It is widely agreed that science proceeds by inductive reasoning. In inductive reasoning, general principles are constructed from specific instances. A simple example of inductive reasoning may sound thus: I have met five fraudulent Nigerians, therefore all Nigerians are fraudulent. The nexus between science and inductive reasoning would be found in the empirical nature of science itself. Science relies heavily on observation; hence scientific theories are mostly predictive generalisations from what has been observed over time. Yet inductive reasoning is often accused of being too audacious, with the opposing argument suggesting that a certain number of instances may not justify general principles we derive from them.

From the foregoing, the question arises: can we confidently rely on results of research studies as true indications of our state of affairs? This question becomes important if we recall that research studies are also heavily dependent on observation of traits of a sample unit within a population, otherwise called sampling. Sampling can be defined as the statistical process of selecting and studying the characteristics of a relatively small number of units from a large population in order to draw (often times, predictive) inferences about the features of the entire population.

But regardless of the position that such reports may not be truly representative, recorded history clearly shows that businesses, NGOs and nations have continued to use research results for decision making. The reason for this may not be far-fetched – even if they are not entirely representative, they help to ensure a more objective process of decision making as against intuitive or spontaneous decision making.

One of such reports that should be of grave concern to every Nigerian, however, is the recent Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report, which named Nigeria as the worst country for a child to be born in 2013. Released in November 2012, The Where-to-be-Born Index, 2013 of the EIU used 11 statistical references to measure which country will provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life for a new child in the years ahead. A total of 80 countries were surveyed and, unfortunately, our dear country Nigeria ranked 80th on the log.

This is a very disturbing report that we cannot afford to disregard or label as a deliberate attempt to denigrate our country; especially because it is coming from a foreign organisation. Of course, at less than half of the countries of the world, a study which only considered 80 countries may not be very representative, yet we must agree it has once again reminded us of the facts of poverty; high infant and maternal mortality rate; insecurity of lives and property and inadequate and dilapidated public infrastructure that clearly depict our existence. But this is also no time to fret!
We can indeed re-write our story if we see this ugly situation as a genuine opportunity to come out stronger as a nation. Time and time again, we remind ourselves of the abundance of human and material resources dotting every space in our landscape. What we now need is the will to exploit our resources to change our fortunes for the better.
It is a new year and we are, once more, presented with an opportunity to renew our commitment to a better Nigeria, most especially for future generations. This is very much possible as examples abound of countries that have worked hard to change their course in history.

Nothing is beyond the reach of a positive and willing mind especially when the possibility of change is foreseeable – but we must start now. In the words of Malcolm X, “…tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”. We must begin to plan a better future for the Nigerian child today and the key remains in the provision of equal opportunities. The Nigerian child can live in a better future if presented with access to nutritious food, quality education, good health services and security of his/her life among others.

As we begin 2013, a cardinal resolution should be to improve in our rankings on The Where-to-be-Born Index in the future and other similar indices that help to measure national growth and development.

We at Honeywell Group wish all Nigerians a happy and prosperous 2013.

LET US PRAY

Dear God, we thank You for the gift of life and the potentials You have deposited in us to improve our lives. Though we have not harnessed our resources well enough, we thank You for the opportunity of a fresh beginning presented by the new year. Finally, we seek Your forgiveness for our shortcomings even as we pray for grace to change our story whilst bequeathing a worthy legacy to generations yet unborn.

Honeywell Group