Nigeria was yesterday ranked the 15th most failed nation in the world, out of a total of 177 countries that were surveyed. The country moved upwards three places from 18th position in 2008; and 17th in 2007. The newly released Failed State Index 2009 was published by the United States think-tank and an independent research organisation, the Fund for Peace, and the magazine Foreign Policy. This is the 5th edition, since 2005. According to the detailed Index , Somalia emerged the most failed state, for the second time running, while Norway emerged the best or most sustainable state. The index's ranks are based on twelve indicators of state vulnerability - four social, two economic and six political. The indicators are not designed to forecast when states may experience violence or collapse. Instead, they are meant to measure a state's vulnerability to collapse or conflict. Out of the 15 most failed nations surveyed, ten were African nations. These include Somalia (1st), Zimbabwe (2nd), Sudan (3rd), Chad (4th), Dem. Rep. of Congo (5th), Central African Republic (8th), Guinea (9th), Ivory Coast (11th), Kenya (14th), and Nigeria (15th). The best five nations, which were described as having the most sustainable state include Norway (177), Finland (176), Sweden (175), Switzerland (174), and Ireland (173). Ghana emerged the best state in Africa , ranked 124 and classified as moderate state, while USA was 159th and UK 161 on the survey list. The Crisis States Research Centre defines a “failed state” as a condition of “state collapse” – i.e., a state that can no longer perform its basic security and development functions and that has no effective control over its territory.

THIS DAY , Thursday, July 16, 200
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