‘Nigeria, 15th Most Failed State’ Ghana, Africa’s Best

Nigeria’s rebranding campaign got a major setback on when the country was ranked 15th among most failed nations in the world.

“Fund For Peace”, a United States-based think-tank and independent research organisation, made this known when it released its 2009 failed state index.

The country’s position was out of a total of 177 countries that were surveyed for 2009.

By this current assessement, Nigeria moved three steps backward from its 18th and 17th position in 2008 and 2007 respectively, implying that the country’s status is deteriorating.

Certainly, Ghana, a neighbouring West African country, rose again in the country of nations, when it was ranked as the best state in Africa.

Ghana was ranked 124 of the 177 states, having been described as a moderate state.

Also ranked among the overall best five states were Norway (177), Finland (176), Sweden (175, Switzerland (174) and Ireland (173), while USA and United Kingdom were ranked as 159 and 161 respectively.

Meanwhile, Somalia, another African nation, retained its earlier position as the most failed state.

Organisers of the survey explained that a state would be said to have failed when it could no longer perform its basics security and development functions as is seemingly the case in Nigeria today.

It would be recalled that at the launch of the rebranding campaign few months ago, critics of the exercise argued that spearheading a rebranding exercise when Nigeria was witnessing a rising spate of corruption, insecurity and infrastructural decay in nearly all spheres amounted to putting the cart before the horse.

Moreso, is the fact that the description of Nigeria as a failed state, according to pundits, is hinged on the decay and prevalent corruption in the system.

This, they say, was what strengthened United States President Barrack Obama’s decision to visit Ghana at the expense of Nigeria, and also made the US first citizen to frown at persistent electoral processes ravaging Africa, among which is Nigeria’s.

The country’s 2007 general election was adjudged as one of the worst in global history.

Rivers State Governor, Rt, Hon. Chibuike Amaechi (middle) watches as his Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner, Barr Ken Chikere, (left) exchanges views with the President of Nigeria Bar Association, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, during the Association’s National Executive Council meeting in Port Harcourt, last week.