"An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propaganda, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it " Mahatma Gandhi.

In response to Prof Nwabueze's comment , the Special Assistant to PDP Chairman on Governance and Goverrnors , Mr Osaro Onaiwu also cited Nigeria's Foreign Direct Investment {FDI} that stood at $9b as an indication that Nigeria is not a failed state and that foreigners see better communication, better transportation, improvement in power, security, they see a pool of educated youth amongst others .But one wonder which country is Onaiwu referring to .The economic hardship in the country negates whatever claims the government may be having . Venezuela is investing $100b of its oil money on infrastructure and planning the construction of a 1,000km railway line ,while Nigeria leaders see no need to urgently repair our roads and construct modern rail lines, although planning to spend N1.6trillion before 2015 on rail - lines.

Transparency International, TI, in its 2012 Corruption Perception Index {CPI} released in December 2012, Nigeria was ranked 139th position out of 176 countries surveyed for the report to become the 35th most corrupt country of the world. It shared that position with Azerbaijan, Kenya, Nepal and Pakistan. Countries such as Togo, Mali, Niger and Benin fared better than Nigeria. Global Financial Integrity of Washington, U.S. A ., recently reported that out of the 20 biggest exporters of illicit financial flows for past 10years ,Nigeria stands at an incredible 7th position, with $10.66bn or N3.047trillion stolen money exported to foreign lands by its leaders, with N15.5b recovered by the EFCC at the nation airports in 2012 alone from money launderers according to Mr Lamorde, EFCC chairman .The Co - Founder and Director of Global Witness , Paul Alley was at the Global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative meeting in Nov.2012 ,as one of the speakers ,he was so enraged about the impunity in Nigeria that he recommended that our country be kicked out of the body. It was so bad that Nigeria was being used as an example of corruption, dirty money and bribery throughout the event. . Nevertheless, government budgeted N1.1bn for President's food ,N2.2bn to build banquet hall for the president , N14bn to build Vice President's quarters , spent N500m for thanksgiving party of Mrs Jonathan and N4bn to build African First Ladies' house in Abuja.

Dr Mukhtar Diop, World Bank Vice President for Africa warned that the country's 8% economic growth was not sufficient to reduce poverty rate in the country and that there was only slight reduction in the level of poverty in the country, moving from 48% to 46% . Nigeria has been poorly rated in all World Economics Indices such as ease of doing business , where it is ranked 133 out of 134 countries and Global Competitiveness,127 out of 132 . It is difficult for business to thrive under these unfavorable condition . The 25% interest charge on securing loans is inimical to economic growth of the nation . Also infrastructural deficiency has gotten many big industries and factories to close -- up and relocated to other economic focused nations like Ghana. Dunlop is good example. Another area is inequality in wealth distribution. Recently, Sen Ita Enang , Akwa Ibom North East , disclosed at the floor of the Senate during debates on Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) that 83% of Nigeria's oil blocks are in the hands of the northerners . A study on growth, poverty and inequality indices showed that income inequality is yet to be overcome, where it is revealed that benefits of economic growth is not spreading accordingly and sufficiently. Budgetary allocation moved from N598 billion in 2000 to N4.9trillion in 2012 , an increase of more than 800% with little actually to show for it.. No improvement in the lives of Nigerian masses. Hon Tambowal said 50% of money spent out of budgetary allocation without recourse to appropriation act . Perhaps this might have compelled FGN on 22\1\13 to convene a National Policy Dialogue on Growth, Inequality and Poverty through the Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER).

Its a mark of collective failure of Nigerian governments at different levels that after 52years of independence the water supply service coverage in the country is around 58% which is about 87m people and that over 70m people lacks potable water supply. Inspite of huge financial investments , grants , loans ,and budgetary allocations ,like a grant given by Japanese International Cooperation Agency { JICA} to the tune N13.37bn for the provision of water and capacity building in the country in the past ten years , and that in 2002 Federal Government under Chief Obasanjo , spent around N227bn , in spite of that ,President Jonathan also budgeted N75bn for water resources in 2012 ,it is therefore devastating that millions of Nigerian masses still depend on boreholes and dug - out wells for drinking water.

Maternal Mortality rate in Nigeria is very high at about 630 per 100,000. Infant mortality rate is 143 per1, 000 live births in Nigeria, while in Singapore it is 2.0 per1, 000 life births. Life expectancy rate is 47years in Nigeria, while Singapore is 81years. Singapore provided 95% housing for its masses and Malaysia also provided over 80% housing for its masses, according to the recent findings by the President of Nigerian Institute of Building ,while millions of Nigerians could not boast of decent accommodation . The General Director , Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON, Joseph Odumodu stated that substandard electric cables worth N2bn were destroyed by SON recently .It is shameful that Nigeria has no accredited laboratory of international standards where fake products could be tested while Egypt is having 80 and Kenya 60 of such laboratories respectively . Our status as oil rich nation notwithstanding, we still continue to import refined petroleum products, with companies both local and foreign scrambling to get contracts to import about 4bn barrels this year alone.

With huge oil revenue accrued to the Nigerian government in last 2years alone, i.e. $ 65b in 2011 and $90b in 2012; tax collection of #4.6trillion in 2011 and about #5trillion in 2012 yet our debts keep compiling. From 1965 - 2001, Nigeria's debts was $13.56bn, but the country had paid the equivalent of $41.273bn to service the debts by 2001. In 1970, Nigeria's external debts were less than $1bn. By 1980 it had grew to $9bn and by 1985 it was $19bn. The debt rose almost consistently from about 30% in 1983 to about 80% in 2001. In May 2007, Nigerian domestic debts were at about #1.75trillion about ($10.12b) while foreign debts were about $2.5b, totaling about $12.62b, but as at today our domestic debts has risen to #6.6trillion and foreign debts at $6.5b. When focus countries launches an economic vision, they first of all, put machinery in place to liquidate all their debts and minimize their borrowing culture. This explain why Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Malaysia which paid back their debts as far back as 1992 (21years ago), today they are not only Asia's Economic Tigers, but also have hundreds of billions of dollars in their foreign reserves as well as huge investments overseas.

In 2006, China has $700b in her foreign reserves and in 2010 ,her reserves rose to over $2.3trillion while Nigeria foreign reserves after paying off our debts and receive debts forgiveness or 'forgetfulness' our foreign reserves had crumbled from over $67b to about $47b in 2013 including Excess Crude Oil Account. It is shameful that other OPEC members and oil producers like Nigeria are investing their own income from oil massively in infrastructure and pilling up saving instead of debts, corruption and systemic failures we are witnessing in Nigeria. Qatar, with a population of 1.7m people has 8,750mw; Nigeria with a population of 167m is struggling with 3,100mw after wasting billions of dollars on power generation. Saudi Arabia plans to spend about $100b to add 30,000mw to its 40,000mw generated already for a population of 28m people. But in Nigeria the looting class is envisaging of increasing the electricity tariff again that will allow the poor masses to pay more for the darkness being experience everyday instead of light, while Nigeria is known to be the highest importer of generators in the world with the masses spending trillions of naira yearly to power it. The country has become destination of fake drugs and sub-standard products, with porous borders. Boko-Haram attacks, kidnapping, ritual killings and armed robbery incidents are enough signs of a failed states.
The state of education sector is pitiable, with the recent report submitted by a federal panel that looks into the state of affairs in federal universities, no structures except abandoned projects and dearth of academic staff. These has affected the kind of graduates being produced by these institutions and has adversely affected the standard of education. Many parents prefer foreign certificates for their children, with over #80b spent in Ghana universities by Nigerian parents to acquire sound education.
Our health delivery system is shambolic. According to Dr Omololu Olunloyo, in the past, U. C. H. Ibadan was rated 5th best hospital in the British Commonwealth, but today it has slide backward to 65th position due to brain drain or brain waste precipitated by criminal neglects from the ruling class. Our hospitals and teaching hospitals are mere glorified clinics compared to where our political leaders and policy makers run to when they have ailments. The case of Mrs. Patience Jonathan that went to Germany to undergo 9 operations at the tax payers’ expense, while millions of citizens are left without sound medical attention says the obvious.

The nation’s Criminal Justice Delivery System is perfunctory and kid dish. A man that was accused of stealing #27.8bn of Nigeria Police Retirees' pension fund and was asked to pay just #750,000 as fine ,and the stage managed escape of fugitive Maina who stole #195bn of pension scheme plus recent spurious state pardon giving former governor, Chief Deprieye Alamieyeseigha , who defalcated Bayelsa State treasury ,affecting diplomatic relationship with U S ,that precipitated the cancellation of Bill Gate's intending official visit through the US government's advice to the effect , has made the erosion of trust that remains in the judiciary and executive inevitable.

It is unfortunate that our society is largely populated by people having the manifestation of what Lord Laggard thought about Nigerians. An excerpt from the book "Dual Mandate In British Tropical African" written over 80years ago. "In character and temperament, the typical African of this race-type is a happy, thriftless, excitable person. Lacking in self-control, discipline and foresight. Naturally courageous and polite, full of personal vanity".

So “to oppose corruption in government is the highest obligation of patriotism" said Edward Griffin, because "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark , the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light" Plato

Pastor Mark Debo Taiwo(JP)

National Coordinator,
Operation Moving Nigeria Forward.&; Nigerian Anti - Corruption Initiative Ogbomoso debotaiwo@ymail.com;markdebotaiwo@gmail.com 08099820899;08038264924

Failed State how? Though, so many things are wrong in this country and it seems nobody is trying to fix any if not all...... Our leaders have failed us and still failing us. But we still have to be optimistic and prayerful. I believe in Nigeria.

becoming? nigeria is already a failed state , so much so that most of us hope and pray it breaks up soon!

It's been a failed state for the past 7yrs or so.

Erm... Let me consult Princeton University...

The term failed state is often used by political commentators and journalists to describe a state perceived as having failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government. In order to make this definition more precise, the following attributes, proposed by the Fund for Peace, are often used to characterize a failed state:

- loss of physical control of its territory, or of the monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force therein,
- erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions,
- an inability to provide reasonable public services, and
- an inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community.

Often a failed nation is characterized by social, political, and economic failure.

Common characteristics of a failing state include a central government so weak or ineffective that it has little practical control over much of its territory; non-provision of public services; widespread corruption and criminality; refugees and involuntary movement of populations; and sharp economic decline.
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Failed_state.html

^^^^Nigeria is a failing state albeit it's 80% within the failed state circumference... You lot can do the maths, to know where you stand...

Common characteristics of a failing state
include a central government so weak or
ineffective that it has little practical control
over much of its territory; non-provision of
public services; widespread corruption and
criminality; refugees and involuntary
movement of populations; and sharp economic
decline.

I'd say Nigeria is closer to a 90% threshold than the 80% you pointed out Shymmex
What remains to open Pandora's box is sharp economic decline seeing all the other characteristics have been ticked.

Nigeria cannot be a failed state!
Nigeria was never a state in the first place.

Nigeria is a failed experiment of over zealous and over ambitious Whitemen.

It was never a state, is not a state and will never a state.

this is just shocking, i knew Nigeria was a shithole, but i didn't think things were this bad, and the fact that this doesn't make the front page just shows that things ain't gone get better. countries like Rwanda, Angola, Zambia, Ghana and even Zimbabwe (after Mugabe bumps out) will continue to improve, and considering the projected population of Nigeria( 300 million ) by 2050 the future looks very bad for the giant of Africa. Nigeria needs to curb its high fertility rate (5.5) and not export its psychopats ( highest no of prisoners in foreign countries). Nigerians please look at yourselves, stop your tribalism and unite, the world is not waiting for you, use that intelligence you like to brag about and improve Nigeria.

Lack of control of security (eg Boko Haram, MEND), involuntary movement of people, a very weak central government, failure to provide public services (No Healthcare, No electricity, no roads)

Yes Nigeria falls within the definition of a failing State

noblezone: Nigeria cannot be a failed state!
Nigeria was never a state in the first place.

Nigeria is a failed experiment of over zealous and over ambitious Whitemen.

It was never a state, is not a state and will never a state.

Bros, please help me inform Nigerians that one can not search for what one did not misplaced. It is a sign of lunacy for a person to search frantically for somethning the person did not misplace.

Nigeria is a failed state because the entity Ciroma Chukuma Adekunle has been writing WAEC since inception and hasn't passed it.
So nigeria is a failed(maybe failing) state. period!

To think this intellectual thread did not make home page
NL is truly an online beer parlor/soft sell centre then
No wonder Tolexander rightly called it a poo hole

Nah, Nigeria is not really a failed state yet just a state on life support.

Nigeria is a state on life support thats to its oil or else it'll be dead.

Dede1:

Bros, please help me inform Nigerians that one can not search for what one did not misplaced. It is a sign of lunacy for a person to search frantically for somethning the person did not misplace.

My brother i tire oo!

You know, that is why they keep shouting about "one" Nigeria, because Nigeria was never "one". They are trying hard to force the "oneness", but I am yet to see where oil and water mixed into one fluid.

They make laugh!

Who has ever heard of "one Ghana", "one Brazil" or even "one Niger Republic". It is only Nigeria that is "one", the rest of the other nations are not "one".

It is irony.

noblezone:

My brother i tire oo!

You know, that is why they keep shouting about "one" Nigeria, because Nigeria was never "one". They are trying hard to force the "oneness", but I am yet to see where oil and water mixed into one fluid.

They make laugh!

Who has ever heard of "one Ghana", "one Brazil" or even "one Niger Republic". It is only Nigeria that is "one", the rest of the other nations are not "one".

It is irony.

irony indeed