Nigeria has been ranked third-worst governed country in the world, according to a report published on Monday by the Chandler Good Governance Index (CGGI),
The ICIR takes a look at some of the reasons for the poor ranking.
The index rankings were based on seven pillars, which included: leadership and foresight, robust laws and policies, strong institutions, financial stewardship, attractive marketplace, global influence and reputation as well as helping people rise.
According to CGGI, the points ranged from zero to one, zero being the lowest and one the highest, Nigeria, which is the most populated African nation, did not score up to 0.50 in any of the indices.
Nigeria has more than 200 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) but it was ranked 0.19 in Strong Institutions. Lack of accountability and transparency, corruption and other negative vices have characterised government agencies.
The 2019 report of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federal (OAGF) had indicted several government agencies of non-remittance of revenue, illegal withdrawals as well as other disregards for financial rules.
In Leadership and Foresight, Nigeria scored 0.24, a reflection of how the country has been torn in ethnic crises and clashes while the government is unable to proffer a solution that would unite its over 200 million population.
Frank Umeh, a civil society leader based in Enugu, South-East Nigeria, explained that the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had been unable to show leadership in fighting insurgency and uniting a deeply divided nation.
Most of Buhari’s appointments have been one-sided, with the North occupying the majority of critical positions. The ICIR reported how the North occupies 60 per cent of NNPC senior positions.
Nobel Laurette Wole Soyinka has consistently complained that Buhari had not showed leadership in the face of farmer-herder crisis and other security threats.
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The CGGI report also scored Nigeria 0.35 on Robust Laws & Policies. The ICIR had reported how several Nigerian laws had become obsolete, including those that were critical to the development of the country.
A team of consultants under the auspices of the Department for International Development (DFID) led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria Paul Idornigie had recommended to the 8th Assembly that 54 Nigerian laws were obsolete and needed amendment, but no changes have been made hitherto.
Others are: Attractive Marketplace, 0.40; Global Influence & Reputation, 0.35; and Helping People Rise, 0.33.
According to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) titled ‘2019 Poverty and Inequality in Nigeria,’ 40 per cent of the total population, or almost 83 million people, lived below the poverty line.
On Financial Stewardship, Nigeria was scored only 0.37. The country has spent billions on financially unsustainable projects, including the just awarded $1.5 billion on the Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC) which has recorded several years of losses.
Attractive Marketplace – Nigeria scores 0.40
The report scored Nigeria 0.40 in having an attractive market place. The ICIR had reported that the United States online retail company Amazon and a social media giant Twitter ignored Nigeria in locating their African headquarters.
Amazon had concluded its plans to locate its African headquarters in South Africa while Twitter has headed for Ghana, leaving out Nigeria – the most populous concentration of Black people in the world.
Truworths and Shoprite, two South African retailers, have also exited Nigeria.
With the ranking, countries like Rwanda, Ethiopia, Mozambique are better governed than Nigeria.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94