Patty Mcwizu stood before her long mirror and stared at her reflection . She touched her face and winced at the pain. The blood patches on her face had not cleared despite everything she did. She smiled bitterly . It had been twelve years and she was still being battered. Such a long time for her to remain childless.

NIGERIA is said to have a total network of about 200,000 kilometres of roads out of which about 34,000 kilometres representing 17 per cent belong to the Federal Government. Similarly, an estimated 80 percent of all movement of goods, persons and services in this country is still being done by road.

A LAGOS based civil engineer, Afolabi Adedeji gave other reasons for the deterioration of the Expressway and why it is always flooded even at the slightest rain.

NIGERIA is said to have a total network of about 200,000 kilometres of roads out of which about 34,000 kilometres representing 17 per cent belong to the Federal Government. Similarly, an estimated 80 percent of all movement of goods, persons and services in this country is still being done by road.

After a delicious meal of pounded yam and egusi soup, Chief Okeke belched heavily, leaning back on the couch. He felt a sudden movement in his stomach and sat up , projecting his buttocks outwards and farting loudly. It was a smelly one and Adanma, his 13-year-old house-help hailed him. It was a standing rule in the house to hail chief whenever he polluted.

THE excitement was palpable, Saturday July 23, 2011 at the Banquet Hall of the Grand Hotel, Asaba Delta State on the occasion of this year’s draws of the Fertility Treatment Support Foundation, FTSF, initiative.

THE tide of deaths of infants and young children from an outbreak of lead poisoning in Zamfara State, in North West Nigeria did not come like a thief in the night. The stage had been set for the tragic incident several years earlier.

Sister Sade’s sonorous voice rang through the large church auditorium. It was as is the heavens wanted to come down. The entire congregation seemed to be held spell-bound by her voice. She seemed to be caressing the wordings of the song, her posture and gesticulations adding colour and panache to the special number she was rendering. Heavens came down

THE defunct Federal Office of Statistics, FOS, which is the apex data producing agency in Nigeria since 1947, is believed to have failed to meet its mandate of producing adequate, accurate and timely data needed for decision making.

DR. Danjuma Almustafa is a UNICEF Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist in this interview, he regrets that the near absence of data keeping culture in Nigeria, is hindering the general development of the country.