Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday held his first meeting with campaigners calling for the release of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants in the northeastern town of Chibok last year.
The militant Islamist group, whose six-year insurgency has seen thousands killed in Africa's most populous nation and top oil producer, caused an international outcry when it took the girls from secondary school dormitories in April 2014.
Buhari praised members of the Bring Back Our Girls group for their efforts to prevent the missing children being forgotten.
"Nobody in Nigeria or outside could have missed your consistency and persistence," said Buhari during the meeting at his presidential villa in the capital, Abuja.
"I think you will agree that the present government takes the issue very seriously," he said, adding that the military was working with neighboring countries to ensure a regional task force could fight the insurgency.
Earlier this year an Amnesty International report said that Boko Haram had kidnapped at least 2,000 Nigerian women and girls since the start of 2014, many of whom were sexually abused or trained to fight.
In a statement, the Bring Back Our Girls campaigners said the safe return of the schoolgirls would "amount to the strongest statement that our government has respect for the sanctity and dignity of every Nigerian life".
The frequency of attacks by suspected Boko Haram militants in northern states has increased since the president vowed in his inauguration speech of May 29 that the group would be crushed.
More than 200 people died in a string of attacks last week and dozens more have been killed in northern Nigeria and Chad in the last few days.
Boko Haram, which has been trying to establish a state adhering to strict sharia law in northeast Nigeria, controlled an area larger than Belgium at the end of 2014.
Nigerian and regional forces pushed the jihadists out of most of that territory in the last few months but the militants have a last stronghold in the Sambisa forest reserve and, with the increase in attacks, appear to be growing in strength.
Reuters
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Only one Nigeria univeristy in Africa's top 10 universities
Only one Nigerian university has made it to the list of top 10 African universities, a rating that has six South African schools.
In a ranking released Tuesday, Nigeria’s University of Ibadan came a distant eighth on the top 10 list, beaten by schools from South Africa, Kenya and Egypt.
With its performance, the University of Ibadan naturally came tops as Nigeria’s best, according to the research conducted by Journals Consortium.
The result shows how the Nigerian education system struggles against its African peers.
The ranking was based on research publications and citations from 2010 to 2014 as well as visibility on the Internet, Journals Consortium said.
The University of Cape Town in South Africa was graded the continent’s best while Cairo University in Egypt came second.
Another South African institution, University of Pretoria, ranked third while the University of Nairobi, in Kenya, ranked fourth.
University of South Africa was ranked fifth leaving Witwatersrand University at the sixth position and Stellenbosch at seventh.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, came 13th in Africa – apparently Nigeria’s second best.
While the University of Ibadan started off as University College in 1948, the University of Nigeria was founded in 1955 and was formally opened in 1960.
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, ABU, ranked 18th in Africa and third in Nigeria, while the University of Lagos ranked 20th in Africa, and fourth in Nigeria.
Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, ranked 24th in Africa, and fifth in Nigeria while University of Benin ranked 27th in Africa and sixth in Nigeria.
University of Ilorin was rated seventh best in Nigeria but 31st in Africa while the University of Port Harcourt ranked eighth in Nigeria, and 36th in Africa.
Nnamdi Azikiwe University stood at ninth position in Nigeria, and 42nd in Africa, leaving the University of Calabar as 10th in Nigeria but 43rd in Africa respectively.
“University of Ibadan has always maintained that rank status from as back as I know, and am proud to be a product of that University,” Bayo Aladejo, an alumnus of the University of Ibadan said.
Premium Times
In a ranking released Tuesday, Nigeria’s University of Ibadan came a distant eighth on the top 10 list, beaten by schools from South Africa, Kenya and Egypt.
With its performance, the University of Ibadan naturally came tops as Nigeria’s best, according to the research conducted by Journals Consortium.
The result shows how the Nigerian education system struggles against its African peers.
The ranking was based on research publications and citations from 2010 to 2014 as well as visibility on the Internet, Journals Consortium said.
The University of Cape Town in South Africa was graded the continent’s best while Cairo University in Egypt came second.
Another South African institution, University of Pretoria, ranked third while the University of Nairobi, in Kenya, ranked fourth.
University of South Africa was ranked fifth leaving Witwatersrand University at the sixth position and Stellenbosch at seventh.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, came 13th in Africa – apparently Nigeria’s second best.
While the University of Ibadan started off as University College in 1948, the University of Nigeria was founded in 1955 and was formally opened in 1960.
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, ABU, ranked 18th in Africa and third in Nigeria, while the University of Lagos ranked 20th in Africa, and fourth in Nigeria.
Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, ranked 24th in Africa, and fifth in Nigeria while University of Benin ranked 27th in Africa and sixth in Nigeria.
University of Ilorin was rated seventh best in Nigeria but 31st in Africa while the University of Port Harcourt ranked eighth in Nigeria, and 36th in Africa.
Nnamdi Azikiwe University stood at ninth position in Nigeria, and 42nd in Africa, leaving the University of Calabar as 10th in Nigeria but 43rd in Africa respectively.
“University of Ibadan has always maintained that rank status from as back as I know, and am proud to be a product of that University,” Bayo Aladejo, an alumnus of the University of Ibadan said.
Premium Times
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Former Super Eagle Sunday Oliseh in talks to become new Nigeria football coach
The 40-year-old former midfielder, who captained Nigeria and won 63 caps, is set to be appointed in the coming days. The NFF have acted quickly to fill the vacancy following the sacking of Stephen Keshi on Saturday.
Oliseh was part of the Nigeria squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994 and Olympic gold two years later.
He also played at the World Cup in 1994 and 1998, helping the Super Eagles to the last-16 at both tournaments and in the latter he scored a memorable winner as Nigeria shocked Spain 3-2 in a group match.
A member of the "golden generation" of Nigerian football stars, alongside Jay-Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Finidi George, Oliseh has been working as a pundit, sport consultant and Fifa Technical committee member.
Oliseh has little management experience, having coached only Belgian lower league side Vervietois between 2008 and 2009, but he does hold the Uefa Pro Licence.
He would take over from NFF technical director Shaibu Amodu and assistant coach Salisu Yusuf, who are are currently in charge on an interim basis.
BBC
President Muhammadu Buhari approves $2.1bn bailout for bankrupt Nigerian states
At least 12 of Nigeria's 36 states are said to owe their workers more than $550m in salaries and allowances.
Some workers have not been paid for seven months.
The government revenue, which depends largely on crude oil exports, has fallen sharply in recent months because of a fall in global oil prices.
Last month, Mr Buhari said the treasury was "virtually empty".
He has vowed to recover billions of dollars "stolen" under previous administrations.
The president won elections in March on a promise to tackle corruption, seen as one of the country's biggest problems.
Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer but much of the revenue is said to be stolen.
A government statement said the money would come through soft loans from the central bank, and dividends paid by the state-owned natural gas agency.
BBC
Some workers have not been paid for seven months.
The government revenue, which depends largely on crude oil exports, has fallen sharply in recent months because of a fall in global oil prices.
Last month, Mr Buhari said the treasury was "virtually empty".
He has vowed to recover billions of dollars "stolen" under previous administrations.
The president won elections in March on a promise to tackle corruption, seen as one of the country's biggest problems.
Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer but much of the revenue is said to be stolen.
A government statement said the money would come through soft loans from the central bank, and dividends paid by the state-owned natural gas agency.
BBC
25 confirmed dead in bomb blast in Zaria, Nigeria
A suspected suicide bomber targeted civil servants at a government building in the city, witnesses said.
Emergency workers have rushed to the scene to help evacuate the wounded.
Militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which often targets northern Nigeria, has stepped up attacks since President Muhammudu Buhari took office in May.
The group has not yet commented on the latest attack.
It came a day after police chief Solomon Arase announced new measures to curb the rise in bombings. They include:
. banning street trading and hawking in the capital, Abuja
. strengthening security at all mosques and churches countrywide.
Latest African news updates
Witnesses in Zaria said people including primary school teachers had been queuing up seeking employment under Mr Buhari's administration when the bomb detonated in Zaria's Sabon Gari district.
"We call on our citizens to be vigilant and avoid crowded places like markets, mosques, churches and motor parks in the next few weeks," Kaduna state governor Nasir El-Rufa'i said on his Twitter account.
Mr El-Rufa'i said the government was working with the security agencies to end the wave of militant attacks in the country.
Buhari blamed
More than 200 people were killed in attacks blamed on Boko Haram last week.
On Sunday two bombings in Jos, Plateau state, left at least 44 people dead.
On Monday, a young girl believed to be just 13 was killed when explosives strapped to her body detonated near a mosque in Kano city, the biggest in northern Nigeria.
Some analysts link the upsurge in bombings to Mr Buhari's decision to remove military checkpoints countrywide on the grounds that internal security was the responsibility of police, reports the BBC's Bashir Sa'ad Abdullahi from Abuja.
Plateau state governor Simon Lalong has called on Mr Buhari to reverse his decision, saying checkpoints made it more difficult for militants to move around.
Meanwhile, military spokesman Colonel Sani Usman told the BBC that 100 men, 24 women and dozens of children accused of links to Boko Haram had been freed.
Some has spent months in custody but investigations revealed that they were innocent, Col Usman added.
Regional forces have been battling Boko Haram in north-eastern Nigeria, and have recaptured all major cities and towns from the group.
BBC
Emergency workers have rushed to the scene to help evacuate the wounded.
Militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which often targets northern Nigeria, has stepped up attacks since President Muhammudu Buhari took office in May.
The group has not yet commented on the latest attack.
It came a day after police chief Solomon Arase announced new measures to curb the rise in bombings. They include:
. banning street trading and hawking in the capital, Abuja
. strengthening security at all mosques and churches countrywide.
Latest African news updates
Witnesses in Zaria said people including primary school teachers had been queuing up seeking employment under Mr Buhari's administration when the bomb detonated in Zaria's Sabon Gari district.
"We call on our citizens to be vigilant and avoid crowded places like markets, mosques, churches and motor parks in the next few weeks," Kaduna state governor Nasir El-Rufa'i said on his Twitter account.
Mr El-Rufa'i said the government was working with the security agencies to end the wave of militant attacks in the country.
Buhari blamed
More than 200 people were killed in attacks blamed on Boko Haram last week.
On Sunday two bombings in Jos, Plateau state, left at least 44 people dead.
On Monday, a young girl believed to be just 13 was killed when explosives strapped to her body detonated near a mosque in Kano city, the biggest in northern Nigeria.
Some analysts link the upsurge in bombings to Mr Buhari's decision to remove military checkpoints countrywide on the grounds that internal security was the responsibility of police, reports the BBC's Bashir Sa'ad Abdullahi from Abuja.
Plateau state governor Simon Lalong has called on Mr Buhari to reverse his decision, saying checkpoints made it more difficult for militants to move around.
Meanwhile, military spokesman Colonel Sani Usman told the BBC that 100 men, 24 women and dozens of children accused of links to Boko Haram had been freed.
Some has spent months in custody but investigations revealed that they were innocent, Col Usman added.
Regional forces have been battling Boko Haram in north-eastern Nigeria, and have recaptured all major cities and towns from the group.
BBC
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