President Goodluck Jonathan visited the crash site in Nigeria’s commercial hub and saw emergency services working amid the smouldering, ash-covered wreckage of the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 flown by privately owned domestic carrier Dana Air.

Jonathan ordered an investigation into how the plane crashed into the iron roof of an apartment block in the residential suburb of Agege. Search teams found what they believed to be the plane’s “black box” flight recorder, said an official.

“This particular incident is a major setback for us as a people … Investigations will have to be done thoroughly to ascertain what was the cause of the crash,” he told reporters.

Jonathan, who arrived in an armoured convoy with Lagos state governor Babatunde Fashola, got out and walked the last few metres (yards) on foot in his traditional Nigerian kaftan and skull cap to the crash site.

The airline said on Sunday 147 people had been killed but in a list published overnight there were also six crew members on board, taking the death total to 153. An unknown number of people may have been killed on the ground.

“They’re still busy recovering bodies. I believe some people were killed on the land as well as on the plane, though we don’t yet have a precise idea of numbers,” said Tunji Oketunbi, a spokesman for Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Bureau.

Oke Osanyintolu, head of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, told Reuters at the scene that 80 bodies had been pulled out by about 12:30 p.m. (1130 GMT).

A crane was helping to clear away some of the debris.

“This is really a horrific moment for us here and we sympathise and give condolences to all the victims and families,” said Fashola.

“(There are no) words to express our pain and grief. It is saddening, it is simply too much.”

A source at Dana, who asked not to be identified, said the plane was manufactured in 1983.

“ONLY A MATTER OF TIME”

Though large curious crowds were still gathering around the scene, they were more controlled than on Sunday when thousands thronged the streets, hampering emergency services.

“This is a crash site, it is an investigation site and we should keep our distance and allow the first responders to do their work,” Fashola told crowds.

Among the dead was the spokesman for the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Levi Ajuonuma, according to a passenger list released by the airline. Ajuonuma was also the only de facto spokesman for the oil minister in OPEC member Nigeria, Africa’s biggest crude producer.

Air crashes are not uncommon in Nigeria, Africa’s second biggest economy, which has had a poor airliner safety record.

“To be fair, the number of similar incidents has reduced in recent years,” said Samir Gadio, London-based analyst at Standard Bank, which has a big operation in Nigeria.

“However, it was only a matter of time before something tragic happened. Security is poor on domestic flights, some of the planes are from another age, maintenance is questionable.”

Residents who witnessed the crash were still in shock.

“The plane touched this tree here,” said Immanuel Shoyimi, a businessman, gesticulating towards a large mango tree in a nearby backyard.

“Then it entered into that compound. Boom! I watched for five minutes not knowing what to do. I wanted to call someone, but I didn’t know who to call.”

The roof of his house was also scraped by the plane, he said.

“The shock was too much. Before I knew it I heard two blasts from the plane.”

(Additional reporting by Tim Cocks and Chijioke Ohuocha in Lagos; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Ralph Gowling)

President Goodluck Jonathan has declared three days of national mourning and ordered an investigation into the cause of Sunday’s accident, in which a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 operated by privately owned domestic carrier Dana Air crashed into the iron roof of an apartment block in the Lagos’ suburb of Agege.

“This is really a horrific moment for us here and we sympathize and give condolences to all the victims and families. (There are no) words to express our pain and grief,” Lagos state governor Babatunde Fashola said at the crash site.

“It is saddening, it is simply too much.”

The airline said on Sunday 147 people had perished, but in a list published overnight, there were 6 crew members, taking the total to 153 killed.

“Seventy bodies have so far been evacuated from the wreckage, efforts are ongoing to remove the remaining bodies,” Oke Osanyintolu, head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for Lagos state, told Reuters on the scene.

A crane was helping clear away some of the debris.

Search and rescue teams found what they believed to be the plane’s black box flight recorder and handed it over to police, said Bankole Abayomi, director search and rescue for NEMA.

The cause of the crash is still unknown.

Though large curious crowds were still gathering around the scene, they were more controlled than on Sunday, when thousands thronged the streets, blocking access to the emergency services.

“This is a crash site, it is an investigation site and we should keep our distance and allow the first responders to do their work,” state governor Fashola said.

Among the dead was the spokesman for the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Levi Ajuonuma, according to a passenger list released by the airline. Ajuonuma was also the only de facto spokesman for the oil minister in OPEC member Nigeria, Africa’s biggest crude producer.

Air crashes are not uncommon in Nigeria, Africa’s second biggest economy, which has had a poor airliner safety record, although it has improved in the past few years.

Residents who witnessed the crash were still in shock.

“The plane touched this tree here,” said Immanuel Shoyimi, a businessman, gesticulating towards a large mango tree in a nearby backyard. “Then it entered into that compound. ‘boom!’. I watched for five minutes not knowing what to do. I wanted to call someone, but I didn’t know who to call.”

The roof of his house was also scraped by the plane on its descent, he said.

“The shock was too much. Before I knew it I heard two blasts from the plane. Then I saw the tail from my gate.”

(Writing and additional reporting by Tim Cocks; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Banks, schools and parts of the transport system in Africa’s
most populous nation were shut on Wednesday as workers began
what had been planned as a three-day strike to press for the
monthly minimum wage to more than double.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress
(TUC) want the monthly minimum wage increased to 18,000 naira
($120) from 7,500 naira, citing the rising cost of living.

Inflation has been in double-digit figures for at least two
years, driven mostly by food and transport prices.

Promise Adewusi, acting NLC president, said the government
had promised to fast track legislation to increase the minimum
wage and the industrial action would therefore be suspended.

“After due consideration (union leaders) resolved to suspend
the three-day warning strike, given the desired attention the
issue has drawn from various organs of government,” Adewusi told
a news conference.

“The two (unions) will reconvene in the first week of
December to take further action should government fail to submit
the bill to the national assembly for accelerated passage,” he
said, adding no figure below 18,000 naira would be acceptable.

President Goodluck Jonathan and a team of ministers held
last-minute talks with the unions late on Tuesday, promising to
“progressively work towards achieving realistic salaries and
wages for all Nigerian workers”.

Union leaders said after those talks they would need to meet
with their executive councils before deciding whether to suspend
the strike action.

The two unions represent members across most sectors of
sub-Saharan Africa’s second-biggest economy and prolonged
industrial action could bring parts of the country to a halt.

It would also be a headache for Jonathan’s administration as
it gears up for elections expected next April.

Roads in the main commercial city of Lagos and the capital
Abuja were quieter than usual as many workers stayed at home and
there were long queues at some petrol stations as motorists
stocked up on fuel in case the strike was prolonged.

Ministries and government offices in Abuja were closed and
state-owned buses were not operating in Lagos, although private
minibus drivers exploited the opportunity to demand higher fares
for those who did try to get to work.

“It’s very difficult, there is no vehicle on the road. In
place of 50 naira ($0.33) they are charging 100 naira for the
bus, and there is no place to get fuel,” said Okpara Adonis, 27,
a security guard who managed to get to his workplace.
(For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the
top issues, visit: af.reuters.com/ )
(Additional reporting by Felix Onuah in Abuja, Oludare Mayowa
in Lagos, Mike Oboh in Kano, Austin Ekeinde in Port Harcourt;
Writing by Nick Tattersall; editing by David Stamp)

If someone bumps into your car in the rush hour and you want to avoid the hassle of a
police report or even a fist fight, you would simply say: “No wahalah” — “No problem.”

“Wet ting you dey do?” means “What you have done?”

“I de go chop.” means “I will get something to eat.”

“Make una stop dey thiefing abeg.”  means “Stop stealing”

“Oga den dey chop money wello welloo!” means, “Our leaders are very corrupt!”

Pidgin English is the lingua franca for bargaining in markets, taxis and bars in most
parts of the country.

For those new to Nigeria, Pidgin will either leave you tickled or struggling to make
sense of what is being said.

Nigerian Pidgin mixes English with local languages like Ibo, Yoruba and Hausa. It’s
widely spoken across the country when compared to English, the country’s official
language.

Until now Pidgin has not been fully developed and new words come up every day which makes
it more interesting. Although popular, it is not formally recognized as a Nigerian
national language.

In Lagos, a radio presenter known as Yaw is working to promote Pidgin through his new
morning drive show that is attracting quite a following.

The growth of Pidgin is said to be linked to urbanization in big cities. Pidgin was
formed in the 1900s when Nigeria was under British rule and English was introduced as the
common language among more than 500 others spoken here. 

In the past, Pidgin was regarded as an uneducated dialect but many now see it as an
increasingly important means of communication.