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Nigeria ranks 91 among World’s Happiest Countries, Finland Tops Rating

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Finland is the world’s happiest country, according to an annual survey issued on Wednesday that put Burundi at the bottom of the happiness index and Nigerians at 91st position.

The survey also found Americans were getting less happy even as their country became richer.

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s 2018 World Happiness Report ranked 156 countries according to their scores for things such as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity and absence of corruption.

Finland rose from fifth place in 2017 to oust Norway from the top spot.

The 2018 top-10, as ever dominated by the Nordics, is Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and Australia.

The U S. came in at 18th, down from 14th place in 2017. Britain was 19th and the United Arab Emirates 20th.

One chapter of the 170-page report is dedicated to emerging health problems such as obesity, depression and the opioid crisis, particularly in the U. S. where the prevalence of all three has grown faster than in most other countries.

While income per capita has increased markedly in the U. S. over the last half-century, the happiness index has been hit by weakened social support networks, a rise in perception of corruption in government and business and declining confidence in public institutions.

“We obviously have a social crisis in the U. S.: more inequality, less trust, less confidence in government,” the head of the SDSN, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs of New York’s Columbia University, told Reuters as the report was launched at the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

“It’s pretty stark right now. The signs are not good for the U.S. It is getting richer and richer but not getting happier.”

Asked how the current political situation in the United States could affect future happiness reports, Sachs said: “Time will tell, but I would say that in general that when confidence in government is low, when perceptions of corruption are high, inequality is high and health conditions are worsening … that is not conducive to good feelings.”

For the first time since it was started in 2012, the report, which uses a variety of polling organisations, official figures and research methods, ranked the happiness of foreign-born immigrants in 117 countries.

Finland took top honours in that category too, giving the country a statistical double-gold status.

The foreign-born were least happy in Syria, which has been mired in civil war for seven years.

“The most striking finding of the report is the remarkable consistency between the happiness of immigrants and the locally born,” said Prof. John Helliwell of Canada’s University of British Columbia.

“Although immigrants come from countries with very different levels of happiness, their reported life evaluations converge towards those of other residents in their new countries,” he said.

“Those who move to happier countries gain, while those who move to less happy countries lose.” NAN

GrassRoots.ng is on a critical mission; to objectively and honestly represent the voice of ‘grassrooters’ in International, Federal, State and Local Government fora; heralding the achievements of political and other leaders and investors alike, without discrimination. This daily, digital news publication platform serves as the leading source of up-to-date information on how people and events reflect on the global community. The pragmatic articles reflect on the life of the community people, covering news/current affairs, business, technology, culture and fashion, entertainment, sports, State, National and International issues that directly impact the locals.

Education

Federal Government Sets To Commence School-To-Work Scheme

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The Federal Government says plans are underway to launch a school-to-work scheme to enable youths to become productive and self-employed.

The Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi disclosed this in Abuja during a meeting with Commissioners of Education, Executive State and FCT Universal Basic Chairmen, Education Boards and UBEC on the School-to-Work Scheme.

Bobboyi in his keynote address, disclosed that the target group for the scheme are learners in the junior secondary schools. He added that it will provide them the opportunity to detect early in life where their talents and potential lie, between academic pursuit and vocational skills development.

Explaining how the Scheme will run, the UBEC Boss stated that it is structured to provide at least six months training, broken into two months per year of study in the junior secondary school.

Also speaking, the Director Basic Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Folake Davies, stated that the Scheme which is inline with the road map policy of the ministry, is designed to provide youths with the requisite experience necessary to excel whenever they find themselves in the working environment.

The Director, who was represented by Rose Onoja stated that only collaborative effort from the Federal, State, and Local Government levels and active involvement from the private sector will make the implementation of the program successful. Liberate actions to mitigate the living conditions of their constituents.

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Entertainment

Big Congratulations To BBNaija Star, Miracle Igbokwe Who Graduated With Distinction From Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University In Florida USA

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The reality TV star disclosed this on his Instagram story on Friday, sharing a video of the moment he climbed the stage to receive his certificate.

Over the years, He has carried us along his Journey of becoming a trained pilot. In July 2018, Ikechukwu obtained his Private Pilot License and Flight Dispatcher License.

In March 2019, he further disclosed that he obtained his certification as an “Instrument Rated” pilot.

He was also reported to have celebrated passing his Flight Instructor exam in 2023, as he completed his aviation training and earned pilot certification from US aviation authorities in 2024.

Miracle was in aviation school before the BBNaija show and returned to complete his training immediately after clinching the grand prize.

We congratulate him on his commitment to achieving this height. And we wish him the very best ahead.

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Spotlight

Nigerian Woman Breaks Guinness World Record With 55-Hour Interview Marathon

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Nigerians are actively participating in the Guinness World Records breaking feats which is quite encouraging and interesting.

You can say this has been the order of the day for over a year now as determined individuals have been coming into the spotlight to showcase their ability to break previously held records on different skills and talents.

This time around, Nigerian social media entrepreneur Clara Chizoba Kronborg has broken the world record for the longest interviewing marathon with a time of 55 hours 24 seconds.

The previous record was 37 hours 44 minutes by Rob Oliver (USA) in 2022.

Congratulations to Clara Chizoba on her Guinness World Records feat.

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