‘Still Far from a Country’
In my piece of 4/9/2018 titled “Still Far from a Country”, I said: “Today, most of the signs that Nigeria may be on its way to being a failed State, are apparent. Even if we do not qualify to be called a failed State, Nigeria is certainly a dysfunctional, fragile/crisis State”. I gave some reasons for my assertion – weak and failing institutions, poor infrastructure, insecurity and internal violence (Boko Haram, Robbers and Herdsmen), poverty, hunger and suffering of majority of Nigerians, greedy elite, political shenanigans, high level of corruption and its siblings – tribalism, nepotism etc. The Financial Times of London (FT)’s 22/12/20 edition’s article titled “Nigeria is at risk of becoming a failed State”, is therefore, not stating anything novel nor is it a surprise – many Nigerians have said the same. Apart from restating many of the reasons that I gave for my assertion in its submission, the FT stated thus: “the definition of a failed State is one where the government is no longer in control. By this yardstick, Africa’s most populous country is teetering on the brink”.