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Tag: expert

  • Expert seeks improved livestock production

    A Professor of Forage Agronomy and Utilisation  Olufemi Onifade, has explained what the country should do to increase local production of meat, milk, mutton, veal, hides, skin and other exports.

    According to Onifade, the animals producing these products should be adequately fed and well taken care of, to increase the quantity and quality of the citizens’ animal protein intake and generate income for youths.

    Onifade made the disclosure while delivering the 53rd Inaugural Lecture of the University titled, “Grasses: Production and Management for Sustainable Livestock Industry”, where he enumerated the importance of forage in the stabilisation of soil, serving as cover crop for erosion control, usage as pesticide, feed for ruminants and non-ruminants, medical and recreational activities, among others. Onifade, who is of the Department of Pasture and Range Management, College of Animal Science and Livestock Production (COLANIM), observed that forage evaluation started long time ago in Nigeria, particularly in Northern Nigeria, where forage species were first evaluated in 1935, which led to the need to focus on pasture, grassland management and to establish more cooperation between livestock and traditional farmers.

    He noted that between 1956 and 1961, about 271 pasture species were evaluated at various centers in sub-humid zone and at the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI).

    He added that the livestock industry had contributed tremendously to national economy as the population of ruminant livestock in Nigeria, as at 2013, was estimated at 40,834,000 goats, 19,590,000 sheep and 16,286,000 cattle, adding that agricultural contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 22 per cent, out of which livestock was 30 per cent. He said that many established pastures were not doing well and failed to last long, while calling for proper planning, identifying fertilizer needs, using of quality seed, land preparation, proper sowing method and proper management of weeds.

  • How to reposition steel industry, by expert

    For Nigeria to achieve her dream of industrialisation, economic diversification and job creation, there is the need to fix the perennial infrastructure challenges holding the steel industry down particularly Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) in Kogi State.

    Speaking with The Nation, the former Joint Managing Director/CEO, Delta Steel Company (DSC), Ovwian-Aladja, Delta State, Dr.  S. O. Nwabuokei, said the steel industry, especially ASCL remained the bedrock of the country’s industrialisation hence the need to address the core infrastructural challenges responsible for ASCL’s moribund state and the under-performance of the steel industry generally.

    Nwabuokei, a Fellow, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), said, for instance, that to turn around the fortunes of the foremost steel rolling mill and the steel sector, the Escravos water channel, near Warri, Delta State, must be dredged to allow bigger ships berth or access the Delta ports.

    The channel connects the Warri Port to the Atlantic Ocean. But  Nwabuokei said the port has become virtually idle, as ocean-going vessels could no longer access it because of the shallow Escravos channel.

    For the dredging of the Escavos to take place, Nwabuokei said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC’s) crude oil pipelines within the vicinity of Warri Port must be relocated or lowered to a certain level.

    The former DSC chief also said  the government was yet to complete the remaining 22-kilometre rail track from Agbarho to Aladja in Warri. The rail line is supposed to facilitate the movement of raw materials and finished products to and from Ajaokuta.

    Indeed, these are some of the infrastructural issues cited by Global Steel Holdings Limited/Global Infrastructure Nigeria limited (GHIL/GINL), the Indian firm whose 10-year concession agreement with the Federal Government for the management of ASCL and National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), Itakpe, also in Kogi State, was terminated on April 2, 2008.

    The former Indian managers of Ajaokuta had accused the Federal Government of reneging on its obligations under the concession agreement it signed with them, including the dredging of the Escravos channel, relocation of the NNPC crude oil pipelines and building the rail line.

    Nwabuokei said that the only way to reposition the steel sector to allow it play its role of galvanizing Nigeria’s industrialisation and economic diversification, inclosing creating jobs was for government to match words with action and address these core industry infrastructure challenges.

    According to him, ASCL and the steel industry as a whole remained a strategic industry, a job creator and a foreign exchange earner.He said it was important to reposition the industry to enable it generate a myriad of socio-economic benefits and increase the productive capacity of the nation through its linkages to other industrial sectors.

    The expert, however, said that Federal Government’s current plans to hand over the multi-billion dollar steel plant to investors with requisite technical knowledge and financial muscle under privatisation was a step in the right direction since “government has no business in business.”

  • Pay attention to eye discomfort, says expert

    Pay attention to eye discomfort, says expert

    An iridologist, Dr Gilbert Ezengige, has warned against ignoring any feeling of discomfort in the eyes.  It could be a sign of the state of one’s health.

    Many Nigerians Ezengige said, were unaware of the usefulness of iridology as an alternative arm of healing. He said Iridology (also known as iridodiagnosis or iridiagnosis) is an alternative medicine technique whose proponents claim that patterns, colours, and other characteristics of the iris can be examined to determine information about a patient’s systemic health. The practitioners are simply referred to as Iridologists. “Iridology is based on the scientific study of the iris — the coloured part of the eye. Like markings on a map, the iris reveals physiological conditions, psychological health risks, challenges and/or strengths of various organs and personality traits.

    ‘’Through iridology, we can get an understanding of your past, present, and potential future health conditions by assessing the various body systems. Your inherited tendencies compounded by toxic accumulations in various parts of your body are also revealed,” he explained.

    Dr Ezengige said this natural medicine practice examines the eyes as mirrors to the body, believing that the iris reflects the condition and function of every organ.

    “Iridologists look at the patterns, colours, and other characteristics of the iris to gather information about a patient’s health. Through tried and proven principles, iridologists use the eyes as a wonderful piece of equipment to determine the health of the body,” he stated.

    According to Dr Ezengige, Iridology can be a way of detecting signs of developing illness or disease at their earliest stage before they become problems and before clinical indicators or physical symptoms develop. Because the different markings and colours of the iris in the unique zones of the eye correspond to the organs in the body, they can indicate potential health issues.

    “Patients may gain an early advantage in the prevention and treatment of illness, before a small health problem becomes worse. Iridology can allow you to take action early and make lifestyle changes to ensure you stay healthy. An examination can help you determine many health markers including your constitutional strengths and weaknesses, nutritional deficiencies, areas of injury, inflammation or degeneration, accumulation of toxins, emotional issues, as well as identifying key risk factors in your body. The unique colour, markings, and structures of your irises can reveal valuable information about your physical, mental, and emotional state of health,” he explained.

    And the consultation is simple, painless, and non-invasive as the practitioner uses a small flashlight and magnifying glass to examine the eyes. “Iridology can be a glimpse into the condition of external processes that are otherwise difficult to gauge – i.e. degeneration, congestion, toxicity, and acidity levels. The iris is a window to the brain; with thousands of nerve endings, microscopic blood vessels, muscle and connective tissue, they reflect the inner workings of the body. Every organ is connected to the iris via the nervous system. Therefore, iridology can be viewed as the starting point of preventive healthcare.

    Iridology offers a holistic approach to assessing patient health. Combined with other natural treatments, Iridology can improve your vibrancy and energy levels. After seeing an iridologist you will be able to look at the health of your body with clear eyes,” he noted.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Expert advises govt, others on ‘affordable homes’

    The construction and mortgage sectors must collaborate more effectively to deliver affordable homes, an estate surveyor and valuer, Mr Emmanuel Okoli, has said.

    Okoli, the president of Osita Okoli and Company,  wants industry operatives to pledge their support for “Family Homes Fund,”  a newly-introduced private sector-driven financing solution to housing challenges by the Federal Government.

    It is aimed at financing mortgages for low-income earners under its social housing programme, by raising about N1trillion. The fund is aimed at delivering solutions to alleviate the country’s affordable housing crisis.

    “In the face of all the odds, there is need for industry professionals to strive to lend their expertise to the Family Homes Fund, or any other such innovative, so that as a united property industry, we can tap into these ground-breaking initiatives to put an end to rising homelessness in our country,” Okoli said.

    On the spate of construction mishaps in the country, he said enforcement of the revised National Building Code (NBC) imbued with specific punishment for culprits in case of collapsed building, was the only way out. Not punishing culprits involved in such incidents sends the wrong message to the public and the industry.

    For instance, Okoli regrets that two years after, nobody has been found culpable in the unfortunate incident of the collapse of the roof of the indoor hall of the sports complex of the U.J Esuene Stadium in Calabar, and also a church building which collapsed during a Sunday service in the same state.

    Stressing the need for a collective effort to ensure the implementation of the Code, which he believes will arrest the national embarassment often caused by the increasing cases of the built environment failures and the near dominance and take-over of the industry by quacks, Okoli warned that the consequences of an ineffective and non-operational NBC in social and economic terms are too monumental for any sane society to ignore.

    The NBC was published in 2006 to put a stop to the unpalatable trends in the building construction industry, eliminate or reduce to the barest minimum the growing incidences of collapsed building in the country, as well as promote safe, qualitative housing for every Nigeria

    In order to meet with new trends and innovations in the sector, the building code is expected to be reviewed every three years. But unfortunately, several efforts to revise it to meet new challenges had met a brick-wall until the recent efforts of the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

    Okoli is also worried about the poor state of infrastructure in the country. To stem this trend, he wants a declaration of a state of emergency in the infrastructure sector and the establishment of an Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF). He said they were essential to get the country out of its huge infrastructure deficit.

    Although he noted that the country has completed the development of a National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP), its implementation will require tens of trillions of naira, making him to urge the National Assembly to pass appropriate legislation establishing the IDF and the implementation of the NIIMP.

    Seeking an amendment to the Company and Allied Matters Act that requires companies to contribute three to five per cent of their pre-tax profit to the IDF, Okoli described the infrastructural deficit as large and affecting every sector, adding that investments in the road sector alone requires at least the construction of 18,000 km of new roads annually for the next seven years.

    “Good infrastructure is critical to the overall development of the Nigerian economy, which in turn, impacts the standard of living of Nigerians. The government alone cannot fund the huge portfolio alone due to its limited financial resources and against the backdrop of current global financial tightening and increased competition for available infrastructure funds, so all hands must be on deck to achieve it,” Okoli submitted.

  • Inflation: Expert says Fed Govt ’ll meet 15.74 target

    An Economist, Prof. Uche Uwaleke, has expressed optimism that the Federal Government would meet its target of 15.74 inflation rate as contained in the 2017 budget.
    Uwaleke, the Head of Banking and Finance, Nasarawa State University, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
    He said the government could meet this target if there was absence of any serious shock to the economy either from oil price or output.
    He also expressed optimism that in the coming months, the inflation rate would trend further downwards in the wake of favourable developments in the international oil market.
    The don said: “The drop in headline inflation from 17.78 per cent in February to 17.26 per cent in March is a welcome development.
    “Given the import-dependent nature of the economy, the appreciation of the Naira in recent times came as no surprise due to the CBN’s sustained intervention.
    “The CBN’s sustained intervention in the forex market is moderating inflationary pressure from pass-through effect of high exchange rates.
    “It was also expected that the high food and non-food prices recorded in the corresponding period of 2016 provided a base effect on the inflation rate for March 2017.
    “Be that as it may, the key driving factors; namely electricity, fuel, housing and transportation services remain.
    “This is understandable though as these challenges are fundamentally structural and will take some time to address.”
    NAN recalls that a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed the country’s inflation rate dropped by 0.52 per cent in March to close at 17.26 per cent.
    According to the report, the declined rate is the second recorded in two months with the first drop of 0.94 per cent which closed at 17.78 being witnessed in February.
    “It represents the effects of stabilising prices in already high food and non-food prices as well as favourable base effects over 2016 prices.
    “It is also indicative of early effects of a strengthened Naira in the foreign exchange market.

  • Expert advises drivers on vehicle maintenance

    Ogun State Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer Gbenga Ademeyin has advised drivers of heavy duty vehicles to have enough concentration, anticipation and self-discipline while on the wheel.

    He made the plea at one-day workshop organised by the Sren Chemical Limited and Polymer Packaging Limited for their fleet and forklift operators at the companies’ premises at Sango, Ogun State.

    He was accompanied by the Ota Zonal Commander, Paul Kehinde Osukoya and Head of Operation and Southwest Coordinator Taofeeq Babalola.

    He said having a good attitude, skills, knowledge, enough concentration and anticipation are very essential for drivers and operators to enable them to avoid accidents.

    He urged drivers or operators to cultivate the spirit of maintenance of their vehicles, adding that a good driver or operator must be able to detect mechanical fault and have little knowledge of solving it.

    Ademeyin said maintenance is the act of keeping a vehicle in good shape and in good working condition. He said this can be done through inspection, testing engines of vehicles, servicing or replacement of parts/fluids.

    He said regular maintenance is very essential as it guarantees the safety, reliability, durability, longevity and comfort of all vehicles.

    He appealed to the operators to always embark on preventive maintenance. He said a good operator must not wait until an automotive part finally failed before replacing it, saying some vehicle parts are to be replaced frequently to avoid major damage or for safety purposes.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Sren Chemical Limited and Polymer Packaging Limited Mr Taiwo Tijani said the company organised the training to enable their drivers/operators to have adequate knowledge that would guarantee their safety while on the wheel. He noted that no amount of money spent on the training could be compared with human lives.

    He said the company frequently invites fire service commission to train members of staff on fire safety precautions. He added that safety and welfare of members of staff are more important to the management.

    The Ota Zonal Commander Osukoya, urged Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other regulatory agencies to put more efforts to their screening and inspection duties to ensure that no sub-standard goods are imported into the country.

    He noted that about 40 per cent of motor spare parts, tyres and electrical/electronic appliances imported into Nigeria are fakes.

    He also said the agencies should block all loopholes used by unscrupulous elements to smuggle fake/substandard products into the country, stating that substandard products constituted hazard to public health, lives and property.

    He added that the economy of countries producing or manufacturing sub-standard goods will be progressing while Nigerian economy will continue to dwindle if the loopholes were not blocked.

    He appealed to the agencies to ensure that proper tests and screening of goods imported into the country were carried out, saying Nigeria cannot continue to tolerate senseless destruction of lives and property of the citizens on the roads as a result of use of tyres and motor spare parts that are fake, expired or non-conducive to our environment.

    He maintained that many families have become victims of road crashes and other related disasters as a result of use of fake/expired tyres, motor spare parts, including electrical/electronic products.

    He urged the Federal Government to woo manufacturing companies that have left the country back and help reduce tariffs on imported goods.

    He appealed to the government to seriously deal with anyone caught violating the laws on importation.

  • Expert launches Insurance Market to boost profit, penetration

    An ICT firm, Pinet Informatics Limited, has launched an online platform known as Insurance Market where insurance companies and, vendors can sell products to buyers, and in turn can buy any type of insurance policy on their laptop, tablets or phones and pay with their credit cards.
    Managing Director, Pinet Informatics, Lanre Ajayi at the launch and e-Insurance Conference held in Lagos, said the platform will enable insurers realise their profit ambition and deepen insurance penetration.
    He said with proper application of ICT tools in the insurance industry, the sector can be completely turned around, making it a major contributor to the national economy.
    He said the Insurance Market offers insurance firms the opportunity to establish micro websites at a marketplace where anyone can buy from any vendors.
    He said the aggregating platform promises to transform the way insurance business is transacted in Nigeria, adding that enrollment and set up is completely free of charge to insurance companies and brokers.
    The President, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Lady Isioma Chukwuma, added that ICT is key to insurance learning, especially in tertiary institutions, enhances awareness, penetration and profitability of the insurance sector.
    She said: “We cannot, because of the cost, evade using ICT to drive insurance learning.
    “Though, there are challenges, but it will increase insurance awareness, penetration as well as the profitability of the underwriters.”
    Chairman, Nigeria Insurers Association (NIA), Mr. Eddie Efekoha, said ICT, though, an enabler, but also a great disruption of every businesses, including insurance.
    He was, however, not happy that the current existing data on insurance penetration failed to consider pension, health insurance, agricultural insurance, among others, which was initially part of the industry, but have been snatched away from the industry, saying, if all premiums of these products are added to what is recorded in the industry, the insurance penetration could have been higher than the current figure being circulated.

  • Expert urges FG to build food storage facilities to stabilise food prices

    An Agricultural expert, Mr Richard Ogundele, on Friday called on the Federal Government to build food storage facilities across the country so as to reduce post-harvest losses and stabilise food prices.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the call became imperative because of the huge investment of the government on the revival of the rail service.

    Ogundele is the Group Intervention Manager for Growth and Employment in States (GEMS4), a project financed by the World Bank and UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) in Nigeria.According to him, revitalised rail transportation will unlock the country’s agricultural potential, expand access to markets and create inclusive growth as well as wealth for the citizens.

    Ogundele said that part of the focus of GEMS4 related to plans to reduce the rate of post-harvest losses, adding that it, therefore, collaborated with Connect Rail Services, Best Foods and MasterCard Centre to ferry tomatoes from Kano to Lagos by rail.

    “The scheme, which has started, is to deliver tomato to markets by reducing produce losses from 41 per cent, incurred on the road, to 25 per cent by rail.

    “The train departed Kano at 10.45 a.m. on March 13 and arrived at Iddo, Lagos, at 1 p.m. on March 15.
    “The damage incurred was because the cabins were not well-ventilated and the train derailed twice during the journey. Besides, the country presently maintains only one rail track

    “We could not divert to another track and eventually spent 50 hours, instead of our projected 36 hours.

    “But a cold-room cargo wagon in the country would have safeguarded the produce.

    “Despite this impediment, we still judge the scheme a success because we were able to reduce waste and we got more produce to the market,” he said.

    Ogundele, however, urged the government to collaborate with the private sector in efforts to attract investments in storage facilities and the rail infrastructure so as to bridge the identified gaps.
    He stressed that the investments would translate into job creation, while boosting people’s participation in agriculture and improving the nation’s Gross Domestic Product

  • Expert laments delay in completing Niger Delta roads

    A fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Highway Engineers (FNIHE), Mr. Mayne David-West,snr, has lamented problems arising from the delay in completing critical roads in the Niger Delta region awarded by the Federal Government.

    Speaking in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, he raised the alarm that some roads awarded since 1970s were still far from completion.

    He said: “It is difficult to swallow that a 33.5km road project awarded since 2009 has a completion status of only 47.76% as at now. The Federal Government should do all it could to facilitate the completion of stalled projects.

    “Each time there is delay in a project, it pushes the price up. A road like Bodo-Bonny Road has been in the realm of dreams since 1974.

    “In 1990, we carried out some preliminary studies and produced inception report and drawings on this road and the preliminary cost estimate was just a few hundred million naira then, but today that project will cost nothing less than N150bn.

    “The Bodo-Bonny road alignment which is proposed to run initially along the eastern periphery of Bonny Island, crosses the Nanabie and then flies over Opobo Channel and Patrick Creek before running through Bodo to Mogho Junction after a distance of about thirty-nine (39) kilometers.”

    According to Mayne David-West,inadequate budgetary provisions,delay in the payment of certified works within the stipulated time frame in the contract and initial community problems, all conspire to restrain the completion of major Federal road projects in the Niger Delta region.

    David-West added: “The Bodo-Bonny road project will entail engineering soil transplant procedure, PVD installation, embankment placement and the construction of three River Crossings such as the Opobo Channel, which is about 950 meters long, the Nanabie Crossing which is about 720meters and Patrick Creeks which is 600 meters long”.

    He, however, blamed the delay on inadequate budgetary provisions, delay in the payment of certified work within the stipulated time frame in the contract and initial community problems.

    He lauded the recent tour of abandoned and ongoing road projects in the region by the Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Mr. Babatunde Fashola?, describing it as commendable and reassuring.

    He said the decision by the minister to visit project sites such as the abandoned Bodo-Bonny road project in Rivers State and the Yenegwe-Okarki-Kolo road project, which links Rivers State to Bayelsa State, had reassured the people of the Niger Delta region.

    He said the minister’s initiative had helped to consolidate the gains of the recent visit of the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and restore the peoples’ confidence in the Federal Government’s readiness to accelerate development in the region.

    David-West works for the Pearl Consultants, the firm that designed the 730km East-West Coastal Highway (Calabar – Lagos). The firm is handling the 33.5km Yenegwe-Okarki-Kolo road project.

    David-West expressed confidence that with the visit of Fashola, the Bodo-Bonny road project would commence adding that completing the road would give credit to late Chief Harold Dappa Biriye and others who fought for it.

    David-West urged all the major stakeholders of the Bodo-Bonny road such as the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), other multinationals, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Rivers State Government (RSG) and Federal Government to launch a trust fund for the road.

  • Expert to Fed Govt: sensitise public on climate change

    A Non-Governmental Organi-sation (NGO) Digital Environmental System Management has called on the Federal Government to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to sensitise the citizens to the effects of climate change.
    Its Chairman Dr Samuel Adejuwon, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on that massive sensitisation of the public would aid the fight against climate change.
    He said the essence of creating awareness at the community level was to educate the populace on specific climate change issues so as to enable them to take adequate precautions.
    Adejuwon said: “We have to continuously create awareness, especially at the local level. Government has to put in more effort; there is no amount of awareness that can be enough. When we continue with the awareness, activities will be modelled along that line.
    “Although, this is essentially the work of the Nigerian Metrological Agency and I believe they are making efforts. The Federal Ministry of the Environment can also chip in support. The Department of Climate Change, in particular, can collaborate with other government agencies and relevant stakeholders in staging the public awareness campaign. This awareness campaign will entail disseminating information to the local communities.
    “If this method can be sustained in these communities, it will further help to reduce certain problems which the nation is facing today with regard to climate change.”
    Adejuwon identified lack of funding as one of the reasons why Nigeria was delaying the implementation of climate change conference resolutions.
    According to him, it will be difficult to implement climate change resolutions as long as the climate change department is given zero budget.
    Climate change, he said, was a global phenomenon, adding, that some nations were experiencing more adverse effects of climate change than others.