LaNUBlog™

Who Is Goodluck Jonathan? Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan ,  GCFR ,  BNER ,  GCON  (born 20 November 1957) is a  Nigerian  politician who has been  President of Nigeria since 2010. Prior to his role as President, he served as  Governor of Bayelsa State  from 2005 to 2007 and as  Vice-President of Nigeria  from 2007 to 2010. Jonathan is a member of the ruling  People's Democratic Party  (PDP). Early and personal life Jonathan was born in what is now  Bayelsa State  to a family of canoe makers. Jonathan holds a  B.Sc . degree in  Zoology  in which he attained Second Class Honours . He holds an  M.Sc.  degree in  Hydrobiology  and Fisheries   biology , and a  PhD  degree in Zoology from the  University of Port Harcourt . Before he entered politics in 1998, he worked as an education inspector, lecturer, and environmental-protection officer.

Founder recognises former First Lady’s philanthropy. In recognition of her philanthropic endeavors, a university in Niger Republic has been named after the former First Lady of Nigeria, Maryam Abacha. According to a statement by the founder of the university, Adamu Gwarzo, the decision to name the university after Mrs. Abacha was reached after due consideration of her efforts to develop the African continent. “Her name stood out amongst the sea of names up for nomination because she has been a mother of humanity who has served her nation and the African continent as a whole with passion to develop the human race and civilisation,” the statement said.

A vast, arid state on the edge of the Sahara desert, Niger endured austere military rule for much of its post-independence history and is rated by the UN as one of the world's least-developed nations. The drought-prone country sometimes struggles to feed its people. Its main export, uranium, is prone to price fluctuations and agriculture is threatened by the encroaching desert. Niger is bargaining on oil exploration and gold mining to boost its fortunes. Historically a gateway between North and sub-Saharan Africa, Niger came under French rule in the late 1890s. At a glance *.Politics: President Tandja changed the constitution to stay in power, but was ousted in a coup in 2010. Polls to restore civilian rule were held in January 2011 *.Security: Tuareg nomads seeking greater autonomy for the north have been waging a low-level war. Fears of Al Qaeda activity have been heightened by the kidnapping of foreigners *.Economy: Niger is a leading producer of uranium, and is rich in...