Deadly Blasts Hit Nigeria Independence Day Celebration

At least eight people have been killed in explosions in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, marring celebrations to mark 50 years since independence from the UK.

Police have confirmed that two blasts outside the justice ministry were caused by car bombs.

Earlier, the militant group Mend (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) had threatened to target the festivities.

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Secretary Clinton Delivers Remarks in Honor of Nigeria's National Day

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks in honor of Nigeria's National Day, Washington, D.C., September 30, 2010. [Go to http://www.state.gov/video for more video and text transcript.]

Four Brothers Sent To Kirikiri Prisons

I do see these guys around my church premises when I used to live in the Igando area of Lagos State. I am amazed on how they could indulge in the barbaric act!

Four brothers of the same parents have been charged to Ejigbo Magistrate’s Court for allegedly despoiling two sisters of the same parents and infecting them with venereal disease.


The brothers, Peter Eboka, 30, Chuks Eboka, 28, Emeka Eboka 26 and 22-year-old Ejike Eboka were alleged to have despoiled the victims (names withheld) aged six and seven years. The are the daughters of their neighbour.

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Viewpoint (Nigeria @ 50): What it means to be Nigerian

Why are we Nigerians not vociferously proud of our nationality?

I suppose patriotism is not the sort of thing that excites a lot of us. In fact any talk of patriotism is likely to induce a yawn or suspicion about the motive of the person raising it.

But that is not the same as saying that Nigerians have no sense of pride.

To understand patriotism's uneasy place in Nigeria, you have to go back to 1914 when the Southern and Northern protectorates and Lagos Colony were brought together to form a single country.

But I am always proud as a Nigerian when at a gathering, everyone joins in rendering the national anthem without the aid of a recording. And when you go abroad you can always tell the Nigerian from other Africans judging by his self-confident, some would say cocky, way.

The biggest mistake a non-Nigerian can make is to try to criticise the country or to even innocently join the Nigerian pastime of self-condemnation. That is when you see that, in spite of all the negativity, Nigerians care for their country and still believe that one day its much talked about potential will be realised.

Read more from BBC's website 

Asa is Back!

Aṣa Is Back With Second Album - Beautiful Imperfection

The sultry songstress Aṣa (Asha) is back!
The title of the sophomore album is Beautiful Imperfection.
The album is billed to be launched Monday, October 25, 2010.


Click below to watch Beautiful Imperfection preview

How Indonesia overtook Nigeria

When Indonesia's second president, Haji Muhammad Suharto, took power in 1967 the number of people living in poverty was the same as in Nigeria; around six out of ten. Three decades later, it had fallen from six to two. In Nigeria it had risen from six to seven.


Not only Indonesia, but also Malaysia. If not on the same level of development considering economic indicators, Nigeria was ahead of Malaysia in the early 1960s even though Malaysia got independence from the same former colonial master with Nigeria two years earlier. In terms of population Nigeria had and still has five times that of Malaysia. So also natural resources. No wonder former Prime Minister Tuanko Abdulrahman imported palm kernel seedlings from Nigeria in the 1960s possibly because of his close relationship with the late Sardauna.

But, thats not the story today, both nations, Malaysia and Indonesia are far ahead of Nigeria even though we are blessed with rich human and natural resources. Read More

some texts culled from allafrica.com

Nobel laureate Soyinka starts political party

Wole Soyinka won the Nobel literature prize in 1986

Nobel literature laureate Wole Soyinka has launched a political party in Nigeria, months before the presidential election. He was elected chairman of The Democratic Front for a People's Federation at an event in Lagos.

The new party says it aims to tackle corruption and improve health and education in Nigeria.

He was the first African to be awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1986. State, presidential and legislative elections are due to take place next year but it is unclear whether Mr Soyinka intends to be a candidate.

BBC

CNN - Babangida: Why I'm seeking election

Ex-military leader Ibrahim Babangida on why he annulled '93 elections and why he's running for Nigeria's presidency.

Nigerian academics seek to elevate humble Pidgin

logo of a Nigerian Pidgin English Dictionary

It may share many of its words and basic grammar with English, but a perplexed look descends across the face of most newcomers to Nigeria the first time they are addressed in Pidgin.

"How you dey?" comes the question, or "How body?" (both meaning "how are you?")

A World Cup blunder by Nigerian player Sani Kaita briefly spawned the word "Kaitalistic" to mean catastrophic and the frequent acts of kidnapping in Nigeria has popularized the term "Colombia people" to describe the perpetrators on Nigeria's first pidgin station Wazobia 95.1 FM.

"American Presido say time don reach to comot im troop for Iraq," announced the newscaster on a recent lunchtime bulletin, after U.S. President Barack Obama announced a formal end to the U.S. military's combat mission in Iraq last month.

Goodluck Jonathan’s Declaration

Since I support Jonathan 2011, I hope no one gets offended with more posts of him

Crowd at the Goodluck Jonathan's Declareration.

pics from pmnewsnigeria.com

Nigeria doesn’t need contaminated leaders — Jonathan.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday said Nigeria was on the threshold of a new era, adding that it needed a leadership that was uncontaminated by prejudices of the past.

Jonathan, who stated this at the public declaration of his candidacy at the Eagle Square, Abuja said he was the kind of leader the country needed. 

The President said he had come to transform the country, adding that he would never let Nigerians down.