West+Africa

=**Nigeria Is Beninning River Dredge.​toc**= Nigeria is going to begin a project to dredge the River Niger. This change will make it so that boats can come through the Atlantic Ocean. By doing this the boats can carry the goods to the remote villages. The main plan is to remove all of the silt that the river has accumulated over the years. When this project is complete the people will have year round navigation available to them. It will also be safer and cheeper once the project is complete. [|BBC NEWS: Nigeria Begins Vast River Dredge]

By Ashley Farr



=Population Data of West Africa= (sq MI) || Population Density (per sq MI) ||
 * || Country || Population || Land Area
 * 1 || Senegal || 11,658,170 || 75,955 || 150 ||
 * 2 || Guinea Bissau || 1,611,000 || 14,000 || 70 ||
 * 3 || Guinea || 9,402,098 || 94,926 || 98 ||
 * 4 || Sierra Leone || 5,696,000 || 27,699 || 205.6 ||
 * 5 || Liberia || 3,283,267 || 43,000 || 75 ||
 * 6 || Cote D'ivore || 21,075,000 || 124,502 || 196.3 ||
 * 7 || Burkina Faso || 15,757,000 || 105,792 || 148.9 ||
 * 8 || Ghana || 23,837,000 || 92,098 || 258.8 ||
 * 9 || Togo || 6,619,000 || 21,925 || 301.9 ||
 * 10 || Benin || 7,868,000 || 43,484 || 180 ||
 * 11 || Nigeria || 131,529,700 || 356,669 || 370 ||
 * 12 || The Gambia || 1,705,000 || 4,007 || 425.5 ||

= = =Map of West Africa=



=Children in Recruitment= Thirty girls in Gambia were chosen to be in a three day exercise to one day become ambassadors. The coordinator chose girls so that their self-esteem would be higher in taking more authority and power. They are also going to look at this group, as a group that needs extra protection so they do not die from war, disease, enviromental dangers, and abuse. They will educate the children with ways to help the community.[|All Africia]

=Regional Bloc Commends Nigeria's amnesity for rebels= Lagos, Nigeria has granted amnesty to the thousands of Niger Delta Rebels to drop their weapons. It is officially called the "Amnesry Programme' of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The government asked them to "reject the path of violence." So far this has been very successful. This group of men were attacking oil facilities for the past three years. They were making the oil prices sky-rocket, because they stopped oil the production by one third. The government is now going to help these rebels put thier energy twards something much more productive. In return the rebels have been asked to talk and reconsiliate their issues, and not use violence.[|AFP]