different.

Ilobi Austin is a public analyst and writes from Warri. His opinions on Nigerian and international issues can be downloaded free @ www.vibratingaustin.blogspot.com