# Why some countries fail while others prosper in the Middle East and Africa

https://mins.news/en/item/61081

- Al Jazeera, 2026-09-16 13:40 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/9/16/why-some-countries-fail-while-others-prosper-in-the-middle-east-and-africa?traffic_source=rss

> The article argues that national prosperity depends less on geography or resources than on institutions governing power, legitimacy and opportunity. Africa’s development crisis is linked to a long legacy of extractive institutions, while Nigeria’s natural wealth coexists with failure to build a legitimate, cohesive authority capable of delivering public goods.