Category: Uncategorized

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

 

United Kingdom-based Aston University is offering between £3000 and £8,000 scholarship to foreign students for the 2020/2021 academic session.

The University’s Regional Manager for Africa, Babajide Ogundeji told The Nation that the institution was still accepting students for September.

He said with employability at the centre of the institution’s value to students, they could be assured of getting quality education experience.

Read Also: Lagos has hired 3,000 teachers in one year

 

“The university has a dedicated team working closely with UK and international employers and partner universities to source and promote placement opportunities to Aston students, and also organise employer events and recruitment fairs on campus to bring employers and students closer together.

‘’Students can take up paid placements of up to £15,000, giving them the opportunity to apply what they have learnt on their course in the real world whilst gaining valuable professional and paid experience.

In many master’s courses, students can take an extended work placement of up to 12 months with the Aston Global Advantage and choose to study abroad in Europe and beyond,” he said.

Our Reporter

 

A team of researchers from the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA has developed a positive pressure ventilator, a variant of mechanical ventilator.

Presenting the prototype to the university authority, the Dean, School of Engineering and Engineering Technology SEET, Prof. Aremu Akintunde said the present design falls within the non-invasive mechanical ventilator category.

He said noninvasive mechanical ventilators come with covers and can be used at health facilities and at home because of its versatility adding that the design is of the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) type which delivers constant and steady pressure.

The system runs on direct current and can be configured to be powered by solar energy thus it has no direct negative effect on the environment.

Another unique advantage of the device is its portability as it can be used in ambulances in the case of emergency and it can also be used in Primary Health Care facilities in the rural areas. It is also configured in a way to run on car battery which carries 12 volts.

Explaining how the device works, Akintunde said that compliance and resistance for periodical dispensation of tidal volume was calculated and accomplished by using intermittent inspiratory and expiratory pause since normal breathing consists of an average Tidal Volume (VT) of 5ml/kg.

He said the machine was designed to dispense VT between 5ml/kg and 10ml/kg and that the machine has two parts namely the mechanical part which does the pumping of the air (Oxygen) while the electronic part offers the control and sensor of the mechanism.

Read Also: Nigeria yet to receive Trump’s ventilators, says minister

 

Akintunde disclosed that the mechanical part was achieved through a control system while the electronic part was achieved through a sensor system using positive feedback loop. He said the control system also monitors the position and speed of the cam-and -pedal system that operates the pump, while the control allows the operator to regulate the required VT for the patient.

The team lead, Dr. Peter Ayodeji said that the principle of the machine was taken from the bellows used by the local blacksmiths.

He said that the machine was functional in enabling affected patients take in enough oxygen into their lungs adding that the machine was assembled using 85 per cent locally-sourced materials except for the motor and the sensor materials.

Ayodeji said it cost about N500, 000 to produce a set and when mass produced will definitely costs less. He appreciated the moral and financial support of the Vice Chancellor towards the successful completion of the prototype.

Praising the team for the effort, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Joseph Fuwape also lauded the institution’s various schools for bringing new ideas into every aspect of curbing the pandemic.

Coming after the development of a sanitizer dispensing system, Fuwape said the ventilator had taken FUTA’s contributions a notch higher.

Fuwape said the role of scientists was to bring solutions to the problems of the society and it was laudable that FUTA was contributing its own quota to this end.

He lauded the contribution of the Federal Medical Centre Owo, Ondo State for collaborating with the researchers at the onset of the project saying the University was ready to partner with relevant health agencies and institutions in respect of the unique ventilator.

Other members of the team are: Dr. Peter Ajayi, Dr. Kanisuru Adeyeri, Dr. Akinlolu Ponnle, Dr. Adebisi Akinola, Dr. Jide Popoola, Mr. Olaide Agbolade, Mr. Sola Oladiran, and Mr. Charles Udekwe.

Damola Kola-Dare

Vice-President, Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr Kayode Akosile has urged teachers to upgrade their skills and be technology-compliant so they can compete with their peers on the world stage.

In an interview, Akosile noted that it was imperative for teachers to be computer literate in line with 21st century best practices.

He added that provision of e-learning facilities should be made compulsory in all schools and underscored the need for data-free online learning that would motivate learners.

“This pandemic has opened the eyes of the populace to a lot of things. Every teacher in the country should be computer literate. E-learning facilities should also be made available in all schools. E-learning system should be affordable to all students by way of data-free online learning,” he said.

Akosile said teaching should not be an all-comers affair, lauding the efforts of the Teacher Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) to ensure the profession is rid of unqualified teachers.

“Teaching should be fully professionalised; it should not be a dumping ground for those who are not certified. The efforts of TRCN are really commendable.  Also, contemporary issues should be included in our syllabus with Science and Technology at the heart of learning. Our pupils should also be encouraged and motivated towards Science and Technology,” he noted.

Akosile urged the government to put up measures that would education accessible to all children in the country explaining that provision of necessary infrastructure and motivation of teachers remain crucial.

By Augustine Okezie, Katsina

Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina state has charged the pioneer management of the newly established Federal Polytechnic, Daura to work assiduously for the take off of the institution.

Masari who gave the charge on Wednesday when he received the new management of the institution led by the Senator representing Katsina North Senatorial District, Alhaji Ahmed Babba Kaita and the Rector, Associate Professor, Aliyu Mamman at Government House, Katsina also reminded them that as a new institution, they have a critical role to play in ensuring that qualitative education is given to the newly admitted students.

He directed the provision of temporary housing and structures as offices for easy take off of the polytechnic.

The Governor also directed that the VIP at Daura and structures owned by the local government should be made available as houses for the management of the polytechnic, and assured that TETFUND will be contacted to do the needful for the institution to take off relatively with ease.

Earlier, the senator representing Katsina North senatorial District Alhaji Ahmed Babba Kaita told Governor Masari that the new management staff has been presented with letters of appointment by the federal ministry of education.
He described the institution as a baby child of Governor Aminu Bello Masari, who has already granted certificate of occupancy to the polytechnic.

Also speaking, the Rector of the institution, Associate Professor Aliyu Mamman told Governor Aminu Masari that they were at government house to formally introduce themselves as the new management of the institution.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor and Senator Babba Kaita for the establishment of the polytechnic, the provision of temporary and permanent sites

Nnaji Jekwu Onovo

THE war against Covid-19 pandemic is the second time in the history of Nigeria where we are fighting a common enemy in a very united form. The first was the independence struggle championed by Nigerian nationalists.

The sovereign rights, which the British seized and made all of us colonial subjects, were only recovered with the independence struggle, conducted, not by ethnic, or, religious group, but by Nigerian nationalist organisations.

Just like the movement for national liberation, Nigeria is united in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, shoving all ethnic and tribal sentiments out of the way. The lock-down in some places and limited movement in some others enabled families and communities to bond and support one another, reflecting the lyrics of the great song “Lean On Me”, originally by Bill Withers and later by Michael Bolton. The fraternity at families and communities is a nuisance value of Covid-19 pandemic. By the special Grace of God Almighty, this new-found brotherhood in Nigeria will prevail over the forces of darkness occasioned by the dreaded Covid-19.

One of the important lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic is that the world is a global village, informing the speed with which the virus travelled to every corner of the globe. We are one-humanity, and the beauty of the world is in the diversity of its people. Narrow it home to Nigeria; we are one people, one nation, one destiny. No matter your tribe and religious leaning, we are one, and should remain united.

Another nuisance value of the Covid-19 pandemic is that nations are looking inwards for solutions.  The major lesson is that nations should strive to be self-reliant especially in the agriculture and health sectors.

Until the discovery of oil in Nigeria in 1958, agriculture was the mainstay of the country’s economy with different regions boasting of different cash crops. Then, the country was a net exporter of food and earned most of its foreign exchange from agricultural produce. Today, with the expanse land and over 180 million people, Nigeria cannot feed its citizens not to talk of exporting to other lands.

 

• Nnaji Jekwu Onovo wrote in from Abuja