Why Brazilians protest against the World Cup, and why Nigerians should pay attention

The street protests started about a fortnight ago over increases in transport fares and have now metamorphosed to demands for an end to corruption and against the waste of public funds, both of which have been brought to the surface following government spending running into billions of dollars in preparation for the event. FIFA and the Brazilian Government have both assured the general public that the money would be sourced mostly from sponsors.

With a population of just over 203 million and a landmass of 8.5 million sq. km Brazil is bigger than Nigeria (with our 158 million people and 0.92 million sq. km). It is also wealthier, having an average national income of over $11,500 per inhabitant compared to ours of just over $1,500 per capita. How come Nigeria gladly spends billions to host tournaments and yet Brazilians are grumbling over an event nobody asked them to bid for?

Under the former president Lula da Silva, the World Cup was proposed as an event which will cost about 25.5 billion Brazilian Real or about 11.4 billion US Dollars. Brazilians were assured of with strict transparency and compliance with the budget. Also, a substantial part of the money was to be raise from private sources. Neither of these occurred. The budget for stadiums, urban transportation, improvements in ports and airports, has risen to 28 billion Brazilian Reals, so far. This is almost three times the cost of Germany’s 2006 World. It is turning out to be the most expensive World Cup in history, with little or benefits to the Brazilian people or the immediate host communities. From all indications, the biggest beneficiary would be FIFA which, by its own estimates, stands to rake in $4 billion Brazilian Real, tax-free. So, when the Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff, continued to brag that she will “host the best World Cup of all time”, her people are not impressed and they decided to say “enough is enough”.

The logic is simple. Brazil won the bid to host the World Cup with the expectations that it would generate more employment and additional income as well as attract more tourists and promote the country’s image. Since then a lot has changed. Public spending on education and health has plummeted. Infrastructure and security have been neglected. True, the global economic crisis affected Brazil like all other nations, but what seem to anger the population was that, despite massive cuts in, and rescheduling of, public spending on social and infrastructural investments, billions were spent on cities hosting World Cup matches and soccer projects were prioritised over the people’s needs, even at the expense of health, education and public safety. All the commitments agreed to with all-powerful FIFA were religiously honoured. Corruption was becoming more rampant and no one was being held accountable.

Though the demonstrations are still going on some things are certain. The World Cup would be held in Brazil next year. It is too late to change that. Without doubts the President will change her policies and pay greater attention to education, health and institutional reforms. Public services and security must be improved else she gets voted out at the next election, if not sooner.

In these demonstrations however, lessons for us are many. The Brazilians have demonstrated very clearly that it is not sensible to put sports and other mega events above social concerns. We are witnessing how popular uprisings can force changes in the economic direction of a nation despite the leaders. It is instructive also that football, which for quite some time has been manipulated to distract the people from their everyday problems, especially in countries like ours, is precisely what has provided the popular platform for social mobilization to demand for positive changes.

Not long ago Nigeria hosted the All Africa Games and the Commonwealth Games with very little positive spin-offs besides officials lining their pockets and buying off the cars and houses procured for the events. The expenditures were neither transparent nor cost-effective. We are yet to see any of the positive impacts promised. In our characteristic passivity and apathy we questioned neither the rationale nor the manner of execution except to highlight some petty corruption and massive incompetence. As if it was decreed that no one should question anything to do with sports festivals. Now the greatest soccer nation of all times is showing the need to consider social and economic impacts as well. Yes, our sports officials would have been screaming “international obligations”, “FIFA rules” and all that as they effectively loot most of the funds. Brazil is teaching us to demand accountability and probity. We may feel good beating poor Tahiti (with a population of 176,000). Football may be a unifying force as well, but, surely not at the expense of our schools, hospitals, roads or the future of our children.

Next time we are rushing to buy the right to host any sport extravaganza we should demand to know the benefits, the actual costs and the structure being put in place to ensure transparency, accountability and cost-effectiveness. We should continue to support, participate in and develop sports and sporting facilities but not in opaque and non-accountable ways.

Many thanks to the soccer-loving Brazilians for starting the discussion.