On the realism of an emergent multipolar global order together with its glaring geostrategic and geoeconomic shifts away from the exploitative, oppressive and repressive unipolar global order, driven by those Anglo-Saxon masters, no country worth its name will pretend, as we do in Nigeria, that nothing is happening.
Obviously, there’s the inevitability of an evolving new world order being ushered in by the new contestants for the positions of world leadership. Some of the protagonists of this new world order, in case you are not aware of it, are China, Russia, India, Brazil, Iran, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
I don’t need to remind you that the new kids on the block are here with us, and they are doing everything possible within their limits to create their own spaces and spheres of influence in all possible corners of our world.
The inevitably of a new multipolar world order, which is clearly breft of the encumbrances of western hegemonic stranglehold, is indisputably in the offing. Old multilateral institutions and structures of imperialist control are everywhere showing signs of atrophy as well as incapacity to address current global challenges.
I hope Nigeria is watching, planning and preparing for the earthshaking realities of a new international order in which multiple centres of power are robustly announcing their arrival, and are giving the old hegemons a good run for their money.
We can’t afford to continue with the pretence of being the good boys of western imperialists, especially in their neoliberal economic game of chase in Africa. Looking at the social disasters caused by neoliberal policies in Nigeria, can we really afford to continue in that direction?
Storm is however coming on the heels of the geostrategic changes! Are we not seeing that the signs of the coming storm have clearly emblazoned our horizon? A number of African countries have already been hands on deck trying to see how they can negotiate good deals for themselves in the ongoing geostrategic power shuffle.
I wish Nigeria, our Nigeria, is seeing the strategic need to go back to the drawing board before it is too late for us. We can’t afford not to make adequate preparation in anticipation of new rules, risks, challenges and opportunities of a multipolar global order.
But I have my doubts and fears, because as the gargantuan historical changes are taking shape before our very eyes, we are pretending like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand that nothing serious is happening on the global stage.
Never mind! We can effortlessly navigate the cataclysm and brutalities of the emergent reality. So it seems! Nigerians can adapt; we can adjust to the new changes. It can be that simple. So our leaders seem to be thinking!
Only the other day Nigeria negotiated new loan facilities of $800 million dollars with the World Bank. Bu what are we going to do with it? Of course we have been armtwisted to dish the loan out as palliative to “our poor folks” in order to cushion the effects of another round of the so called fuel subsidy removal.
So, our ruling elite are not yet tired of this game of self-deception? They cannot realise that they have pushed the nation to the limits it can possibly take through bad leadership, bad policies, mismanagement of resources and mamooth corruption?
Anyway, our leaders do not care a hoot about the social costs of their reckless, illogical, dysfunctional, ill-thought out and failed World Bank and IMF induced economic reforms even in the face of a rapidly changing global economic order where the neoliberal system is everywhere showing clear signs of morbidity.
Professor Liman writes from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria
