Nigeria takes back seat as the happiest nation in the world

The International Day of Happiness, also called “Happiest Day”, was marked all over the world on March 20, 2016 as the official day of the event. This event was approved on June 28 2012 by the 193-member nations of the United Nations Assembly, with the unanimous adoption of the Resolution 66/281. It is now one of the events on the calendar of the world body.

 

In Nigeria, March 20, 2016 passed quietly unnoticed perhaps, because of the mood of the nation now, which is characterized more by sadness than happiness. Again, many people were not aware of the Happiness Day as public awareness in this regarded was not created. But Nigeria was the winner of the first survey in 2012, the year the Resolution was first adopted.

 

When Nigeria was announced as the “happiest nation on earth” in 2012, it was like a joke, even though it came like a bang. Many Nigerians had never believed then that the survey was the true picture of the feelings of the citizens, most of who were under heavy yoke of poverty and unemployment, just as it is today.

 

Every year, a survey is carried out in member nations by an organ of the UN, to ascertain which country gets the crown of the happiest nation in that year. The 2016 report was released recently and Nigeria came 103 out of the 159 countries surveyed, and sixth in Africa. In the 2015 survey, Nigeria had taken the 78th position, a far cry from the first position it had clinched in 2012.

 

The happiest country in the world, according to the 2016 report is Denmark. In Africa, Algeria came tops as the country where happiness is flowing like a river, followed by Mauritius, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia and Nigeria. Countries in Africa that took the rear position where happiness has taken a flight are Madagascar, Tanzania, Liberia, Guinea, Rwanda, Benin, Togo, Syria and Burundi.

 

According to the report, factors examined during the survey included citizen’s life expectancy, GDP per capita, social support, perceived absence of corruption in governance and business, freedom to make life decisions and generosity. That Nigeria came 103 of 157 in the recent survey is a confirmation that all has not been well with the country and her people.

 

Apart from the few Nigerians who control the wealth of the nation through legal and dubious means, millions other citizens are wallowing in poverty, unemployment and other socio-economic issues. In the same way, crimes like terrorism, armed robbery, kidnapping and other social malice are not in short supply in the country, a situation that has made many people unhappy.

 

That Nigeria is increasingly unhappier as indicated by the UN recent survey should not come to anybody as a surprise. If the contrary was declared in the survey, it would have appeared to most people as a huge joke.

 

The AUTHORITY is, therefore, calling on Nigeria’s leaders especially the president, to see this as a wake-up call in order to start immediate implementation of policies that can lift-up the standard of living of people of this country and also raise the morale of the citizens which is obviously at its lowest ebb, as the survey clears points to.

 

Nigeria, as a nation, has been endowed with enormous human and material resources but some people who found themselves in various positions which gave them access to nation’s purse filtered our wealth into their private bank accounts in different parts of the world, while the owners of the wealth are left with the short-end of the stick. This is why many people ware gloomy faces these days, most of them resorting to prayers as the way out.

 

The International Day of Happiness has become a barometer to gauge the mood of the people and how their leaders have fared in human development index. It is only people who are properly catered for will be happy. 

 

It is also surprising that some countries that have been enveloped with strife like Libya and Tunisia could come first in this year’s survey before Nigeria.

 

The concept of this unique idea was created by a prominent Adviser to the UN, Jayme Illien. He wanted a Resolution that would recognize the pursuit of happiness as a human right and a “fundamental human goal”. 

 

His idea received instant support from the President of the UN General Assembly and the Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and when the draft was fashioned out, it was adopted it as Resolution 66/281 to create International Day of Happiness.

 

The resolution specifically, “invites all member states, organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations and individuals to observe the International Day of Happiness in an appropriate manner, including through education and public awareness-raising activities”.

 

The resolution also aims at establishing set of principles “for addressing the complex inter-related challenges faced by humankind in the ultimate quest to achieve happiness”.

 

It is our hope at The AUTHORITY that Nigerians will soon bounce back as the happiest people on earth, in real terms, and not just by perception or dreams.