A British Council study published this week says Nigeria's booming population of young people may be a great boon for the country's economy in the coming decades. But it says if the Nigerian government does not take steps to engage young people, the country could face a "demographic disaster." Farida Ashu is a 22-year-old who lives in Nigeria and is looking for work as a teacher.

I am particularly disturbed by the decision of your government to increase the national debt portfolio by another $4.42791bn (about N664.18bn) in order ‘to complete some negotiated projects and provide some infrastructures.’ Whilst the listed projects for which the loans are required are laudable and essential for our national development, I believe the government could explore other financing options including public-private partnerships (PPP) for the projects and only make borrowing a last resort if utterly inevitable.

Nigerian youths, comprising young professionals, students, and youth leaders across the country have come together under the group “Team Ribadu,” to support the presidential bid of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The team which has been meeting in the past four weeks plans to mobilise 10million Nigerian youths from various backgrounds and disciplines to participate in the forthcoming elections by registering to vote, voting, and defending their votes.

For Immediate Release: The Igbo World Assembly (IWA), the global union that represents all the Igbo organizations in the Diaspora endorses President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for the 2011 Presidential election should he decide to run. In a crucial general meeting held with participants from all over the world, the prominent Igbo organization in the Diaspora gave a resounding endorsement for President Jonathan to run as the PDP flag bearer in the 2011 election.

The shame and the bane of our democracy is the level of corruption and compromise perpetrated in the National Assembly. A situation where a lawmaker earns about 8 times more than the president of the United States in an economy that is near comatose is simply sad and indeed shameful.

When Kenya invited Omar al-Bashir, the criminal of Khartoum and one of humanity’s most execrable enemies to attend the inauguration of its new constitution on the 27th of August 2010 in the name of trying to be a good neighbor, it knew what it was doing. The Sudan genocidist, al-Bashir remains one of the most abominable blights on the face of the human race. He got to this horrible level of existence because of the rabid hatred that he and his likes in the Arab world has for the black race.

Supporters of former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd), in Lagos  yesterday flagged off campaign in the state saying that President Goodluck Jonathan is a good  man but lacks a structure within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to win the party’s  primaries.

•IBB supporters in Lagos yesterday. Photo Simon Ateba.

The outcome of Madam Patience Jonathan’s (the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan) visit to Rivers State recently is a puzzler. Many Nigerians are still unable to comprehend as to why she had the audacity to scold Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State. What many had thought would be the ‘homecoming’ of the daughter of the state, turned out to be a pilgrimage of exhibition of loquaciousness.

"Good evening. Tonight, I'd like to talk to you about the end of our combat mission in Iraq, the ongoing security challenges we face, and the need to rebuild our nation here at home. I know this historic moment comes at a time of great uncertainty for many Americans. We have now been through nearly a decade of war.  We have endured a long and painful recession. And sometimes in the midst of these storms, the future that we are trying to build for our nation - a future of lasting peace and long-term prosperity may seem beyond our reach.

An ongoing attempt by some Nigerians to raise money to restore the state of Zik's Statue has landed in controversy as an aide to Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has termed such moves a fraudulent enterprise. It will be recalled that some newspapers in Nigeria reported that "Ghanaians and Nigerians raise funds for Azikiwe’s statue". Below is the statement by the Governor's aide:

STOP USING ZIK’S NAME FOR FRAUD – OBI’S AIDE