Civil society groups in the Niger Delta region have warned that the government is destroying communities’ health and Nigeria’s environment by flouting laws against gas flaring, a technique used in oil production. For decades gas flaring has been used to separate crude oil from the associated gases that are extracted with it, but Nigeria flares more gas today than any nation in the world after Russia, even though it is only the world’s eighth largest oil producer.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has urged its member unions worldwide to express their solidarity with the journalists locked out by The Guardian management in Nigeria. The 800 journalists and other workers took strike action on November 6 after negotiation with The Guardian management over a pay rise and better working conditions broke down. The Guardian online and print editions have not been published since.

This latest International Crisis Group report examines steps needed to address the conflict’s root causes and stop the region from slipping back into chaos. The May inauguration of new federal and state governments and the truce declared shortly after by armed groups created an opportunity, but attacks on oil installations by militants and kidnappings by criminals are again on the rise.

The absence of principal witnesses has again stalled the trial of 18 suspected homosexuals in Bauchi. The suspects had earlier appeared before a Bauchi Shari'ah Court for sodomy and attempted gay marriage on July 26. They were later charged with belonging to an illegal society, indecent act, criminal conspiracy and idleness. They were initially refused bail, but subsequently granted bail after the charges of sodomy and attempted gay marriage were replaced with the fresh charges.

Nigeria has revoked its last contract with Siemens and suspended dealings with the industrial group pending a probe into allegations it gave 10 million euros ($14.6 million) in bribes, the government said. A German court fined Siemens 201 million euros on 4 October for bribes paid to Nigerian, Russian and Libyan officials by a former manager of one of the group's telecoms equipment units.

Abiodun Titi, several months pregnant, flashes her best stage smile as she explains how to use a female condom here in the headquarters of Living Hope Care, a non-governmental organization that works with HIV-positive people in southern Nigeria. Abiodun is HIV-positive but her husband is HIV-negative. The child they are having together—their second—was made possible without exposing her husband to infection. How? It is thanks to the female condoms she received here and whose use she is now demonstrating.

Twelve years ago, over the protests of human rights groups worldwide, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni minority and environmental rights activists in Nigeria's oil-rich Delta region were murdered by the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha. This year, the anniversary of their death was marked with a performance of "Tings Dey Happen", a one-man theatrical tour de force that takes a critical look at "oil politics" in Nigeria today, written and performed by the young U.S. playwright Dan Hoyle.

The Nigerian government is investigating allegations that German telecoms and industrial conglomerate Siemens paid bribes to Nigerian officials in order to secure lucrative contracts for telecommunications equipment in the African country. Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua has ordered an investigation and has said that the government will not cover up for anyone found guilty of violating the law.

The Commonwealth Games Federation, a multinational sporting event in which some 5,000 athletes from 53 former British colonies, the United Kingdom and Mozambique compete every four years, has chosen Glasgow, Scotland, as the host city for the 2014 games. Nigeria’s Abuja had been considered a strong contender to host the event, but the country’s homophobic policies coupled with questions raised by the African nation’s gay activists about ongoing persecution of gay and lesbian Nigerians seem to have derailed the city’s bid.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the move by management at the Guardian newspaper to end a 12-day strike by shutting down the newspaper and dismissing all its employees. The journalists and the other workers at the paper have been on strike since November 8 after negotiations with managers over a pay raise and better working conditions stalled. The Guardian online and print editions have not been published since then.

The head of the United Nations anti-crime agency today praised the efforts of Nigeria to bring about what he called a “climate change” in attitudes and actions about corruption in a country that has long suffered from the ruinous effects of the practice. Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) welcomed a series of recent initiatives by Nigerian authorities to combat corruption, but urged them to do more to crack down, particularly on cyber-crime.

On behalf of the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE), the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) is privileged to announce the 2nd General Assembly and Conference of ACDE, which is to take place in Lagos, Nigeria from the 8th to 11th July 2008. Abstracts of not more than 300 words (in English or French) may be submitted by using the forms provided on the conference website. The latest date for submission of abstracts is December 10 2007. Abstracts will be reviewed by a panel of experts and notification of acceptance will be sent by February 7 2008.

One of Nigeria’s most famous authors, Cyprian Ekwensi has passed away after an undisclosed ailment. Cyprian Ekwensi was aged 84 years and has been a doyen of the Nigerian literature scene for over 50 years.

As America and Europe diversify oil and gas supplies away from the volatile Persian Gulf, West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea is set to become its counterweight: “The Next Gulf”. This book is written by Andy Rowell, James Marriott & Lorne Stockman and published by Constable.

Reporters Without Borders is outraged by the way governor Ali Modu Sheriff of the northern state of Borno has hounded journalists for the past 10 days. After criticising his lavish spending, James Garuba of the Tribune, Michael Olabode of This day, another privately-owned daily, and several other reporters were arrested twice last week by the State Security Service, the main domestic intelligence agency, and then placed under its daily control.

It is one of the greatest misfortunes that can befall a woman at any point in her life - to loose her husband. No matter the length of time she spent with him in matrimony, the grief and sorrow she experiences cannot be quantified.

Nigeria's House of Representatives adjourned for another week on Tuesday as warring sides in the ruling party prolonged a crisis over alleged corruption. Nigeria's lower chamber has been paralysed for weeks since Speaker Patricia Etteh, a former beautician, was found by a House panel to have broken rules in awarding contracts worth $5-million to renovate two official houses and buy 10 cars.

Nigeria's Supreme Court removed Celestine Omehia as governor of Nigeria's richest oil state on Thursday in the fourth major legal indictment of polls in April. The elections were meant to mark a democratic milestone for Africa's most populous country, but were so marred by fraud and violence that outside observers said they were "not credible".

Global Human Rights Leadership Training Institute, GHRLTI 2007 APPLICATION FORM DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSE Certificate Course in “Human Rights Leadership Development and Training”. 1st November – December 10th, 2007.

Human Rights Watch has named four members of Nigeria's ruling party who it said should face criminal investigation over their role in sponsoring armed thugs to rig elections. Nigeria held elections in April but political violence and vote-rigging were so widespread that international observers described them as "not credible".