Lobbying within
Nigeria
Behind the scenes of the Presidential Initiative on
Cassava
Dr Julia Jahansoozi
Introduction
• Presidential Initiatives (PI) typically are grandiose
endorsements relating to large scale politically motivated
programmes
• Often the purpose of a PI is to achieve behavioural change within
the population
• Across sub-Saharan Africa PI are invoked to increase mass
awareness of a particular issue, which is perceived to be
important for national economic and social development
PIC
• Within Nigeria the Presidential Initiative on Cassava (PIC) was the
first of its kind and was launched in 2002.
• It involved a number of key stakeholders who collaborated and
lobbied President Chief Obasanjo to lend his support (in order to
exploit untapped commercial opportunities linked to cassava beyond
traditional uses)
• Specific aims of the PIC:
• Enhancing productivity and production of cassava via increased cultivation
area
• Producing 37.5 million tons of processed cassava annually for both internal
and export markets
• Generate US $5 billion annually from exporting value added cassava
products
Research outline:
• This research explores the background lobbying and
stakeholder engagement that took place preceding the
launch of the PIC
• The focus was to:
• To explore how the Presidential Initiative on Cassava (PI) was
lobbied for and developed within the Nigerian context
• To identify and understand the involvement and experience of
key individuals and stakeholder groups in the lobbying effort
and development of a PI
Literature review
• Dearth of literature on lobbying practice in Nigeria
• Lobbying within Nigeria shares similarities with the lobbying
practice in Europe and the US as it is not completely accepted
as an overt activity (McGrath, 2006, p.67)
• Lobbyists are regarded as furthering hidden interests and
operating in an opaque environment – more often referred to
as experts who offer advice and access to decision makers
• Lobbying is defined as being:
• “…the timely, legal exercising of influence on political decisionmaking processes in order to assert particular economic interests,
more specifically by means of information”/ (Müller & Zaugg,
2005, p.6)
Other definitions
• Lobbying:
• “…a specialized practice that focuses on relations which will have a
bearing on public policy…” (White & Mazure, 1995, p.182)
• this definition covers the lobbying with the focus on relationships which are indeed
critical for the practice
• “… lobbying is influencing political decision making by communicating
with publics relevant in the political process of a certain issue. These
publics are the political decision makers and officials, competitors, mass
media, and citizens.”(Jaatinen, 1998, p.25)
• Whilst lobbying requires interpersonal, group and mass communication
approaches, it is critical that the interpersonal relationships with
decision makers exist in order for lobbyists to have access to them –
which is why lobbyists are useful and employed!
• Lobbyists may also facilitate the organization of associations that
represent key stakeholders that otherwise might not be able to
participate in the lobbying process
Lobbying
• Involves two-way asymmetrical communication when the
purpose is to persuade the decision-makers or public to
behave in a particular way (Jaatinen, 1998)
• Involves two-way symmetrical communication if the decisionmakers or public are also able to influence the
lobbyist/organization behind the lobbying activity (Grunig &
White, 1992, pp.38-40)
• Lobbying may also include mixed motivations such as
furthering the interests of a particular group as well as
benefiting the public interest – this approach is thought to
include the characteristics of both two-way asymmetrical and
two-way symmetrical communication (Grunig & Grunig, 1992,
pp.311-312).
Criticisms of lobbying practice
• Unethical behaviour as lobbyists do whatever it takes to obtain a
favourable outcome for their clients
• Whilst ethical lobbying exists there are criticisms that some lobbying
activity which might technically be legal is ethically questionable:
• Paula Parkinson, an agricultural lobbyist, admitted to sleeping with eight
US Members of Congress and also escorting three legislators on a golf
trip which resulted in support for her client’s position regarding policy
(1998, pp.98-99, cited in McGrath, 2006, p.68)
Methodology and analysis
• A phenomenological approach was adopted as I was
interested in the lived experiences of key individuals directly
involved in the development and lobbying of the PIC
• A total of 22 in-depth face-to-face interviews were
conducted in Nigeria
• Interviews were open-ended allowing the interviewees to
explain events from their own perspective/first hand
experience and lasted between a minimum of 45 minutes to
over 3 hours
• Purposive interview sample included lobbyists/advisors,
cassava scientists, agricultural advisors, civil servants,
specialists in cassava commercialization, politicians, and
representatives from the Cassava Growers Association
• Interviews were transcribed and were coded for key themes,
which were then grouped into broad thematic clusters and
then reduced into overall clustered themes.
Results
• Participants discussed their lived experience and particular
perspective gained from their role and involvement with the
PI, how they became involved, who they thought were the key
influencers in driving the PIC, what the successes and major
constraints were of the PIC
Themes
• Overall clustered themes:
• Development of the PIC
• Key individuals / influencers
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•
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•
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•
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Key stakeholders/stakeholder relations
Interpersonal relationships
Collaboration
Constraints
Success stories
Lessons learned
Trust (lack of)
Discussion
•
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Development of the PI on Cassava (PIC)
Importance of interpersonal relationships
Constraints
Successes
Lessons learned for future PIs
Development of the PIC
• Key individuals were identified who were thought to be
responsible for the development of the PIC:
• President Obasanjo; Chief Dr Alfred Dixon (an internationally
recognized leading cassava scientist who worked at IITA and is
referred to as ‘the Father of Cassava’); Chief Adepomola
(Chairman of the Cassava Growers Association); Boma Anga (key
lobbyist); and Audu Ogbeh (Chairman of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP))
• There were some differing perspectives regarding who was
responsible, but in general these were the names that came up.
Development of the PIC
• Private sector lobbied President Obasanjo about the economic
opportunities with regard to cassava – trip to Brazil and
Columbia to see how these two countries were
commercializing cassava (ethanol; industrial grade starch,
animal feed, etc)
• Led to President Obasanjo calling for an ‘emergency meeting
of stakeholders’ which included private sector, agricultural
research institutes, Cassava Growers Association, policy
makers, ministers of agriculture, women’s affairs, finance,
water resources in order to discuss the opportunity for
developing value-added cassava products – dramatic change
as this was the first meeting of its type and adopted a
collaborative approach
Development of the PIC
• “previously the only ‘vision’ for cassava was one of food
security for Nigerians, but now for the first time there was
discussion around the potential of cassava as an engine for
economic development as an export commodity”
• Private sector put pressure on politicians who then saw the
economic benefits it could have for Nigeria
• Government wanted to diversify the economy away from
petroleum dependency toward a market and production led
economy
Stakeholder engagement
• For the PIC to be effective there needed to be an awareness of
the issues that cut across the key stakeholder groups and
platform was needed that would include all the stakeholders
across the cassava value chain in order for issues to be
addressed holistically and for cassava to be exploited for nontraditional uses such as glucose, industrial grade starch, and
ethanol
• “The Presidential Initiative was both a bottom-up and an updown arrangement that essentially brought all the stakeholders in
the value chain from production, the producers, the private and
public extension, people involved in seed multiplication and
developing new varieties, distribution, policy, marketing etc…this
initiative brought all the stakeholders together and created a
mechanism to sell the vision for cassava transformation and
development for the nation under a short and long-term
framework and buying in everyone across the value chain”
Influential interpersonal
relationships
• Many interviewees mentioned that President Obasanjo had an
ongoing relationship with key individuals at IITA that spanned
many years.
• “…Obasanjo was a special advisor to IITA… so he knows IITA
very well, what it was doing, the research, the output, so
there is an open relationship…”
• “Hartman [Director General, IITA] would go to President
Obasanjo’s place every weekend…”
• At one point (before becoming President) Obasanjo was a ‘special
advisor’ to IITA and after becoming President he wanted to have
IITA representatives present at relevant meetings
• Having direct access to President Obasanjo meant that IITA could
promote its research agenda and gain political support (namely
good will) for its work on cassava (one of IITA’s mandated crops)
Influential interpersonal
relationships
• Boma Anga, a key lobbyist/advisor representing private sector
interests, was also the son-in-law of Audu Ogebeh, Chairman
of the Peoples Democratic Party (PCP) – the party that was in
power with President Obasanjo as its leader…
Constraints
• Opposition to the PIC by the Flour Millers Association due to the PIC
including a policy on the inclusion of 10% of high quality cassava
flour HQCF) being mixed with wheat flour for bread and
confectionary baking
• Previously this had never been a serious issue as there were
numerous problems relating to the production of HQCF, however as
the production problems were resolved the situation changed
• “ the Flour Millers Association is a powerful lobby group and as a
result they were not buying the cassava flour from the processors…”
• “…they [Flour Millers] didn’t like the imposition of 10% of cassava
flour to be included for bread and confectionary baking, also the US
didn’t like it [as the biggest exporter of wheat to Nigeria] and they
tried to find a way around it…”
• “… naturally there will always be opposition especially when you talk
of import substitution programmes, it means that you are displacing
someone’s business, you are reducing their income…”
Constraints
• Whilst there were civil servants randomly checking the flour
composition to ensure the addition of 10% HQCF had been included
these civil servants risked getting killed as they were going against
extremely powerful individuals…
• One interviewee mentioned that there were ‘untouchables’ within
FMA who could influence things despite President Obasanjo’s will
and policies – which was why an import tariff on wheat was
removed making imported wheat cheaper than casava flour (which
had a huge impact on the cassava sector)
• There was also a level of jealously relating to IITA’s relationship with
both President Obasanjo and major grass roots organizations
• Internal politics: civil servants within the Ministry of Agriculture took
exception to an international organization (IITA) running the cassava
programme within their country and were also jealous of the
‘favoured’ status IITA had with President Obasanjo
Successes
• Interviewees mentioned a number of successful outcomes from the
PIC that were very positive:
• Investment in agriculture increased dramatically
• Involvement of private sector was viewed as being crucial for the
survival of the PIC beyond President Obasanjo’s term in office
• Awareness of cassava increased within Nigeria as well as externally
(world markets) – Nigeria became the world’s biggest producer of
cassava
• New cassava varieties were developed (by IITA) that made a
difference in terms of nutritional value and also for
commercialization
• The development of organizations across the cassava value chain
such as the Cassava Growers Association, the National Association of
Cassava Exporters, the Cassava Equipment Manufacturer Association,
the Cassava Equipment Fabricators, etc – and led to collaboration
and problem solving at a level that had not existed prior to the PIC
Lessons learned
• Interviewees mentioned that if they could re-live the PIC they
would have pushed for the PIC to be legislated to ensure its
sustainability beyond Obasanjo’s presidency
• Many interviewees said they would also have spent more time
developing dialogue with key stakeholders and strengthening
public–private partnerships so the initiative could have been
driven by the private sector
Conclusion
• Conclusion
• Lobbying in Nigeria is not that different but it is different due
to cultural factors (as you’d expect…)
• Bringing together influential stakeholders created
momentum to drive the PI
• Inclusive approach encouraged participation
• PI taken on board by the private sector which continues to
invest in cassava commercialization despite the regime
change
Questions??