Is Nigeria really the giant of Africa? cos it seems that we were left behind in all almost every aspect. Even countries such Botswana are far ahead of us!

'Giant of Africa' is an outdated metaphor that charactarises Nigeria as a whole. It made sense in the 70s-80s when the country was seemingly heading towards the right direction, even appearing to be a model for other African countries. Moreover the metaphor was used because of our size in population. This last bit is the only truth that still stands.

Just to make things clear, Nigeria was never considered Africa's giant in terms of football. The real giants are Cameroon because of their continental and international feats. They are closely followed by Egypt and Ghana - who, albeit, have had less luck on the international level. Nigeria only had a brief spell of dominance in African football between 1993 and 1996.

Nigeria is indeed giant of africa and you want my proof.
We are giant in lack of power supply
Giant in corruption
Giant in electoral malpractice
It is only in Nigeria the a man becomes a Governor without the votes of the people
It is only in Nigeria that a president can rule from an Ambulance
It is only in Nigeria that man has 500 bedrooms
It is only in Nigeria that an ex-Governor and serving Senator married a 13year old
It is only in Nigeria that our immigration officers don't our allow even a little drop of liquid that is not more than 100ml to pass through their security.
It is only in Nigeria that election cases stay up to 3 years before its conclusion.

I can count as much as i can but for all its worth, "NIGERIA IS A GIANT WITH HUGE CLAY LEGS STUCK IN THE MUD" hence she can not rule.

In the mind of a Togolese, Togo is the giant of Africa

I hate to say, the real giants of Africa are the Ghanians or Ivory Coast. Nigeria don't even come close any more in my opinion.

@Spyker nice view.

My name is ADONIKE KINGSLEY DERA. My nation Nigeria is the confirmed GIANT of this continent; AFRICA. Check her records, her peace-keeping missions in divers countries including South Africa, etc. The population alone which made 1 in every 5 Africans a Nigerian. Our army is unbeatable in Africa. Tell me the countries' entertainment industry that surpasses that of Nigeria? The fifth most endowmed nation In the world and the largest exporter of labour in the world after China and America. Her NTA is Africa's largest TV network and to cut the long record short, we are the only African country to win Olympic gold medal In football, win World cup U-17, , and many more one must be a black baaboon to say Nigeria is not the Giant of Africa.

@Adonike what about the quality of life?

Rhydem:

I hate to say, the real giants of Africa are the Ghanians or Ivory Coast. Nigeria don't even come close any more in my opinion.

Nigeria may not the Giant of Africa but where do you guys get this self-hating , logic-defying nonsense you state on the net?

Please get the the April edition of African business so you can get some badly needed education that will hopefully prevent you from stating hogwash in future.

You will see the 2010 list of the top 250 companies in Africa to note that almost 100 are from South Africa !!!! Almost 30 are from Nigeria, Clearly South Africa is the undoubted Giant of Africa. On the same list , Morocco and Egypt are second and third. Nigeria is fourth while Kenya is fifth with around 26 of its Companies listed.  Meanwhile Ghana has only 3 companies and Ivory Coast 4 !!!!

What must South Africans, Moroccans, Egyptian and Kenyans reading this thread be thinking ? They will only shake their head and conclude that West Africans are hideously deluded and ridiculously ignorant of life outside West Africa !!!

In the same magazine there is also a list of the top 50 companies in West Africa 42 are from Nigeria, 4 from Ivory Coast and 3 from Ghana !!! So how on earth can any sane person view Ghana or Ivory Coast as the Giant of West Africa let alone the Giant of Africa ?


http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Africa's+Top+250+companies.-a0224335706

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1140291

We are sadly deluded

@Gbawe we're doing all these in order to see how far we've gone as a nation and also think of correcting our previous mistakes! Lastly we are only calling SPADE a SPADE!

jesus.

you people are dense LOL.

you're acting like the other countries in africa are just heading to paradise while nigerians eat each other.

Nigeria's progress is actually higher then most african countries with a few, botswana, and gabon, out pacing us, but we're still significantly a larger and more powerful economy then them

most african countries outside of like 7 aren't richer then Rivers State alone lol. im not exaggerating, look at the statistics.

beside the phrase isn't about development it's about size.
you people suck at the internet.

that's turkey,we are'nt talking about size alone
in entertainment(music & movie industry)
nominal earnings
population
and few other things,we rule.but we lack vaguely in development for the amount ofmoney we make.
Nigerian immigrants are the most educated foriegners in the USA and Britian.
research on some black american & black british artists and actorson wiki or sumtin, and you'll find out that few of the most talented are of Nigerian descent, an international news reporter once said that ''no matter any country you are in the worldyou'll find at least a Nigerian there''.that shows a Nigerians hunger to succeed in life, unfortunately some greedy people hve taken that hunger into the government.so i'll say yes we're giants but not giant enough,

secretaryabdul:

@Gbawe we're doing all these in order to see how far we've gone as a nation and also think of correcting our previous mistakes! Lastly we are only calling SPADE a SPADE!

Am I to believe you guys are "calling a spade a spade" when you say that "Ghana and Ivory Coast are the real Giants of Africa" ? I think most informed folks will find such an assertion ignorant at best and downright ridiculous at worst !!!!

In case some of you don't know , the term Giant of Africa was attached to Nigeria because of her enormous population (and thus labour market) , human and natural endowment, armed forces, naturally intelligent and significant people, etc.

Many (including most Western Nations) called us the Giant of Africa (despite South Africa being the literal industrial Giant of Africa) in willing us on to fulfill a potentially great destiny our endowment suggest we can secure. The notion is that a developed Nigeria translate into a developed Africa. That we have not utilized our potentials to attain the heights many predicted for us is not to deny that we are still , all things factored in, probably the only African nation that can be to Africa what the USA is to the World.

Ikengawo:

jesus.

you people are dense LOL.

you're acting like the other countries in africa are just heading to paradise while nigerians eat each other.

Nigeria's progress is actually higher then most african countries with a few, botswana, and gabon, out pacing us, but we're still significantly a larger and more powerful economy then them

most african countries outside of like 7 aren't richer then Rivers State alone lol. im not exaggerating, look at the statistics.

beside the phrase isn't about development it's about size.
you people suck at the internet.

My brother , please tell them ooh. Constructive criticism is good but outright lies and malicious falsehood should always be rejected !!!!  According to the esteemed PricewaterhouseCoopers firm Nigeria will be , by far , the largest economy in Africa by 2050. It will, out of all the countries of the world , be the third fastest emerging market economy globally behind only Vietnam and India !!!!!

Egypt and South Africa are the only African countries included below Nigeria (see table B in link below) in the list of the top emerging market economies by 2050 !!!!! This is direct acknowledgment of how Nigeria , more than any other African nation, is vastly blessed with endowments and potentials it is under-utilising because of corruption and bad governance!!!!!  We can sort out corruption and bad governance (with all hands on deck) but other African nations cannot suddenly swell their population by 100 million !!!! Analysts and economist realise this consideration also when they make predictive analysis.

http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/press-room/2008/china-asia-economic-markets-growth-emerging-markets.jhtml

Investment analysts have indicated that the Nigerian economy may actually overtake that of South Africa next year !!!!

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&sid=aLfQz3nVmpS4

Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest economy, may overtake South Africa as the region’s biggest economy by 2011, with gross domestic product estimated to rise to $308 billion, compared with South Africa’s estimated GDP of $262 billion, Renaissance Capital said on Sept. 8. Nigeria’s GDP may rise to more than $500 billion by 2014 and $1 trillion by 2020, according to Renaissance Capital. 

Below is an objective and balanced non-Nigerian CEO admitting to real situations on the ground that is in total contrast to what haters of Nigeria constantly postulate on the internet about Nigeria:


http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/finance-wire/mi_8120/is_20100413/patrick-mweheire-ceo-east-africa/ai_n53153406/

Well, Nigeria is an extremely large market. You know, I don't think a lot of people know this but Nigeria's GDP is on plan to exceed South Africa in less than a year's time. So that is a significant development. Not a lot of people know that. It's, you know, 160 million people. GDP will be close to $300 billion so it is a country that we are very, very much committed to try and do business in.

Sir, it is not that many do not "know" what you have stated . It is more to do with haters of Nigeria deceiving the World , at every chance and using every medium,  to state that Nigeria is a "hellhole" about to implode while Nigerians themselves gobble up the false and negative garbage written without any desire to seek out the facts for themselves !!!!

Im tired of ppl on online and praising togo just to insult nigeria lol.


have you BEEN to another african country? Nigeria is extremely blessed and extremely fortunate. log off the internet and buy a plane ticket you complaint prone ingrates. \\

Nigeria has everything every african country has times 10, good and bad, that's why it's a GIANT, it's BIGGER

GIANT=BIGGER

now if your made the Nigeria economy hasn't become a first world paradise like Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Senegal, and the rest of those perfect examples of amazing countries then i guess you have issues i can't solve.
nor can the internet. log off.


even the 2 countries that can compete in any way shape and form, egypt and south africa, have you ever assessed the two?
they're pieces of sh*T lol.

you want to talk about electoral fraud? run and election in egypt. They won't even rig it. they'll just declare they won then shot your supporters and arrest you.

go to south africa and watch them light your black ass on fire with kerosene for no reason and come tell me about nigeria

Rhydem: I hate to say, the real giants of Africa are the Ghanians or Ivory Coast. Nigeria don't even come close any more in my opinion.

na lie you like to say it.stop pretending thats how nigerians are.

Is India a giant in Asia, where you've got Malaysia and Singapore?

secretaryabdul: @Adonike what about the quality of life?

stop it! the quality of life is increasing by the day. The thing is even though this trend is all around us we delibrately close our eyes to them and pretend they are not there. To prove that to you, dangote sells more cement today than he sold in 2008. MTN makes more today than they made before. More people have BB today than few years ago.all of these show an increase in purchasing power. Infact people are buying all these things more today than four years ago when dollar was cheaper. But people are not seeing all these things becos they think people in europe do not cry

I agree with all of u both thoz wt delusion of grandiose and dz who are being realistic, but it depends on whc aspect we r comin frm, if we look at nigeria frm bokoharanian theory dn pls let no 1 argue ds we r giants of d world but wn it cms to d living standard of its citizens we r undoubtedly dwarfs or beta still aki n pawpaw of africa

Igbanibo: We are sadly deluded

true talk keep it up. We need people like you cure us of our mental malaria that is embarrasingly been displayed on this forum.