The influential Forbes Magazine has listed the country as ranking high in global index for habouring one of the world’s saddest people, saying the country’s leadership must move from corrupt practices and official profligacy to render quality leadership to the people.

This is contained in the annual development analysis index released yesterday and culled by LEADERSHIP from the Magazine’s website.

It stated that citizens of the country ranked 20th amongst their counterparts sampled across the globe, thus making the country one of the worst countries to live in.

Nigeria also shares the same unenviable position with several other African and Asian countries of the world, with the war torn Central African Republic topping the chart as the country harbouring the saddest people in the globe.

In the latest survey, the Republic of Congo came second in the survey, while Afghanistan came third, with the landlocked country of Chad placing fourth while the pacific country of Haiti ranked fifth.

Other countries in the list include Burundi (6th), Togo (7th), Zimbabwe (8th), Yemen (9th), Ethopia (10th), Pakistan (11th), Iraq (12th), Liberia, (13th), Angola (14th), Sierra Leone (15th) Guinea (16th),Ivory Coast (17th), Sudan (18th), Mozambique (19th) and Nigeria in 20th position.

According to the magazine, the position was arrived at owing to increasing level of insecurity, threat to livelihood and overall deteriorating level of standard of living of the people of the country, occasioned by widespread corruption.

The magazine stated that the survey which was carried out last year revealed that “the increasing level of insecurity, threats of livelihood and general well being of the people of Nigeria,” has acted as a means of facilitating poverty and despair in the country, particularly in the last year.”

What is their yardstick ?

How come suicide rates are low compared to the states? I doubt if they carried out any research among the citizens cos if they did, they would have discovered that Nigerians are the most optimistic and cheerful people in the world. Most still put smiles on their faces despite the hardship they face.