The Nation Newspaper

Tag: expert

  • Expert suggests alternative to cement

    Expert suggests alternative to cement

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hammersmith Project Solitions Limited Otunba Dele Ajayi-Smith has urged prospective house owners to de-emphasise the use of cement, adding that the bricks made from cement have many disadvantages.

    According to him, the use of cement hampers the delivery of affordable houses by slowing down the speed of construction as a result of its prohibitive cost.

    He said: “The dream of every Nigerian is to own a house. But multi-dimensional factors have denied many of this opportunity. Aside the problem of Omo Onile, the price of cement, which constitutes 25 per cent of the materials required to put up a structure, has continued to soar. For example, a bag of cement, which was sold for N500 four years ago, now goes for between N1,700 and N2,300.”

    Ajayi-Smith, who is a member of the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LLCI), said housing should not be a problem if alternatives to cements were used. According to him, monolithic dome housing could get rid of the problem of high cost of cement.

    “I will suggest what is called  monolithic dome housing which is unique in several senses. A dome is a house that has several features, a house that can survive most natural and man-made disasters: tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fires, bullets, rot, mould and termites,” he said.

    He said: “Unfortunately, the bricks, which many Nigerians cling to, have many disadvantages. Bricks account for a higher labour cost during manufacture and construction. This is why their prices seem to be rising. The slow rate of construction makes them unsuitable for large time-bound projects.”

    He went on: “This new technology stands against all these natural and man-made disasters. It is a unique housing system; it is the safest house in the world.  Monolithic dome is so beautiful; it can be decorated from both inside and outside. It is really fantastic.

    “The beauty of a dome house is that when you build the conventional house here, you are only thinking about this house lasting some decades, in the case of monolithic dome, you must be thinking of several centuries.”

    Explaining the concept of the technology, Ajayi-Smith said there was nothing ancient about it.

    “People spend hundreds of million of naira in building homes in Lekki. The best form of building structures that will not make them lose their investment or their sleep are dome houses. A dome house can go up to 25-storeys. So, there is nothing you need that you don’t get from a dome building. We have all forms of designs. You can build a beautiful bungalow, single or two-storey building. It is a building for all season.

    “Take a look at those conventional buildings along Ahmadu Bello Way on Victoria Island in Lagos, directly facing the Atlantic Ocean. Almost all the tenants have run away several years back. They can’t live there any longer, and those are huge investments. If they were dome structures, they will have no problems, they will remain good neigbbours to the Atlantic Ocean.

    He said those structures along Lekki Phase I, Phase II, and all those other estates directly behind the Atlantic  Ocean, would have been best built were they built as dome houses because they will have no problems at all times.

    According to him, places like Abuja are on solid ground warning that the growing climate change doesn’t promise anyone anywhere of a sure safety as anything could happen at any time.

    He said dome houses are the best solution to building collapse in the country. He blamed contractors for building collapses because they are are always cutting-corners to maximise profit.

    “Instead of the standard ratio of cement to sand, they mix something horrible for both block moulding and settings, such that when there is constant rainfall beyond the necessary expectation, the house naturally collapses. That will never happen in the case of a dome house because it has a standard configuration for which it must be built,” he said.

    He said the only disadvantage the monolithic dome has on the low income earners is raising their sense of beauty, consciousness and good standard of living.

  • COSON honours Finnish copyright expert

    COSON honours Finnish copyright expert

    CELEBRATED expert and teacher of copyright collective management around the world, Tarja Koskinen-Olsson, has been decorated with the Copyright Medal of Honour in Nigeria. The award, bestowed by the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), was given during the society’s Green Ball, during the COSON Week held recently.

    Decorating Ms Koskinen Olsson at MUSON Centre, Lagos, venue of the event, COSON Chairman, Tony Okoroji, said that the medal was in recognition and appreciation of a lifetime of dedicated service to the copyright community around the world, especially in the development of collective management of copyright in developing countries.

    Before the presentation, a mini documentary titled The Guardian Angel on the activities of Tarja Koskinen-Olsson was played.

    Responding to the honour, Olsson said that she was humbled to see the success of COSON and to witness it at an event like the Green Ball. “The beauty of the COSON way is the creation of a unified platform. It is a modern way to tackle the challenges facing the music industry in our globalised world. Your music has great power not only in your own country but throughout the world and you should harness it. I love two things: people and copyright,” Olsson said.

    Present at the event were the Chairman of the Norwegian Copyright Development Association (NORCODE), Professor Helge Ronning and the Managing Director of the organisation, Mr Frode Lovik. Artistes who graced the occasion included Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi, Bright Chimezie, Mike Okri, Chris Ajilo, Laolu Akins, Stella Monye, among others.

  • Expert proffers solution to housing problems

    Expert proffers solution to housing problems

    Residents of the Federal Capital Territory are going through excruciating accommodation experience. Over 70 per cent of those living in Abuja have one accommodation challenge or the other.

    The FCT Administration, on the other hand, had embarked on massive demolition of estates, which has further compounded an already complex problem.

    Is there a way out of the logjam?

    The Chairman/CEO of Festrut Group, Engr. Festus U. Asikhia, whose subsidiary Festrut Global Shelter owns estates in the FCT expressed optimism that the FCT can rise up to the challenge.

    He said that if the right thing is done, the housing problem in the Capital City can be surmounted.

    He said: “The FCT Administration should have sincerity of purpose. And one of the ways to do that is to carry out feasibility studies in order to know those that have carved a niche for themselves and are doing credibly well.

    “Call them for a Town Hall meeting and ask them of their financial capacity and technical knowhow on how to provide affordable houses. Then, the FCT should carry out a Joint Venture scheme with the developers.

    “Let the FCT Administration provide the land and let the developers tell the FCT how much they can use in building a particular house. The FCT should then put a benchmark on the how much the houses should be sold since it has provided the land.

    “So, out of the sale of the houses, we are taking this amount for the land that we have provided. Then, the government would have succeeded in providing a benchmark on how much a unit of house should be sold.

    On how Festrut Global Shelter can help to provide affordable houses in the FCT, Asikhia said the company is starting a 36-month repayment plan for houses purchased by people.

    “What we do at Festrut Global Shelter is to complement housing solution in the FCT, and by extension Nigeria and beyond through promotion and development of modern estates with first-class infrastructures and facilities in communities which will guarantee adequate comfort, peace and safety for residents.

    “We are doing this in the most cost-effective and flexible manner. We are starting a scheme in Abuja and Lagos. A prospective buyer could make a 20 per cent down payment for the house and the balance is spread over 24 or 36 months. After paying 50 per cent, you move in and pay the balance as laid out. That is the scheme Festrut is putting together in this our fourth year.”

    He expressed the view that government should not regulate rent. This, he said, is because one cannot regulate what it has not contributed to.

    “Government can’t regulate house rents when they have not contributed their own quota in mass housing development. It cannot do this when they have not contributed provided shelter for the masses. You have power over what you have provided. What you have not provided, you don’t have power over it. There should be sincerity of purpose on the side of government.

    “The government should engage intelligent and vibrant professionals. They should engage people who know their onions in the sector and give them the opportunity to serve; to carry out contractual works for them. With that, government can regulate rent.

    “On the other hand, can I go and buy land at N400 million and build a house of N200 or N300 million and you will say I should follow your price tag? A whole lot of things will go wrong because some people that are used in charging exorbitant prices on houses will be affected. So, how are we going to solve it?”

    On what should be done on the issue of poor quality houses built by developers, Asikhia said the opinion that the only way government can get developers to build quality houses is through joint ventures.

    “The only way government can do a project and get standard is to hold somebody responsible. A goat put in custody of the community will die of hunger. No one will feed it. Let somebody be responsible,” he said.e rent

     

  • Expert warns against unhealthy diet, lifestyle

    Expert warns against unhealthy diet, lifestyle

    Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)   have been warned against unhealthy feeding pattern and lifestyle.

    An expert on healthy living, Mrs Victoria Kayode, who is the founder of LivinMedia Nigeria Limited, gave the advice in Abuja at  a seminar she organised in conjunction with Baytit Investment Limited. The seminar was tagged ‘Reclaim your Health.

    In an interview with journalists at the seminar, which was held at Grace Point Resort Hotel, 7one 6, Wuse, the expert said she believed that it is better to stay healthy than looking for healing.

    Kayode, who lamented that majority of diseases and sicknesses that are prevalent today are as a result of intake of bad diets and bad lifestyle, said her passion to see people live well and make those that are sick get well, prompted her to go into the field.

    Her words: “We see people moving about with many conditions that are in a major way as a result of what they eat, what they do and what they fail to do, so we preach diet and lifestyle change”.

    She said her team has been teaching healthy living in churches, schools, mosque, offices, seminars, conferences, among others.

    However, it was the first time she was organising a free seminar for the general public in the FCT, while she disclosed plans to reach out to those at the grassroots.

    “We have been teaching healthy living as our own quota to bring to the barest minimum(if not to eradicate) sicknesses and diseases in our environment for the past eight years and we believe we still have much ground to cover”, she said.

    Highpoint of the event was talks on different health issues delivered by resource persons, blood pressure, height and body mass Index by experts and responses to questions on health asked by participants.

    While speaking on the topic Reclaim your Health, Reverend Tony Akinyemi advised Nigerians not to wait for diseases to strike before making moves.

    “We can pre-empt, prevent, be proactive and there are things we can do to stay healthy. There are preventable and avoidable diseases so everybody should be alive and awake to take the various responsibilities they have towards themselves in making sure we maintain a healthy nation because from a healthy nation we will have a healthy, productive workforce so that we can enhance our overall development as a nation,” the reverend said.

    Other resource persons who spoke at the seminar are Brigadier-General Abimbola Amusa, a doctor in the Nigerian Army who spoke on orthodox medicine and healthy living issues and Pastor Titi Somefun, who spoke on Look Fine but Unhealthy Inside.

  • Expert tasks Fed Govt on preservation of artefacts

    A consultant with the Centre for Environmental Renewable, Natural Research,Management, Regional and Development (CEMRAD), Dr  Olajide Oladipo, has called on the Federal Government to preserve the nation’s artefacts.

    Speaking at the World Museum Day Ceremony at the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, Oladipo said preservation was the only way to prevent the artefacts from going into extinction.

    “The Federal Government should collaborate with Non-Governmental Organisations to preserve the nation’s artefacts from facing extinction,” he said.

    Oladipo said the need to preserve the artefacts  became imperative in order to allow future generations  to have access to them.

    He also called for the  setting up of  urban museums where historians, researchers, students and heritage followers could go for knowledge acquisition.

    Oladipo also called for tree planting to boost colouring, saying “the nation cannot continue to rely on artificial colouring.”

    “A lot of children can take advantage of the trees to get colouring for their painting works In view of this fact, it is good not to abandon planted trees,” he said.

    Also, Mr Bode Adesina, the Curator of the museum, said Nigeria celebrated the  Day to enable people to reflect on the  benefits  of  museum.

    “Nigeria is joining the rest of the world to mark the Day in order to tap the benefits of museum and draw the attention of the public to it,” he said.

    He called on Nigerians to cash in on the theme of the event, “Memory and Creativity, ’’ saying this would help change the fortunes of museums.

    Present at the forum were stakeholders involved  in artefact and heritage development and preservation.

  • Expert to Govt: use budget to create jobs 

    THE Director-General, Kaduna Business School, Dr Dahiru Sani,  has called  on  the Federal Government  to use  the budget to create  jobs.

    He also that the budget should be used to raise the standard of living and create opportunities for Nigerians.

    Speaking with The Nation, Sani  said  previous  budgets  have  not achieved  positive results.

    He expressed    concern over poor job growth with   little improvement in unemployment over the years.

    He said  a lot  of  Nigerians  are unemployed, underemployed or have stopped looking for work. These he said  should be a priority  for the government.

    He   said   the  nation  faces  the “single biggest threat”  of  increasing  recurrent expenditure   from  surging  legislature and  executive  spending,  which  is   exploding the national debt.

    Consequently, Sani  called for  spending restraint.

    Acknowledging the negative   impact that the energy  crisis   was having on  manufacturing, the  Director-General   said there was a need  for the government  to expand the nation’s manufacturing base and  advance important initiatives  on manufacturing.

    He   warned of de-industrialisation  with   the rate of manufacturing job loss experienced  in recent years.

    Sani  said  there was a sharp  drop  in consumption   growth,  which  should  support  productivity growth.

    Notingthat declining   productivity rate is the core driver of manufacturing job losses, he said  there have not been signs of increased activity for manufacturers.

    The  director-general   said the concerns about the long-term fiscal health of the country persists and many manufacturers have pulled back hiring.

    Sani  called   for  improvements in  infrastructure and services to  reduce supply chain barriers and  contribute  to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

    He  said  lowering these barriers would reduce costs for businesses and help generate more jobs and economic opportunities for people.

     

  • 63m Nigerians have sleep problems, says expert

    Renowned neurologist, Prof. Njideka Okubadejo of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), has revealed about 63million Nigerians have sleep problem, which also affects about 45 percent of the global world population.

    Speaking at the third edition of the World Sleep Day with the theme Good sleep, Healthy aging packaged by Mouka Limited, Okubadejo said sleep and good health are closely linked.

    According to her, the dictates of the modern world has drastically reduced the “number of hours that people sleep because of the demand of their lifestyle or nature of their work.”

    She noted sleep is a natural process controlled by the brain, which restores body functions.

    Okubadejo, who is also an associate professor, College of Medicine University of Lagos, stated the consequences of lack of proper sleep include poor memory recall, decreased academic performance, decreased work productivity, reduced attention, alertness and concentration.

    Others, she said, are irritable mood and poor social interaction, increase risk hypertension, increase risk diabetes, mood disorders, reduced immunity, memory deficit, increased vulnerability to accident and errors and reduced lifespan.

    She recommended daily sleep of 14 to 15 hours for infants, 12 to 14 hours for toddlers, 10 to 11 hours for children and 7 to 9 hours for adults.

     

  • Expert: 167,042 names injected into Ondo Voter’s Register

    Expert: 167,042 names injected into Ondo Voter’s Register

    An expert in computer analysis,Mr. Sunday Afolayan, yesterday told the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure, the state capital, how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “injected” 164,072 names into the voter’s register.

    Afolayan told the three-man panel that in some local governments and wards, there were irregularities.

    The expert, who was led in evidence by the senior counsel of the petitioners (the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and its candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN)), Mr. Akin Olujimi (SAN), said there were 27 irregularities in Unit 11, Ward Seven in Ondo West Local Government Area.

    He said there were multiple entries of the names of voters in the register compared to the 2011 voter’s register.

    Afolayan said for example, Oyetibo Dupe, whose name appeared in the voter’s register in Ondo West Local Government, was listed twice in the 2011 voter’s register and three times in the 2012 voter’s register.

    He said Akintemi Ajoke Eunice was listed twice in the 2012 voter’s register but listed once in the 2011 register.

    Afolayan said the 2012 voter’s register is arranged in alphabetical order, starting with surname.

    He said the photo report he analysed revealed that in Ondo West Local Government with Code 16 – Ward Seven, Unit 011 – there are cases where alphabet B came before A.

    The expert referred to paragraph seven of the report, pointing out that Siko Oluwaloye’s name and occupation listed as fishing and farming appeared four times in the register.

    Afolayan was cross examined by the respondents’ lawyer, led by Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Oluwole Osaze Uzzi.

    He said the magnitude of evidence gathered in his opinion conclusively proved that there was gross and deliberate injection of voter’s data into the register used for the October 20, 2012 governorship election.

    The expert said 102,472 entries, which were not in the 2011 voter’s register, were injected into the 2012 register .

    He said 50,188 multiple entries were injected into the 2012 register and they were single entries in the 2011 voter’s register.

    Afolayan said 11,412 multiple entries were found in the 2012 voter’s register and none of such entries existed in the 2011 register.

    Afolayan said his analysis showed that 164,072 names were injected into the 2012 register.

    The motion moved by the ACN’s counsel to allow the expert demostrate his report electronically was struck out by the tribunal on the ground that it was not in the ACN’s prayer.

    Other witnesses that testified for ACN and Akeredolu include ACN State Secretary Mr. Adegboyega Adedipe, who said there was a crisis at his polling unit before he was accredited.

    As at the time of filing this report, the tribunal was still in session, receiving documents from INEC.

     

  • Benefits of social networking, by expert

    AN expert has listed sharing of ideas about entrepreneurship and getting feedback from customers as some of the advantages of social networking sites.

    Speaking with The Nation, the General Manager, Yookos Nigeria, Mr Gboyega Adelowore, said: “Social networking sites are platforms that make social engagement a lot easier. It’s not just about making friends but also engaging brands for products and services. With greater inclusion in social networking, we see more idea sharing and entrepreneur rising.

    “Also, brands now find it a lot easier to engage their customers and get useful feedbacks that can help them grow. These are important for the growth of any economy.

    “Deep Internet penetration directly impact trade through exchange of ideas, goods and services and social networking sites make it easy. This is extremely important.”

    On Yookos, he said the firm has embarked on initiatives to match the social networking requirements of social media users by offering an exciting and engaging product, adding that the release of the desktop version dovetails the recent launch of its much anticipated mobile web version late last year in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    By offering the mobile version meant especially for phones, Yookos has made it possible for more people to join the fastest growing social network in Africa, he explained.

    According to him, what makes Yookos to be a social networking site of choice is its ability to blend a multiplicity of social media functionalities and features into one intuitive and robust platform. Thus, its users do not have to have accounts on diverse social media platforms as all their requirements are met on a single platform. Users are not only able to sign-in with their other existing social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, and Linked-In but they can now easily share all their Yookos posts with friends and family on these platforms as well.

    He said Yookos ensured that users get the functions they require from a social network.

    “The intention on this latest version is not different but a significant step-up in the offering once a user signs-up. It is a bouquet of offerings that one would normally have to go through a few sites to enjoy all found in one place,” he added.

    Also, Chief Executive Officer, Yookos Nigeria, Tomisin Fashina, said: “Users can enjoy all these benefits with the comfort of knowing that they are in a safe and clean online environment free from any violent or abusive content.”

     

  • Expert laments dearth of last mile infrastructure

    Dearth of distribution infrastructure and last mile portion of service provision from infrastructure owners to end users has been identified as factors responsible for poor broadband penetration in the country.

    This has compelled service providers to either embark on developing their own backbone network infrstructure or buy access from last mile providers at costs that don’t make economic sense.

    An official of MainOne, Kemi Adeyanju, who spoke in Lagos lamented that the firm had to embark on providing the infrastructure at cost.

    “Without effective distribution infrastructure, service providers are forced to choose between developing their own backbone network infrastructure, while compelled in the interim to purchase access from the existing last mile providers at un-economic prices.”

    She said in the cable market, there are other operators providing the same serviceses MainOne, arguing that these operators have core retail and wholesale businesses integrated and they also have infrastructures

    “The challenge we face regarding last mile services puts us at a disadvantage and indicates that our segment is not competitive. We have had experience where our competitors sell services in Abuja and Lagos at the same price, they refuse to share infrastructure with us, and most time give infrastructure away to other players in the market,” she lamented.