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By Ifedayo Adebayo
June 22, 2011 03:29AM
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Described as only better than Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Central African, Iraq, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Pakistan, and Yemen, Nigeria has once again been ranked 14th most failed state in the world.

This is out of the 177 countries considered in the ranking by the Fund for Peace, an American independent non-profit research and educational organisation that works to prevent violent conflicts and promote sustainable security in the world.

According to the 2011 result which is the seventh annual Failed States Index report, Nigeria maintains its same position as that of last year, except Kenya which is now more improved than Nigeria and moved out of its 2010 13th position, while Yemen who was a step better than Nigeria, now in twelfth position, a step poorer.

Nigeria was 15th in 2009, 18th in 2008, 17th in 2007, 22nd in 2006, 54th in 2005, which means that its 14th position assumes its worst stagnant status since 2007. The fall from 2005 to 2006 was sharp, while it has since then been maintaining the margin of one of the most failed in the world, having just a status of being better than just other eight countries in the world.

Somalia is on record as the undisputed four-time champion. Out of the seven years of the Failed States Index, Somalia has had the distinction of occupying the worst spot for the past four years straight. Georgia is however this year's most improved nation, having improved by 10 positions and by a score of 4.0.

In the 2009 Failed States Index, Georgia ranked 33rd and into the Alert category, but has rebounded to 47th in this year's Index.

Assessment criteria

Considering the indicators used for the ranking, Nigeria's worst scoring categories were in Group Grievance (9.6), Uneven Development (9.0), Legitimacy of the State (9.0), Public Services (9.0), Security Apparatus (9.1), and Factionalised Elites (9.5).

According to the summary analysis on Nigeria, "the country's deep grievances along religious and communal lines have resulted in violence in the Niger Delta region, the Middle Belt, and the North. There is also endemic corruption and deep distrust of the state, inadequate public services, and security forces that often operate with impunity. The country is also subject to campaigns of violence by a number of militant and militia groups, including the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

"Finally, there are deep divisions among the political elites. In this year's elections, there was controversy over whether the incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, a southerner who took over after the death of Umaru Yar'Adau in May, should receive his party's nomination. Traditionally, power has rotated between politicians from the North and South. President Jonathan was successful both in receiving the nomination and in winning re-election," the report stated.

Ghana, however, had the best regional score in the Central and West Africa, while Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Guinea have the worst.

However as Africa's largest oil producer, Nigeria shows the worst performance amongst its oil producing states colleagues, as most of the troubled middle east countries and disaster affected nations are even more stable in ranking than the giant of Africa.


Is this what our dear nation, the GIANT of Africa has come to

they did not do the rating well. Nigeria is not No 14. Nigeria is No 1