Facts that should factor out any general or any politician from Aso Rock in 2015
Facts are enlightening. The GDP and ranking of Nigeria in the world is displayed below from independence to 2012, which is before the current revision of the nation's GDP. The record of the socio-economic performance of Nigerian military generals and politicians in the office of head of state has not been stellar. At independence, Nigeria was the 29th largest economy of the world. Today, even with the revision of the GDP, Nigeria is the 26th largest economy in the world. This ranking is not significantly different from the ranking at independence. It is fair to say that Nigeria has not made progress in 54 years after independence. As the data below shows, neither generals nor politicians have been able to move the nation forward. Nigeria desperately needs a people centered independent presidency with a team of highly motivated and patriotic non-politicians with a solid socio-economic agenda to move the nation forward.
Year GDP/Ranking 1960 4.20/29 Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa 1961 4.47/30 Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa 1962 4.91/30 Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa 1963 5.17/30 Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa 1964 5.55/29 Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa 1965 5.87/30 Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa 1966 6.37/31 Gen Agui-Ironsi/Gen Gowon 1967 5.20/38 Gen Gowon civil war 1968 5.20/38 Gen Gowon civil war 1969 6.63/36 Gen Gowon civil war 1970 12.55/25 Gen Gowon civil war ended in Jan 1971 9.18/32 Gen Gowon 1972 12.27/28 Gen Gowon 1973 15.16/30 Gen Gowon 1974 24.85/28 Gen Gowon 1975 27.78/29 Gen Gowon 1976 36.31/25 Gen Gowon/Gen Murtala 1977 36.04/29 Gen Murtala/Gen Obasonjo 1978 36.53/30 Gen Obasonjo 1979 47.26/30 Gen Obasonjo/President Shehu Shagari 1980 64.20/28 President Shehu Shagari 1981 59.92/30 President Shehu Shagari 1982 49.76/32 President Shehu Shagari 1983 34.95/37 Presdent Shehu Shagari 1984 28.18/42 Gen Buhari 1985 28.41/43 Gen Buhari/Gen Babangida 1986 20.21/53 Gen Babangida 1987 23.44/56 Gen Babangida 1988 22.85/57 Gen Babangida 1989 23.84/57 Gen Babangida 1990 28.47/57 Gen Babangida 1991 27.31/57 Gen Babangida 1992 32.71/54 Gen Babangida 1993 21.35/61 Gen Babangida/Chief Sonekan/Gen Abacha
1994 23.66/60 Gen Abacha 1995 28.11/58 Gen Abacha 1996 35.30/57 Gen Abacha 1997 36.23/55 Gen Abacha 1998 32.14/57 Gen Abacha 1999 34.78/56 Gen Obasonjo 2000 45.98/54 Gen Obasonjo 2001 48.00/53 Gen Obasonjo 2002 59.12/51 Gen Obasonjo 2003 67.66/52 Gen Obasonjo 2004 87.85/49 Gen Obasonjo 2005 112.25/46 Gen Obasonjo 2006 145.43/44 Gen Obasonjo 2007 165.92/46 Gen Obasonjo/President Yar Adua 2008 207.12/42 President Yar Adua 2009 168.59/46 President Yar Adua 2010 228.64/40 President Yar Adua/President Goodluck Jonathan
2011 243.99/42 President Goodluck Jonathan 2012 262.61/37 President Goodluck Jonathan (data from natiomaster.com)(GDP is in billions of US dollars and is the number before the slash. The ranking of Nigeria is the number after the slash)
Abitunde Taiwo