The Nation Newspaper

Tag: expert

  • How govt can sustain agriculture, by expert

    Many young people consider agriculture as unattractive vocation. But, with the growing rate of unemployment, agriculture is becoming attractive to graduates who cannot secure white-collar jobs. To make agriculture more attractive to the youth, incentives must be provided to keep young people on the farm.

    This was the submission at the end of the maiden national conference held at Akwa Ibom State College of Arts and Sciences (AKWACAS) in Nung Ukim Ikono. The event with the theme: Harnessing resources for sustainable development in Nigeria, was organised by School of Natural and Applied Sciences in conjunction with the Departments of Business Management and Public Administration.

    The Provost, Mr Edward Ekpenyoung, said the best approach to keep the youth on the farm was to create lucrative market for the agricultural products to compensate for their energy. He urged government to give priority to Science, Arts and Technology, adding that students should be encouraged to embrace the agriculture before leaving the school.

    The guest speaker, Dr Martin Akpan, said sustainable development is agricultural sector would be possible if the government showed political will to tame corruption, indiscipline, and initiate proper rule of engagement and effective leadership.

    He added that abundance of resources would do little to sustain development recorded in agriculture sector, but said sustainable template should be created to check corruption in the method of channelling agricultural resources.

    The organising committee chairman, Vincent Essien, in his remark, noted that the objective of the conference was to assemble enlightened and broad-based intellectuals to analyse and provide solution to the nation’s challenges in harnessing potential in agricultural sector for sustainable development.

    Highpoint was the presentation of papers and awarding of certificates. Students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, praised the organisers for opening their eyes to the opportunities in agriculture.

    Chrisantus Santus, a ND II Accountancy student, urged government to implement the communique issued at the end of the conference, saying they were good provisions that could stimulate irreversible growth of the sector.

  • Expert advises on building dampness

    Dampness in buildings is a common occurrence in most houses. This is caused by the build-up of excess water from internal moisture or an intrusion from outside.

    According to experts, dampness in building is one of the important issues to consider during construction because, if neglected, it will affect the building structure adversely and create an unhygienic condition for persons living in such buildings.

    The Manager,  Resource Team Company, a building solution providers, Serah Egbuna, said dampness could be caused by rain water on external walls and parapets; condensation of atmospheric moisture; wet areas of buildings, such as kitchens, bath rooms, and sub standard plumbing fittings.

    Other reasons include dampness from high ground water table, cracks through which rain water seeps inside, and seepage from leaking walls of bathroom and kitchen.

    Egbuna said the current traditional waterproofing methods were not enough to tackle severe dampness occurring due to these reasons.

    “You need a specialised treatment to arrest this dampness permanently. You need not break the wall plaster to reach to brick level to waterproof it. It is directly applied on damp internal wall by brush and is very easy to use. Due to quick drying technology, the job is done very quickly,” she said.

    Egbuna added that builders and others involved in the construction industry need not fret over wall or foundation cracks, ground water seepage, disrepair, dampness, lighting, roofing, substructure, walls, flooring or any defect in a building as her firm provides all types of solutions ranging from water proofing, coatings and paints, building repairs, performance flooring, sealants, tile fixing, concrete admixture, grouting and anchors, among many others.

  • Expert canvasses use of quality materials in construction

    Expert canvasses use of quality materials in construction

    The Chief Operating Officer, Admiralty Homes Limited, Mr. Olaiwola Salami, has urged  Nigerians to use quality materials during construction.

    In an interview in Lagos, he harped on the need to patronise Nigerians who sell these materials to boost their business, adding that given the terrain and topography of some parts of the country, especially coastal areas, the use of substandard construction materials would lead to disaster.

    He noted that the rains affect residents, especially in Lekki and Ajah axis of Lagos State, where some buildings collapsed due to low quality materials used in construction.

    Salami urged Nigerians to patronise efficient property development firms who can deliver buildings that will stand the test of time.

    He cited  his firm as an indigenous outfit where quality materials are sold. “At Admiralty Homes, we are dedicated to providing our customers world-class buildings that will guarantee them rest of mind for decades to come. We use the best quality construction materials which will give them a solid apartment. This is what we are reputed for,” he said.

    He added: Admiralty Homes has in the last 12 years delivered world-class properties, including Imagine Estate, Alpha Bay Estate, Silicon Valley I, Silicon Valley 11 estates and Victory Park Estate in the Lekki/Ajah area and Banana Island Apartments as well as various developments in Ogun State, among others.

  • TSA: Expert seeks Fiscal Responsibility Act’s amendment

    •’N8tr yearly from MDAs’ remittances feasible’ 

    A renowned  accountant, Omooba Olumuyiwa Sosanya, has urged the Federal Government to amend the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 to accommodate the new Treasury Single Account (TSA) scheme, warning that any parastatal could take the government to court over the implementation of the scheme.

    Sosanya, who lauded the initiative, said: “The Act is still there; it has not been amended. That Act must be amended to accommodate TSA.”

    He said the country could realise a minimum of N8 trillion yearly from remittances from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), if leakages are plugged for effective collection and prompt remittance to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

    Sosanya expressed regrets that over the years, the MDAs have been breaching Section 22 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 which allowed them to generate revenue and keep 20 per cent of it and pay the balance of 80 per cent into the Federation Account at the end of the year.

    The Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 made provisions for the return of 80 per cent of MDAs’ operating surplus to the treasury and the remaining 20 per cent to a General Reserve Fund.

    The Act says in Section 22: “Notwithstanding the provisions of any written law governing the corporation, each corporation shall establish a general reserve fund and shall allocate thereto at the end of each financial year, one-fifth of its operating surplus for the year.

    “The balance of the operating surplus shall be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government not later than one month following the statutory deadline for publishing each corporation’s accounts.”

    But Sosanya accused MDAs of being in violation of this provision. He said if the proposed amendments to the offending provisions of the law are adopted, Nigeria will realise a minimum of N8 trillion yearly from this sector of non-oil revenue generation.

    He cited the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for instance, which, according to investigation by the National Assembly, generated over N548 billion in five years, remitted a paltry N11 million into the Federation Account.

    “Some of them (MDAs) even go to the Federal Government and say they don’t make money; they need money; they want subvention,” he said, describing as unfortunate recent discovery that over N3 trillion generated by MDAs was not remitted to the Federation Account.

    He, however, expressed optimism that the advent of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) will eliminate wastages and fraud. “The TSA is a wonderful idea. It is a blessing to this country. It’s going to eliminate fraud entirely.

    “Take the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), for instance, that collects dollars and then pay naira to the Federal Government. But, with the TSA, that money goes into the Central Bank account,” Sosanya said.

    TSA is a public accounting system using a single account, or a set of linked accounts by government to ensure all revenue receipts and payments are done through a Consolidated Revenue Account (CRA) at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    The idea is to ensure adequate monitoring of government revenue receipts and expenditures and block leakages, as no MDA is allowed to keep any operational bank account. This will ultimately entrench a regime of accountability and transparency in public fund management.

    But in implementing the TSA, Sosanya suggested that there must be a policy whereby each of the MDAs is allowed an operational budget quarterly. The arrangement, he said, will allow MDAs have certain amount that they budgeted and they cannot exceed within that quarter or period.

    He said: “For the smooth running of the MDAs, there should be what we call operational budget quarterly, because right now some of them are complaining that they cannot do things because they don’t have money; they prefer the money into the commercial banks and they can draw it the way they want.”

    Sosanya recommended that if this arrangement is implemented, a penalty should be introduced where if any of the parastatals pays money into commercial banks, those commercial banks that take that money will pay double of that money as penalty, while the accounting officers of those parastatals will be liable to 10 years imprisonment.

  • How to make refineries efficient, by expert

    Steady access to crude oil will enhance refineries’ efficiency,  Enfrasco Energy and Infrastructure Services Limited Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Chukwuma Okolo has  said.

    He also said autonomy in the management of refineries, such that their Managing Directors (MDs) could take decisions without elaborate applications to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) or the Presidency for approval should be ensured.

    In an interview in Lagos, the oil and gas expert said Nigeria did not need to privatise its refineries to make them work.

    According to him, determination and political will are all that is required to drive the refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri.

    Okolo noted the refineries by international standard were not old, adding that refinery maintenance and operation have simple processes.

    He said those running the refineries are among the best in the world, adding that if privatised, it will is still be these same Nigerians who are running it today that will run them. He said commitment was important.

    “Our refineries by global standard are extremely good, they are not old, there are refineries built in the sixties, most of our refineries were built in the 80s and 90s-there’s the “old old” Port Harcourt refinery, which was the first one ever to be built, then there was the Port Harcourt (second refinery), there is the Warri refinery which is actually three plants in one, we call it Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company which is a refinery, a petrochemical plant as well as a carbon black plant, there is Kaduna refinery which is actually a dual crude finery,” he said.

    He said the Kaduna refinery could handle both Nigerian crude and imported Venezuelan heavy crude, adding the “design was that when we need to run it so that we can produce bitumen for road construction, they run the heavy crude and have the byproducts of running heavy crude after kerosene, petrol and diesel”.

    According to him, the Kaduna refinery was designed as dual crude plant to refine Nigeria light crude or more of the Venezuelan heavy crude depending on the product yield desired.

  • Expert: Mechanisation key to increase food production

    Increased mechanisation of farms will enable Nigeria to build  a functional agriculture and food system capable of addressing  malnutrition and lifting  millions out of poverty, the Commercial Manager, Tractor & Implements, Dizengoff Nigeria, Damisa Enahoro, has said.

    At present, agricultural mechanisation in the country stands at less than 30 per cent, a position lower than that of most of the leading agricultural countries.

    Enahoro observed that there was significant disparity in relative productivity and performance across the farming sector. This, he attributed, to inconsistent levels of mechanisation.

    According to him, agricultural mechanisation can make a real difference and create opportunities for economic growth in rural areas.

    To this end, Dizengoff Nigeria is on a nationwide campaign to promote agricultural mechanisation to improve the country’s agricultural productivity.

    Accompanying this drive is intense personnel training on agricultural mechanisation.

    He said use of machines would increase agricultural productivity and enhance quality along the value chain, demanding that farmers will be trained on the use of equipment which would help modernise the agriculture sector.

    He said agribusiness companies have great potential to provide solutions through the adoption of technologies and practices and make better use of machines.

    As science and technology change the face of agriculture, he maintained that his organisation is in the vanguard of agricultural technologies, pioneering new approaches to food and farming systems.

    Enahoro said: “Dizengoff, through its Massey Ferguson brand of tractors, is committed to providing high-quality machinery and appropriate technology to suit all types of farming operations in Nigeria.”

    He  further assured farmers: ‘’Dizengoff is truly a full-line supplier of farm equipment, providing solutions to farmers no matter what their farm size or type of operation is.”

  • How to tackle tourism challenges, by expert

    Nigerians have been urged not to leave the challenges of tourism to operators alone.

    A tourism consultant, Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, said on Tuesday in Abuja,that the sector’s  challenges of lack of capital, poor government support, poor infrastructure, political instability and natural calamities hinder its  growth.

    “Lack of capital is normally a big challenge because any individual who wants to invest in this industry must have capital in terms of money as well as other resources such as land and labour. The government does not give enough support to this industry, especially in terms of allocation of funds as well as encouragement to potential investors in tourism,” Ndu said.

    He added that Nigeria has very poor roads that hinder access to areas rich in wildlife and this has resulted in further drawbacks in the industry. He also said political instability and insecurity in the country is an issue of concern to tourists and these have made international tourists to pause when they think of visiting the country.

    “Insecurity issues, tribal clashes, Boko Haram insurgents, herdsmen and farmers’ attacks have also posed a threat to the industry. Though, gratefully the present government is doing a great deal to ameliorate the situation, there is also a need to improve social services such as providing sporting and recreational facilities while also re-jigging and improving the health care delivery system,” he said.

    The tourism expert said most of the tourist sites are located in the remote areas of the country and since these facilities are usually lacking in such areas, they become unavailable to would-be visitors.

    Ndu also said low levels of technology and destruction of wildlife has also been a challenge. “In most cases, these tourist areas do not have telephone and Internet services and surely in this communication age, nobody wants to be so marooned from civilisation in such a way. For tourists from developed countries, these conditions are difficult to cope with and may make Nigeria unattractive to them,” he stated.

    He pointed out that there are also reports from the national parks and game reserves where poachers kill the animals for various reasons – most of them for commercial purposes. He attributed the deterioration of the industry to lack of education and skills because many Nigerians do not know the importance of wildlife and viewed them only as money-making opportunity.

    “All these problems cannot be left for one sector alone in Nigeria because tourism cuts across all sectors of the economy,’’ Ndu emphasised, calling on all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the private sector to join hands with the tourism and hospitality industry for the nation to access the huge benefits that abound in the sector.

  • Govt should revive Vision 2020, says expert

    With 2020 just four years away, Vision 2020 advocate, Dr Ibilola Amao, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to put machineries in place to help Nigeria reach the goal of becoming one of the top 20 economies of that time.

    Dr Amao, who said this in her address at the 22nd Vision 2020 Youth Empowerment and Restoration Workshop for secondary school pupils and undergraduates at the MUSON Centre, Onikan – last Thursday, said Buhari’s role in the fulfillment of the vision was crucial given that his tenure falls close to the deadline.

    Dr Amao said the Federal Government should borrow a leaf from the Vision 2020 youth restoration initiative, which her firm, Lonadek Oil and Gas Consultants, started in 2006 even before the Federal Government announced its own Vision 2020, with the aim of exposing 100,000 youths to career opportunities in “high technology industries where excellence, innovation and creativity are highly rewarded” by the deadline, because it has remained focused on that goal.

    She said: “While former President Obasanjo’s government referenced Vision 2020 as a substitute for Gen Abacha’s Vision 2010, it was late President Yar’ Adua in his inaugural speech who used two catchphrase, ‘Vision 2020’ and the ‘Seven-Point Agenda’ on May 29, 2007, nine years ago.  Lack of continuity of programmes and respect for commitments in governance has led to a near comatose vision.  We challenge the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to continue with this vision as the critical years to this vision are within their tenure.  We invite them to partner with us so that more is achieved by December 31, 2020.

    “We only have four years to go; we have been very diligent, very focused, very committed to what we have been doing for the past 11 years.  I think that should tell the government that whatever they decide to do they should focus on it, no matter what the challenges.

    “If one leader in the Federal Republic of Nigeria makes a commitment to 200 million Nigerians, then every subsequent leader should respect that commitment; they should follow suit.  It doesn’t matter whether you are PDP, APC or Abacha or whether it was Obasanjo. We should be consistent.  If you are not consistent in what you do, nobody will take you seriously in the world.”

    The programme featured talks on etiquette/communication; safety, attitudes, all-round development, careers, motivational speeches, film show, and a science exhibition.

    On etiquette, manners and communication skills, Mrs Omatseye Oti counseled the participants to be respectful to all kinds of people that come their way, whether older/younger, superior or subordinate, polite or rude.

    “Be respectful in all communications with people.  There is never a time you should be disrespectful.  Good manners and etiquette is showing courtesy and consideration for other people,” she said.

    To teach the participants a lesson in determination, Mr Smart Maduka, represented by Omoniyi Peace, shared his experience creating Nigeria’s first electric car with others as a student of the University of Lagos.

    He told them not to give up in the face of adversity but see the myriads of problems facing Nigeria as veritable opportunities to provide solutions to them.

    “Be motivated to succeed.  Nigeria has a lot of problems.  But it is still the same country that provides platforms for solutions,” he said.

    On her part, Mrs Yewande Abiose, Managing Director, Energy Institute, shared how she overcame her hatred for Chemistry and became one of the best in it to show the pupils that they could change their situations.

    “Challenge yourself.  You need to tell yourself you can do it.  I hated chemistry.  But I dealt with Chemistry such that if Chemistry sees me it will run,” she said.

    Other speakers at the event included Mr Laolu Oguntuyi, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB); Mr Dele Arikawe, Chevron Nigeria Ltd; Mr Soji Oyawoye, Mr Adekunle Adefila, and Mr Segun Adaju.

     

  • Expert seeks functional agric research system

    An expert on economic development, Dr. Utiang Ugbe, has said eradication of hunger will require a functonal  agricultural research coordination system.

    Calling  for a unified bureau, Ugbe  stressed that making researches work for improved food security and nutrition requires coordination and implementation of appropriate policy interventions and getting researchers to work together to achieve given  objectives.

    He said: “There should be a unified bureau for the governance, coordination, management, and direction agricultural science, technology and innovations (STI) for the country.  The functions of the bureau will include hosting of partner-funded pilot projects on various aspects of agriculture, by aligning each project with the suited agricultural research campus, and the relevant private sector parties. This is how you ensure institutional learning and the effective digestion and diffusion of innovations from pilot projects into national priorities, policies and processes in agriculture.  The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) hosted a small DFID (Department for International Development)-funded pilot project for about 30 months, and was able to adapt key elements of the technical template of the project into a major World Bank funded project which rolled out nationwide.”

    Currently, he said the ARCN has coordination and oversight functions of the national agricultural research system consisting of 15 or so national agricultural research institutes, and federal colleges of agriculture nationwide.

    He noted: “Each of the research institutes was created by an enabling law at a given point in time, and each has its own governing board. The current system does not appear to have a mechanism that would allow effective technical oversight and quality assurance in the development of market-oriented science, technology and innovation (STI) research by the agricultural research institutes. As a result, we now have a non-existent interface between agricultural STI and the private sector in the country.

    “But if you look at the structure in some countries, especially Brazil, India and Ghana, our system is not streamlined, and therefore does not have a workable technical quality assurance and oversight mechanisms. The boards of the research institutes are typically political appointees who are there just for the largesse, and not because they know a thing about agricultural research, science and technology. Rarely do you hear that a governing board of a national agricultural research institute has ever successfully fundraised from the private sector or from development donors for the institute, apart from occasional project support coming through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. Yet, the key function of a board in the business world is to serve as resource to the organisation, not unproductive cost centres that politically appointed boards typically have been.”

    He said the recommended system will have only a single governance structure or board for agricultural research in Nigeria, adding that since Nigeria is a federal political structure, any state may also establish its own agricultural research institute, just as we now have some state colleges of agriculture.

  • Fertility: How egg freezing method works, by expert

    Fertility: How egg freezing method works, by expert

    For fertility challenged women, all hope is not lost.They can become pregnant through the oocyte (egg) freezing producure, which is now available in the country. The Bridge Clinic used the process to deliver a baby on February 16. A fertility physician with the clinic, Dr Emmanuel Owie, takes OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA, through the producure’s rudiments.

    Age or menopause may no longer be a barrier to a woman having a child, thanks to oocyte cryopreservation, which is available in the country. Human oocyte cryopreservation (egg freezing) is a process where a woman’s eggs (oocytes) are extracted, frozen and stored to be used when she is ready to become pregnant.The ‘frozen’ eggs can be thawed, fertilised, and transferred to the uterus as embryos. The cooling of cells and tissues to sub-zero temperatures stops all biological activities and preserves the eggs for future use.

    The Bridge Clinic is the first fertility clinic to record the feat in the country. A male child, Tiwatope, was delivered in the clinic on February 16, through the process.

    According to Dr Emmanuel Owie, a Fertility Physician with the Bridge Clinic, egg freezing is a way of “thwarting” the ticking biological clock’ of women, who when they grow older, are more likely to produce eggs that will have chromosomal abnormalities that can make it harder for them to conceive and carry pregnancies to term.

    “But with Cryopreservation, which is the cooling of cells and tissues to sub-zero temperatures in order to stop all biological activities and then preserve the eggs from future use, a woman’s chances at child bearing, is increased. Human oocyte cryopreservation (egg freezing) is a process in which a woman’s eggs (oocytes) are extracted, frozen and stored. Later, when she is ready to become pregnant, the eggs can be thawed, fertilised, and transferred to the uterus as embryos,” said Dr Owie

    He said “egg freezing is particularly recommended for the women diagnosed with cancer that may lose their fertility during chemotherapy, women with a family history of early menopause, women with objections to storing frozen embryos for religious and/or moral reasons and women who want or need to delay childbearing in order to pursue some personal goals such as career building”.

    Explaining the procedure, using the clinic’s Tiwatope’s accomplishment, Dr Owie said the baby’s birth is significant in many respects, as it has put the country on the global map as regards the practice of oocyte cryopreservation; a new offering in the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) space.

    He said: “Before Tiwa’s birth this new practice seemed to be an exclusive preserve of the developed world of Europe and North America. It is even more significant, considering the fact that since the report of the first pregnancy through this protocol in 1986, the practice has resulted in the birth of only about 5,000 babies worldwide. And Nigeria has added  one with Tiwa’s birth.

    “Tiwatope’s mother had her eggs frozen using the vitrification, also known as flash-freezing, process. This is the cutting edge technology in cryobiology, where the eggs or oocytes of a woman is dehydrated and the water content is replaced with ”anti-freeze” solution (cryoprotectants) before freezing. This prevents the formation of ice crystals, which could destroy the cell.”

    Tiwa’s parents had battled infertility for eight years, but had the mother had her eggs frozen for two months and on her readiness for pregnancy.

    “We fertilised the eggs, using a standard technique known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in order to overcome the egg shell, which normally gets hardened with freezing. The fertilised egg was subsequently transferred into her womb, resulting in the conception of Tiwa,” “She had her ante natal care in her family hospital and delivered the baby boy through caesarian section (SC),” Dr Owie added.

    Explaining the process further, Dr Owie said: “Egg freezing works in a simple way. Though basically sperm and embryos have proved easy to freeze, the egg is the largest cell in the human body and contains a large amount of water. When frozen, ice crystals form that can destroy the cell. We must dehydrate the egg and replace the water with an “anti-freeze” (cryoprotectants) prior to freezing in order to prevent ice crystal formation. We also learned that because the shell of the egg hardens when frozen, sperm must be injected with a needle to fertilise the egg, using a standard technique known as ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection).

    “And in order to retrieve eggs for freezing, a patient undergoes the same hormone-injection process as in-vitro fertilization (IVF). The only difference is that following egg retrieval, they are frozen for a period of time before they are thawed, fertilised and transferred to the uterus as embryos.”

    Asked when a woman should freeze her eggs, Dr Owie said the chances for success (pregnancy) are greater if a woman uses ‘younger’ eggs—meaning either eggs she froze in her 20s or early 30s, rather than later on. And for how long can the eggs remain frozen? He said eggs are frozen in the same manner as embryos, utilising a freezing temperature of -196 degrees Celsius. Eggs could be preserved for more than ten years. Long-term storage of frozen eggs does not result in any decrease in quality. And how many eggs should a woman store to achieve pregnancy? He said, based on studies, egg thaw rates of 75 per cent and fertilisation rates of 75 per cent are anticipated in women up to 38 years of age. Thus, if 10 eggs are frozen, seven are expected to survive the thaw, and five to six are expected to fertilise and become embryos. Usually three to four embryos are transferred in women up to 38 years of age. It is recommended that 10 eggs be stored for each pregnancy attempt.

    Coordinator, Corporate Marketing/Communication and Client Relations, The Bridge Clinic, Dr Ekundayo Omogbehin said aspiring women can be rest assured that the babies born through this medium are normal, as the case of Tiwa has shown, “The baby and the mother are in good health to the delight of the family and friends. We could not put faces (photos of them) to the names due to the sensitivity that still goes with novel developments like IVF, understandably. They have, however, given us permission to use the real name of the baby boy (not surname) as well as the photographs of the new baby.

    “We hope these will suffice in the given circumstances. We also hope that, one day, Tiwa’s parents will overcome these sensitivities and come out to encourage other women, who may be in need of this offering to come for it,” he said, adding that the costs for egg freezing are identical to those of routine IVF.