EDITORIAL: Nigeria proves that Africa can chart its own course

Nigeria has just concluded successful presidential elections amid a scale-up of the violent Islamist insurgency in the north-eastern part of the country. Boku Haram has taken over the country’s image, just as ISIL has done to the Arab world. Prophets of doom had already tagged the electoral process in Nigeria; that whichever side won, violence was bound to break out and with heavy consequences. None of that happened and yet there was a change of guard at the very top, in favour of the opposition. The most perplexing thing is that African media, even Nigerian, again danced to the tune of international media houses’ assessment of the situation on the ground. The most referred to was that it was the first time a ruling party had lost elections (very un-African, they seemed to insinuate) But why should third world media help to propagate bias in their own courtyards? Why should they fan the negative narrative that always accompanies their countries’ portrayals in major media houses? The horde of journalists who were camped on Nigerian streets waiting for the worst, are disappointedly packing their bags. To them, Nigeria is a non-story since there was no bloodshed and Boku Haram did not let loose its suicide bombers. Countries chart the course drawn according to the wishes of its people, and for them only. They do not follow scripts written by outsiders. Nigeria has proven just that.

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EDITORIAL: Nigeria proves that Africa can chart its own course