Thousands of miles away from the Middle East, a populous nation suffering from serious terrorist activities is receiving huge financial assistance to the tune of millions, if not billions, of dollars. The financial assistance is not meant to help the government in its anti-terrorist campaign but to boost its sectarian minority group. It is an evil investment, deliberately aimed at sowing sectarianism in the once multicultural and tolerant country.
Iranian tentacles have reached the Western African state of Nigeria.
Several years have passed since official envoys from the Iranian clergy have started to make visits to Nigeria and have become successful in recruiting sympathisers and bases from which to operate. Reports indicate that Shia Islam was unknown before the Iranian revolution of 1979. It started to emerge in the 80s with the Iran’s programme of ‘exporting revolution’. Currently, millions of Nigerian Muslims subscribe to Shia Islam and belong to an Iranian supported party– the Islamic Movement organising protests and confronting police, which has become a ‘new normal in the country’.
Iran is strengthening its presence and its influence is becoming bolder by the day. The main focus of the Iranian agenda has been and continues to be on the young population. Iran has built several educational establishments, including high schools and universities, in Nigeria where hundreds of thousands of students learn not only free of charge but are also given pocket money. The move was found out to be a good incentive among the young and more and more of them who cannot afford to pay for education are joining the programme. The youths don’t know the agenda behind the initiative but want to accomplish their educational dreams. Furthermore, the bright students among them are sent to Iran on scholarship programmes for advanced studies at Iranian universities.
Iran is investing on Nigeria for sectarian purposes but at home its citizens are living in extreme poverty. Last week, a video that went viral on social media showed Iranian homeless people living in an empty graveyards around the capital Tehran. The incident has sent shock waves among its public. Due to the increasing prostitution in the capital authorities are planning to introduce obligatory sterilisation programmes to curb the increasing ‘street children’ born to prostitutes. (Gulf New, Jan 2).
This in turn has opened the black market of selling and buying of unwanted street children by the homeless and poor women. It is amid these social ills which need close attention and immediate action that Tehran is extending financial assistance to Nigeria and other countries at the expense of its own people. For instance, The Middle East Eye reported on March 16 last year that ‘Iran was probably spending at least $6 billion a year to shore up Assad government, although it could be far higher. The fact is Nigeria is becoming an ‘African Iran’ and unless measures are taken to curb its growing influence in the country, we are likely to witness another Iraq or Syria in an African soil in the years to come.
The concern is Iran’s influence is expanding in areas mostly frequented by Boko Haram, the terrorist organisation, which has declared affiliation with the Islamic State militant group. So far, Boko Haram hasn’t appeared to have targeted Shi’ite mosques and religious centres. However, if that happens, the possibility of sectarian war is a likely scenario.
The government is doing a commendable job. It has curbed some activities of the Islamic movement and even detained its main leaders and banned protests in areas of its influence.
However, the Nigerian government should take measures that freeze Iranian investment and stop its influence. Its investment brings bloodshed in the long run. Learning lessons from Iraq and Syria will suffice to understand the Iranian agenda.