The Nation Newspaper

Tag: approach

  • A wrong approach

    •There are better ways to help our youths rather than assisting them to emigrate

    Emigration from Nigeria has received a psychological boost at the hands of the monarch of Iwo, Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi. One of the activities to mark Oluwo’s third year on the throne is a special workshop on how to prepare the youths of the monarch’s kingdom and other parts of the country for relocation to other countries. According to the monarch, the workshop is designed to “expose aspiring Nigerians, especially the youths to “regimented procedures” of securing access to advanced countries.

    Oba Akanbi in his own words further establishes his qualifications for leading a seminar on emigration: “Being an itinerant of many years with vast experience of some continents of the world, I will conduct the seminar in Iwo as part of my human development capacity programmes by intimating the youths with opportunities’(sic) prone countries of the world.”

    Other activities to mark his third anniversary include distribution of rice, beans, noodles, gari, milk, and other food items to widows and orphans. Oba Akanbi added that the training would intimate participants with countries and their associated prospects, challenges and most importantly means of survival after securing access. In his invitation to the workshop, he asked invitees to come with smart phones, or laptops with internet access to Iwo, for hands-on training or practical demonstrations.

    In his capacity as Oluwo, Oba Akanbi has attracted a lot of attention to himself and his kingdom in the last few years. He once declared himself the Emir of Yorubaland, using his transformation from Yoruba monarch to Fulani monarch as a device for passing the lesson of unity and solidarity among Fulani emirs to his fellow Yoruba obas. He has also been involved in activities noticeably devoid of self-promotion, such as organising events to campaign against cultism among Yoruba youths.

    But the Oluwo’s emphasis on preparing young men and women for emigration from Nigeria shows less seriousness on the part of a traditional ruler than it may seem to the monarch. The monarch’s decision to encourage youths to leave the country at a time that other patriotic and pro-development institutions are finding ways to empower the country’s youths to contribute to domestic development seems bewildering. Traditional rulers, like political leaders, are expected to invest their experience and wisdom on how to assist the youths to benefit from the country, rather than organising workshops for them on how to move to other countries.

    Admittedly, the Oluwo has varied experience in travelling to and sojourning in foreign countries. But it seems like a mockery of his elevated office as Oba (or Emir) for him to give tutorials to youths on emigration, more so when such youths could have been further strengthened to make the monarch’s kingdom or country more competitive. Granted that the monarch has the freedom to plan to rule over a community of geriatrics, it is absurd for any monarch to use his privileged position to make efforts to depopulate Nigeria, by sponsoring free workshops on how to escape from the country.

    It is remarkable that the Oluwo is eager to help the youths and other vulnerable members of the community, but he seems to have chosen the wrong model this time. There are many more positive interventions that he could have adopted, such as, providing opportunities for skill acquisition for youths; offering scholarships to young people who can benefit from vocational training that can enhance their employability; or sharing with youths the knowledge or skills he amassed from his foreign sojourn on how to succeed where they reside.

    Efforts by the Oluwo to put smiles on faces of widows and orphans in his kingdom through gifts of food items are commendable. The Oba should bring his overseas experience to bear on how to make assisting vulnerable members of the society more dignifying, by leveraging on his cultural and social capital with the government of Osun State.

  • Multiple approach needed to end herders/farmers’ clashes

    With stakeholders’ call for a multi-faceted approach to the lingering clashes between itinerant herders and farmers, the curtain was drawn on the two-day summit on conflict resolution organised by Vintage Press Limited, publishes of The Nation and Television Continental (TVC), in Abuja. Participants at the Nigerian Air Force Conference Centre venue of the summit, tagged: “Towards enduring peace”, suggested ways out of the conflict. The highlights of the stakeholders’ discussions are presented below.

    Day One proceedings’ summary

    The summit was conceived as an open forum to promote frank exchange of ideas on burning issues of national and international concern, with particular regard to the herdsmen-farmers clashes, with a view to seeking workable and enduring solutions.

    It was attended by representatives of farmers’ groups, cattle breeders and herders, frontline traditional rulers, state governments, security agencies, members of the diplomatic community, as well as notable leaders of thought.

    In his opening remarks, TVC Chairman Oladele Alake said that Nigerians needed to dwell on the imperatives of peace and unity and to appreciate the country’s strengths and endowments.

    He noted that inter-group crises have implications for the cohesion of the nation as an entity and that Nigerians should keep working to engender peace, unity and progress of the country through dialogue. The convening of the summit, he disclosed, was one of such desirable moves being undertaken by the two media organisations. Specifically, he identified the objectives of the summit to, among other things:

    • Provide the parties in conflict a forum to explain their perspectives and to cross fertilize ideas;
    • Better educate the general public about the complexities of the situation;
    • Disabuse the minds of the public of unhelpful stereotypical depictions; and
    • Identify and assess solutions to end the clashes and establish enduring peace.

    Alake, a former Information & Strategy Commissioner in Lagos State, disclosed that the summit’s ultimate aim is to give the country a roadmap with which to address the multiple challenges now confronting her, particularly given the context of the forthcoming 2019 elections.

    He added that concerned groups are being encouraged through the forum to freely express themselves in the hope that at the end of the event, significant levels of understanding would have been recorded.

    In his remarks, the Chairman of the event and former Secretary to the Niger State Government, Prof Yahaya Kuta alluded to the significance of organising a summit to deliberate on the farmers-herdsmen clashes nationwide and the topicality of the issue at this time.

    He observed that the presence of seasoned experts, the parties concerned and security personnel at the event underscored the seriousness with which the organisers approached the issue.

    Prof Kuta counseled that agricultural extension workers who have direct dealings with the issues in focus should always be included in conversations seeking a search for solutions.

    He further advised that resolutions and recommendations from the summit must be implemented by relevant actors who must give effect to them. The professor concluded by admonishing that best practices from outside Nigeria, which the country can borrow and benefit from, must always be factored into the search for solutions.

    A documentary on farmers-herders clashes produced by the TVC crew was presented to the audience. The documentary focused on the devastation in Benue, Adamawa, Plateau and Taraba states. While identifying the parties in the conflicts, the documentary also alluded to the involvement of criminal elements in escalating the situation.

    Presenting the lead paper, University of Maiduguri Prof. Daniel Musa Gwary, dwelt on the resilience of crisis in national life, noting that conflicts in the Northeast axis of the country had subsisted for many years before becoming the staple of national and international news.

    The highlights of the paper include:

    • The two groups in conflict – farmers and herders – have lived peaceably and cooperatively for centuries.
    • With time, population expansion and the onset of change in climatic conditions, the cooperative cohabitation collapsed over the use and control of natural resource.
    • The neglect of agriculture after crude oil became the country’s major revenue earner has been complicit in the escalation of crises.
    • Criminal activities have also been heightened by the neglect of agriculture, further heightening already existing tensions.
    • Government neglect of communities over the years compounded the situation.

    Some of the recommendations offered in the paper include:

    • Embracing climate smart agriculture that sustains both crop farming and animal breeding could provide a way out of the present crisis.
    • There is a need to strengthen security arrangements to make both farmers and herders feel safe and to isolate the criminal elements.
    • Conflict mediation and peace building mechanisms must be put in place and avenues for constant dialogue between farmers and herders should be promoted.
    • A comprehensive approach to addressing the environmental factors that drive herders southwards must be explored.
    • The proposal for grazing reserves should be embraced, beginning with consenting states while the old bonds that encouraged cooperation need to be built upon.

    The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) outlined the causes of the conflicts and possible solutions in their presentations. They alluded to the desirability of establishing a ranching model that takes into consideration the meaning of nomadism to the regular herder.

    The Deputy Inspector-General (Operations) of the Nigeria Police, Mr. Joshak Habilah and the Officer-in-Charge of Civil-Military Relations in the Nigeria Air Force, Air Commodore David Aluku, gave perspectives from the security agencies. They acknowledged the imperative of community policing and the need to check rampant drug abuse.

    Contributions also came from Mr. Rotimi Williams, a rice farmer in Nasarawa State, who spoke of the creative approach he adopted to check herders incursion on his farms by incorporating Fulani people into his operations as farm security personnel and as workers tending the crop and helping with harvesting.

    He, however, also had to manage negative reactions to his approach by indigenous elements who frowned at the visibility and economic empowerment of the “minority/stranger” Fulani.

    In his submission, Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central District) urged the political elite must decide what kind of country they wish to preside over and take a decision to shift the expenditure of security votes from fostering thugs to promoting security.

    He noted that every community harbours criminals and that negative stereotyping must be avoided.

    Former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) Chairman Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, noted that nomadic groups are peculiar to Nigerian and that the challenge of nomadism had been meaningfully addressed elsewhere.

    The Fulani, he disclosed, are seeking for a space while the Bororo, who are the most affected amongst the Fulbe, remain landless and unrepresented in the political scene. He commended the nomadic education programme and cautioned against stigmatizing the Bororo as terrorists.

    The Plateau State Peace Building Agency Director-General Joseph Lengman, who represented the Plateau State Government, cautioned that sentiments will not resolve the issues involved in the farmers-herdsmen crisis.

    The ingredients for peace, he said, are a spirit of forgiveness and compromise, and the building of a social compact. He described his agency as a model under which community stakeholders come together. He recommended it as a model to copy.

    Businessman Isyaku Rabiu presented the farmers-herdsmen crisis as an opportunity requiring creative management. The empowerment of people and their incorporation as stakeholders will reduce their resort to violence to press their needs.

    President of the Veterinary Association of Nigeria, Dr. Godwin Abonyi, noted that several similar meetings had prescribed ranching as a solution but that government has not taken concrete steps on such recommendations. He urged the Federal Government to start with states that are willing and that the success of the initiative may encourage the reluctant and undecided to join in.

    Dr. Victor lyama advised that a distinction must be drawn between bandits and herdsmen. Ranching may be a solution but that it is an expensive option. He spoke of the need to re-direct security votes into the development of ranches. In his own remarks, the representative of Senator Abu Ibrahim, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, cautioned against flippant pronouncements, which only aggravate crisis.

    In his goodwill message delivered by Mr. Sunday Dare, All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected the two extremes of the conversation to declare that, neither the herders, nor the farmers bear absolute blame.

    He also frowned at what he called media religionisation of the conflict, advising that concern should be focused on how to solve the problem.

    Tinubu proffered short, medium and long-term solutions. They include: moderation of nomadism, maintenance of effective military presence in hot spots, continuing dialogue and the setting up of a national peace and conflict resolution commission.

    Three discussants of the keynote address, Prof Biodun Adeloye, Prof N.A. Gworgwor and Dr. Eustace Iyayi also offered their perspectives. They spoke of the need to modify nomadism to the advantage of the practitioners and counselled that the nomad needs to combine tilling with nomadism by producing crops like maize on which to nurture their herd. Other specific recommendations are that:

    • Governments should draw up implementation timelines for whatever suggestions are proffered for a more harmonious farmers-herders relationship.
    • Laws to protect the environment should be enacted and effectively implemented for the benefit of all stakeholders.
    • Massive education that emphasizes the value of combining crop farming with animal husbandry.
    • Need to transform grazing reserves into ranches building on models that already exist worldwide.

    A broadcast journalist, Ms. Medina … emphasized the need for prompt and effective communication by all the parties concerned, rather than allowing grievances to fester. She also advised against unhelpful profiling which only aggravates conflicts.

    In his response, Lead Speaker Prof Gwary, advised that farmers and herders must do away with misconceptions about one another and learn to admit and forgive past hurts, injuries and injustices while also taking care to divorce the conflict from religion.

    Day Two proceedings summary

    The day opened with brief remarks by Mr. Alake. The Emir of Kano and chair of the summit sent his goodwill message through a representative the Jarman Kano, Prof Isa Hashim.

    He said that the governments at the three levels should provide enough funds for the maintenance of grazing reserves and stock routes. He spoke of two types of Fulani – the bororoji (cattle Fulani) and the sororoji (town Fulani) – who have their differences even though outsiders think they are one. He recalled his days amongst the Tiv and called for a re-creation of that harmony.

    TVC Chief Executive Officer Andrew Hallon drew on the experiences of his home country – Ireland – to set out a pathway to resolving the farmers-herders conflicts.

    The key issues are continuous communication; respect for others’ points of view; a common desire for peace; a business-oriented approach to seeking solutions; and the unlearning of harmful stereotypes.

    A former Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Director of Research, Col. Ahmed Zubair (rtd), pointed to the under-funding of security agencies as a major drawback to the discharge of their role in conflict resolution.

    Kola Kuku of the Department for International Development (DfID) highlighted the fact that while population growth and climate change are affecting production, the country still has a static production system. He called for improvements to the system.

    In his presentation, Dr. Saleh Umale of the Kaduna State Peace Commission, described the farmers-herders crisis as a crisis long foretold. He identified the improvement of the livelihoods of Nigeria’s rural communities as key to the search for peace.

    Others discussants are: Prof Eugene Aliegba Aliegba;  Lengman;  Sari Umar and Nuhu Abdullahi.

    Recommendations

    • Setting up of a Federal Peace and Conflict Resolution Commission by the Federal Government.
    • Strengthening of security arrangements to make both farmers and herders feel safe and to isolate the criminal elements.
    • Resuscitation and massive funding of the various river basin authorities especially in the north to enable growth of grass for animal grazing to minimize nomadic mobility across the country.
    • Creation of conflict mediation and peace building mechanisms and avenues for constant dialogue between farmers and herders should be promoted.
    • Embracing climate smart agriculture that sustains both crop farming and animal breeding could provide a way out of the present crisis.
    • Embracing the proposal for grazing reserves should be embraced, beginning with consenting states building upon old bonds that encouraged cooperation.
    • Comprehensive approach to addressing the environmental factors that drive herders southwards must be explored.

  • Shettima’s developmental approach

    Sir: In Borno state, both supporters and antagonists of the Borno state government share a common view- they agree that Governor Kashim Shettima is doing excellently well in terms of critical infrastructure development. Borno state is presently witnessing massive mega schools construction, industries, roads rehabilitation, construction and expansion; provision of modest rural infrastructure, water supply and healthcare structures re-development. The kind of development projects that the state has been yearning for.

    Road construction and rehabilitation in Borno  are being executed using what development experts called ‘ systematic-all-inclusive’ approach- a form of development approach that  is designed to be connected to human capital development, productive job creation, siting  projects where they are needed most, as well as using them as avenues for  generation of more revenue for the government to support other sectors of the economy.  The road network expansion and reconstruction in some hitherto isolated communities like Bulumkutu, Bolori and so on are designed to create, encourage and improve positive synergy, enhance social cohesion and integration by giving citizens access to the same opportunities.

    For example, the expansion and rehabilitation Bama road to Fauri axis and Lagos bridge is witnessing the opening of communities which for many years had lacked good roads and citizens had to go through hardship to and fro the route. These areas are now being connected with good roads in order to facilitate local trades and movement while also making accessibility to the areas easy for enhancement of security of lives and properties. One exceptional thing most public commentators and the general public observe is, neither political nor any other form of sentiment came to play in determining where projects are sited. Projects are sited based on pure development and public good. This is commendable, considering the high-wired politics that is associated with governing Borno state.

    Borno state is one of the states being devastated by insurgency for nearly eight years now, but Gov. Kashim is able to utilize the meager resources in infrastructure development. Certainly Governor Kashim has realized that infrastructure is the foundation for human capital development and the easiest and feasible way to fight poverty, create jobs as well as an effortlessly unveil comprehensive development strategy for a state like Borno, which peers have left behind.

    One can be Mr. Shettima ‘s critic, but one must admit that the governor is bringing the much needed development to communities at the time they direly need it.

     

    • Mohammed Muktar Umarari, Bolori 2 Ward, Maiduguri.

  • NGO seeks non-violent approach to poll

    A Non-Government Organisation (NGO), New Nigerian Youth (NNY), has urged politicians and the electorate to eschew violence ahead of the 2019 general election.

    The Founder and Coordinator, Dr. Kingsley Ibe, gave the advice yesterday at a summit for youths in Owerri, Imo State capital.

    He lamented that rather than engaged youths meaningfully; leaders turned them to political thugs.

    Ibe advocated the establishment of a special court to try those arrested in connection with electoral violence and other related offences.

    “Our youths are in danger, the destinies of most of them have been tampered with and this is a serious security treat.

    “During election, politicians lure youths into killing one another. We are against this. We advise politicians to have a change of attitude toward elections,” he said.

    State Coordinator of NNY Dr. Arinze Onumajuru blamed the problem on the country’s inability to provide jobs for youths.

    He said: “Our youths are jobless. This is why many of them are easily convinced to do illegal work.

    “Federal, state and local governments should take job creation as a frontline agenda. Until this is done, our youths will continue to be vulnerable.”

    Participants described the summit as timely.

    Mr. Chinedu Ahams, a final-year student of Political Science, Imo State University (IMSU), said youths had resolved that the 2019 elections would no longer be business as usual.

    “We have been deceived for long. Our destiny is at stake.”

  • “Change” for the FGN Budget funding approach

    The 2018 Budget of the Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN, is well articulated and aimed at continuing the effective delivery of the election promises of the Buhari Administration. However, as previous well intentioned Budgets of the past, the challenge is ensuring adequate funding for the Budget, an unlikely assurance due to the volatile Crude Oil Market.

    I have maintained that a major shift in our funding strategy is critical. Currently, the Ministry of Finance (MOF), borrows piece meal, providing general support to the annual Budget Deficits and Capital Investments. My new approach requires removing certain Capital Expenditure/Investments from the FGN Budget and transferring it to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and other FGN owned financial institutions, for example, Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry, Bank of Infrastructure, Bank of Development, etc; and specifically aligning borrowed funds to Capital Projects. This will be a radical departure and new experiment for rapid, simultaneous, multi-Sector real economic growth that will greatly reduce corruption and facilitate implementation, monitoring and evaluation. This radical new approach will give impetus to the “Change” mantra, while creating new avenues for the simultaneous implementation of the much-needed Capital Investments and firing up the entire economy.

    The direct revenue of FGN from Crude Oil and Taxes, should be applied directly to social services and non-profit making Sectors, such as Administration, Capacity Building, Education, Health, Security, Foreign Affairs and National Re-Orientation. Targeted borrowing for Infrastructure (Airports, Roads, Seaports, Rail, etc.) and Industrial development should be in multiples of Billions (USD30 – 100 Billion) over 10 – 15 years, repaid over 20-40 years and obtained by FGN Institutions and Agencies (Bank of Infrastructure, Bank of Industry, Bank of Development) under their various Acts and guaranteed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, not by the Ministry of Finance or directly by the FGN. The CBN would host all Loan proceeds, obtained at very low interest rates and released only in Naira to the FGN Banks and Agencies, while it sells the FOREX and FGN revenue earned, FOR ALL REQUESTS, without exceptions, through the Commercial Banks and Bureaux De Change, BDC’s, at market rates, thereby creating a sustainable FOREX Market. The CBN would maintain a low single digit interest rate to expand investment credit, while the increased production from the real sectors will control inflation. The Naira would convert directly to the currency of each Lender, without any other intermediary currency and repayment shall also be transacted in the same manner. The FGN Budget and Ministries would deal with only administration, capacity building, monitoring, policies, regulation, standards, supervision, welfare, rural, research and development. The Ministries would award Social/Welfare Support Contracts and Contractor Financed Concession/Projects. Finally, the misappropriation or embezzlement of these borrowed funds would be treated as Treason and would attract a sentence of Life Imprisonment without an option of parole.

    I will like to illuminate this radical new approach with an example: The construction or rehabilitation of a Federal Highway that attracts high vehicular traffic shall be awarded by the Ministry of Works to a Contactor, as a Contractor Financed Concession, and recovery shall be from Tolls, Rents from Service Areas, etc. The Contractor will have the responsibility of securing its own financing from either an FGN owned Bank, or any other alternative they might have. The role of the FGN will be to protect the Concession, respect the duration as agreed and ensure the delivery conforms to specifications and deadlines. The maintenance of the road and repayment of the Loan shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. This approach will absolve the FGN from direct liability and the Loan will only be applied for viable Projects. Furthermore, the Loan will be repaid as at when due, because the Private Sector Borrower will apply it for a specific purpose. Furthermore, as long as vehicles are plying the road, funds will be generated for repayment, without the need to mortgage the lives of future generations in a possible Debt Trap, as is presently the case.

    I wish to note that no Country has developed by merely depending on their limited annual revenue or monetary policies that involve double digit interest rates, which constrain real economic growth.  For example, after World War II, Europe was rebuilt under the United States (US) Marshal Plan, which involved massive borrowing of Billions of US Dollars at concessionary rates. These funds were used to set up the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD, now known today as The World Bank. The Loans were repaid by Europe from the revenues generated from completed projects, individual and company taxes from jobs and industries created, infrastructure built – Seaports, Airports, etc. Both the Lenders and Borrowers benefited immensely and Europe was modernized within a few decades.

    It is important to note that during this period, the Total Debt over the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, of most European Western Countries that were the beneficiaries of the Marshal Plan, were several notches higher. However, this high Debt to GDP ratio did not constitute a problem, as the Debt was properly targeted to Projects, Programs and Sectors that were expected to have positive multiplier effects on the entire revenue base of the borrowing Countries, which enabled them repay the Loans. The ingenuity employed in the designing, sourcing, application and utilization of those Loans, eventually formed part of the Body of modern Economic Theories, as that period produced many Economists, some of whose concepts were successfully implemented.

    After the European experiment, came the rapid development of the Asian Tigers: Japan, Singapore, South Korea, etc. who developed their own unique economic template, extensively utilizing World Bank funds, but rejecting their template for implementation, as they believed the Bank’s proposition would fail in their Countries. Their unique templates succeeded and the World witnessed their unprecedented growth, which took them from third to first World Nations, within less than four decades. The concept of incubating Cottage Industries, Micro and Small Enterprises was one of their indigenous solutions for rapid economic development.

    As the World was reeling at the performance of the Asian Tigers, China exploded onto the scene and defied most Economic Theories, by successfully combining Communist Economic concepts with pragmatic Capitalism, to produce the World’s greatest economic growth phenomenon to date.

    In like manner, our Economists have to conceive theories that synthesize various successful economic concepts from other climes, with our own original ideas, to produce practical and unique applications to stimulate our economy and set us on a sustainable path of development.

    I have given these real life examples to remind our Policy Makers that many Nations have been where we are today, and their solutions emerged from a combination of borrowed and original economic concepts. We have to take bold decisions in order to make giant strides!

    Finally, this new budget approach would greatly accelerate our pace of development, create jobs and reduce the political wrangling that holds up our economic progress due to vested and corrupt interests. It is time for us to determine our own home grown economic strategies that will create a multi-dimensional, multi-sectoral, simultaneous thrust. The effects will be glaring within a year, creating varied types of job opportunities, reducing corruption and setting us on the path for rapid economic development. We need to re-ignite our smoldering economic fires, so that the “Change” mantra will not only resonate in tangible terms in the short term, but it will lay a solid, sustainable foundation for our future national development!

    • Aniagolu is Managing Partner, F.I.T, Consult Limited
  • Men are afraid to approach me – Yvonne Okoro

    Men are afraid to approach me – Yvonne Okoro

    Nigerian-Ghanaian actress Yvonne Okoro, has come out to quell a notion about dating women in the limelight.

    On Tuesday, the actress who said she has been single for more than two years, took to her Twitter account to counter a notion that men are scared of her because she is in the limelight.

    “I would say men are afraid to approach me, reason is there’s this misconception about women in the limelight:1woman=10men,this is a FALSEHOOD,” she wrote.

    The tweet elicited several responses from men who used the opportunity to ask her out.

    One of such fans was @lilmodulo, who tweeted at her, writing, “@yvonneokoro am not a superstar, just any ordinary man but will you accept my proposal. Don’t take in funny sense!” to which the actress responded, “So sweet but maybe next time.”

    Another fan, @NYboateng, wrote, “Bringing my application letter,” to which Yvonne responded, “Pls no I beg.”

    Continuing in another tweet, Yvonne wrote, “We are all not evil and we are all not surrounded by 100men at a time… It’s a really LONELY job we have and to trust som1 enuff to date#hard.”

    In a follow-up tweet, the actress who won Ghana Movie Awards Best Actress Award in 2010 advised men who might be scared of her.

    “So pls those men that are rattled by wat I said, dont be, it’s my experience, so please calm yourselves.”

    The actress has acted in movies such as ‘Ghana Must Go’,’ Like Cotton Twines’, ‘Contract’ and ‘4 Play’ among others.

  • Ada App: New approach to healthcare delivery

    There is a new App simply called Ada that assists in monitoring one’s health. According to the founders, Ada is more than just an app. Ada is a virtual health companion on the go. Designed by a dedicated team of doctors and computer scientists, Ada gives you the best symptom assessment available. Building up a detailed picture of your health over time, Ada provides you with an accurate understanding of what is going on and helps you decide on next steps to take.

    It is described as a smart assessment because it checks symptoms wherever and whenever you want. All one needs do is just answer simple, personalised questions about your health without complicated medical language. Ada asks you all that is needed to really get to the bottom of what is bothering you.

    It has the benefits for users as it allows one to set up multiple profiles in order to manage the health of their family members as well. All the health information for each user is stored in one place: previous assessments, current and past medications, allergies etc that can be easily shared with a doctor or other health professional.

    The team behind Ada App said it pre-briefed doctors as it affords one to book a video consultation with a doctor of one’s choice, at a time that suits. To help the doctor make the best diagnosis, Ada pre-briefs the doctor by analysing all the information one provides it while using.

    It is also a digital health record that is available in the pocket, secure and always up to date.

    Ada Digital Health co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Claire Novorol said: “As a doctor and a mother, I understand the pressures and the worries of both. Doctors have to diagnose patients in minimal time with maximum efficiency; mothers constantly worry about the health of their loved ones, whether their children or their parents. That’s exactly why we created Ada. Our technology gives reassurance to the whole family about their health, whilst also being useful for doctors by pre-informing them for good decisions. I will encourage people to download Ada App and inform it about your allergies, medications and other health information to keep an overview of your health situation. Ada is now the top free medical app in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.”

    She clarified: “Rather than being a direct replacement for medical consultation, Ada is a complementary service that aims to reduce workload on general practitioners by collecting and collating healthcare information from patients in order to save precious time in consultations which are usually hurried due to time pressure. Ada is available on the App Store in 90 countries and on Android devices. Download the Ada app for Free here: https://app.adjust.com/svpw78. For more information and contact details at www.ada.com.”

    It is also functional for doctors and specialists because earlier and better diagnosis through the world’s most sophisticated decision support system is guaranteed. It is a convenient way to work from the comfort of home or any location with a stable internet connection. And it is efficient yet more thorough consultations via patient pre-assessment and automatic documentation is assured.

  • Govt needs review of approach to energy access, says PwC

    Govt needs review of approach to energy access, says PwC

    The time is right for policymakers to reappraise their approach to accessing energy, a report from PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) has advised.

    The report said going by the trends, two-thirds of the world’s population will be without electricity by 2030, which is the target year to achieve the newly agreed post-2015 UN Sustainable Development Goal of universal access to energy.

    The PwC report titled: “Electricity beyond the grid: accelerating access to sustainable power for all”, said a new approach that better recognises the part that off-grid technology can play is needed.

    Partner and leader, Power & Utilities unit of PwC Nigeria, Pedro Omontuemhen, said: “For the millions of people, who do not currently have access to electricity, the old assumption that they will have to wait for grid extensions is being turned on its head by new technological possibilities. There are currently 634 million people without electricity in Africa and in Nigeria. We estimate that only one in five persons has access to power from the electricity grid.  This leaves four in five people living in urban and rural communities, having to fend for themselves with makeshift and localised power solutions. Faster progress is needed, and we believe it can be achieved if national energy policies adopt a more comprehensive approach to energy access, embracing the new starting points for energy provided by stand alone renewable technology and mini-grids.”

    Current electrification strategies tend to focus on national grid extension plan, but Olumide Adeosun, Associate Director in the firm’s advisory practice, said: “It is critical that Nigerians take steps to understand and embrace the new starting points for energy provided by stand-alone renewable technology and mini-grids as discussed in this report. We believe these solutions provide a viable, bottom-up solution to the patchy availability of electricity in Nigeria.

    Some of the enablers, such as mature mobile payment platforms and data analytics capabilities are already in place.  Others will require investors and communities engaging policy makers to formulate an integrated energy access strategy, work together in their communities to accelerate momentum in the electrification of Nigeria’s urban and semi-rural locations.”

    The report foresees a major transformation of the electricity sector in the period ahead and sets out five recommendations for accelerating the increase of electrification. One of them is to develop an integrated energy access plan and map – so that everyone can plan with more certainty for either off-grid or grid extension solutions.

    Another is to create an enabling environment for off-grid development – including clearer criteria for mini-grid development, support for skills and training and more supportive regulation to allow private players to unlock the off-grid market potential.

    There is also the need, according to the report, to recognise the value of and promote the growth of mobile infrastructure, microloans and payment solutions in supporting energy access – mobile infrastructure is proving crucial in the take-up of stand-alone home systems, giving providers a low-cost channel for customer relations and an ability to automatically manage non-payment.

    Establishing an off-grid innovation and development fund – a highly visible development and innovation fund, the report said, can play an important part in spurring off-grid growth in each country.

    Also, having a high-level energy access champion that can drive results – to cut through bottlenecks and monitor results.

  • Group seeks new approach to boost energy access

    Nigeria needs to explore a new market arrangement to boost access to energy, Nigerian Association of Energy Economics president Prof Wumi Iledare, has said.

    He said there was inequity in energy access based on levels of income, and location in the country.

    This situation, he said, means that 52 per cent of Nigeria’s population doesn’t have access to modern energy.

    Prof Iledare, who spoke at a press conference to mark this year’s World Energy Day in Abuja, added that 25 per cent of Nigeria’s population of over 170 million had regular access to electricity.

    The remaining 75 per cent, he said, make do with little or no electricity, adding that 45 per cent of the population was connected to the national grid.

    He said: “This is very vital for our nation because despite the importance of energy to economic development, a large proportion of Nigerians have no access at all to modern energy, in particular, electricity, and for those with access, availability and quality remains a major concern.

    “There is obvious inequity in energy access based on levels of income, and location. Access is nearly 100 per cent in developed countries, compared to 60 per cent in the developing countries. In 2011 alone, the IEA (International Energy Agency) estimated that about 68 per cent of the people in sub-Saharan Africa were without access to modern energy and 52 per cent of Nigeria’s population falls in this category.

    “Using electricity as an example, less than 25 per cent of the total population of over 170 million has regular access to electricity. The remaining 75 per cent make do with little or no electricity. Although 45 per cent of the population is connected to the national grid.”

  • JTF’s carrot-and-stick approach

    JTF’s carrot-and-stick approach

    ILLEGAL oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism and other forms of oil theft in the Niger Delta have continued despite years of military operations. But the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield appears to have pulled a master stroke.

    In his reign, the Commander JTF, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe, seems to have found the curative pill for the ongoing economic sabotage and environmental menace in the region. He is speaking the language of carrot and stick.

    First, the commander has launched some empowerment and poverty reduction programmes to identify with the plights of oil-bearing communities which continue to languish in penury despite hosting the mainstay of the economy.

    Atewe after touring most of the creeks within nine months he took over the command of JTF, realised that most of the oil-producing communities were provoked to engage in oil theft or to harbour and shield oil thieves because of their poverty-stricken conditions.

    They lack drinkable water because their main hydro source had been polluted by oil exploration and exploitation. They lost their sources of livelihood (fishing and farming) because their land and rivers had been contaminated by constant oil spillage. Most of them have no access to quality education, healthcare, electricity and other facilities.

    Therefore, to ameliorate the suffering of the rural communities notorious for oil theft, JTF, has commenced medical mission, enlightenment campaigns and sinking of boreholes for portable water.

    One of the communities to benefit from the outfit’s medical rhapsody is the Igbomatoru in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. People from the community were falling over one another as they scrambled to get medical attention from the team of medical experts employed by the JTF.

    At the end of the exercise, more than 2000 people suffering from various ailments were treated. Others whose medical conditions were beyond the team were referred to specialist hospitals with JTF promising to foot the bills.

    The Surgeon and Chief Medical Officer, JTF, Lt. Com. Samuel Akinyemi led the mission. He had in his team opticians, consultant, general medicine and social workers.

    People were tested freely for blood sugar test , HIV, blood pressure and other health conditions. Drugs were given out freely. The people in need of eyeglasses and lens received them without paying a dime. A borehole was also sunk in the community.

    Maj.-Gen.Atewe, who was represented by Akinyemi, thanked the Igbemotoru community for their support in the fight against illegal oil bunkering and oil theft in the region. He restated the JTFs commitment and readiness to eradicate all oil-related criminalities in the region.

    He assured them of the commands support to the community especially in the areas of provision of social amenities. In his response on behalf of the community, the Chairman Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr. Morris Jonathan thanked the commander for his selfless service and assured him of the communities readiness to support his campaign on zero tolerance to oil theft.

    JTF has also lined up many other communities to visit with its medical missions and other interventionist projects. As part of the carrot approach, the outfit further embarked on confidence building patrol to discourage youths from engaging in oil theft.

    During the patrols, town hall meetings involving community chiefs, women and youths were held on the environmental, health and economic dangers of illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism. T-shirts with an inscription, “shun any act of illegal oil-related activities”, were distributed to the locals.

    Narrating the success of such approach while rendering the scorecard of the JTF in the year, the outgoing Media Coordinator, Col. Mustapha Anka, said it had rekindle hope of better life in the rural areas. He said communities were beginning to view themselves as part of the war against oil theft.

    He said the outfit was combining its humanitarian interventions with aggressive military operations. According to him, no fewer than 253 vessels were impounded by JTF within nine months of its operation against illegal bunkering, oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta. The vessels, he said, included 53 ships and 200 barges.

    He said since Maj.-Gen. Atewe assumed the command of the outfit, JTF has recorded many success stories. He noted that over 840 illegal refineries were destroyed within the period.

    He said hundreds of Cotonou boats and thousands of drums and jerrycans used for illegal oil bunkering activities and oil theft were seized and destroyed by JTF.

    He said the command uncovered a hideout used for illegal oil bunkering beside a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) at Ekiogbo junction along Warri-Ughelli North and Eleme in Delta and Rivers states.

    He recalled that the troops of JTF patrolling River Ramos in Agge flow station, Ekeremor Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, arrested 19 illegal bunkering suspects.

    Atewe said the troops further located and destroyed four militant camps in the region. He said the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) had testified that it witnessed increased in oil production because of the command’s aggressive patrols of the region.

    He recalled how the command arrested Jarret Tamede, Peter Dulian and 10 others for attempting to vandalise and siphon crude oil from one of the pipelines belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) at Chanomi creek in Delta state after the suspects failed to bribe the Commander, Sector 1 with $65,000.

    “The command made concerted efforts by organising series of arbitrations and mediation meetings between the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and host communities across the region,” he said.

    Apart from fighting oil theft, Anka said JTF had also contributed in ridding the region of other criminalities such as piracy and cultism.

    “This led to the recovery of cache of different arms and ammunition, smoke grenades, speedboats, pumping machine including communication gadgets and generators”, he said.

    He thanked the Federal Government, Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters, service chiefs and other institutions for their support against economic sabotage.