News
Nigeria drops from 95th to 102nd world’s happiest nation – Report reviews
By Francesca Hangeior
Nigeria ranked 102nd happiest nation in the world with 4.881 points, according to the latest edition of the World Happiness Report released Wednesday.
This represents a drop of seven places from 95th in the 2023 report by Sustainable Development Solutions.
According to the report, released annually to mark the International Day of Happiness, designated by the United Nations and celebrated on March 20, Nigeria now ranks 102 out of the 143 countries surveyed.
Finland remained the world’s happiest country for a seventh straight year in the report published.
And Nordic countries kept their places among the 10 most cheerful, with Denmark, Iceland and Sweden trailing Finland.
Afghanistan, plagued by a humanitarian catastrophe since the Taliban regained control in 2020, stayed at the bottom of the 143 countries surveyed.
For the first time since the report was published more than a decade ago, the United States and Germany were not among the 20 happiest nations, coming in 23rd and 24th respectively.
In turn, Costa Rica and Kuwait entered the top 20 at 12 and 13.
The report noted the happiest countries no longer included any of the world’s largest countries.
“In the top 10 countries only the Netherlands and Australia have populations over 15 million. In the whole of the top 20, only Canada and the UK have populations over 30 million.”
The sharpest decline in happiness since 2006-10 was noted in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Jordan, while the Eastern European countries Serbia, Bulgaria and Latvia reported the biggest increases.
The happiness ranking is based on individuals’ self-assessed evaluations of life satisfaction, as well as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and corruption.
Jennifer De Paola, a happiness researcher at the University of Helsinki in Finland, told AFP that Finns’ close connection to nature and healthy work-life balance were key contributors to their life satisfaction.
In addition, Finns may have a “more attainable understanding of what a successful life is”, compared to for example the United States where success is often equated with financial gain, she said.
Finns’ strong welfare society, trust in state authorities, low levels of corruption and free healthcare and education were also key.
“Finnish society is permeated by a sense of trust, freedom, and high level of autonomy,” De Paola said.
This year’s report also found that younger generations were happier than their older peers in most of the world’s regions — but not all.
In North America, Australia and New Zealand, happiness among groups under 30 has dropped dramatically since 2006-10, with older generations now happier than the young.
By contrast, in Central and Eastern Europe, happiness increased substantially at all ages during the same period, while in Western Europe people of all ages reported similar levels of happiness.
Happiness inequality increased in every region except Europe, which authors described as a “worrying trend”.
The rise was especially distinct among the old and in Sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting inequalities in “income, education, health care, social acceptance, trust, and the presence of supportive social environments at the family, community and national levels,” the authors said.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
There’s fear in Iviukhua community, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State following the abduction of a Catholic priest and a seminarian by unidentified gunmen.
Rev. Fr. Philip-Mario Ekweli, the Parish Priest of St. Peter’s Apostle Catholic Church, and Bro. Peter Andrew, a seminarian, were reportedly kidnapped Monday night when assailants stormed the church premises.
The attack, which occurred around 10:30 pm, has left residents in a state of fear and anxiety.
As of Tuesday morning, no group has claimed responsibility of the incident, and there has been no word from the kidnappers regarding their demands.
Reports say local authorities and security forces have launched an investigation and are actively working to secure the release of the victims.
The abduction has ignited widespread concern among the Christian community and beyond, with many decrying the worsening security situation in the community.
According to a source, due to this negative incident, members of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, to which the parish belongs, have intensified prayers for the safe return of the clergymen, while community leaders have called for urgent intervention by security agencies.
Contacted, the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Moses Yamu said a press statement would be released soon regarding the incident.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
hotel after receiving a female.
The police further explained that he did not die in the hands of kidnappers as widely reported by the media.
This was contained in a statement signed by SP Josephine Adeh, spokesperson of the command stating that:
“In light of the recent reports alleging that retired Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, David Shikfu Parradang, was kidnapped and subsequently killed, we wish to clarify the facts surrounding this incident to ensure accurate information is disseminated to the public.
On March 3, 2025, at approximately 12:00 PM, Mr. Parradang arrived at Joy House Hotel, Area 3 Junction, driving a black Mercedes Benz. He checked into the hotel, paying a sum of Twenty two thousand naira (N22,000) for one night’s stay.
Shortly thereafter, he directed the hotel room attendant to escort a female guest who had come to visit to his room.
This lady left the hotel premises around 04:00PM of the same day.
Mr. Parradang did not exit his room after the lady left. Around 04:00 AM of 04 March 2025, a friend who is a military officer, concerned for his wellbeing, traced him to the hotel.
Upon arrival, the hotel receptionist and the officer proceeded to his room, where Mr. Parradang was found deceased, seated in a chair.
The Durumi Police Station was notified and officers promptly arrived at the scene, secured the area, took photographs, and collected all relevant evidence to preserve the integrity of the crime scene.
The body has been transferred to the National Hospital for necessary procedures, and hotel staff are currently cooperating with Police investigations.
Effort is in top gear to effect the arrest of the lady.
We urge the public and media outlets to refrain from spreading unverified information, including claims of kidnapping, that may incite fear or panic.
The FCT Police Command is committed to conducting a thorough investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding Mr. Parradang’s death. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we work to ensure justice is served.
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