Opinion
Consciousness, Literature And Publishing In Africa (1)
There is the need to define some terms associated with our topic: Publishing, popularising and text. The first two terms mean making something known to the public: the third exposes something for public view which may be oral or written. Text is composition in its soft or hard copy which may be read publicly or privately, dramatised or performed. The tales, legends, myths and all oral compositions are oral texts: structural forms of literature which are verbalised, performed and actualised for people to enjoy. Hard copies of plays, poems, short stories and novels are texts common to everyone.
African Oral Literature has been in existence for centuries. The mode of transmission has been through performance, popularising, advertising and publishing the forms through verbalisation. Verbalised texts gain much attention of the public; verbalisation or performance is perhaps the most effective means of communication as well as exposing works to the public for criticism, education and entertainment. Printed texts gain more prominence when put through this process than only distribution. Printing is a more durable means of preservation of texts: structure and words, and style preserved in hardcopies. Africa preserved and popularised its oral texts during the pre-printing era through verbalisation, performance, local verbal media of communication and promotion.
There was need to adopt a more lasting means of publishing works through printing for durability, preservation and criticism. Britain colonised most countries in Africa. The history of printing shows that it started elsewhere than Britain. William Caxton was the one who introduced printing into the country. The British government saw the need for the introduction of printing into the country for the purposes I have mentioned. Its colonial mission offices decided to introduce printing in the countries colonised for various purposes. Other colonial powers like Portugal and France introduced printing in the countries they colonised.
Printing assisted educationists and teachers to teach effectively. Western philosophy, knowledge, geography, history and religion were popularised and advertised through the medium. Everyone gradually needed printing for various purposes.
Printing in Africa started with whites with whom blacks worked for a period of time before mastering the art. Publishing firms were established to publish materials for churches, government, the public and schools. I shall concentrate on the last two that promoted the business of publishing rapidly.
Printers and publishers distributed published materials to the public and schools, which were mostly located in towns. People were introduced to newspapers and magazines, informal means of educating them on social and political realities of the period, on daily or monthly basis.
Education was mostly formal but informal schools were established for those who worked and acquired education informally. Printed materials were sent to them from Europe and America. They read them, did the assignments given, posted the materials back, were assessed and given certificates if they were qualified.
The educated elite who studied journalism and related fields in America and Europe returned. Few were interested in starting their newspapers. They opened their publishing houses and started their own newspapers. Others started writing short prose works: literature on love, courtship and social problems. Although the language of communication was not the standard at the beginning, they learned to communicate; their consciousness of the communication medium increased. They were happy some of their stories attracted attention and made them get money. The financial motivation made them write many more pamphlets.
The metropolises were centres of informal learning, where people listened to radio stations broadcasting in English, French and Portuguese languages. They were used for writing prose, works, and dissemination of information and news.
The first crop of universities was established about the 1950s : University of Ibadan in Nigeria, University of Legon, Ghana, University of Makerere, Uganda, University of Nairobi, Kenya, and few others. Lecturers from Europe and America were employed to teach African students various courses. They grew in learning, practised writing literature and other related courses they published on notice boards, bulletins and other media available to them on campuses.
Dr. Ngaage is of the English Department, Niger Delta University.
Barine Saana Ngaage
From all indications, Nigeria possesses enough human and material resources to become a true economic powerhouse in Africa. According to the National Population Commission (NPC, 2023), the country’s population has grown steadily within the last decade, presently standing at about 220 million people—mostly young, vibrant, and innovative. Nigeria also remains the sixth-largest oil producer in the world, with enormous reserves of gas, fertile agricultural land, and human capital.
Yet, despite this enormous potential, the country continues to grapple with underdevelopment, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, 2023) show that about 129 million Nigerians currently live below the poverty line. Most families can no longer afford basic necessities, even as the government continues to project a rosy economic picture.
The Subsidy Question
The removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been one of the most controversial policy decisions in Nigeria’s recent history. According to the president, subsidy removal was designed to reduce fiscal burden, unify the foreign exchange rate, attract investment, curb inflation, and discourage excessive government borrowing.
While these objectives are theoretically sound, the reality for ordinary Nigerians has been severe hardship. Fuel prices more than tripled, transportation costs surged, and food inflation—already high—rose above 30% (NBS, 2023). The World Bank (2023) estimates that an additional 7.1 million Nigerians were pushed into poverty after subsidy removal.
A Critical Economic View
As an economist, I argue that the problem was not subsidy removal itself—which was inevitable—but the timing, sequencing, and structural gaps in Nigeria’s implementation.
- Structural Miscalculation
Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries remain nonfunctional. By removing subsidies without local refining capacity, the government exposed the economy to import-price pass-through effects—where global oil price shocks translate directly into domestic inflation. This was not just a timing issue but a fundamental policy miscalculation.
- Neglect of Social Safety Nets
Countries like Indonesia (2005) and Ghana (2005) removed subsidies successfully only after introducing cash transfers, transport vouchers, and food subsidies for the poor (World Bank, 2005). Nigeria, however, implemented removal abruptly, shifting the fiscal burden directly onto households without protection.
- Failure to Secure Food and Energy Alternatives
Fuel subsidy removal amplified existing weaknesses in agriculture and energy. Instead of sequencing reforms, government left Nigerians without refinery capacity, renewable energy alternatives, or mechanized agricultural productivity—all of which could have cushioned the shock.
Political and Public Concerns
Prominent leaders have echoed these concerns. Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, described the subsidy removal as “good but wrongly timed.” Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party also faulted the government’s hasty approach. Human rights activists like Obodoekwe Stive stressed that refineries should have been made functional first, to reduce the suffering of citizens.
This is not just political rhetoric—it reflects a widespread economic reality. When inflation climbs above 30%, when purchasing power collapses, and when households cannot meet basic needs, the promise of reform becomes overshadowed by social pain.
Broader Implications
The consequences of this policy are multidimensional:
- Inflationary Pressures – Food inflation above 30% has made nutrition unaffordable for many households.
- Rising Poverty – 7.1 million Nigerians have been newly pushed into poverty (World Bank, 2023).
- Middle-Class Erosion – Rising transport, rent, and healthcare costs are squeezing household incomes.
- Debt Concerns – Despite promises, government borrowing has continued, raising sustainability questions.
- Public Distrust – When government promises savings but citizens feel only pain, trust in leadership erodes.
In effect, subsidy removal without structural readiness has widened inequality and eroded social stability.
Missed Opportunities
Nigeria’s leaders had the chance to approach subsidy removal differently:
- Refinery Rehabilitation – Ensuring local refining to reduce exposure to global oil price shocks.
- Renewable Energy Investment – Diversifying energy through solar, hydro, and wind to reduce reliance on imported petroleum.
- Agricultural Productivity – Mechanization, irrigation, and smallholder financing could have boosted food supply and stabilized prices.
- Social Safety Nets – Conditional cash transfers, food vouchers, and transport subsidies could have protected the most vulnerable.
Instead, reform came abruptly, leaving citizens to absorb all the pain while waiting for theoretical long-term benefits.
Conclusion: Reform With a Human Face
Fuel subsidy removal was inevitable, but Nigeria’s approach has worsened hardship for millions. True reform must go beyond fiscal savings to protect citizens.
Economic policy is not judged only by its efficiency but by its humanity. A well-sequenced reform could have balanced fiscal responsibility with equity, ensuring that ordinary Nigerians were not crushed under the weight of sudden change.
Nigeria has the resources, population, and resilience to lead Africa’s economy. But leadership requires foresight. It requires policies that are inclusive, humane, and strategically sequenced.
Reform without equity is displacement of poverty, not development. If Nigeria truly seeks progress, its policies must wear a human face.
References
- National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (2023). Poverty and Inequality Report. Abuja.
- National Population Commission (NPC). (2023). Population Estimates. Abuja.
- World Bank. (2023). Nigeria Development Update. Washington, DC.
- World Bank. (2005). Fuel Subsidy Reforms: Lessons from Indonesia and Ghana. Washington, DC.
- OPEC. (2023). Annual Statistical Bulletin. Vienna.
By: Amarachi Amaugo