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FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6753
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
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RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ABUJA 001438 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS TO USAID FOR AFR/ATWOOD 
DEPT PASS USTR-AGAMA 
DOE FOR GPERSON, CHAYLOCK 
TREASURY FOR PETERS AND IERONIMO 
LABOR FOR SHALEY 
USDA/FAS/OTP FOR MCKENZIE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON SENV KGHG ENGR EAID ELAB EPET EFIN NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: POL/ECON GRAB BAG 
 
Ref: A. Abuja 950 
 ¶B. Abuja 968 
 ¶C. Abuja 1272 
 
¶1. (U) The Following is an Embassy Abuja-ConGen Lagos compilation of 
July 23 through August 7, 2009 political/economic highlights not 
previously reported. 
 
ECONOMIC 
-------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA MOVES TO CHECK E-WASTE DUMPING:  On 
July 20, addressing an international conference on the hazards of 
electronic waste, Nigerian Minister of Justice Michael Aondoakaa 
expressed the GON's concern over the dumping of potentially toxic 
electronic waste in the country.  According to the Ministry of 
Environment, an average of 400,000 used computers is brought into 
the country to be salvaged primarily for parts. Aondoakaa added that 
the growing trade in hazardous waste in Africa is a result of 
failure by western electronic companies to recycle their products, 
which he said constitutes a crime against humanity. 
 
Dino Meneye, Chairman of the Nigerian House of Representatives 
Committee on Environment, stated that foreign electronic companies 
exploit Nigeria's poverty and weak border controls.  Aondoakaa 
declared the GON would fight illegal imports of e-waste through 
active monitoring by customs, security and environmental agencies 
and by imposing stiff tariffs on imports of obsolete electronics 
products. 
¶3. (U) USAID ENCOURAGES ALTERNATIVE ENERGY:  On July 29, USAID 
Restructured Economic Framework for Openness, Reform and 
Macroeconomic Stability (REFORMS) Project held a workshop in Abuja 
on alternative energy in Nigeria.  Experts pointed out that the 
country cannot achieve its targets for electricity generation 
without considering alternative energy sources. Proper exploration 
of alternative energy sources and their utilization is especially 
important at the state level to power rural communities, encourage 
sustainable development, and create jobs.  USAID REFORMS Project 
assisted Ebonyi and Cross River states to develop a citizens' 
handbook on alternative energy, which educates the public about 
alternative sources of energy and opportunities in the country that 
could be harnessed to meet the energy needs of rural communities in 
a sustainable way. 
¶4. (U) NIGERIA STEPS UP COPYRIGHT ENFORCEMENT: The Nigeria 
Copyrights Commission (NCC) told Econoff on July 31 that it has 
stepped up copyrights enforcement by carrying out four major night 
raids on 11 optical disc plants and nine software pirating companies 
in Lagos since April.  Akeem Aponmade, Technical Adviser on 
Enforcement, said there are 15 CD producing plants in Nigeria with a 
combined annual capacity of over 800 million CDs for the Nigerian 
and West African markets.  Two plants in Lagos were shut down 
recently, with each incurring a monthly revenue loss of about 25 
million naira ($166,667).  Aponmade also claimed the NCC is 
aggressively enforcing the Nigerian Copyrights Law of 2006 through 
annual renewal requirements for operating licenses, licenses 
requirements for the procurement of new equipment, and the 
installation of the Source Identification Code (SID) on all 
equipment.  (Note:  Through SID, all pirated CDs can be easily 
indentified and traced to the manufacturing source.  End note). 
Aponmade lamented that rights owners seldom report violation to the 
NCC.  He also advised foreign rights owners, particularly the Movie 
Producers' Association, to establish a local presence in order to 
report rights infringements. 
 
AVIATION 
-------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) BETTER OVERSIGHT AND RADAR COVERAGE IN THE QUEST FOR FAA 
CATEGORY 1: According to Dr. H. Demuren, the Director General of the 
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), his agency is implementing 
a formal review process of aircraft maintenance procedures and 
practices as well as requirements for the licensing of pilots and 
mechanics to fulfill FAA Category 1 status requirements.  He said 
that to ensure safety in the country's airspace, the NCAA, in 
conjunction with the Ministry of Aviation, has begun a monthly 
 
ABUJA 00001438  002 OF 004 
 
 
review of the airworthiness of all aircraft that operate in the 
country's airspace.  The NCAA is also monitoring the safety and 
security practices of operators.  Demuren said that the review was 
in part to make sure that the carriers do not default on their 
maintenance checks, as there is concern that the airlines may begin 
to cut corners as a result of the global economic slowdown.  In 
addition to the increased oversight of airline operators, the NCAA 
acknowledges the need to upgrade the nation's radar and other 
navigation systems. 
 
POWER 
----- 
 
¶6. (U) GON RELEASES $436 MILLION FOR POWER PROJECTS:  The GON has 
released 67.48 billion naira ($436 million) for power projects in 
the first, second and third quarters of the 2009 budget cycle.  The 
money is for planned and approved work that involves expanding the 
distribution and transmission grid to deliver added power to the 
nation as well as improving the maintenance of existing power 
plants.   President Yar'Adua has established a committee to monitor 
the budget execution and to report any reported bottlenecks that 
could threaten the country's ability to generate 6,000 average 
megawatts (MW) of electricity by December 31, 2009.  The committee 
is chaired by the Minister of Finance Mansur Muhtar, and other 
members include the chief operating officers of the various 
generation, (GENCOS), transmission (TRANSCOS) and distribution 
(DISCOS) companies within the Power Holding Company of Nigeria 
(PHCN) as well as the Minister of Power. 
 
¶7. (SBU) NERC AND MPSC CONTINUE PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE 
REGULATORY PRACTICES: During its third exchange, in a series of 
partnership activities between the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory 
Commission (NERC) and Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), 
held in Abuja August 3-7, participants focused on public outreach, 
efficiency, integrated resource planning, licensing, natural gas, 
and purchased power contracts.  On August 4, NERC Administrator 
Mallam Talba escorted the visiting MPSC delegation, headed by 
Orjiakor Isiogu, to meet with the Minister of Power Lanre Babalola. 
The Minister thanked the USG, specifically USAID, for its support of 
NERC and partnership activities with MPSC.  Chairman Isiogu said he 
finds the sharing of information, ideas, policy, and processes 
accelerating. (Note:  National Association of Regulatory Utility 
Commissioners' Energy Regulatory Partnership Program between the 
NERC and MPSC is sponsored by USAID. Their partnership serves as a 
vehicle for the exchange of experience and information between NERC 
and MPSC with the goals to improve regulatory practices, develop 
institutional and decision-making capacities, and foster sustainable 
relationships between the two partnering institutions. End Note). 
 
POLITICAL 
--------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) USAID PROMOTES RESEARCH IN THE NORTH TO REDUCE VIOLENCE: 
USAID is responding to increased violence in northern Nigeria. 
Along with its implementing partner, the International Foundation 
for Education and Self-Help (IFESH), and the Conflict Mitigation and 
Management Regional Councils set up by USAID to address violence in 
the north, USAID is providing information to determine the extent of 
extremist Islamist influence and appropriate interventions needed to 
reduce violence. 
 
¶9. (U) YAR'ADUA TRAVELS TO BRAZIL: On July 28, President Umaru Musa 
Yar'Adua left Abuja for a three-day state visit to Brazil.  He said 
the trip was important for the benefit of both countries in areas of 
trade, investment and multilateral cooperation.  Defending his 
absence during the violence in northern Nigeria, Yar'Adua told 
reporters, "I believe this is an important trip because Brazil is a 
fast advancing economy and I believe that Nigeria can gain from the 
visit in terms of multilateral co-operations and in terms of our 
economy and investment, especially in places where they have made 
very striking advancement in agriculture, agriculture research and 
agro chemical." 
 
¶10. (U) EFCC FAULTS UK COURT'S TERMS FOR EXTRADITING UDOAMAKA 
OKORONKWO:  On July 29, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission 
 
ABUJA 00001438  003 OF 004 
 
 
(EFCC) publicly faulted the U.K.'s London Crown Court for imposing 
strident conditions for the extradition of Udoamaka Okoronkwo to 
Nigeria.  Okoronkwo is the second accused person in the case between 
the EFCC and former Delta State governor James Ibori.  At the 
resumed hearing at the Federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State, 
EFCC lead counsel Ibrahim Isiyaku argued that the position of the 
London Court, (holding the presiding judge responsible for 
Okoronkwo's conditional release from the U.K.), was insulting to the 
Nigerian judiciary.  Presiding Judge, Justice Marcel Awokulehin 
previously issued a bench warrant on April 27 to answer to charges 
against her by the Federal Government.  Isiyaku remarked that the 
EFCC was considering dropping or amending the 103-count charges 
against Okoronkwo "to enable the trial to commence properly." 
 
¶11. (U) REP BLAMES BORNO CRISIS ON POVERTY AND ILLITERACY:  On July 
31, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Education 
Farouk Lawan identified poverty and lack of education as the 
principal causes of the Bokoh Haram-led violence in four northern 
states.  He told reporters that "the only long-term solution to the 
ethno-religious crisis in the country was for the government to 
tackle the twin problems of illiteracy and deep level of poverty 
ravaging the country." 
 
¶12. (U) SSS RAISES ALARM OVER 2011 POLLS: On July 31, State Security 
Service (SSS) Director General Afakriya Gadzama cautioned that if 
serious steps were not taken to arrest the spate of violence in the 
country before the next general election, the 2011 elections would 
have problems.  (Note: this is the first known time that SSS 
publicly commented on Nigeria's electoral process.  End Note.) 
Gadzama gave the warning at a session with members of the House of 
Representatives committees on Police Affairs and National Security. 
Gadzama briefed the committees on the recent spate of violence in 
different parts of the country and robbery incidents in the 
South-East, saying that "We may likely have problem in 2011 if 
nothing is done to improve the security system in the country, 
especially in terms of number and the necessary tools to work with. 
We are over-stretched." 
 
¶13. (SBU) BAUCHI STATE DEPUTY GOVERNOR TROUBLES CONTINUE: The 
Federal High Court in Bauchi refused Deputy Governor Alhaji Muhammad 
Garba Gadi's petition to restrain the Speaker of the state's House 
of Assembly and 16 members of the House and Independent National 
Electoral Commission from acting on the report of the panel 
constituted to investigate impeachable offenses against him (ref C). 
 Gadi claimed that these lawmakers ceased to be members of the House 
when they decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party.  According to 
the press, the Court said granting the petition would cripple the 
state House and delay justice. 
 
¶14. (U) BILL TO OUTLAW TORTURE BEFORE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY:  Local 
press reported the use of torture by security agents, especially the 
police to obtain statements from suspects, may be outlawed in 
Nigeria before the end of the year. The federal government presented 
the bill to the National Assembly and it is now in committee.  The 
Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr. 
Roland Ewubare, announced that the passage of this bill would bring 
Nigeria in line with the United Nations resolution on the 
prohibition of torture, to which Nigeria was a signatory. 
 
¶15. (U) THE INVESTIGATION COMMISSION LOOKS INTO UNLAWFUL KILLINGS: 
The Investigation Commission met in Jos, Plateau State, to 
investigate the charges that police and soldiers unlawfully killed 
133 persons, most of them Muslim men, during the November 2008 
crisis, reported local press.  Human Rights Watch (HRW) testified in 
front of the commission.  The organization had also released a 
report that around 700 people were killed in the two day clash, more 
than three times as many as the official figure given by the 
government after the violence.  The police denied all accusations. 
 
 
¶16. (U) NIGERIA PRESENTS ACTION PLAN FOR THE PROMOTION AND 
PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS TO THE UNITED NATIONS:  The Nigerian 
Television Authority reported that Nigeria has submitted the 
country's National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of 
Human Rights in Nigeria at the United Nations in Geneva. 
 
ABUJA 00001438  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
¶17. (SBU) COMMUNAL CLASH CLAIMED LIVES IN EBONYI STATE: On July 26, 
12 people were reportedly killed in a clash between two Ebonyi State 
communities - the Ezillo and Ezza-Ezillo - over a long-standing land 
and clan dispute. (Note: Ebonyi State Governor Martin Elechi 
requested military intervention in the October 2008 clash, and 
apparently soldiers are still there to maintain the peace.  Elechi 
had also apportioned land to the Ezza-Ezillo clan as a placating 
measure. End note) Ndukwe Uduma, former Protocol Director to 
Governor Elechi, told PolSpec that it will be difficult, if not 
impossible, to reconcile these communities giving their level of 
animosity. 
 
¶18. (SBU) DONOR COMMUNITY MEETS ON AMNESTY PROGRAM/USAID ATTENDED: 
On July 20, the United Nations Development Program hosted a donor 
community meeting on the GON's Niger Delta amnesty program; USAID 
attended for the U.S. Mission.  Issues included concern that no 
peace agreement exists to lay out terms and conditions for amnesty 
and that reintegration sites have not been set.  Donors agreed that 
their role in the amnesty program must be coordinated and 
calibrated, and a donor community technical group will develop a 
plan to include all assistance that donors can provide. 
 
¶19. (U) NIGERIA AND BENIN BILATERAL: President Yar'Adua and Benin 
Republic President Boni Yayi met on August 4 in Nigeria, reportedly 
to discuss border disputes between the two countries.  In a joint 
press conference, Yar'Adua stated that the two countries agreed to 
work out an amicable settlement of the boundary disputes in the 
north.  He added that they had alsoo deliberated on power and 
energy, particularly the power supply to Benin and Togo, as well as 
the West African sub-region, ECOWAS, and other issues affecting the 
African Union. 
 
LABOR 
----- 
 
¶20. (SBU) POLICE ARREST 2 SUSPECTS OVER MURDER OF BENUE TUC BOSS: 
Benue State Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Mohammed stated in 
Makurdi that police investigations revealed that the Chairman of the 
Trade Union Congress (TUC) Benue State chapter was murdered on July 
28 by a three-man gang.  He said the gang was apprehended in 
Makurdi, but the gang leader managed to escape.  TUC and the Nigeria 
Labour Congress (NLC) issued a communiqu blaming the police for 
"the lack of security in the state" and threatening a mass protest. 
Mohammed responded that the police would not guarantee the safety of 
anyone found to be involved in the planned protest, advising that 
the unions shelve the idea in view of its security implications. 
 
 
SANDERS