No, Nigeria isn’t your shithole
According to The Institute for Economics and Peace which ranks major nations around the world by how safe or dangerous they are, Nigeria is the 16th most dangerous place to visit on Planet Earth. In its Global Peace Index 2018, the organisation assessed 163 countries based on how peaceful they were adjudged to be, murder […]
According to The Institute for Economics and Peace which ranks major nations around the world by how safe or dangerous they are, Nigeria is the 16th most dangerous place to visit on Planet Earth.
In its Global Peace Index 2018, the organisation assessed 163 countries based on how peaceful they were adjudged to be, murder rate, political terror, and deaths from internal conflict, among other criteria. The Peace Index ranks countries from high to low, so the higher the number, the less safe the country. Nigeria is ranked the 16th most dangerous country in the listing which categorises the countries from 28 to 1 as follows:
28. India
27. Philippines
26. Eritrea
25. Ethiopia
24. Mexico
23. Palestine
22. Egypt
21. Venezuela
20. Mali
19. Colombia
18. Israel
17. Lebanon
16. Nigeria
15. Turkey
14. North Korea
13. Pakistan
12. Ukraine
11. Sudan
10. Russia
9. Central African Republic
8. Democratic Republic of Congo
7. Libya
6. Yemen
5. Somalia
4. Iraq
3. South Sudan
2. Afghanistan
1. Syria
I disagree with the misbranding of Nigeria. This is not to suggest that Nigeria is the safest country in the world. No, we are not. We have problems of insecurity just like many other countries, including the US which always manages not to show up on any list ranking violent deaths or danger of any kind. In 2013 alone, there were 73,505 injuries from gun violence (23.2injuries per 100,000 persons), and 33,636 deaths caused by firearms (10.6 deaths per 100,000persons).
Mercifully, I am not alone in disputing the validity of the so-called global peace index as the reactions below show:
Bill Bate
Why isn’t the USA on this list? It certainly belongs on any “dangerous” list with a mass killing happening an average of once a day every day, it’s evident there was no “research” here; just copy and paste! I’m writing this from Colombia – after a dozen incident-free visits and an abundance of joyous moments over 30 years, this is where I’ve chosen to make my home in 2018.
Talib Satti
The sudden emergence of ISIS in the uncontrolled areas of Syria and Iraq having enormous funds and modern weapons, and later their maximum terrorist activities in the Muslim countries ranging from middle east to Pakistan/ Afghanistan lead to this firm belief that this is all the conspiracy of Israel and USA. Also, Yes I am inhaling the air polluted with the smoke coming out of the guns of Israeli army firing on unarmed agitating people of Palestine and killing children and disabled persons.
Valentina Feher
Guys who want to ride in Russia? Come to me, meet everyone and show you and tell you how the Russians live!
Peter Fisher
I think in this day and age, and with the ease with which information can be shared, it is somewhat disheartening to find that on a list like this, there is no clarification on which parts of the countries have security issues. For instance, in Nigeria, the security threat (Boko Haram), is in the North eastern part of the country. Other areas such as the commercial capital, Lagos, are not subject to the whims of the terrorists.
Temidayo Abike
Really? Nigeria? It’s as true as Obama being my Uncle. This article is just based on hearsay from the internet and not well researched. Nigerians are too dumb around foreigners, they treat them like long lost relatives. The only crime they’d probably commit is inflate prices of goods to foreigners. Oh and I’m a Nigerian, been here all my life!
Kelechukwu Nwanja
Just 2 percent of Nigeria is affected by Boko Haram.
Fjutt
Venezuela has the world’s worst shithole President (Nicolás Maduro). But the country and the people are great.
Tim
My wife is from Colombia and I’ve been there many times. Never once have I felt unsafe or unwelcome. We bring our children there. Yes, there is violence in certain areas. But it doesn’t hold a candle to Chicago or St. Louis. Please don’t write about things you are clearly beyond ignorant of. Travel to Colombia! It’s safe and beautiful.
Brenda
Seriously? I’ve traveled all over Latin America and, well, there is certainly crime and poverty (just like in the US) there isn’t any entire country to avoid. Especially if you just use basic common sense (just like in US). Colombia is a beautiful country and doesn’t deserve to be on this list.
William Pfannkuch
I am here in Bogota today. I’m from Florida. I’m 58 years old, a Christian who loves the Lord. I travel tomorrow to Santa Marta, one of the most beautiful beaches in Colombia. … I would only say it’s very unfair to call Colombia dangerous… After 2 a.m. don’t walk the streets of Detroit or Chicago or Los Angeles at night. America is much more dangerous than Colombia. Yes, we have political corruption; please tell me a country that doesn’t…. Here, I go to the grocery store and get the best beef, chicken and all the goodies for less than $70. I can ride in a cab all day long and never worry about a car or insurance or anything else for $20. Anyone who thinks Colombia is dangerous lives in a bubble.
My verdict: Ignore the classification. Nigeria is a desirable destination in spite of its problems. Let’s roll up our sleeves and reinvent this beautiful country!