There is a ‘secret-cult’ silence on the issue of abuse of the elderly in Nigeria, argues the author of this paper. The victims of abuse and others are reluctant to talk about it, and there is constant denial by victims and abusers. Acts of abuse are usually regarded as normal behaviour within society. What can ordinary Nigerians, the government, families and communities do to assist the abused and abusers in prevention and intervention strategies that will benefit the elderly in Nigeria?

Kano State government has said it would make the teaching of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) mandatory at all levels of education and that it had commenced the training of teachers on its use, as well as upgrading libraries to digital ones.

Nigeria's president Yar'Adua has appealed for the repealing of laws that protect politicians from prosecution whiles in office. His appeal came while marking this year's international anti-corruption day. He also launched a new campaign to encourage Nigerians to report corrupt practices.

With a complex range of ethnic, religious and linguistic groups competing for access to resources, outbreaks of violence leading to significant situations of short-term internal displacement are frequent in Nigeria. Many internally displaced people (IDPs) seek refuge with family and friends while waiting for the violence to subside so they can return to their homes.

Nigeria's Supreme Court has rejected the final challenge to last year's election of President Umaru Yar'Adua. Opposition leaders had asked the court to annul the election, saying there had had been violence and fraud.

In recent years, Nigeria has become an importer of almost everything under the sun and exporter of almost nothing (except oil and gas). This has resulted in very sharp unfavourable balance of trade with many countries.
That explains why Nigeria has become what the Ministry of Commerce and Industries described as "dumping ground" for stronger economies in the world: Automobiles, furniture, leather, canned food, drinks, and even refined petroleum products.

The Federal Government has reiterated its resolve to ensure the availability of basic infrastructure facilities for the proposed Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos. A statement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry yesterday revealed that Subervising Minister of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Idi Hong, gave the assurances on behalf when a team from the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) visited him in Abuja.

The Nigerian government should investigate and prosecute those responsible for killing up to 400 people during several recent days of violence in the city of Jos, Human Rights Watch has said. The federal government should immediately establish an independent inquiry to find out who sponsored and carried out the killings, including any members of the security forces who appear to have responded to violence with disproportionate use of forc

Nigeria's leading anti-corruption campaigner has in recent weeks been subject to an escalating campaign of harassment, threats, and an apparent attempt on his life, Human Rights Watch has said. Human Rights Watch called on the Nigerian government to protect the campaigner, Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Nigerian medical authorities are flying in 100 doses of an antidote to try and stem the deaths of babies poisoned by a contaminated teething syrup. The number of children who have died from kidney failure after being given the tainted paracetamol-based remedy called "My Pikin" has risen to 34.

US district court jury acquitted San Ramon-based Chevron Corporation of complicity in human rights abuses. The case of Bowoto v. Chevron, which pitted Chevron and its relationship with the notoriously violent Nigerian police and military against Nigerians who peacefully protested the destruction of their environment and livelihood by Chevron’s oil production activities. Despite the verdict, corporate accountability advocates vowed to continue the struggle to bring Chevron and other corporations to justice for human rights violations they commit overseas.

Umaru Yar Adua, the Nigerian president, has announced a list of ministerial nominees including a former Opec chief, almost three weeks after sacking half the cabinet. Yar Adua on Tuesday sent the list of 13 nominees to the senate for approval, in order to complete the cabinet reshuffle.

There is a ‘secret-cult’ silence on the issue of abuse of the elderly in Nigeria, argues the author of this paper. The victims of abuse and others are reluctant to talk about it, and there is constant denial by victims and abusers. Acts of abuse are usually regarded as normal behaviour within society. What can ordinary Nigerians, the government, families and communities do to assist the abused and abusers in prevention and intervention strategies that will benefit the elderly in Nigeria?

All paracetamol-based drugs prescribed in Nigeria are being tested after the deaths of 29 children, who had taken contaminated medicine, officials say. The children died after drinking a baby teething mixture contaminated with diethylene glycol, a toxic substance normally used in engine coolant.

While Chevron is defending themselves in US court for aiding and abetting the Nigerian military to shoot and kill unarmed protesters in Nigeria in May of 1998 they continue to do the same thing as recently as last week according to the Vanguard a large Nigerian Newspaper. The following excerpt is from Friday November 21, 2008: “In Warri, a woman and a young boy were shot, yesterday, by men of the Joint Task Force on the Niger Delta at Escravos in Delta State following a peaceful protest by Ugborodo youths against the Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) over job slots and contracts.

After spirited closing arguments yesterday by both attorneys for the plaintiffs and the defendants in the case of Bowoto v Chevron being tried in San Francisco, the 9-member jury for the Northern California District Court began deliberations late in the day. As of Wednesday afternoon at 1pm (when court closed for the holiday weekend) a verdict is still to be determined.

Nigeria and Angola will be the highest earning oil-producing countries in a pack of 10 within the sub-saharan African region between 2006 and 2030, says the International Energy Agency (IEA). In a report entitled “World Energy Outlook 2008”, presented at the Center for Strategic Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. by the organisation's Chief Economist, Dr Faith Birol, Nigeria and Angola will account for 86 per cent of the $4.1 trillion cumulative revenues of all 10 countries over 2006-2030.

With the media perplexing lives of gay people in Nigeria, the government there plans to clamp down on them. This comes after Nigeria’s State and Federal governments announced to arrest all homosexuals and to ‘bring to book’ Rev Jide Macaulay of House of Rainbow Metropolitan Community. Macaulay’s church was closed two months ago after the media in that country claimed it was an exclusively homosexuals church.

A top army major and five other ranks have been sentenced to life imprisonment for stealing and selling arms to The Emancipation of Niger-Delta Militant Group (MEND). A military tribunal in Nigeria heard that their operation took place between the periods of January 1st 2000 to December 2006.

On Monday Chevron will present its final day of testimony and evidence. Closing arguments will be given on Tuesday, November 25 and jury deliberations will begin on Wednesday, November 26, the day before Thanksgiving. It’s unknown how long the jury will deliberate, but this landmark case could hear a verdict very soon.