₦airaland Forum

Nkechi hasn't even responded to my email announcing that she's a winner in this competition. Too bad her domain name has already been registered for her.

I'd like to see her do well in her current role, then go back to the US where she can spend her money (I hear she's paid in dollars; a lot of dollars!) in peace. Politics in Nigeria is just too much of a dangerous game for my liking.

In her current role she's was handpicked; she didn't have to go against any desperate, potentially dangerous, opponents. Going for governor, VP, things like that are a bit different. Besides, the women of Nigeria, due to jealousy, will refuse to vote for her .

Pintos wins shortest profile of the century award.

Very funny.

LAGOS, 8 Aug 2005 (IRIN) - When Nigeria conducts a long-overdue national census in November, no data will be collected showing the religious or ethnic origins of its citizens.

Africa’s most populous country of more than 126 million people, split between a mainly Muslim north and largely Christian south, is frequently plagued by ethnic and religious upheavals.

The authorities fear that highlighting those divisions in a national headcount will only inflame tensions.

A meeting of the advisory National Council of State, comprising the country’s 36 state governors and former heads of state, called by President Olusegun Obasanjo in January, had advised against considering religion and ethnicity in the census.

"After exhaustive discussion, it was resolved that, as it was not on the questionnaire for the 1991 census, the issue of ethnicity and religion would also not feature on the questionnaire for the 2005 national census," the body said in a statement after the meeting.

The advice was accepted by the government; the head of the National Population Commission, Samaila Makama, subsequently justified the decision as a way of avoiding the political acrimony that has surrounded all earlier attempts at a detailed population breakdown.

"Since each religious and ethnic group would prefer numerical superiority over the other, it might be safer to ignore religion and ethnicity since there would be the temptation by each group to explore ways to have an edge over the other," said Makama.

However, rival religious and ethnic interest groups appear united in their demand that religion, and ethnicity, should be considered.

Both Christian and Muslim groups have threatened to boycott the census – a potentially massive blow to its credibility - if the government does not review its position.

Peter Akinola, president of the Christian Association (CAN) of Nigeria and leader of the Anglican Church announced in June that his members had been directed to shun the census if religion and ethnicity were not on the questionnaire.

"Any national census which falls short of that is not worth its salt and will not be accepted," said Akinola. CAN groups the major Christian denominations, including the fast-growing Pentecostal churches.

Similar threats have also come from the Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO) - made up of 27 Islamic associations – which accuses Obasanjo, a southern Christian, of running an anti-Muslim government.

The group has said it will boycott the census if it was not designed to "reflect all necessary data concerning Nigerians, including ethnicity and religious inclinations, in order to dispel suspicion and provide accurate information."

Nigeria has had a difficult history of conducting population counts. The first census conducted by British colonial rulers in 1952-53, and used to determine political constituencies and the allocation of resources, found the north had the largest share of the population.

A subsequent count in 1962 was plagued by widespread inflation of figures leading to the cancellation of the result. Another census held a year later was accepted after bitter wrangling and allegations of manipulation, the fallout of which contributed to the political crises that resulted in the 1967-70 civil war.

Yet another attempt in 1973 was cancelled amid claims and counter-claims again of manipulation of the figures by the regions seeking political advantage.

Under military ruler Gen Ibrahim Babangida, who organised the 1991 census – the last successful exercise - the decision was first taken to remove religion and ethnicity from the categories to be counted.

That year’s census produced a population figure of 86.5 million, estimated to have since exceeded 126 million at an annual growth rate of more than three percent.

After winning a second four-year term in 2003, Obasanjo now feels confident enough to take on the census challenge.

But his six years in power has seen regular outbursts of ethnic, religious and communal violence in which thousands have died. The adoption of the strict Islamic legal code or Shari’ah by more than a dozen states in the north has upset neighbouring Christian communities, intermittently triggering sectarian bloodletting.

In the oil-rich southern Niger Delta, years of unrest over pollution and the lack of development spending has overtime translated into a political demand by ethnic militants for more local control over oil resources. In the parts of southeast Nigeria dominated by ethnic Igbos, calls for a repeat of the attempted secession that resulted in civil war are gaining acceptance.

In the north, political leaders including serving state governors are insisting that population and land mass will continue to be used as the basis for allocation of federal revenue, while at the same time insisting that religion and ethnicity should not be counted.

Speaking after a meeting of northern governors last year, Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi said states in the region would boycott the census if the two issues were included in the questionnaire.

But political leaders from the country’s mainly Christian centre and southeast, after a meeting last week in the capital, Abuja, issued a statement advising the National Population Commission to include religion and ethnicity among the issues required in the census.

"We believe that these would assist, in no small measure, in implementing any meaningful national development plan," said the statement, also signed by state governors from the two regions.

Political analysts believe the strong feelings being expressed on the coming census leaves Obasanjo with a delicate job - with potentially explosive consequences.

"All these pulling-at-the-seams of the nation by rival groups could combine with the census issue and create a combustible mix for Nigeria," analyst Ike Onyekwere told IRIN.

"In the end it is for Obasanjo to decide if he wants a proper census or one that is politically expedient," Onyekwere added.

NIGERIA: Planned census facing boycott threats, a UN Report

Thanks, Spindus, for this offer. We would be delighted to have another Mobile Telephony Expert on the forum, in addition to AYA.

https://i.nairaland.com/img/Ngozi.Okonjo-Iweala.jpg
Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

For now, I'll let others do the talking:

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Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian national is the Minister of Finance for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a job she assumed on July 18th 2003. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the World Bank Group.
...
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala graduated with a A.B. magna cum laude in Economics from Harvard University and holds a Ph.D. in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Biosketch of Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala relishes a good fight. Which is just as well. Since Nigeria’s president persuaded her to sort out the country’s infamously chaotic finances and rein in its notorious corruption, she’s been hailed by world leaders and reviled by her fellow countrymen.

"When I became finance minister they called me Okonjo-Wahala — or Trouble Woman,’" chuckles the 51-year-old. "But I don’t care what names they call me. I’m a fighter; I’m very focused on what I’m doing, and relentless in what I want to achieve ... If you get in my way you get kicked."

Nigeria's Trouble Woman

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Okonjo-Iweala deserves our solid support, even when we disagree with the policy thrust of her economic reform strategy. She deserves our support because she not only means well for the country, she takes Nigeria seriously. When Dr Okonjo-Iweala decided to leave her job at the World Bank in Washington DC and answer her nation’s call to service, I wrote in this column to thank her.

In Praise of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

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"Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop" goes an old Nigerian saying. The people work while their leaders eat. Not Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Nigeria's combative Finance Minister has rolled up her sleeves since her appointment last year by President Olusegun Obasanjo. A former World Bank vice president, Okonjo-Iweala, 50, was lured back from Washington to her oil-rich yet impoverished West African nation of 130 million to fix its chaotic finances and clean up corruption.

The bottom line: the Nigerian government exported $20 billion worth of oil last year, but its people still scrape by on an average wage of just a dollar a day. Okonjo-Iweala's mission is to make sure more of those billions go to roads, schools and health care.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala - the Corruption Cop

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This is a pivotal year for Africa; Britain has set up a Commission for Africa; the Make Poverty History coalition is campaigning for the poor in my continent and around the world; and more far-reaching debt cancellation is once again on the table as the G8 group of rich industrialised countries meets in London this weekend. Given that one in five Africans is Nigerian, it would be a travesty if Nigeria were left out in the cold.

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1402210,00.html]Written by Dr. Okonjo-Iweala Herself[/url] (prior to the debt relief)

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See also: Okonjo-Iweala's Weak Spot by Ochereome Nnanna, which shows the terrible depths to which we Nigerian will sometimes sink in a desperate bid to discredit one of our own (allafrica version).

If you have anything to say about this Ngozi Okonjo-Iyeala woman, please feel free to do so here. Thanks.

Nice observation, sammyrays. Welcome to the Nairaland Forum!

I'm not so sure. I read a recent newspaper article with a title like "Vmobile Project ROSE Spurned by Subscribers!"

First mobile phone virus created
The first ever computer virus spread by mobile phones has been sent to anti-virus firms. No infections have been reported and the worm is harmless but it is proof that mobiles are at risk from virus writers.

The worm, known as Cabir, infects phones and devices running the Symbian operating system.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3809855.stm

There you go, hot-angel!

Why don't you give us more tangible information about this product of yours? Why don't you come clean and tell us know that you're one of the people behind the product? Why not give us a link to your corporate page so we can click around while waiting for you to announce your miracle product?

I believe that if we can just keep the country together and promote a more wholesome attitude in our youths then things will get better, gradually.

A lot of people need to learn to think differently. This sort of national re-orientation has happened in many other countries; it just takes time, time, lots of time. People need to learn to look for constructive ways to move forward in life. Gradually people will learn that you can achieve success without illegal shortcuts.

So more than anything else, I believe that time will heal our nation. If only we can keep it together long enough - I hope our various ethnic leaders, especially South-South, are wise enough to advice their constituents that civil war is not an option.

Do you see the way the Ibos have taken over trading n Lagos? That is the right way to promote your ethnic interests; the right way to overcome "marginalization". Instead of planning disruption and taking up arms, take the few opportunities you have and try to utilize them maximally.

Pinky, I am waiting to see who you'll get married to. You seem to have the world at your feet at the moment: this one is too emotional, that one I don't like his mummy, the next one I loathe your guts! What will it be next time? "I don't like the color of your car?"

(I'm sorry I had to say this after encouraging people to share ... but women can be funny!)

Yes, you know what yawa means but others may not. The https://i.nairaland.com/Themes/default/images/rules.gif require you to translate any nonstandard expressions.

hot-angel, you are only 15. Ok, 16. Sorry, no show for you either.

Fox is equally hot. He's a part-time boxer, as well as a student and forum administrator.

Fox, why don't you post your pics, heh? Are you afraid that you won't be able to handle all the Nairaland ladies that'll express?

Are you not an African man? Is polygamy not in our blood?

Obviously, Chxta, you've been a bad boy! https://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons6/77.gif. Please, o please, do tell us about your exploits!

How come mamba and the other car-men are not interested in posting their car pictures? Are you afraid that your car is not as pretty as Hunter's? Jogego, Vieira, Greatpeter, diakim, and the other big men. Are you saying none of you has a car beautiful enough to display on the forum?

What's the purpose of going through all the trouble of voting for ppl on TV when at the end of the day the winning girl is just ok in looks? I could pick a better "Face" for them for free; I could pick one of our Nairaland ladies!

And how come those two are the winners and the girl in the picture below isn't one?
(she was one of the contestants)
[img]http://faceofeva.tv.nyud.net:8090/images/contestants/tn/tn134.jpg[/img]

Tell us about your place of work, tell us if you're single, etc.

Guys, she's not available. Leave her alone!

In 'Next TV Show?', we talked about the Face of Eva 2005 Competition, which was organized by the Nigerian Bottling Company as a way of promoting Eva Water, their bottled water product. The idea behind the competition? Young people would submit their photos and vote for the best-looking man and woman who will chosen as the Faces of Eva 2005!

Thanks to press coverage and some TV advertising, the Face of Eva promo achieved a pretty impressive level of popularity: 63783 registered voters, 163,976 web votes, and [just] 7938 SMS votes
[center]https://i.nairaland.com/img/Face-of-Eva-Site-Statistics.png
(not anywhere close to Gulder Ultimate Search, though)[/center]

And now, the winners of the competition have been announced! They were selected via SMS voting on Saturday July 16th on 'Morning Ride' on NTA Channel 5 after making it eight from website voting on the FaceOfEva.tv Website.

The female Face Of Eva is Angel E. Ohimo, a 22 year old student who stands 5 feet 10 inches tall. The male Face of Eva is Ahumaraeze Okechukwu, a 28 year old student. And here they are:
[center]https://i.nairaland.com/img/Faces-of-Eva-2005.png
Official Website: www.faceofeva.tv
[/center]

You know what I think? I think the organizers could have done better. You see, unlike shows like Who Wants to Be A Millionaire where you're interested in the contestants' intelligence, the Face of Eva competition is supposed to measure physical attractiveness. So why am I not particularly impressed by the looks of this no-doubt fortunate man and woman?

I have a question for you: do these Faces of Eva measure up to your standards?

Does anyone have a detailed experience to share?

Why?

According to an anonymous source, "Oluwole an area in Lagos where documents like passports, money orders, certificates, company letter-headed papers are creatively doctored. As a resuly of this, this name is now synonymous with document forgery. Hence Oluwole = document forging."

Welcome, Trooper, to the Nairaland Forum!

Nigerian Companies Offering Web Hosting (and Domain Name Registration)

During our recent free domain and website competition , someone mentioned how he hasn't been able to get a domain or website hosting account due to inability to secure access to an International credit card (thanks in part to our 419 stigma).

But there are so many local website hosting companies that can be paid in naira through a Nigerian bank! Some of them can be pretty affordable and reliable, but it's not easy to tell which is which. So I thought we could use this thread to list links to the various web hosting companies in the country and discuss their pricing, customer-service and reliability.

Please, if you have any experience with a Nigerian web hosting company, please be sure to participate in this thread (after registration)

LINKS TO NIGERIAN WEB HOSTING COMPANIES
- www.nairahost.com (not related to nairaland).
- www.domainstandard.net
- www.mcreal.net
- www.enwhy.com
- www.dafikas.net/webhosting.htm
- www.ipnxnigeria.net/host.html

What other web hosting companies in Nigeria are you aware of? How reliable are their services? How helpful is their support? How affordable is the total cost of hosting a website with them? Feel free to share what you know on this thread! The information shared in this thread should empower participants and readers with the knowledge to make the right choice of web host.

Representatives of the various website hosting companies are invited to participate in this discussion, too. Over to you!

Bibi-2, what invisible arm of the Nigerian government are you talking about? Do you mean this one?