Nigeria Ranks 151st on Human Development Index
From Cletus Akwaya in Abuja
Nigeria has been ranked 151st among 177 countries of the world in the Human Development Report 2004 of the United Nations Develop-ment Programme (UNDP) just released and due for launching in Abuja, on Friday, by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The Index contained in the report ranks Nigeria in the category of "low human development".
By that ranking, Nigeria is only ahead of small and lesser endowed countries while it is ranked in the same category with Madagascar, Haiti, Djibouti, Gambia, Eritrea, Senegal, Rwanda and Chad among others.
The UNDP report also ranked South Africa, Ghana, Gabon, Botswana, Swaziland, Cameroon, Egypt and other African countries in the "medium human development" group while 55 countries were ranked in the "high human development" category led by Norway, Sweden, Australia, and Canada in the first four positions.
Country representative of the UN agency in Nigeria, Dr. Tegegenework Gettu told newsmen yesterday in Abuja that although Nigeria was a heavily endowed country, the report focused on the spread of a country's wealth among the people to ensure balanced development.
He added that some few individuals were heavily rich but that the country's wealth did not penetrate to the majority of the people.
Also the report noted that Nigeria's diversity in religion, cultures language and geography among others is a huge source of blessing.
The report titled "Cultural Liberty in Today's Diverse World" would be launched in Nigeria for the African continent following its initial presentation last week in Brussels, Belgium for the first time by the Administrator of UNDP, Mark Mallow Brown .
Gettu said what is required was for the government and people of Nigeria to exploit the country's "rich diversity to advantage" to bring about development.
"Nigeria is a richly diverse country from North to the South ethnically, religiously. This can be a blessing. By recognizing our diversity , we tolerate one another and make the best out of it," he stated.
He said in history, the tendency has been for differences in culture to be used as a tool for differentiation and sometimes assimilation but noted that the Human Development Report 2004 has emphasised the need to galvanise the differences among peoples to enrich the present reality of societies.
Gettu in answer to a question at the occasion said the recent violent crisis in Plateau which led to the imposition of emergency rule was a problem of the elite who wished to exploit the religious differences in the community for "short term gains." He added that most of the ordinary people were against the crisis and preferred to live together as one people irrespective of religious, cultural and ethnic differences.
"We in the UNDP visited the people in Plateau (state), both the villagers and internally displaced and we asked them what they benefited from the whole crisis. I have not discovered any hatred. They want opportunity to dialogue, education and equally interact freely" he said.
The Country Representative also said the displaced persons in Bauchi from the Plateau crisis also shared the same views as they have always insisted that their concerns were provision of amenities, potable water, education for their children , and the freedom to practice their religion without antagonising others.
"If we unite, you can see how strong Nigeria is. Nigeria has done a lot to give peace to Liberia, Sierra Leone and as far back as 1960 participated in the peace efforts in Congo, it has fought against racism in the days of apartheid ," he said.
The UNDP boss noted that with human assets like President Olusegun Obasanjo who he said had tremendous international respect as current chairman of the African Union and Chairman of the Security Committee and others like Nobel Laureate for Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka, Nigeria had a lot to give to the world other than problems arising from its diversity.
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