Harvard University gave to its students an assignment in which Nigeria was used as a case study of a failed African country.
The question Harvard University gave its students reads; Africa is growing. Seven of the ten fastest-growing economies in the world are in Africa, and the continent's largest economies are becoming less dependent on extractive commodities. The continent's rising middle class has demonstrated a taste for consumer goods and technological innovation, and Africa's population-currently more than a billion people- is booming and overwhelmingly young at a time when populations in other regions are shrinking and ageing. Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa's largest economy, epitomizes both the promise and the problems the continent faces in the 21st century. The country had failed to thrive for its first thirty years as an independent nation, despite having a developmental head start relative to countries like China and India, as well as hundreds of billions of dollars in oil revenue... Now, after pathbreaking reforms followed by signs of retrenchment, Nigeria's new President faced both vast opportunity and grave challenges. Would the country flourish or founder in this new era? We will analyze key reforms in Nigeria's economy, significant political developments, and the choices facing the country's fast-growing private sector.
Why did Nigeria fail to thrive between 1960 and 1999, particularly relative to China and India?
How would you characterize former President Obasanjo's legacy? Are you bullish or bearish on the next fifteen years for Nigeria?
What would make you change your mind? What opportunities do you see? What are the challenges (and risks)?
The assignment is pointing at the reasons why Nigeria has been unable to reach her potentials giving suggestions of billions gotten from oil and resources like this only gives a lead way to solutions.it simply ask why Nigeria has not progressed like China and India. It's a routine project topic in Nigerian universities too and it's backed by the book written by Chinua Achebe - The problem with Nigeria!. This should be seen as a helping hand, only if the relevant authorities would access the reports. This case study didn't present or project Nigeria in any negative light. It gave a true scenario and recognized opportunities and challenges inherent in Nigeria state. It's a typical case study which would even benefit Nigeria. Nigeria's problem is simply due to its diversity. China and India have a common factor, One language. Nigeria is not a failed state but poor Governance and corrupt leadership is our bane. If it is a failed state why is it that Britons Chinese and other foreigners are in Nigeria doing business and syphoning billions out of the country. Useless Neocolonial mentality, on the other hand, we as a people and nation must say no to corruption, adapt our own democracy in line with our culture, bury ethnic and tribal politics and promote excellence, virtue, integrity and Nationalism. Above all give our Intelligent youths a chance and enabling environment to prove their worth simply put, the absence of Visionary leaders! China had Deng Xiaoping who nurtured the miracle China has evolved into today. He once said, "To be rich is glorious", and he turned his back on absolute Marxism afterwards. India may not have had a visionary like Deng but have managed to have pockets of major successes in I.T, Engineering and Manufacturing as well as Medicine and Pharmaceuticals through deliberate government policies. How come no one is interested in this seminal piece about us?. What’s wrong with using Nigeria as a case study? Better they analyze the country’s issues and opportunities and offer us a way out of our predicament. Hopefully, our government can make use of the answers from this assignment/research. Pls Harvard makes available the views of your students on this topic to our leader's let's see if our govt will adopt their proposals.