Nigerians have been bemoaning a ‘new rating’ by Wikipedia, which has included Nigeria among its list of failed states
Some of the countries listed as failed states are Syria, Somalia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Iraq, Yemen, Turkey, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Liberia, Yugoslavia, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Sudan and South Sudan.
According to the popular free dictionary, a failed state is a political body that has disintegrated to a point where basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government no longer function properly.
A state, it adds, can also fail if the government loses its legitimacy even if it is performing its functions properly. For a stable state, it is necessary for the government to enjoy both effectiveness and legitimacy. Likewise, when a nation weakens and its standard of living declines, it introduces the possibility of total governmental collapse.
In various comments, Nigerians are lamenting the situation, with almost everyone agreeing to the Wikipedia’s categorisation.
Here are some of the comments greeting the tale on Linda Ikeji (sic):
Adah G.:
Nig reached the rank of a failed state for 3-4 yrs now. Given the right mix of factors and circumstances, no nation is immuned from the scourge of failure as it is simply a matter of causes and effects. Nig has NOT crossed the irreversible line btw life and death. Everywhere there are glaring symptoms indicating state failure and it does not require a rocket science to tell that anarchy has enveloped Nig. We’re facing these becoz Nigerians are not people of history otherwise, I see no reason voting someone that led us into recession in the early ’80s.
Mayowa Israel Amoo:
People living outside of Nigeria seems to understand the scope of what is going on than those who are living and breathing within the failed system. We are so used to the suffering, corruption and harsh conditions of living that we are just contented with surviving. Nigeria is a failed state, I truly agree with that list!! We have an illiterate president that answers to nobody and doesn’t give a shit about anything or anyone!! He makes the rules and breaks the rules, has no respect for constitution, captures, and releases members of the third most dangerous terrorists in the world under the guise of rehabilitation, despite spending millions of dollars to purchase fighter jets, and tactical surveillance military equipments, the Nigerian army still faced a heavy loss and defeat from the sect. Brutal killings and massive raidings ravaging the North and wiping out entire communities, and the president calls it farmer/herders feud, and fueled political tensions.
Slugger:
Wikipedia is not telling us anything new. We that live in the country called Nigeria already know that our country is a failed state. We don know tey-tey. Me, I’m just planning to japa out of this hellish country ASAP. Make i go join my Brofigga for Yankee.
Anonymous: Rightfully so. Not only are we failed, we are not even a nation anymore. This simple fool we have leading this country is completely clueless as to what is actually going on. He feeds on whatever self serving people like his dwarf uncle and his son, PA, feeds him. Oga read this, Kai Oga see what nice things they are saying about you today. Etc etc. In these modern times when you have a president that is not curious or can not even work a computer and source information himself but depends on embezzlers he surrounds himself with, that rankadede him daily then we are screwed. The man is a massive failure, never again would this country be held ransome by greedy selfish religious fanatics with no principles or scruples. The entire cabinet and Buhari need to step down now so we can redirect the country and revisualize a new nation. Shame On APC and Tinubu who put us in this mess and most importantly, on Buhari whom we all once trusted and hoped would be our saviour, but has turned out to be the nation’s doom!
