The Nation Newspaper

Tag: expert

  • Expert seeks support for people living with disabilities 

    Hope for Now International President Dr. Iwebuike Nwaesei has urged the Federal Government to provide incentives for business owners to employ persons with disabilities.

    Nwaesei said this on the sidelines of a seminar and workshop for stakeholders and care givers on Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) organised by Hope for Now  International at the Igando, Lagos.

    The event was attended by care givers, environmentalists, development experts, and volunteers, which featured distribution of free food items, clothing, shoes and other household items to beggars at Igando, Lagos.

    He said Nigeria has 25 million persons with one form of disability or the other and that this huge population could yield huge dividends, if efforts were put in place to engage them in activities that are profitable and productive.

    Nwaesei commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Discrimination Against Persons with  disabilities  (Prohibition) Act, 2018 into law, saying the law will bring relief to PLWDs.

    He said providing employment opportunities for PLWDs, increasing their access to education and positive attitude toward PLWDs was germane, and that it should be given priority.

    He noted that the government could work with private sector players by giving them tax holidays and support system so that they could accommodate a certain percentage number of PLWDs in their work place.

    Nwaesei stressed that there were many skilled and educated PLWDs, who have the capacity and competence to make a difference within their profession but are faced with all forms of discrimination.

    “The government can equally encourage business owners to employ PLWDs and their salary will be shared between the government and the private sector players and that will make it convenience for the business owners to accommodate as many PLWDs as possible,” he said.

    He added: “I am sympathetic to the plight of PLWDs in our society as they are faced with age-long cultural superstition that they are the cause of their disabilities. They are marginalised, alienated, thus, its requires the state institution to address this trend and help them lead a better life.”

    He cited the United States Disability Act  promulgated in 1973, saying its outlawed discrimination of PLWDs in employment in public and private organisations, noting that we must make our law work for PLWDS and integrate them into the core society.

     

  • How to save airports’ running cost, by expert

    HOW can the high power cost of running airports be reduced? It is by allowing their managers to generate their power, says an expert, Herbert  Odika.

    In an interview in Lagos, he said  some airports in Europe and other parts of the world generated their own power, rather than relying on the general source of electricity.

    A first of its kind pilot project in Africa consisting of a ground-mounted 500 KW solar power generation facility and mobile airport gate electric equipment was launched at Moi International Airport, in Kenya.

    Besides Kenya, such project is in place in India, Malaysia and other parts of the world.

    Doing such, he said, would not only reduce the cost  borne on electricity bills, diesel for generators, that is not environment-friendly, but improve revenue and bring about efficient services at the airport.

    Odika said allowing airports to generate their sources of power, would enable them supply power to airport communities and stimulate the setting up of Aero Zone around the airports.

    Odika said  airports will continue to remain stagnant, if power supply remained epileptic with generating plants consuming a huge chunk of its revenue.

    He said: “The 1000KVA generator at the airport uses a drum of diesel every hour; a drum of diesel costs about N300, 000. So, how do you become viable if you look at your overhead cost?

    ‘’The government should allow airports to generate their own power that will bring huge savings to the airports, especially the few major ones in Nigeria.’’

    According to the expert, our airports are not viable, adding that passengers traffic had not been encouraging compared with the country’s population.

    “An airport that cannot boost of 50 flights a day is not seen in the eyes of any private investors as viable. The overhead costs of Abuja and Lagos airports are not the best for concession. It’s not viable at all in terms of power; cost of tickets are not affordable and has had a ripple effect on flight in 2018,” he said.

    Odika, an aviation consultant and former director operations at the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Limited (NAHCO), said  aviation in Nigeria has taken a negative deep in terms of infrastructural development.

    He explained that foreign airlines  have been complaining of operating costs, such as taxes, saying it is their passengers that bear the brunt.

    Odika said the country was gradually moving from civil aviation to compromised aviation in the sense that with the country’s national carrier then, around 2004 when Nigeria Airways was finally liquidated, there were a lot of crisis because the domestic airlines relied on the national carrier to get certain things to keep them going.

    He noted that the liquidation made it difficult for the airlines to be on their own and started compromising and the industry started having issues with the regulatory  body as a result of the regulatory allowing airlines to pay inspectors bills then.

    Odika noted that airline operators took a lot of things for granted and urged the NCAA to live up to expectation if the country will move forward

    He noted that since aviation thrived on safety, speed and accuracy, a compromised regulator would jeopardise the sector if it allows  airlines to pay inspectors bills.

    Odika restated that no operator with Boeing 737 aircraft will survive in Nigeria.

    According to him, B737 was meant for a long haul and not for domestic operations, adding that it was difficult for domestic airlines to have a clean record for five years because they were not making money due to operating aircraft type and absence of code sharing between domestic airlines operators

    On airport concession, Odika said administrative and technical issues must be cleared before it could be done. He added that it was viable to concession airports but that their operators should be willing to give airlines certain incentives to survive.

    The former Nacho operations director urged airlines personnel  to engage themselves in airline training to understand how to be profitable, saying that there was the need for them to diversify.

    He noted that the country will fail if it relied on airports to survive, stressing that airport car parks, which ought to be major source of revenue, are not properly managed in the country.

    According to Odika, having  duty-free shops at airports will not sell because ‘’it is not our culture’’. He called for the setting up of an Aero zone around the airport to generate revenue.

  • Expert: waste dumping on streets can cause epidemic

    An environmentalist, Mrs. Glory Williams, yesterday  raised the alarm about the possibility of an epidemic in Lagos State, because of the indiscriminate dumping of waste on streets.

    Williams, who spoke on environmental conservation in the metropolis, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the dumping of waste on major streets and roads at Okokomaiko called for concern.

    She urged the government to evolve measures to avert danger.

    Williams said: “It seems to have become a tradition in many parts of the state for people to dispose of their waste on the roads. The stench is making life unbearable for passersby and residents.

    “The worst case scenario is the Alaba Rago axis. Cart pushers have turned the area into a huge dumpsite, within a neighbourhood of over 4,000 inhabitants.

    “It is unfortunate that most of the perpetrators of this environmental nuisance are oblivious of their acts or inactions.

    “We must not wait until we are consumed before we halt the ugly trend that is creeping into our living standards.

    “Public and private social health workers should go to the field and educate the masses on the dangers of such actions,” Williams said.

    She called on local and state authorities to forestall what she referred to as a human-induced danger.

  • Expert advises drivers on safety

    Lagos State Safety Commission, Ms Debite Victoria-Olu, has said adherence to tanker drivers’ checklist will prevent accidents.

    She spoke with the LSSC of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday against the backdrop of the Harmattan period, its attendant hazy atmosphere and transportation of petroleum products.

    Victoria-Olu said the agency was working in partnership with other security organisations concerned with accident-free road management “and the depot owners to check these incidents.”

    “The drivers’ checklist is a comprehensive preventive measure, which will not only save the driver, but also save property and lives of the people if adhered to.

    Read also: FRSC tasks petrol tanker drivers on safety regulations

    “There, you find out that the list stated the worthiness of the tankers allowed to load gasoline at the depot, with health safety environment officers to administer it at depots.

    “There are also provisions on safety measures on transit, which is at the discretion of the driver, although checked by operatives on the road.

    “With the hazy period around, the concern it requires is that the regulators and drivers should be more careful, heed the regulations and check such incidents that can lead to losses,” she said.

    These have made the Federal Road Safety Corps to carry out campaigns to check the incidents.

     

  • Walk improves sex life, says expert

    Couples can improve their sex life by walking regularly, an expert, Dr. Ibrahim Oreagba, has said.

    Oreagba, an Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL), spoke at the weekend during a Walk for Life and Peace organised by Human Concern Foundation International (HCFI), in collaboration with the Centre for Global Peace Initiative in Lagos.

    The walk, led by Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdul Hakeem Abdul Lateef, began at Jibowu bus stop to Maryland and back to Jibowu.

    Participants were offered free health service after the walk.

    Oreagba, who heads HCFI, said besides improved sex life, “walk deflects diabetes, prevents obesity, lowers blood pressure, gets you off medication, fades fibromyalgia pain, helps beat breast cancer and reduces the risk of stroke.”

    He added that regular walking “gives an optimal life, a life of peace and tranquility. There are certain hormones in the body that we call endorphins, they are also known as feel-good hormones. Each time you do exercise, these hormones are produced.”

    Oreagba hailed the pharmaceutical companies and individuals who made the walk possible.

    Work for life, he said, is designed to raise health consciousness of people and serve as a practical keep fit initiative.

    Dr. AbdulLateef urged Lagosians to imbibe the culture of exercise, to live healthy lives.

    Lagosians, he said, should change their lifestyle by taking a minimum of 10,000 steps everyday.

    “Walking everyday is a way to a new life. It strengthens the body’s defence mechanism. Many people are addicted to drugs and these drugs have a lot of side effects. What we need to do is a change of lifestyle by taking a minimum of 10,000 steps everyday. It is a way to a new life,” he said

    An Associate Professor at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa State, Dr Luqman AbdurRaheem, said the walking culture is dying in the society.

    “Whenever we organise walk, we make sure we tag it with the current situation in the country. This time, as we are walking for life, we are also walking for peace.  We have decided to promote peace and tranquility as we are doing the walk, due to communal crisis and war in some parts of the country,” he said.

    Jaiz Charity Foundation Executive Director Imam Abdullahi Shuaib urged Lagosians to take their health seriously because a healthy man is a wealthy man

  • Expert urges increased support for rice farmers

    World Bank Consultant Abel Ogunwale has canvassed increased support for rice farmers to boost harvest and incomes.

    He said if the rice sector enjoys robust growth, the economy will develop significantly.

    He also urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to improve the monitoring of its Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) to ensure the right farmers in the sector secure loans.

    According to him, there was need to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the rice sector with financial resources to acquire inputs, among others.

    He added that construction of rice and paddy machineries should be given special consideration for loans.

    Apart from loans and finances, he said the government should support the modernisation of technology and market access.

  • Expert recommends hopping for elderly

    The Training Instructor of Charity Organisation for the Welfare of Aged People (COWAP), Mr Jeje Adeoye, has advised the elderly to engage in hopping, kicking and boxing into the air to help keep their bodies awake.

    Adeoye, 79, made the recommendation while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the organisation’s quarterly walk and exercises yesterday in Lagos.

    The event, tagged ‘Walk for Life’, was organised by COWAP with support from the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, and Nigerian Red Cross (NRC) Holy Family Church Detachment.

    NAN reports that the group walked a distance of about seven kilometres (from the last bus stop at Fifth Avenue to 206 Park in Festac Town) instead of the usual three kilometres from previous walks.

    They also stopped over twice to rest and do some stretching exercises.

    Adeoye said: “We do exercises to help the waist, the trunk, the lower and upper limbs. We do a lot of exercises to make sure we are fit.

     

  • EU ban: expert pushes for restricted pesticides use

    A mid tightening food safety regulations overseas, Agriculture and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) Executive Director (ED) Dr. Olufemi Oladunni  has called for extension workers’ empowerment to educate  farmers on responsible use of pesticides.

    He said this would help the country improve compliance with global pesticide residue norms and reduce rejection of farm produce in the international market.

    European Union (EU) rejected 24 exported food products from Nigeria in 2016 for failing to meet minimum pesticide usage standards.

    The EU insisted that Nigeria must implement appropriate risk management measures and provide required guarantees before it could export dried beans to Europe.

    It said Nigeria must meet specified conditions before the ban will be lifted, but stated that it was supporting the country in the process that would ensure  the lifting of the ban, stating that there was need to provide farmers with training in the application of pesticides and fungicides.

    Oladunni stressed the need for improvement and the regulation of the ways that pesticides are used and marketed, as well as the ban of certain  chemicals to reduce rejection of Nigeria’s agri exports abroad.

    He said the wrong application  of pesticides threatens food production, as well as the environment and the health of farmers and consumers.

    The ED wants extension workers to be encouraged on the use of pesticide as urged pesticide dealers and farmers to not use pesticides and fungicides that can leave higher residue.

    Oladunni advised farmers to seek clearance for scientific use of chemicals on crops, cut overuse dosage and ensure adherence to latest global maximum residue level norms.

    At the moment, export of agricultural commodities is facing hurdles due to rampant overuse of pesticides, unscientific practices in dealing with toxic chemicals, and use of fungicides that have been banned in foreign markets.

    Agro exporters are worried about Europe’s stringent norms on pesticide residue levels, and the likelihood of similar standards being adopted by other countries.

     

  • Expert seeks better ways of winning election

    Political strategist and Managing Director, Chain Reaction Nigeria, Israel Opeyemi, has urged aspirants and candidates of political parties to approach the 2019 elections professionally.

    He said politicians aspiring for public offices must structure their campaigns to convince voters about their programmes, because “winning elections start with a positive mind and good programme”.

    Opeyemi said incumbent political office holders and their challengers must take advantage of public affairs and political campaign management services to win in the next general elections.

    He added that the various government services and politicians should take advantage a book currently in public domain titled: Campaign Play Book for Governments, noting that the book provides the guide to winning elections.

    Opeyemi said: “Part of the book talks about how challengers can package themselves and defeat incumbents. They are like two sides of the same coin; we have learnt to toss up in favour of different clients who approach us for our services.

    “They are part of the professional services we run by the highest professional and ethical standards, with clear rules of engagement spelt out. For example, we cannot provide these services to both an incumbent and his or her challenger no matter the fees.”

    He stressed that it was important for politicians to understand polling system and developing the thematic campaign methods.

  • Expert seeks measures to curb food fraud

    The Country Manager, HarvestPlus, Dr Paul Ilona has renewed calls for collaboration to help tackle food fraud.

    PricewaterhouseCoopers, a multinational professional services  firm based in London,(PwC) estimates that food fraud costs the global food industry up to $40 billion yearly.

    In an interview, Ilona stressed the need for agencies to respond to consumer concerns about food products most susceptible to adulteration.

    Besides, he observed also that millionsof Nigerians still remain malnourished through lack of adequate micronutrients in their diet.

    He noted: “Micronutrient deficiencies are also known as ‘hidden hunger’ – a form of malnourishment that often goes unnoticed.”

    He  lamented that the high prevalence rate of micronutrient deficiencies in the country has  profoundly negative implications for child and maternal health. He however noted that opportunities do exist to combat the effects of malnutrition on public health and development through large scale fortification and bio-fortification of the staple foods.

    He reaffirmed HarvestPlus’ continuous support to the government’s efforts to combat food insecurity and malnutrition by providing pragmatic and sustainable solutions.

    He said the organisation is organising nutritious food fair to showcasebio fortified crops and derivative products as well as associated local processing technologies. Ilona said fair is scheduled for November 7 and 9.

    The events will take place at Landmark Events Centre, Lagos.

    He said Nigerians would be able to access bio fortified crops that will improve their nutritional status and provide farmers with competitive yields.

    Among the highlights at the fair will be awards to the best farmers, processors, marketers and advocates of the bio fortified cassava and maize.

    Also, participants will have the chance to watch special screenings of award-winning movie Yellow Cassava, which features some of Nigeria’s top movie stars in a riveting plot centered on bio fortified cassava.

    The fair, which is in its fourth edition is expected to attract over 10,000 participants from within and outside the country.