NIGERIA: Nigerians welcome the revolution in Egypt and hope it sends a warning message to their own politicians

Record ID: 235196

  • Title: NIGERIA: Nigerians welcome the revolution in Egypt and hope it sends a warning message to their own politicians
  • Date: 13th February 2011
  • Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (FEBRUARY 12, 2011) (REUTERS) PEOPLE READING NEWSPAPERS AT A NEWSPAPER STAND
  • Embargoed: 28th February 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria, Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: International Relations,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2YWDJC6FAG8REY8VG0D7V714A
  • Story Text: Nigerians on Saturday (February 12) welcomed the successful uprising in Egypt and said it should serve as a warning to their own leaders.
    Egyptians toppled the autocratic government of President Hosni Mubarak, after 18 days of street protests, achieving almost unthinkable change.
    Groups of people gathered at news stands on Saturday morning in the commercial capital of Lagos to absorb the latest details on the Egyptian revolution.
    Sasore Sodiq, a self-employed resident of Lagos said he welcomed the development in Cairo and hoped Nigerian politicians would learn from the Egyptian experience.
    "It is also sending signals to our leaders that what happened there (Egypt) may happen in Nigeria one day, it is a great revolution that has taken place in Egypt," said Sadiq.
    Yaomi Adeoya a self-employed publisher in Lagos said he was thrilled by the success of the Egyptian revolution and hoped its people will now enjoy their new found unity in democracy.
    Adeoya urged Nigerian politicians to end corruption and develop the country.
    However, Adefem Kareem unemployed graduate in Lagos, said that although Nigerians are facing even worse problems than those which prompted the Egyptians revolution, the prospects of having a similar revolution is simply diminished by the nature of the country's diverse people.
    Nigeria is a generally peaceful nation, roughly divided between a mostly-Muslim north and largely-Christian south, but ethnic and religious rivalries bubble under the surface.
    Despite being rich in oil and human resources, the majority of Nigeria's 150 million continue to live on under $2 per day.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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