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Most optimistic, but 91st happiest. Questions surrounding UN happiness ranking of Nigeria

Tthe UN, relying on a Gallup Poll, says Nigeria has increased in its ranking as one of the happiest Countries, but the Nation, known for its perseverance and optimism is ranked in a questionable 91.

According to the World Happiness Report released by United Nations (UN), the Country has moved to fourth place higher than the last ranking.

In 2017, Nigeria was ranked 95th happiest people in the world based on the statistics gathered from 2014 to 2016 but moved up to 91st in the latest ranking.

World Happiness Report measures “subjective well-being” – how happy the people are, and why.

According to the report, “The overall rankings of Country happiness are based on the pooled results from Gallup World Poll surveys from 2015-2017, and show both change and stability.”

The 2018 report assessed 156 countries happiness levels based on six factors – per capita Gross Domestic Product, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, social support and absence of corruption in government or business.

The report ranked 156 Countries by their happiness levels, and 117 Countries by the happiness of their immigrants.

Finland is in the first position, displacing Norway in the last study, while Burundi is the least happy people in the world.

Before Finland, Denmark and Switzerland were once ranked the happiest in the world.

The report listed obesity, the opioid crisis, and depression as three emerging health problems that threaten happiness, adding that “the evidence and discussion are focused on the United States, where the prevalence of all three problems has been growing faster and further than in most other countries.”. Nigerians are not known to suffer, in large number, any of these three, a fact which makes ranking the country a poor 91st position even more questionable.

The report also said migrating to another Country provides for many people a major opportunity to obtain a happier life, especially to Countries that accept them.

Optimism, not Happiness

Aside from identifying 3 major causes of unhappiness which hardly exists in Nigeria and still ranking the country low, Gallup International Survey for 2018 shows that Nigerian are the most optimistic people in the world. How the most optimistic people in the world end up being number 91st happiest people in the world is one difficult question for  Gallup to answer.

In 2007, Gallup did a report that said the same thing about Nigerians but made attempt at being clever, with much analysis as to why Nigerians were like that in 2007. But in 2012, under a totally different circumstance, Nigerians were still estimated the most optimistic people. A decade later, tougher forex, insurgency, and with worse “economic index” Nigerians came tops on the list of most optimistic people.

Consistently Africans have been the most optimist people in Gullaps Polls yet the organization has tried so desperately to differentiate this from happiness, it has resulted in assumptions, saying

“Optimism may be widespread in these countries simply because people cannot imagine that their lives could get any worse.”

Questionable Research Methods?

While the optimism research was done by asking Nigerians in their dialect if the new year will be better, which is a direct measurement of optimism, the happiness research was done with set standard which includes corruption in government. Yet, as Transparency International Corruption Perception Index shows Nigeria got worse, Gallup’s poll shows Nigeria got better.

Also, the three major hindrances of happiness were curiously unrelated to the standards with which the ranking was made. Ironically, studies on Cognitive Therapy have related optimism with well-being.

Psychologists, Dr. Betty W. Phillips says optimism and happiness can be greatly improved by spirituality. An aspect Gallup International may not be interested in exploring.

Research as political pressure tool

When Transparency International Released its report on corruption in Nigeria, the Nigerian Army accused it of running down the country because it wants to push just one of its agenda, being homosexual right. Many have accused International Organizations of using “research” findings to pressure governments into taking certain actions its sponsors wish to happen. This may be how many view the low ranking of Nigeria using known global agenda like democracy and freedom, as defined.

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