Nigeria’s ‘rap against corruption’ fails to strike a chord with young people
▶ Few takers for the social media challenge in a country overwhelmed by crime and injustice
A social media campaign in Nigeria that urged the public to rap to raise awareness about corruption has failed to inspire the country’s young people.
Critics said the initiative started last month by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission would have little effect on widespread corruption in government.
The commission also asked people to perform a dance, drama, song or poem to raise awareness about the issue of corruption.
It even supplied a backing track to download for a Rap Against Corruption Challenge.
Two videos, one lasting 45 seconds and the other one minute, were posted weeks later on Facebook and Twitter. The government banned Twitter in early June.
Musician Victor Collins submitted a 45-second video in which he sang about corruption and injustice that has overwhelmed Africa’s most populous nation.
The lyrics were influenced by the everyday difficulties faced by Nigerians.
“It struck me to play the role of a Nigerian everyman or woman,” Collins said.
“Being on the move daily comes with its own stress and struggle for survival – traffic congestion and the like. And at the end of the day, you earn nothing but crumbs, because the system is corrupt.”
The commission was established in 2003 to prevent, investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes, including money laundering and advance-fee fraud.
The social media challenge comes at a time when Nigeria faces myriad corruption problems, from high-level government procurement fraud to petty bribery.
Paul Mashote, a lawyer in Lagos, said the rap challenge was intended to help prevent corruption in the country.
But although the campaign was aimed at young people, some of those accused of crimes are in senior positions.
“The challenge is targeted at the youths, but the people this campaign should be talking to are the politicians and these politicians don’t really listen to music,” he said.
“When it comes to financial and economic crimes, it should not be limited to a particular age.”
But Mr Mashote said the situation would be “very bad” without the work of the commission”.
“Convictions of some top Nigerian politicians have been achieved, with many who have been caught in the web of economic and financial crimes removed from power,” he said.
Wilson Uwujaren, commission spokesman, said it was exploring ways to improve its public outreach.
“The rap challenge is just one effort and we are convinced it will be of interest to the youth, a critical demographic in the fight against corruption,” he said.
“We also have an interfaith programme for Christians and Muslims.
“Under the programme, a teaching and preaching manual has been developed and will be used by Christian and Muslim clerics in preparing their sermons.”
Other programmes include the introduction of so-called integrity clubs in high schools across the country to promote positive values and offer anti-corruption tutorials.
But it seems the rap challenge has been less successful.
The campaign has been ridiculed by some social media users, while others have accused the commission of being a tool for the ruling political party to use against opposition figures.
The commission has also been accused of not being transparent.
Some of the criticism centres on former acting chairman Ibrahim Magu, who was suspended on July 7 last year after he was accused of fraud, including the diversion of recovered funds and seized assets.
Ikechukwu Cajetan, a freelance photographer, is sceptical about the commission’s latest anti-corruption initiative.
“They’ve been in operation for so long,” he said, “yet all we see is a country wallowing and drowning in a sea of financial crimes, especially those committed by public office holders.”