Was 2015 a big year for you? It certainly was a whopper for Nigeria, so read on to find out exactly how well the country performed this year.
This year has proven a tumultuous one for Nigeria.
In 2015, Nigeria experienced its first ever generally free and fair election, which saw Goodluck Jonathan hand over power peacefully to Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator.
We also saw the indomitable Golden Eaglets storm to victory in the U-17 World Cup for the fourth time, becoming the most successful nation in that tournament. Congratulations to them!
The news was not all positive though. The war against Boko Haram barbarism continues to wage on in northern Nigeria.
Only on Monday, more than 50 people were killed and scores were injured in two suicide bombing attacks in Madagali, despite President Buhari saying that war against Boko Haram had been “technically won.”
Then there was the ongoing fuel scarcity crisis, rampant crime, a poverty rate that refuses to go down and the ever present problem of corruption.
All in all then, has Nigeria had a good year? Can we say then that Nigeria’s situation has improved from 2014, or has the country experienced a worse year?
We have examined twelve international indexes covering subjects including the economy, development, sport and press freedom to see how Nigeria performed in 2015.
As you can see from the infographic, Nigeria remains characterised by a lack of peace and stability.
Its position in the Global Peace Index remains unchanged at 151, making Nigeria one of the most dangerous countries in the world.
No surprise then that Nigeria’s military increased in size in 2015, climbing five paces in the Global Firepower Index.
Economically, 2015 has proved to be a bumper year for Nigeria, with the country’s performance increasing in key areas.
While still a poor performer globally, business in Nigeria became more competitive, easy and free, increasing the prosperity of millions of the country’s citizens.
While the Golden Eaglets triumphed this year, Nigeria’s Golden Eagles came crashing to earth, dropping a whopping 23 places in the FIFA world rankings.
Socially, Nigeria still faces serious problems. The country’s human development remained stuck at 152, one of the worst performers in the world and the worst performing country with a population of over 100 million.
Social progress failed to improve as well, with Nigeria slipping two places in the ranking, meaning that Nigeria is failing to provide for the social and environmental needs of its citizens.
Nigeria also become more vulnerable and fragile as a state, due in no small part to the Boko Haram insurgency, and the public’s pockets became after human capital dropped.
However, press freedom did improve in welcome news for a country afflicted by brown envelope journalism.
So what is the verdict? It would be fair to say that Nigeria needs to improve in some areas, but then again, what country does not? Are you optimistic about 2016, or do you think it will it be worse than this year? Let us know what you think, and join us in looking forward to the New Year!
