I'll advise you went for Mech. Engineering. Don't be too focused on the salary. You can earn any amount of money irrespective of what you do, provided you are good at it.

The Petroleum industry is a mature industry that will soon peak and start declining. With Mech. Engineering, you can help solve some of the greatest challenges the world faces today (climate change, energy access, industrialization etc) while making money doing so.

Good luck.

kowasco:
pls which is the best pls I need your comments I don't know the one to choose cuz am writing jamb next year any time I tell someone this one will say choose mech anoda will say it petroleum pls tell me in terms of employment and salary thanx

elopee3000:
this ur novel sweet ooh all this sermon u wrote just for u not to blame saint buhari abi? Continue, anyways during the election u people said buhari can even have nepa bill as his certificate that you people dont care so enjoy buharia the gworo president

Lol. This is not just about Buhari's govt (though he must be blamed for being rather clueless as to how to solve the problem). GEJ's government cannot be said to have proactively approached these issues either, when oil prices were higher.

Nigerians don't seem to understand how bad things could get. Oil is an international commodity and refined products trade at a premium relative to crude oil. Years of subsidies have not only distorted the price of refined products but also killed productive enterprise by fueling wanton and unnecessary consumption not backed by an increase in productivity. The government is now too broke to regulate the price of PMS, diesel and kerosene. The markets will determine the price. If the government intervenes, there will be scarcity.

The good news is that a market-reflective price of petroleum products would make renewables (like solar PV) more competitive in Nigeria. With diesel at N200/litre, solar pays back in 6 to 7 years. And this excludes the health effects and noise pollution caused by burning diesel and PMS in generators. Think of all the future health liabilities like cancers that will result from these.

The government should let the markets determine the price of petroleum products and allow cost-reflective pricing of electricity. Without these, there will be little to no investments in power despite the best efforts of Fashola. Subsidies only work if they can be afforded. Nigeria today is broke and with oil probably going to stay low forever (yes, oil demand will start declining in about 15 years time as rich countries transition to alternative energy sources), this is the time to start building productive enterprises, encouraging entrepreneurs and investing heavily in infrastructure. Population control might also be necessary as the annual 3.3% population growth rate has already become an unsustainable time bomb. No country in the history of the world ever got rich while people procreated without restraint. In Europe, they managed this by shipping excess people to North and South America.

Grid electricity prices at N20-N35 ($0.05-$0.075) per kWh are a sham. These barely cover the cost of generation. No country in the world with round the clock electricity charges such low prices (except in the oil-rich Middle East) given that there are transmission and distribution costs still have to be factored in. What it means is that electricity in Nigeria is subsidized, which is why there is no electricity in the first place as no one would invest--yet we are willing to pay N70/kWh to run diesel and petrol generators! Dangote only opted to build his ongoing mega refinery when government assured him that the refined products market would be deregulated. When completed, his refinery would have a significant impact on the country. The same can be done for power. Deregulate and investors will come.

Development is not rocket science. It is the outcome of sound and progressive policies. We know the problems, we are so unwilling to tackle them head on.

Good question. In most so-called advanced countries, all residents MUST declare their assets when filing annual tax returns. The reason these societies function well is that government keeps a tab on everyone, ensuring the wealthy pay their fair share into the common purse.

Asset declaration is not an infringement of one's human rights but a requirement of a modern, functioning society where basic resources ought to be allocated for the benefit of all.

thesicilian:
Is it even legal for a worker in the private sector, who is not under any investigation for any crime, to be ordered to declare his or her assets? Doesn't this impinge on our right to privacy?
While the anti corruption drive by the federal government is a good thing, it is expedient that it be done under the limits of the law.
I expect the human rights lawyers to challenge this directive.

Wrong information you have given. The pope flies Alitalia whenever he leaves the Vatican by air. He has to request an airplane from the airline. The plane does not belong to the Catholic Church neither is it reserved for him at all times. When he visits a country, he flies the local airline in a plane that's made available for him and his entourage. When John Paul II was in Nigeria in 1998, I believe he flew the now defunct ADC for internal trips.

birdman:


I beg to disagree. The pope can request that plane anytime he wants. It is reserved for him. In essence, the state itself has bought a jet for the pope.

Now compare that with a pastor preaching a sermon in one city on saturday night, and another sermon in another time zone the next morning. Obviously driving is not feasible. Neither can you carry all your staff for 4-5 hour wait at the airport every weekend, assuming you can even find a flight when you want. Have you ever flown a 12 hour flight before? What evangelist is going to try a world missions trip lasting a 3 months flying every two to three days. Even Reinhard Bonnke, on moving to the US, needed a private jet. God so kind, he found a preacher that gave it to him for free!

Are there carnal christians and pastors that lust after jets because it is a status symbol? Yeah. But there are also carnal christians, like you, who think all there is to a plane is the status symbol. The plane is a tool. Its very effective for Ceos, vps , presidents because they can get from point a to point b quickly. . And it is a very effective tool for moving significant ministry resources from point a to point b at a moments notice

Folks, get one thing straight--unfortunately, suicide bombings have become a part of life in NE Nigeria and this may be the case for a long time to come. Where Jonathan failed was in allowing an evil sect--Boko Haram--to occupy large swathes of Nigerian territory for months on end. The new government must ensure this never happens again. The new government, however, CANNOT stop suicide bombings as they are driven by an ideology similar to the Islamic State in Iraq, Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan and Al-Shabab in Somalia.

Suicide bombings could however be reduced by banning sharia law in Northern Nigeria. The people who instigate these bombings believe in a flawed version of Islam and that they are on a mandate to establish God's kingdom or Caliphate in Northern Nigeria. Sharia gives them the false hope that such Caliphate is already in the making. Banning Sharia and fully secularizing Northern Nigeria would go a long way in dashing the hopes of these bigots.

Buhair MUST be bold to address the Sharia issue. It is undoubtedly linked to what is going on in the NE of Nigeria today. Let's not pretend otherwise.

Scientifically impossible. Even the gods in the heavens cannot make this happen. Water is comprised of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Petrol and diesel are made up of polymeric chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Miraculously converting water to diesel or petrol would require a violation of the first law of thermodynamics.

The Bible story of Jesus turning water into wine is an allegory. Those who see it as a literal story....well, good luck. No one can turn water into wine without a fermented grape concentrate at hand.

We need to wean some of our Northern brother and sisters off fundamentalism, especially the uneducated ones. Our salvation is within ourselves. We do not need Arab prophets or Jewish messiahs to save us. Wake up Africans! Some destroying things in the name of foreigners that lived thousands of years ago. Would an Arab or a Jew destroy property in the name of an African prophet. Wake up!

Buhair will be president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the 29th of May. Anyone who has problems with him shaking hands should relocate to Afghanistan or Pakistan. In the 21st century, some people are still uncomfortable with a man shaking a woman. Isn't a woman a human being. Weren't you born by a woman? What makes it wrong for a man to shake a woman or vice versa. And before anyone starts quoting some 'Holy Book' written eons ago, all I will say is: Africans, get your act together and let the Arabs do things the way they want. We are first and foremost humans, then Nigerians, then Muslims or Christians. Our common humanity is more important than whatever religion we choose to profess.

Buhari should make it a point of duty to shake women everyday. In some cultures, he would actually peck them on the cheeks

F22RAPTOR:

forget that thing, nothing like that will happen.

Unfortunately, I wish I could say the same. But, there will be a mini civil war if this news were to be true. Trust me. It's the straw that will break the camel's back. Not just that, but confidence in the economy will tumble and we, as a people, will the all the more poorer.

Removing Jega from office before the elections are conducted and finalised will result in civil war. Mark my words!

Faibuhari:
I thought this man has only 1million naira and how much has APC raised for their campaingn and who are the sponsors

People donated money. Some people I know donated significant amounts--up to what is permitted by the electoral law.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be independent of the Executive and Legislative arms of government. It should decide when and how elections are held, in line with stipulations in the constitution. The Executive should NOT HAVE the power to postpone a date set by INEC, for this would call into question INEC's independence and credibility. Any lawyers in the house?. Please educate us.

India does not rank much ahead of Nigeria in terms of human development but, elections held there are relatively squeaky clean. Why? Simple. They have an independent electoral body that works hand in hand with the judiciary to ensure that neither the Executive nor Legislative arms of government gets involved in tinkering with anything around elections. Politicians, even the Prime Minister of India, would dread intervening or getting into conflict with their electoral body.

Any move to reschedule the forthcoming Nigerian elections would only spell doom. I strongly advise INEC to reject politicking from the Executive and political parties. INEC's credibility is at stake and they should do what is best for NIGERIA and not for any individual, political party or arm of government. What is best for NIGERIA is that elections are held as planned and the winners sworn in or take their seats in office as stipulated. Nothing more and nothing less. NIGERIA is already the laughing stock of the world. Enough is enough.

The fact that Buhari's certificate is even an issue in Nigeria is a shame on the nation's backwardness and engrained ethnic bigotry. For Pete's sake, why on God's earth should there be an issue with a missing certificate. Are there no agencies that can re-issue copies in such an event. Why do we have examination bodies. Why is Nigeria so backward?

If Buhari's certificate is missing, all INEC needs do is send representatives to WAEC to verify that they have Buhari's records (this should be done even if Buhari or whoever presents an original certificate). If WAEC cannot do this, then WAEC and the entire record-keeping organisations in Nigeria are failures. Big failures.

Many children born in Nigeria today do not exist as they have no Birth Certificates. Yet bigots come online to discuss someone's WAEC certificate. Nigeria does not keep records. Go to Europe and you will be amazed how records have been kept meticulously for at least 300 years. The Chinese have done it for over 1000 years. Why does it remain a problem in Nigeria.

Institutions exist to keep records. As a university graduate, were my certificate to get missing, all a vetting body needs do is contact my university through appropriate and trustworthy channels to verify that I have the qualifications I claim. Should the university not be able to answer this, then a shame it is.

Nigeria has to start keeping records. Everyone should have a citizens number by which they can be identified. Information such as where they live, school, work, how much they earn, what they do etc need to be stored. Also what qualifications they possess. This is how advanced countries operate and that is why they are advanced not urban jungles like what we've got here. I am truly sick of the backwardness and bigotry I see.

victorazy:


Na GEJ dey bomb una?
No be Buhari boys?
No matter what u guys do, power won't return to North.

What a mornoic assessment. The same group that tried assassinating General Buhari. How on earth could he be in control of them. Boko Haram is like the Islamic State in Iraq. It is not controlled by politicians but is driven by a distorted Islamic ideology.

Without a shred of doubt, the North East is no longer an administrative part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It might be, on paper, but, in reality, the Federal Government has lost control. To prevent this from spreading further, Nigeria needs a leader who is able to hold the bull by the horn and defeat it. The current administration has proved otherwise. Four more years of the current administration would mean continuous carnage in the North East which could spread to other parts of the country. A few days back, Christian villages were decimated and their populations slaughtered. The Nigerian media was totally silent on this. Genocide is the word used to describe such. Who ever thought Nigeria would come to this.

Boko Haram might have started as a political movement but it is now out of control. It is driven by a distorted form of Islam (much like the Islamic State in Iraq). It is, in my view, the greatest threat to the Nigerian nation state today. It is not a Northern Nigeria problem.

mynairatime:
you should understand that Nigeria GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is 536 billion dollars & around 60% of it came from southwest. More than 80% of coperate institution(plc) have their headquarters in Southwest. The fastest mean of importation & exportation in nigerin is in southwest (apapa seaport) the most educated region in nigeria is southwest.well recognised universities internationally concentrated to southwest. southwest (ondo & lagos also have crude anyway we dont need it because crude oil is like water in international market. The most respected academic personality wole is from southwest let me stop here because i dont think u can understand this little

I am not from the Southwest but admire the Yorubas for their forward looking and progressive attitude. They also hold the key to the future of the entity called Nigeria.

Boko Haram has become a menace and if Mr. Goodluck Jonathan is unable to solve it, he should resign. He is, for goodness sake, the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not the Mayor of Aso Rock. His government is not only clueless on how to deal with this issue but absolutely lacking in strategy. It is not enough to blame some Northern politicians or the President of Chad for sponsoring Boko Haram. You are the boss--go after the sponsors, bring them to justice and deal with them. If you are unable to do so, then you simply do not possess the qualities to be President of the Republic. We need to see charismatic and rational-legal authority on display but all we get is numbness, cluelessness and repeated meaningless rhetorics about dealing with Boko Haram. Deal with them now or vacate Aso Rock for someone who can, and I couldn't care less whether that person was from the Southwest, Southeast, Northeast or wherever.

aguiyi:


Shame on you for not seeing the smoke screen.

How many northerners condemned Buhari whose comments brought about the death of many after which boko haram grew wild.

How many have condemned the ones he is making presently. Stop been stupid pls

We should be careful how we use the terms "northerners" and "southerners". Let's not get carried away by emotions. Several "northerner's" I know (particularly those adhering to the Christian religion), including in my immediate family voted for GEJ in the last election. They saw him as a better choice than other candidates. I do not know what their views might be today though.

SamIkenna:


Some of your assertions are debatable but I can attest that you're made a great deal of sense.

Sorry your home town, Gwoza, is catching hell. Its people like you who understand the enormity of damage done to the psyche of core northerners through daily indoctrination of intolerant ideologies and exclusive religious laws such as Sharia that should be the new face of the north.

Nigeria is an orphan. Even within its own borders its still considered an orphan with no true kinship or genuine love. Therefore, it should be no shock to folks that when stuff goes wrong for any region there's usually no one willing to stand in the gap. This quandary is where we are now. I'm afraid the north is going to be alone in violence for a long time. Even today I still haven't found out why northern elders and opinion leaders supported Sharia implementation. What were they thinking? Every seed needs some time to germinate, Boko haram today is the fruit of that seed devilishly planted by people who wanted to play God.

My wish is for the north to learn from this experience in the end. Creating a monster that only feeds on your enemy's children doesn't completely entail that the creator's children are safe. When that monster eats the last of the enemy's child, guess who its going for...This is what's happening to the north. For ages they terrorized us with their crazy and evil traps. Today, the south is more or less a different country far removed from northern troubles, but the north? Boiling in its own juice of hate.

Sad but true. The South is a different country and I will urge all those who inhabit its shores not to tolerate an iota of extreme Islamic ideology. Unfortunately, Nigeria is governed as a unified entity not as a Northern country and Southern country and it really needs someone strong at the center to hold this British creation together. Heaven knows, if Northern Nigeria were a different country I would have emigrated out of it long ago, especially given where I come from. I detest the religious extremism that has always been a part of it. Why can't the North just be a bit more liberal and accommodating of other views. Why must it, and particularly the Hausa-Fulani part, stick to Arabic ideals and views. Gosh, I am really tired. I probably should be born in a Northern Nigeria of 2150, or whatever it will be known as by then.

Nigeria, as we know it, is at a precipice. The federal structure, in which power is concentrated at the center is not working. For it to work, you need a strong leader who is able to hold the pieces together. Obasanjo, whatever you think of him, was the last strong leader. Given that Nigeria hasn't got strong institutions, the persona behind the presidency matters. If he or she is seen as weak, it only gives a field day to groups like Boko Haram, with their distorted ideology, to pillage, rampage and murder.

Inasmuch as Mr. Jonathan (GEJ) has good intentions for Nigeria, he comes across as weak. And in a country where the man or woman at the center needs to be strong--or at least perceived to be--this is a significant problem. I fear that we might be seeing the beginning of the end of the federal structure of Nigeria, as we know it. Nigeria might not split eventually, but it might end up as units of federations--not a bad thing per se, but the cost of achieving such is just too great.

The people in the North East are pawns in a game of barbarous chess financed by lunatic ideologues and political diehards. Extreme Islamic terrorism has come to Nigeria and what is going on in the North East is not too different from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant's activities in Northern Iraq. The introduction of Sharia might have played a role in the rise of Boko Haram, but that's a story for another day.

Nigeria needs a strong leader. GEJ would likely get re-elected (that is, if he is not assassinated--and I fear this might come to be) but he would end up leaving behind a Nigeria that is fragmented and over-run by Islamic militants. He is too weak, too clueless and surrounded by bunch of bigots who are primarily interested in amassing wealth for themselves and their families. It can only get worse, believe me. Large swathes of the North East are, in principle, no longer part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. My home town of Gwoza now belongs to Boko Haram. A business I was growing there for the past five years is now lost.

Northern leaders should hold their heads in shame. They chose to spoon feed their populace on a diet of religion rather than education. Time to get rid of Sharia and start governing our societies using our brains. A long battle it would be. Politicians are fighting to lay a claim to 2015. What's the point? Hundreds and possibly thousands more will die before the elections. It is at times like this that one craves for military rule. Really. Not all parts of Nigeria were ready for democracy. The South West was (it has always been liberal and more enlightened). The North? Maybe the slightly liberal Christian parts of it but certainly not the Sharia infested Islamic parts.

My heart bleeds. I knew Chimda Hedima. We went to the same secondary school. I remember him as being cool and quiet. May he rest in peace. Which way Nigeria? How has it come to this?

I am currently following an 8 week technology course on Edx. So far, I have completed the fourth week. I never believed I could be steadfast, having a full time job and family to look after. But, so far, it's been working out.

I would advise Nigerian undergraduates to take advantage of the wealth of materials on Edx. I finished university 15 years ago when the internet was barely known in Nigeria.

Knowledge is power and such power brings economic success.

I don't really get the point of religious pilgrimage in Mecca or Jerusalem. If this God is present in Mecca or Jerusalem, he or she must also be present in Kano and Owerri. Why can't we attract the Arabs and Jews to come to pilgrimage in our own land. Why do we have to go to theirs.

A friend once described the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) as the greatest economist who ever lived. When Saudi Arabia runs out of oil, they might just sustain their economy through religious-imposed tourism.

Good move. Even though I am of the view that all these prosperity pastors are nothing but con-men, I must commend this TB Joshua guy for seeing the logic of prevention rather than the blindness of faith in dealing with the Ebola virus issue.

For those who love large-scale gatherings e.g. church camps or conventions, I will advise you avoid these for the time being. Even if your faith were the size of the universe, Ebola can infect you if you come across across an infected person and there's an exchange of body fluids. The best way to avoid an epidemic is to maintain good hygiene and avoid large congregations where there is a high chance of body contact.

I rate the possibility of an epidemic in Lagos as low, given that the Lagos State government has been immensely pro-active in arresting the situation. Nonetheless, we could see at least up to 10 cases from those who had first-hand contact with Mr. Sawyer, the deceased Liberian professional, who unfortunately passed away in Lagos. Anything beyond this will be truly scary.

Lagos is a city, chaotic it may be. It is ruled by intelligent people and largely inhabited by people who will do what it takes to survive Ebola, even if it means discarding of cultural or religious norms. I hope the city pulls through this. It simply cannot afford an Ebola epidemic.

These foolish so called Pastors should be taken to court by the health authorities for such outlandishly blatantly false statements. If anything, they should be encouraging people to practice good hygiene and doing all it takes to avoid getting infected by the Ebola virus. Rather, they are selling false miraculous cures that do not exist. Con-men, that is what they are. The sad part of all this is that hundreds of thousands of people will believe them.

Pastor Kumiyi is right. Christmas is idolatrous, but so are most other aspects of Christianity. The purported virgin birth, divinity of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion, resurrection. These are not unique to Christianity but abound in other ancient religions around the present day Middle East. Open your eyes Africans, there is nothing historical about Christianity--it, like all other religions, is allegorical. Jesus Christ may or may not have existed but outside the Bible he is not mentioned anywhere else except in the writing of the Roman historian Flavius Josephus who refers to a Christ.

December 22 is Winter Solstice when the sun fades into the azimuth in the Northern hemisphere and 'dies for three days'. It only begins to rise on December 25th. Coincidence that December 25 was fixed as the birth date of Jesus? Of course not. Jesus Christ, like most ancient deities, is likely a personification of the sun. Twelve months in a year, twelve apostles. Sun dies for three days and rises and so does Jesus Christ. There's a lot more. Only the intelligent and wise can understand the symbolism in Christianity. It's all myth and allegory. It is not historical. Wake up Africa. The Europeans who brought the religion to you no longer believe in it literally.

So, essentially, to the average African mind, making heaven is linked to which one of two Middle Eastern religions one follows. I hope our children will grow up to look beyond this madness. Christianity and Islam were spread not because they are the so-called truth but because they had the necessary political, military or guerrilla-warfare tactics to back their advance.

If you are looking for your salvation in a Jewish man, whom the Roman Catholic church has deified, then you will surely be disappointed on the last day. If your salvation is based on the book written by an Arab warrior (largely copied from other holy books around the Arab-Persian environ) then you are stuck in a world that has since vanished.

Your salvation lies within yourself. Be good, help your neighbour, respect people, learn to love, don't cheat, don't steal, don't tell lies. That's it. Dogmatic religions (Christianity, Islam etc) are a distraction. I hope the next generation of Africans will grow up to see this, otherwise they will be stuck behind the rest of a far advancing world. God doesn't give a damn about religion. It's man that does.