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Nigeria At Point Of No Return -US Report
Nigeria is at the point of no return. So says the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), and the Harvard Kennedy School in the United States.
Both organisations reiterated that the country has showed all the signs of a failed nation.
The organisations made the disclosure in a research finding it released through its senior fellow and former US Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell and Mr Robert Rotberg, who is the founding director, Harvard Kennedy School’s Programme on Intrastate Conflict and president emeritus, World Peace Foundation.
They both said that Nigeria is currently in its final phase, from which it would eventually collapse.
The organisation said their position was not based on emotion or the use of fancy words to describe the situation, but on “a body of political theory developed at the turn of this century and elaborated upon, case by case, ever since.”
Its report added that Nigeria has since moved from being a weak state to “a fully failed state,” having manifested all the signs of a failed country, including the inability of government to protect the citizens, large scale violence and festering insurgency
According to them, President Muhammadu Buhari admitting that the Federal Government has lost control of the situation is the first step towards the restoration of stability. The duo warned that Nigeria’s failure as a state comes with negative consequences for peace and security in West Africa sub-region as well as Europe and the US.
“Nigeria has long teetered on the precipice of failure. But now, unable to keep its citizens safe and secure, Nigeria has become a fully failed state of critical geopolitical concern. Its failure matters because the peace and prosperity of Africa and preventing the spread of disorder and militancy around the globe depend on a stronger Nigeria.
“Its economy is usually estimated to be Africa’s largest or second largest, after South Africa. Long West Africa’s hegemon, Nigeria played a positive role in promoting African peace and security. With state failure, it can no longer sustain that vocation, and no replacement is in sight. Its security challenges are already destabilising the West African region in the face of resurgent jihadism, making the battles of the Sahel that much more difficult to contain.
“And spillover from Nigeria’s failures ultimately affect the security of Europe and the United States. Indeed, thoughtful Nigerians over the past decade have debated, often fervently, whether their state has failed. Increasingly, their consensus is that it has,” the report published on foreignpolicy.com, said.
The report further says, “There are four kinds of nations: the strong, the weak, the failed, and the collapsed. According to previously published research estimates, of the 193 members of the United Nations, 60 or 70 are strong—the nations that rank highest in the listings of Freedom House, the human rights reports of the U. S. State Department, the anti corruption perception indices of Transparency International, and so on.
“There are three places that should be considered collapsed: Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen. Eighty or 90 U.N. members are weak. Weakness consists of providing many, but not all, of essential public goods, the most important of which are security and safety. If citizens are not secure from harm within national borders, governments cannot deliver good governance (the essential services that citizens expect) to their constituents.
“Possibly a dozen or so states are failed, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, and Myanmar. Each lacks security, is unsafe, has weak rules of law, is corrupt, limits political participation and voice, discriminates within its borders against various classes and kinds of citizens, and provides educational and medical services sparingly. Most of all, failed states are violent.
“All failed states harbor some form of violent internal strife, such as civil war or insurgency. Nigeria now confronts six or more internal insurrections and the inability of the Nigerian state to provide peace and stability to its people has tipped a hitherto very weak state into failure. According to political theory, the government’s inability to thwart the Boko Haram insurgency is enough to diagnose Nigeria as a failed state. But there are many more symptoms.
“At a bare minimum, citizens expect their states to keep them secure from external attack and to keep them safe within their borders. The bargain that subjects long ago made with their sovereigns was being kept from harm in exchange for allegiance and taxation. When that quid pro quo breaks down, a state loses its coherence, its social fabric disintegrates, and warring factions subvert the social contract that should provide the fundamental foundation of the state.
“Nigeria now appears to have reached the point of no return. Indeed, few parts of Nigeria are today fully safe,” the report further added.
The 11 collections were selected from a total of 223 entries received for this year’s competition.
Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Prize, Prof. Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, who announced the longlist, said the emergence of the 11 collections marks a significant milestone in this year’s competition and reflects the exceptional quality, creativity and diversity of contemporary Nigerian poetry.
According to her, the longlisted titles, arranged in alphabetical order, are: Adult Love by Tanure Ojaide; Bakandimiya by Saddiq Dzukogi; Black Passport by Paul Akpomuje; 2000 Blacks by Ajibola Tolase; Ceremony For The Nameless by Theresa Lola; Corpus: Animistic Verses by Ayo Oyeku; and Floral’s Love Colony by Tares Oburumu.
Other successful entries are, The Origin of Wounds by Malik Gbolahan; The Years of Blood by Adebayo Agarau; Unbind Me Now by James Ugwu Eze; and Why Does God Need a Gun by Ogaga Ifowodo.
Prof. Adimora-Ezeigbo described the announcement as an important stage in the 2026 edition of the prize.
She noted that the collections demonstrate the remarkable capacity of poetry to illuminate human experience through thoughtful reflection, cultural memory and artistic expression.
According to her, the works revisit history while interrogating dominant historical narratives and exposing the forces that shape collective identities and social relations.
She stated that despite their varied emphases, the books share a commitment to exploring the endurance of individuals and communities in the face of violence, oppression and social fragmentation.
On style and language, Prof. Adimora-Ezeigbo said the books display an impressive diversity of poetic techniques marked by lyrical intensity, symbolic depth and artistic innovation.
“Many employ densely poetic, allegorical, and elegiac modes that invite multiple layers of interpretation, while others draw extensively on folklore, oral traditions, and contemporary realities to create a compelling fusion of past and present. Their language is generally fluid, evocative, and aesthetically refined, relying on vivid imagery, emotional resonance, and intellectual sophistication to communicate complex ideas. These works demonstrate how poetic language can illuminate social realities; challenge established perspectives and give voice to both individual and collective experiences.
“The next stage will demand a closer reading of each work, with attention to language, form, originality and lasting literary value,” she stated.
The Board chairman commended the judges for their painstaking work and reaffirmed the Advisory Board’s commitment to a credible process, literary excellence and the promotion of a strong reading culture.
With the announcement of the 11-title longlist, the competition now moves to the next phase, with a shortlist of three expected in August and the winner to be announced in October.
Sponsored by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), The Nigeria Prize for Literature carries a cash award of $100,000 for the author of the winning book.
Now in its 22nd year, the prize rotates annually across four genres – prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature – with the 2026 edition devoted to poetry.
Speaking at the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the NMA held in Port Harcourt last Wednesday, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, described the association as a vital partner in the quest to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes.
Wokoma, according to a statement by the Head of Information and Public Relations Unit in his office, Julian Masi, noted that the NMA’s sustained advocacy for professional standards and quality medical practice has continued to impact positively on the healthcare sector and national development.
He said the conference theme, “Medical Practice in Nigeria: The Past, the Present and Quo Vadis,” offers a valuable platform for stakeholders to evaluate the progress made in the health sector, examine present realities, and develop practical solutions for future challenges.
He paid tribute to Nigerian doctors and other healthcare professionals for their sacrifices and unwavering commitment to service despite the challenges confronting the sector.
“We deeply appreciate the immense sacrifices made daily by Nigerian doctors and other healthcare professionals. In the face of numerous challenges, they continue to demonstrate exceptional resilience, professionalism, dedication and commitment to saving lives. Their contributions remain critical to national development,” he said.
In her keynote address, the immediate past Commissioner for Health, Prof. Adaeze C. Oreh, called on participants to critically examine the current state of medical practice in Nigeria and explore innovative approaches that will address emerging healthcare challenges in line with the conference theme.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Rivers State Branch, Dr. (Prof.) Annabel Ureh Oparaodu, expressed gratitude to Governor Siminialayi Fubara for his continued support for the medical profession in Rivers State.
She urged delegates to maximize the opportunities provided by the conference through active engagement and knowledge sharing.
Highlights of the event included the commissioning of the Nigerian Medical Association Doctors’ Lodge and the NMA Water Factory, initiatives designed to improve members’ welfare and promote sustainability within the association.
Federal Commissioner, NPC, Rivers State, Prof. Itotenaan Henry Ogiri, announced said this recently during a press briefing in his Port Harcourt office.
Ogiri said the full digital registration of births and deaths took effect nationwide on July 1, 2026, and is now being implemented across Rivers’ 23 Local Government Areas as part of the Commission’s rollout in the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT.
“Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards a modern, technology-driven civil registration system,
“It reflects the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that every birth and every death occurring in our country is accurately captured through a secure, efficient and digitally enabled platform,” he said.
The Federal Commissioner noted that while Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, coverage remains low.
“Birth registration currently stands at about 57%, while death registration is below 20% nationwide.
“These gaps underscore the urgent need for a more efficient and accessible registration system,” he stated.
To address this, he said the commission has established 4,011 functional registration centres across the 774 LGAs, with plans to expand to about 8,000 centres nationwide.
According to him, in Rivers State, structures have been put in place and personnel are working with health facilities, LGAs and community stakeholders to ensure accessibility.
Ogiri explained that the VitalReg platform offers faster registration, 24-hour access, automated data validation for accuracy, reduced paperwork and waiting time, enhanced record security, and a stronger national database to support other government information systems.
He added that the platform would integrate seamlessly with Nigeria’s national digital identity framework, including the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to improve coordination and service delivery.
“The initiative builds on the launch of the E-CRVS System and the inauguration of the National Coordination Committee on CRVS by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on November 8, 2023.
“It also aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda on digital transformation and transparency,” he said.
The NPC Commissioner stressed that success depends on partnerships and public participation and listed key collaborators as ALGON, NIMC, UNICEF and Barnksforte Technologies Limited.
“In Rivers State, we will continue to work closely with the State Government, Local Government Councils, healthcare providers, traditional institutions, religious organisations, development partners, civil society organisations and the media to ensure that no child or family is left behind,” he said.
The commissioner called on parents, guardians, healthcare workers and community leaders to ensure prompt registration of every birth and death, noting that a complete civil registration system strengthens governance and supports sustainable development.
He reassured the public that birth registration and birth notification services remain highly subsidised, though specialised administrative services such as record modification, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification will attract approved charges to support system sustainability.
Ogiri appreciated the Rivers State Government for its support, and commended NPC staff in the State, as well as development partners, LGAs, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders for advancing civil registration in the state.
He also urged the media to continue to amplify the message “that every birth counts, every death matters and every Nigerian deserves a legal identity.”
“As we commence this new chapter, let us all work together to build a civil registration system that is modern, inclusive and trusted by all,” Ogiri concluded.
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