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Nigerian immigrants have highest level of education in the U.S.

Nigerian immigrants have the highest levels of education in Houston and the nation, surpassing whites and Asians, according to a Census data bolstered by an analysis of 13 annual Houston-area surveys, Leslie Casimir of the Houston Chronicle reports.

David Olowokere, originally from Nigeria and the chairman of Texas Southern University’s department of engineering technologies, told Casimir that holding a master’s degree just wasn’t good enough for his people back home. So he got a doctorate. His wife, Shalewa Olowokere is a civil engineer and hold a master’s degree.

According to a 2006 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, 17 percent of all Nigerians in the U.S. hold a master’s degree, 4 percent hold a doctorate and 37 percent have a bachelor’s degree. In comparison, 8 percent of the white population in the U.S. hold a master’s degrees, 1 percent hold a doctorate and 19 percent have a bachelor’s degrees.

The Nigerian numbers are strikingly high, Roderick Harrison told Casimir. He is a demographer at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington D.C. think-thank that specializes in researching black issues.

However, Stephen Klineberg, a Sociologist at Rice University who conducts the annual Houston Area Survey, suspects the percentage of Nigerian immigrants with post-graduate degrees is higher than the Census data shows.

According to the latest Census data there are more than 12,000 Nigerians in Houston. This is a figure sociologists and Nigerian community leaders say is a gross undercount, as they believe the number is closer to 100,000.

Out of all the Nigerian immigrants Kleinberg reached in his random phone surveys in 1994 through 2007—a total of 45 households—40 percent of them told him they had post-graduate degrees.

The reasons Nigerians have more post-graduate degrees than any other racial or ethnic group is largely due to the Nigerian society’s emphasis on mandatory and free education, Casimir reports. After immigrating to the U.S., practical matters of immigrations laws get in the way. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 made it easier for Africans to enter the U.S., but mostly as students or highly skilled professionals—not through family sponsorships, Kleinberg said.

Houston Chronicle

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Boko Haram suspends talks with government

Boko Haram yesterday said they would no longer accept overtures for dialogue with the Federal Government because the botched efforts through Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad confirmed government's lack of sincerity.

A purported spokesman for the group who goes by the nom de guerre Abul Qaqa told journalists in Maiduguri in a teleconference that the collapse of Dr. Ahmad's efforts was a vindication of their long-held belief that government was never sincere in its offer for talks with the sect.

Datti, who is president of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, issued a statement on Saturday, saying he was pulling out of efforts to broker a truce with Boko Haram because of alleged insincerity of the government, citing leakage of the talks.

Yesterday, Abul Qaqa confirmed that Dr. Datti had approached them through freelance journalist Ahmad Salkida, who on Sunday denied being part of any "imaginary" talks with Boko Haram.

Abul Qaqa said the sect, which calls itself Jama'atu Ahlis Sunnati Lidda'awati Wal Jihad, was sceptical of the Datti overtures because of previous disappointments.

"We have said it severally that the Federal Government is deceiving Nigerians and the world and we know that they will never be ready for dialogue," he said.

"Almighty God has told us repeatedly that the unbelievers will never respect the promises they made. As such, henceforth, we would never respect any proposal for dialogue. In fact, we have closed all possible doors of negotiation. We would never listen to any call to lay down our arms."

He added: "The truth is that we have been doubtful on the seriousness and purposeful commitment of the government. It was the Datti group that thought the Federal Government could be trusted. They approached us and said we should give them a chance and we did, unfortunately, they have been disappointed."

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for wave of deadly attacks in the North, including suicide bombings in Abuja, Jos, Maiduguri, Madalla and Kano.

Its deadliest strike was in Kano on January 20, but security sources claimed that series of top-level arrests has considerably weakened the sect.

Abul Qaqa said yesterday the sect would continue its campaign until it achieves an Islamic state.

"We are calling on all Muslims in this part of the world to accept the clarion call and fight for the restoration of the Caliphate of Usman Danfodio which the white man fought and fragmented.

"The white man killed prominent northern Islamic clerics and emirs and also replaced the white Islamic flag with the Union Jack. We want all our people to come together and restore our lost glory," he said.

There was no immediate comment from the Federal Government over the latest statement by Boko Haram.

Daily Trust

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Foreign oil workers in Nigeria highest paid in the world

A typical oil and gas executive in Nigeria earns nearly half a million dollars (about N80 million) a year, chalking up the biggest premium for working abroad over salary levels in Britain, research released yesterday showed. Those who have watched developments in the country with keen interest said the high pay is possibly responsible for risk appetite of foreigners who prefer to work in the creeks during the days of militancy in the Niger Delta.

According to George Olodo, a social commentator in Lagos, such a pay could make anyone defy the high level of risk to work in a very risky area.

But Oteme Uzeme, a retired oil worker, wondered why the pay for expatriate should be that high in Nigeria, which is relatively less risky than Iraq and even Libya.

A typical senior oil and gas employee in Nigeria will receive a supplementary country premium worth 45 per cent of base pay, taking the total salary of $454,400 a year, a study by the Curzon Partnership recruitment consultants showed.

This trumps packages for executives working in Libya or Iraq, who could expect a total salary of around $354,900, the research found, said Reuters.

Oil and gas workers from developed nations working in Nigeria are paid well because of the number of projects that need international staff, local skills shortages and big cultural differences, the firm said.

"Whilst Lagos is an exciting and well established place to work for expats, oil and gas companies recognise that the incentives have to be high, because life as an expat in Nigeria is so different from countries with broader industries and higher standards of living," Helen Di Mauro, a partner at the Curzon Partnership, said.

Oil industry executives in Indonesia can expect a premium of 40 per cent in Indonesia, 35 per cent in Ghana and 30 per cent in Libya, Kurdistan or Egypt, the research found.

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Canadian based Cable network to broadcast Nollywood content

Hollywood has officially lost its title as second largest film industry in the world after Mumbai, India's Bollywood to Nigeria, West Africa's Nollywood, according to a survey taken by UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) in 2009.

The growing global popularity of African films around the world has created a demand for African content on television.

In April 2012, for the first time on Canadian cable television, Canadians will be able to access and watch African movies, drama-series and entertainment programming on African Movies and Entertainment Television (AMET TV) in partnership with independent Canadian broadcaster, Channel Zero.

Following Black History Month's celebrations, and being reminded of the crucial contributions to society by African descendants in Canada, it would appear as though the great honour would be reflected with positive images on television.

Unfortunately, Canada has lagged in representing programming that showcases and targets its African, Caribbean population on television.

The need for presenting African culture is evident with the approval for a second Afrocentric school in Toronto.

Whether in cultural appreciation, education or entertainment, AMET TV's main mission is to make African content accessible to Canadians who have been neglected as consumer audiences.

Starting on April 29, 2012, AMET TV will broadcast African Movies and Drama Series on Cable Networks: Rogers Channel 122, Bell Canada Channel 207, Videotron Channel 614. AMET TV programming line up is as follows: Every Saturdays; African Music Videos Show between 6pm to 7pm, African Drama Series between 7pm to 8pm, African Movies between 8pm to 10pm and every Sundays, African Gospel Vibes between 2pm to 3pm.

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