https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Nigeria-such-a-terrible-country
I came across this question that has been asked repeatedly.
The explanation below was given by a professor. He tried to absolved the British and.made references to Rwanda, Botswana, Namibia on how they have progressed since post genocide Rwanda, and post independence Botswana and Namibia.
Do you agree with him?

Here is the professor analysis.

Out of sixteen answers I can see here, the Jewish Agronomist, Ian Kedem, in a few words, hit the nail on the head. Before I discuss his answer, let us note that several of my compatriots here engage in a very “Nigerian” pastime: Dispute the basis of the question itself; get angry about the question and indulge in our kind of “nationalism” in wishing away the truth. Nigeria, AD 2018, is a terrible country to live in. Take it from me, I am more than sixty years old and have lived here most of my life. I have also traveled the world. I have a clear idea of how other peoples manage their problems.

The British left here long before most of the Nigerians living today were born. Blaming them for Nigeria’s problems is not just foolish, but self immolating for the simple reason that it means that unless “lord” Lugard came back to life, we will continue to wallow in this mess. Thankfully, some other African countries are not waiting for us: Rwanda is shedding its recent violent ethnic cleansing and moving to a better country that can look after its people. Botswana, Namibia, and others are giving Africa something to be happy about. I rejoice greatly for these nations!

The writer who is happy that South Africa is more violent than Nigeria is correct to some extent. He does not go far enough to explain why many Nigerians want to go live in “violent” South Africa! Neither does he explain why Nigeria trained experts go there and do not want to come back home! The mere fact that Sough Africa falls lower in a particular index does not reduce the difficulties for any Nigerian!

Ian Kedem, who lived only for five years in Nigeria, is a very perceptive person. “One of the main problems with Nigerians”, he says, “is that they are too tolerant of their politicians.” The so called politicians are essentially robbers and fraudsters. But we tolerate them. We accept the disgraceful infrastructure and buy their silly “explanations” why we cannot have basic human decency. They buy themselves jets, jeeps, pocket state revenues, claim openly to be wealthier than state governments, use our resources to educate their children abroad, get medical treatment for their families while our hospitals can barely put sick people on a decent bed; Bury their dead or marry wives with tens or hundreds of government vehicles “guarding” them, etc. We tolerate them. We agree to blame the British, ethnicity, religion, etc.

Our tolerance goes far beyond what Kedem thinks! He was here for only five years, and as an Oyinbo, he probably did not go to Mushin market to purchase his food. He would have seen that we tolerate filth to Guinness Book of Records proportions! We are tolerant of abandonment of simple city planning codes.

I attended a wedding today in Lagos in a church that, in any decent society, should NEVER have been built! The building is sandwiched between two blocks of residential flats and the worshipers have no limitations as to how many Hallelujahs they can shout! There is no way to park without blocking the street and rendering others who have no business with the wedding incapacitated from their daily businesses. Yet, we all tolerated that! In the congregation, I could count at least ten PhDs in Engineering, Estate management, etc. And, we tolerate that!

I was once on a petrol queue in Abuja at a time of fuel shortage. One fellow simply reversed his vehicle to the head of the queue. The person whose rightful turn it was to be served protested. Instead of the rest of the people to support him, he was branded an extremist! “Let him buy his own and go!”, “Don’t waste our time!” When I tried to draw attention that the offender was the fellow who tried to cheat, I was completely ignored! O, we tolerate those that cheat us!

Nigeria is a terrible place to live. It is not Nigeria land - a paradise for those who can just think a little, it is our attitude combined with the people and things we can tolerate: thieving politicians and civil “masters”, filth, disorderliness, cheats, noise, etc. Things will begin to change when a sufficient number of people can begin to say “Enough!” and get sufficient support to move in a different direction!

If I may paraphrase the immortal Shakespeare, “The fault, my dear compatriots, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, …”

In my view, I fink the fundamental problem of Nigeria was laid down by the British. Remember the popular saying 'If the foundation be destroyed, what should the builder do? `
The British left a legacy of mediocrity in Nigeria by indirectly imposing Tafawa Balewa a modern 3 certificate holder despite the country arrays of graduates and Phd holders at the time.
This same Balewa was manipulated by the elites of that time.
Mediocrity predates corruption,
Corruption produced favoritism Tribalism, Nepotism, Dictatorship,
Ever since the faulty foundation was erected by the British, Nigeria has a nation has been jagajaga(zigzag)
Now, time is not waiting for us.
The leaders are totally blind to the plights of the people.
The degree of poverty in Nigeria is unacceptable.
Everyone has accepted the current situation as a way of life.
The situation has defiled all logical solutions.
Today, Nigeria is the headquarter of poverty in the world.
The oil and intellectual resources has not benefited the people.
The politicians have scammed us.
The men of God in Nigeria are after our pockets majority of them attributes individual challenges to ancestral power, curses, bewitchment and spiritual problems.
The cycle continues.
No solution yesterday, No solution today nor tomorrow.
What is the way out?
Can intellectual restructuring of the Nation bring a succor?

Nigeria is messed up on so many levels and we will never get out of this darkness as long as the larger uneducated/under-educated masses are qualified to vote.
As for me the only solution to all of Nigeria's problems is scrapping democracy and establishing a military government headed by a 'wise modern oriented' dictator.

Twistsss:
Nigeria is messed up on so many levels and we will never get out of this darkness as long as the larger uneducated/under-educated masses are qualified to vote.
As for me the only solution to all of Nigeria's problems is scrapping democracy and establishing a military government headed by a 'wise modern oriented' dictator.

In other words, for democracy to succeed, our basic education system must be vastly improved on

Tianamen1:


In other words, for democracy to succeed, our basic education system must be vastly improved on

Yes. Unfortunately the powers that be need the masses to remain uneducated and gullible.

Twistsss:
Nigeria is messed up on so many levels and we will never get out of this darkness as long as the larger uneducated/under-educated masses are qualified to vote.
As for me the only solution to all of Nigeria's problems is scrapping democracy and establishing a military government headed by a 'wise modern oriented' dictator.

You are very right this democracy needs to be scrapped over 20years now and there's no single gain but then do we still have genuine military guys in this country cos our recent military leaders are card carrying political party members with Ak47's..

Larryfest:

You are very right this democracy needs to be scrapped over 20years now and there's no single gain but then do we still have genuine military guys in this country cos our recent military leaders are card carrying political party members with Ak47's..

That's why I emphasized the need for a wise modern oriented dictator. I don't think one exist presently. So until we decide first to scrap democracy and get lucky enough to have a wise dictator, then we will remain in the dark.