The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States of America last Friday marked the beginning of a new America – for Americans and the rest of the world. And this is not prophetic. In a war hawk mood, Trump delivered an inaugural speech that left no one in doubt of his national and foreign policy directions. Though his inauguration was greeted with protests, the energy and conviction with which he spoke about the America of his administration were signals that he was not Janus-faced, not hypocritical, but meant business and could hit the ground running.
President Trump said, “For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military; we’ve defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own; and spent trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country have disappeared over the horizon…From this moment on, it’s going to be America First.”
Sounding unapologetic, Trump wanted “all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean,” to hear his words – that he would return the wealth of America to the American people. The silent majority of the American middle class, white supremacists, and the jobless would heave a sigh of relief that the wealth spread between Washington bureaucracy and foreign countries would be retained to develop the homeland under this regime. President Trump’s gospel is good news to Americans and food-for-thought for countries that lay their heads of the laps of America. There are several lessons for these countries, including Nigeria.
The first lesson is derived from a paragraph in Trump’s speech, which ways, “We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world – but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interest first.” President Buhari and his cabinet must realize, therefore, that the era of looking up to America for all sorts of financial and material aids may have come to an end. Over the years, America has been the backbone of Nigeria’s fight against HIV/AIDS, with the provision of anti-retroviral drugs and test kits to keep those living with the virus alive and going. Under the Trump presidency, Washington could have a rethink about this, and on many other supports for our education, health, environment, polity, food, etc. Our government must deliver Nigeria from begging in the midst of our abundant wealth. We must harness our resources and eliminate wastes so that we tackle our challenges instead of looking up to America for support in dealing with our challenges.
Furthermore, there is the need to review Nigeria’s relationship with the World Trade Organization which has bound the country to the importation of junks from other countries at the expense of our local industries. President Trump says, “Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.” This may be an eye-opener to Nigeria’s leaders who fear the consequences of restricting the import of some goods from developed countries into Nigeria. The government needs to intensify the ‘Buy Nigeria’ campaign in the interest of local industries and job creation. It is time for the Buhari administration to review Nigeria’s trade deals with other countries to ensure they are in the interest of the country.
Also, the privileged few who steal Nigeria blind and fund other countries should have a rethink. Such stolen funds stashed in American banks could boost their infrastructure while ours are in ruins. President Trump plans to “build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.” This is the way to go. Our political leaders must learn this lesson from Trump.
