Nigeria has scored another rock bottom global ranking, this time in the area of life expectancy. A United Nations Population Prospects, UNPP, data recently released confirms that Nigeria is the country with the lowest life expectancy in the world.

It shows that average life expectancy of men is 54.3 years, while that of women is 54.9 years. Nigeria hugs the bottom among 25 countries with the lowest life expectancy in the world. We did worse than Chad, South Sudan and Central Africa Republic, which traditionally rank among the lowest globally in almost all  areas of human development.

Nigeria has remained the “poverty capital of the world”, as well as the country with the most out-of-school children (over 20 million), despite recently retrieving its number one position as the wealthiest country in Africa by Gross Domestic Product, GDP. Update on Nigeria’s internal poverty situation has also recently revealed that our multidimensional poverty has risen from N130m in 2020 to 139m.

These figures are very embarrassing and shameful, but our leaders don’t seem bothered, or simply lack the vision to effectively tackle them with the urgency they deserve.

One does not have to look far to see why our country is falling behind. Poor leadership is the central factor generally blamed. A country with one of the highest quality human capitals and enormous endowments in natural resources in the world lacks the constitutional and moral compass to select the best and most patriotic from among its citizens to lead. The endemic corruption in the system keeps the best at bay, while the most talented tricksters inveigle their ways into top leadership positions.

Bad leadership has also spawned other enabling factors of mass poverty, such as insecurity. With jihadists, bandits, armed Fulani invaders masquerading as herdsmen and other outlaws killing, kidnapping, displacing and taking over farmlands and indigenous communities, many Nigerians cannot go to their farms or fend for themselves.

Also, poor governance has led to the general neglect of our social sectors such as education, health, agriculture and basic amenities that promote life more abundant. Rather than fix these sectors, leaders and their families prefer to travel abroad to enjoy the hard work of their colleagues elsewhere, at our expense.

Once we are able to fix our leadership problems, Nigeria will commence an accelerated departure from poverty and destitution. Our armed forces in the hands of a courageous, patriotic and capable leader will crush insecurity in record time. Once the nation is galvanised, its greatness will take the centre stage.

It is only when citizens are able to enjoy the benefits of good governance such as free or affordable education, health, food, security and basic amenities, that their life expectancy will drastically improve.

Our search for good leaders must not stop.