Nigeria has finished 144th position in the 2023 safest countries in the world ranking.The yearly Global Peace Index ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their level of peacefulness.

In the latest report, Nigeria sank one step from 143rd position recorded in 2022, though two steps higher than 146th recorded in 2021. Several African countries are adjudged more peaceful than Nigeria. They are: Mauritius, finishing in 23rd position globally; Sierra Leone 47th; Ghana 51st; Senegal 52nd; Madagascar 55th; Namibia 56th; The Gambia 59th; Zambia 63rd; Liberia 70th; Malawi 74th; Tunisia 81st and Equatorial Guinea 82nd.

Others are: Angola and Morocco 84th; Guinea Bissau 87th; Rwanda 88th; Cote d’Ivoire 90th; Tanzania 91st; Gabon 93rd; Algeria 96th; Togo 103rd; Eswatini 109th; Benin 110th; Lesotho 111th; Djibouti 112th; Republic of Congo 113th; Mauritania 114th; Kenya 117th; Mozambique 118th; Egypt 121st; Zimbabwe and Uganda 124th; Guinea 127th; Burundi 128th; South Africa 130th; Eritrea 133rd; Libya 137th; Niger 138th; Cameroon 139th, and Chad in 142nd position.

The study – called the Global Peace Index and produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace – covers 99.7 per cent of the population and measures ‘societal safety and security, domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation’.

Overall, the report concludes that Iceland is the safest country overall – though its publication preceded the current volcanic activity – followed by Denmark (second), Ireland (third) and New Zealand (fourth).

America ranks 131st yet again, just behind South Africa (130th) and Haiti (129th).
Afghanistan (163rd) is deemed the least peaceful country in the world for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Yemen (162nd), Syria (161st), South Sudan (160th) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (159th).

The report authors say: “The war in Ukraine had a significant impact on global peacefulness, with Ukraine and Russia having the largest and fifth largest deteriorations in peacefulness respectively. Haiti, Mali, and Israel were the other countries with the largest deteriorations (note that the study also preceded the current conflict in Israel).”

Europe is the most peaceful region in the world, according to the study, and is home to seven of 10 ten most peaceful countries. The other three most peaceful countries are in the Asia Pacific region. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remained the world’s least peaceful region, the report concludes. It is home to four of the 10 least peaceful countries.

“There are only two countries in the North American region, with Canada (11th) recording a 2.9 per cent increase in peacefulness, and the U.S experiencing a slight fall in peacefulness, with its overall score deteriorating by 0.38 per cent. There is a considerable disparity in peacefulness between the two countries.”

The report revealed that one reason is a feeling of safety in Canada, stating: “Less than 20 per cent of Canadians report that they do not feel safe walking alone at night in their city or neighbourhood.”

One reason for America’s lowly ranking is the murder rate, with the report stating: “The United States recorded the fourth largest overall increase in its homicide rate, which is now above six per 100,000 people and more than six times higher than most Western European countries.”

The Guardian