The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Experts

  • Why farms fail, by experts

    Why farms fail, by experts

    There is a dearth of farm managers who know their onions. This has led to the closure of many farms. However, some experts and organisations are  working to solve the problem. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    A series of life-changing  events brought the Chief Executive of High-Hill Moringa Limited,  Sola Adeniyi, back to agriculture – into a small business outfit that packages Moringa.

    The farm has expanded to have hundreds of acres of fresh market produce, which include cucumber, watermelon, vegetables, and plantains.

    According to him, the dynamics of agriculture drive investors to embrace it. Crops – turmeric and basil – beckon from the horizon. Many investors experiment with field and cover crops.

    Yet, the challenge is lack of trained farm managers. This has led to closure of many big farms, especially those run by investors without agric background.

    Adeniyi is successful because he is trained and has experience. He acknowledges that the greatest challenge for agriculture is experienced farm managers. Adeniyi’s farm, and those that grow other high-value crops, are at the leading-edge of profitable farming.

    For him, there is so much to learn to avoid missteps that are  inevitable as a beginner. Yet, he added that failures do provide an opportunity for learning.  As an instructor, he sees the same set of errors, making investors feel cassava farming and processing are not profitable.

    While there has been huge interest in farming, Country Manager, HarvestPlus Dr Paul Ilona said even farms opened with most modern design and equipment in the last 10 years, have  gone through crises. This is because they are managed by ill trained and inexperienced farm managers.

    To address this, he is undertaking a campaign to train farm managers. He is starting with partners of Harvest Plus involved in cultivation of bio-fortified maize and cassava. Most of the hi-tech farms, he explained, went for large scale  formula, cultivating large hectares.

    Ilona said most investors have good intention, but lack farming experience. According to him, many failed farms were started by highly educated people, who had built castles in the air. In addition,  many owners depended on others to take care of their farms who themselves did not have much knowledge. According to him, farming requires extensive knowledge and patience.

    When one is inexperienced, Ilona advised that it was good for him to start small.

    He  said  farm managers should be aware of the costs and returns of farm enterprises at farm-levels and along the marketing chain and of ways to reduce these costs.

    He  said the  industry needs  farm management specialists who can   gather information and develop a true picture of the farm business and its problems and opportunities. With this understanding of the situation, he said the farm manager could  give practical and relevant recommendations.

    Ilona said Harvest Plus was ready  to  provide guidance on the development of farm management  skills  in agricultural development. At his monthly business forum, speakers featured are role models who can inspire others and encourage them to innovate in agriculture. Their stories are a testimony of how to transform agricultural value chains through their innovations.

    One of its partners, Federal College of Agriculture (FECA), Akure is mobilising mentors to work with the youth.

    The Provost of the College, Dr Samson Odedina, said the belief that young people do not want to go into agriculture was not true. They need more support in getting to where they need to be, he said. At the college, he said the youth had seen the success of its work with HarvestPlus.

    According to him, FECA is ready to work with professionals who can support young people in agriculture to learn new things and rediscover a passion for their own work.

  • How to make PPP work, by experts

    For Public Private Partnership (PPP) to work for infrastructure delivery, there is need for stakeholders to prioritise the review of existing legal framework, address adaptive and social challenges, experts have said.

    The experts who spoke at a two-day colloquium organised by the Centre for Ethics and Sustainable Development (CESD) at the University of Lagos, stressed the need for effective communication and stakeholder management, as well as gender and social inclusion.

    The theme of the forum was: ‘Reshaping the Infrastructure Delivery Landscape for Sustainable Development in Nigeria.

    Some local and international bodies, include Australia Awards Africa, Access Bank Plc, Globacom  and Keystone BankPlc, supported the forum.

    A PPP expert and Professor at the University of Queensland Business School, Brisbane, Australia, Neil Paulsen, said communication among all parties must be effectively carried out in order to foster easier and faster infrastructure delivery. He also emphasised the need to identify potential stakeholders and involve developmental institutions to facilitate proper delivery.

    “One of the key success points of ensuring effective communication is consensus-building and stakeholder engagement. Again, in all PPP initiatives, there must be clear and visible benefits for all stakeholders. That is why effective communication must be a two-way street in which the stakeholders must be kept abreast of information. Above all, infrastructure projects must make good sense to stakeholders,” Prof. Paulsen said.

    While emphasising the importance of feedback mechanisms, the university don identified tools which provide effective communication to include information, consultation involvement, collaboration and empowerment. He added that communication for diverse audiences must be taken into account.

    Earlier, the convener of the initiative, Dr.Olajumoke Akiode, who spoke on Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) in Infrastructure Delivery, said gender and social inclusion was a collaborative and inclusive means of infrastructure delivery that caters to the concerns and needs of all stakeholders- men, women, the disabled, and other vulnerable groups. A 360 degree way of thinking that leads to better practice and outcomes should foster inclusion and empowerment of women and other vulnerable groups.

    “Infrastructure delivery is essentially about the people, their concerns, issues and needs should be incorporated into the project design. It is essential  that  policy makers, financiers and  project  designers  become GESI aware,” Akiode said.

    She added that GESI mainstreaming begins with the government and its inclusion in infrastructure delivery would ensure that policy makers, project designers and other stakeholders wear the “others” shoes.

    A Lagos based legal practitioner, Mr.Babatunde Ogala, urged the government to review laws relating to infrastructural development in the country, arguing that most of the existing laws are outdated.

    He said legislative decisions that prevent development and implementations should be amended in order to achieve sustainable legal framework for infrastructure delivery.

    Ogala said security, law and order are key items which ensure good delivery of infrastructural projects and a holistic approach to reshaping infrastructure delivery is essential.

  • Experts advise investors on low share prices

    Investment and financial experts have advised discerning investors to take advantage of the historic low prices at the Nigerian stock market ahead of the expected rebound of the economy and the capital market  next year.

    At a one-day stock traders and investors summit organised by Investdata Limited in Lagos, experts said the Nigerian economy and the capital market are on the verge of recovering.

    Chief executive officer, APT Securities & Funds Limited, Alhaji Garba Kurfi, noted that the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has recorded negative double digits growth for the third consecutive year, beginning in 2014 when it was the worst performing equities market in the globe after losing 16 per cent.

    He pointed out that the third year of negative growths negates the history of the Nigerian stock market.

    According to him, many stocks on the exchange are selling at their worst price after listing their shares for trading, just as many recorded their worst prices in decades during the current year, a situation discerning investors would be watching keenly and taking advantage of the rock bottom prices to harness value in the coming months.

    He noted that a situation where market capitalisation of companies listed on the NSE has lost a cumulative N3.2 trillion in 22 months to October 2016 may not arise again in the next 15 to 20 years.

    Managing Director, High Cap Securities Limited, David Adonri noted that the capital market is awash with opportunities for investors whether the economy is growing or not, with falling equity prices an opportunity for bargain hunting.

    He said investors need to reverse their strategy at a time like this and embrace counter-cyclical stocks because they do well at this time.

    “This group is composed of companies with dividends and massive balance sheets or steady business models that are recession-proof. These high yield stocks such as fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and tobacco tend to hold up better,” Adonri said.

    According to him, recessions can provide an opportunity to buy assets cheap and the best time to invest, meaning investors can pick up stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, private businsses and more for far less than they could just a few years before.

    “Only those who improve their position in the market will smile next year because those who threw away their assets will come to beg you for them later,” Adonri said.

  • Experts: inadequate funding inhibiting reneweable energy

    Inadequate funding, poor maintenance, prohibitive cost of installation and training are  affecting renewable energy programmes in Nigeria, experts have said.

    Head of Energy and Environmental Desk, German Industry and Commerce, Mrs. Barbel Freyer and other experts, spoke at a seminar tagged: “Startups in renewable energy”, organised by the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.

    She said because of paucity of funds, operators could not access renewable energy materials, adding that banks too were not ready to fund those who want to generate solar, wind, biomass and other renewable energy.

    Mrs Freyer urged banks to provide funds for the development of renewable energy system in Nigeria. She said there was a huge market in the country, stressing that the sector’s contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would increase soon.

    The Council for Renewable Energy (CREN), Projects Implementation Committee’s Chairman Idowu Andrew said consumers were not giving renewable energy enough attention, due to the high cost of maintaining  accessories.

    “Some consumers don’t care about maintenance, they don’t care to call on the technicians to carry out periodical or monthly clean-up on their renewable energy devices,” he added.

    According to him, if routine checks and clean-up are not carried out on the devices, the radiation level will reduce and this will lead to defects in the main device.

    Idowu said the body conducted a research on renewable energy eight years ago, adding that findings showed that many individiuals cannot afford the cost of owning a renewable energy plant.

    “Now, why should I invest about N 7 million in a renewable project, when 20 or 30 people can come together to invest the same amount of money on the project?

    ‘’Failure to make renewable energy private sector-driven, means that many people will find it difficult to invest in it. So, private investors should be allowed to invest more in renewable energy,‘’ he added.

  • Experts pick holes in policies on job creation

    The rising unemployment rate in Nigeria has been traced to the anti-job creation policies of the government, experts, have said. They argued that Nigeria, with an estimated population of 180 million, is battling with 49.5 per cent youth unemployment rate as at the second quarter  of 2016.

    The experts and stakeholders, who spoke in Lagos at the WorldStage Economic Summit, with the theme: Addressing unemployment crisis in Nigeria, urged the government to carry out a major review of its economic policies.

    Dr. Femi Saibu of the Department of Economics, University of Lagos, Akoka, who presented the lead paper, drew attention to the policy on ICT revolution, saying it was employment destructive, service oriented and not production/manufacturing oriented.

    ‘’The government’s direct employment policy only created few jobs  while the series of youth entrepreneurship scheme across the country including ‘You Win’ always ended up creating social media entrepreneurs with no employment multiplier,’’ he said.

    Moreover, he said the Small and Medium Enterprises Credit Guarantee Scheme has failed to achieve its objective, as the funds were difficult to access. He said apart from being politicised, people saw it as share of national cake.

    Research & Advocacy, Executive Director, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, Mr Sunday  Oduntan, in his presentation, Getting the power sector right to boost productivity, said the power sector was facing many surmountable challenges that had made it unable to play its role as the engine of growth for job creation.

    His words: “The whole electricity supply chain still remains comatose; the promised increased generation and reliability as part of privatisation –has not happened; generation continued to hover between 3, 000 and 4, 000Megawatts. Energy theft and meter by-passing are very rampant. There is insufficient number of meters due to liquidity gap and massive shortfalls.”

    He said the Electricity Generating Companies (GENCOs) have been bedeviled by issues around gas supply such as high cost of gas, vandalisation of gas pipelines, including delay and frustration in construction of power plants.

    He said there was hope for the sector if some milestones, such as funding of liquidity by subsidy & private sector fund, incremental generation, stability and security in generation could be achieved.

    The Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO) boss, who was represented by Dr Dele Oyeku, Director, Extension & Linkage, said there was no reason why Nigeria should be facing unemployment crisis if government could implement the research findings of institutions such as FIIRO.

    For instance, he said there was an initiative on cassava substitution for wheat in baking which can generate millions of jobs across the country.

    The Cnief Executive Officer of Crown Natures, Mrs.Omolara  Aromolaran, who spoke on Addressing youth unemployment through capacity building and skill acquisition, said: “Our problems as a nation will come to an end once we become a manufacturing state.”

    She also noted that Nigeria and Nigerians needed to start producing what are essential to enhance the economy and create jobs.

    “Nigeria has always been a country that tackles problems with one strategy. The situation requires us to tackle it with multi strategies, whatever we can do individually should be done, and little by little, we shall begin to see our problems getting solved. The situation on ground is not new, but we  need Nigerians to realise that every individual has a part to play in economic rejuvenation.”

    Welcoming participants, the President/CEO, WorldStage Limited, Segun Adeleye, said the alarming rate of unemployment in Nigeria should not only be of great concern to the government, but also to the private sector and other critical stakeholders in the economy.

  • Experts inspire undergraduates

    Experts inspire undergraduates

    Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, First Primus West Africa Limited, Otunba Seni Adetu, and the Executive Director, Education, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Dr. Noel Tagoe, have advised Nigerian students to be focused and strategic in applying their skills to be successful.

    Speaking at an Open Day organised for members of the CIMA Undergraduate Club from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) at the Lagos Headquarters of First Primus West Africa, Adetu and Tagoe said the youth must have not only have defined aspirations and objectives but define how they would like to achieve them.

    Adetu, a Director at Fidelity Bank, said education though crucial, is insufficient to determine a person’s success in life.

    He therefore advised the students to open minded in exploiting their skills in various ways irrespective of their education, citing his career success as an example.  Though trained as a Chemical Engineer, his is recognised more as a marketer.

    “It is no longer about what your first degree is. Increasingly, we are seeing that successful people in different positions today did not necessarily possess the background of the profession at the first instance. Increasingly, what we are seeing in the world is that with all honesty, education is only a tool to create the mind, to expand the mind, and open the mind for what is out there. So at times, it is about application,” he said.

    For Tagoe, to be successful, the students must be ambitious and think big.

    “We do not have a sense of this is what I can do. You can do whatever you want to do. You can become whatever you choose to become.  If you look at where I came from, it was a completely different situation.  I was comfortable where I was, but I just had ambition.  I just said I was going to take a risk. Be ruthlessly ambitious, think big, and in Africa now, we need big thinkers, especially in place of where we are now,” he said.

    He urged the students to act and learn from failure instead of procrastinatin.

    “Take action, just do it. All talk is nothing. You see, when you talk, it goes off, it does not establish anything. When you think, it’s only in your head. When you do it, it changes the fact on the ground,” Tagoe said.

    Adetu praised CIMA for setting up an undergraduate club across tertiary institutions in Nigeria. He said he was happy supporting the institute to equip the future generation with leadership skills to prepare them for the real world.

  • Experts list ways to survive in recession

    Experts have suggested ways for the citizenry to survive in recession.

    They spoke at the weekend at a forum, Lagos Money Conference, organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Lagos Province 12 at Dominion Cathedral, Ipaja, Lagos.

    One of the experts and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sahara Group of Companies, Tonye Cole, urged Nigerians to see opportunities in the recession.

    Cole stated that entrepreneurs, who want to succeed, must imbibe trust, integrity and timing in doing business.

    He noted that “the God factor must also not be despised”.

    According to him, God has deposited a gift in the life of every man, which must not be despised.

    “Do not despise what God can do for you through the gift He has given you, because there is an opportunity in the gift,” he said

    Managing Director, First Registrar Plc Bayo Olugbemi said the country’s “large population is an opportunity for everyone to invest.

    “We can invest in agriculture, livestock, cocoa, cash crop, Internet or miming. Those complaining of recession are those looking for cheap answers. The market and population are big enough for everyone to tap into.”

    He urged Nigerians to think out of the box and learn what ever business they want to engage in.

     

     

    “We must be hardworking, be humble and move with people of like minds,” Olugbemi said.

    Chief Executive Officer, Devcom Group Andy Ikehide added that business would only succeed on a solid foundation, structure, infrastructure, divine inspiration and covenant practice.

    Chief Executive Officer, El-Shaddai Farms Dokun Atoyebi noted that goals must be achievable, realistic, timely and efficient.

     

     

  • Art can boost Nigeria’s foreign reserve, say experts

    Art can boost Nigeria’s foreign reserve, say experts

    At a time like this, Nigeria should explore art export to increase its depleting foreign reserve, so say notable art and culture icons at a Yoruba Ethnic Fashion Show in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. They described the arts, culture and tourism industries as good alternatives in the drive towards  diversification of the economy. EVELYN OSAGIE reports.

    Veteran art and culture personalities have urged the government to develop the arts, culture and tourism sector, saying in the face of the county’s economic diversification drive, the sector remains a fertile option.

    They spoke at a Yoruba Ethnic Fashion Show in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

    While asserting that the country can chart a dependable passage to revive its ailing economy through the enormous potentials offered by the sector, the icons urged that the textile industry be harnessed. Exporting home-made fabrics, artists, their products, and Nigeria’s diverse culture and tourist destinations, they said, would boost foreign exchange and, ultimately, increase the country’s foreign reserve.

    For dramatist and folk singer, Pa Jimi Solanke, paying proper attention to the arts and its labour force would ensure  long-term economic benefit. He said: “The next best treasure after oil is the arts. Performing art, creative arts, dance and music are pivotal to economic development. But we have failed in developing it.

    “If the government could be proactive enough to involve the professionals in the arts industry to develop it, it would go a long way in helping the economy.  If we focus on ethnic fashions, we will able to create and increase our export profile. The money we waste in importing fabrics will reduce. That is why I urge that festivals, such as the Arungungu and Osun-Osogbo, should be promoted and supported by governments at all levels.”

    Veteran actor of The Village Headmaster fame, Larry Williams, called for national reorientation, bemoaning the poor societal orientation on the importance of the industry, especially among the government and the young.

    He advised that instead of having a Theatre Arts department, it should be upgraded into an institute where core professionals in the industry would learn the practical aspects of entertainment, fashion, dancing and other genres of art.

    “Art and culture have a lot of roles to play, especially in the ongoing economic recession in the country, with a view to overcoming it.  Fashion and entertainment are crucial to economic development and have generated a lot of employment for the people. All that is required is for the government to support. If we bring innovation to it, then we shall be able to achieve a mileage in it.

    “Graduates of Theatre Arts, who are supposed to go to the arts industry and build a career, miss their way into the banking and other industries. This is another bane of development in the industry. Consequently, all the skills they learnt from school waste away. The result – poor orientation about the values of arts and lack of focus,” Williams said.

    Culture advocate and founder, Nike Art Gallery, Chief Nike Okundaye, notable culture advocate and founder of the Nike Art Gallery, urged that the homeland textile industries be rebuilt and restored, adding that the domestic fabric market, such as batik, adire, aso-oke and akwete production, should be explored.

    She called for support for art/culture promoters, saying culture, heritage, arts and creativity are our hidden treasures.

    She said: “Nigeria is a home of the arts and culture, if appreciated and developed; they can boost our economic fortunes. Textile technology and the arts are crucial to economic development and have more economic value than the oil. There is also a need to build and develop more museums, more art galleries and more workshops. It would develop our economy. The younger generation should not be left out: from the age of six, their interest and orientation can be developed in the arts and culture. Our art curriculum in schools should be richer.”

    Development Agenda for Western Region (DAWN) Commission Director-General, Dipo Famakinwa, called for policies that promote and boost domestic fabrics and its market. “We need to look inwards. If we create our own products and export them, it will boost our foreign exchange. That is why we need to be more creative and passionate about our arts, create more of them and also create markets for them. Our artists, craftsmen, fabric makers and fashion designers, etc., are already producing great things with their hands. Look at our aso-oke, adire, ankara, etc.

    “Policymakers should tap into it, not only by supporting and promoting it, but by enacting policies that ensure the fabric industry thrives. Technical and vocational education is crucial to economic development. We need to turn our crafts to wealth. Our goldsmiths and blacksmiths have gone into extinction,” Famakinwa said.

    This fashion show as well as the awards was one of the events to commemorate the Osun-Osogbo Festival.

    Now in its second year, the fashion and awards were put together by the Yoruba Arts and Festivals Promotions and the Dreamscape Productions. Through the event, the organisers said, they sought to showcase the best of Yoruba heritage through the fashion, domestic textiles, and honour outstanding Yoruba culture promoters.

    At the event were the Orangun of Ila Orogun, Oba Dokun Abolarin; Oloye Lekan Alabi; Dr Charles Akinola; Femi Ifaturoti; Avery Ammon; Femi Adefila; Remi Osiberu; Mr Yomi Layinka; Gbenga Adebusuyi and tourists from the Caribbean.

    Oloye Alabi was honoured by the organisers for his dedication to the promotion of Yoruba culture and fashion.

     

     

     

  • Embrace mutual funds, experts tell investors

    Investors have been urged to diversify their investments and hedge against the risks of volatility in the financial markets by buying into professionally managed collective investment schemes, otherwise known as mutual funds.

    Against the background of the decline in share prices, devaluation of Naira and the rising inflation, investments experts at Cordros Group advicd investors to use professionals and assets diversification to minimise risks and enjoy competitive returns.

    Acting Managing Director, Cordros Asset Management Limited(CAML), a subsidiary of Cordros Capital Limited, Mrs. Olafisayo Ogunbiyi-Badaru, said that despite the  volatility in the market, there are still investment opportunities that investors can take advantage of by using the professional services that will ensure steady income.

    According to her, in line with CAML’s strategy   to create an array of products suitable for the underserved retail segment of the economy, the company is currently offering 10 million units of Cordros Money Market Fund (CMMF)  at N100 per unit, with  minimum subscription  of N10,000.

    “This is in line with the company’s strategy   to create array of products suitable for the underserved retail segment of the economy. The fund is targeted at the retail investors and the main objective is to provide capital preservation, regular income, liquidity and capital appreciation,” Ogunbiyi-Badaru said.

    She explained that the fund’s investment objective is to provide capital preservation and regular income to unit holders by investing in high-quality money market instruments recognised by the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).

    She added that the fund is attractive to all investors who desire a steady stream of income and have low risk appetite.

    “High networth individuals with available short term ash balances can also take advantage of the fund to earn higher rates of return. Institutional clients who desire liquidity and easy accessibility to their funds with competitive returns can also take advantage,” Ogunbiyi-Badaru said.

    Also, Group Managing Director, Cordros Capital Limited, Mr. Wale Agbeyangi said the CMMF offers investors professional fund managers to avoid the mistakes of the amateur investor.

    He outlined that the fund consists of seasoned professional advisers led by Vetiva Capital Management Limited as the Issuing House, STL Trustees Ltd as the Trustee, African Prudential Registrars Ltd as Registrars to the Fund, Babalakin & Co as Solicitor to the Trustees, UBA Plc Global Investor Services as the Custodian, Access Bank Plc as the Receiving Bank and TAC Professional Services as the Reporting Accountant.

  • Experts list ways out of infertility

    Experts list ways out of infertility

    The Panoramic Hall of the Civic Centre, Victoria Island in Lagos, was filled last weekend as fertility-challenged people from all walks of life gathered to ask questions on various aspects of assisted reproductive health.

    It was Nordica Fertility Open Forum, which had as theme- ‘Improving IVF success through ancillary services’.

    Participants were relaxed and got first hand information on options one could access in overcoming infertility, including In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). There was free consultations with fertility experts and participants were able to ask questions from the faculty- Clinic Manager, Nordica Fertility Centre, Mrs. Tola Ajayi who spoke on Counseling, Dr. Victor Ajayi, on Endoscopy while Mrs Esther Odiete spoke on Acupuncture.

    Mrs Ajayi said couples experiencing infertility should seek professional counseling to obtain beneficial information. “A couple should undertake professional counseling before embarking upon investigations and treatment. This can open up channels of communication and keep a couple in contact with each other as they undergo what can turn out to be a challenging course of action,” she explained.

    She defined infertility as difficulty in conceiving despite having regular unprotected sex.

    Mrs Ajayi said the role of the counsellor is not solely in helping people at times of crisis, as people will often seek counseling when they are not having problems. When couples seek counsel, they are being proactive in wanting to develop their personal resources, enhance their relationship, and increase their ability to cope with future difficulties. In coping with infertility, seeking knowledge and understanding is a way of gaining control. Understanding what a counselor can offer will help you get what you want from this service,” she stated.

    According to Mrs Ajayi, a counselor can help a couple feel less alone in coping with the pain of infertility, as couples may decide to talk with a counselor at very different points along their ‘journey’ through infertility-at a time of great distress; when beginning medical treatment; when making difficult decisions; when feeling the strain on their relationship; when looking at ways to move on after treatment.

    Mrs Ajayi said: “There are many things couples can gain from talking with a counselor such as: reassurance that the turbulent and unexpected emotions you are experiencing are normal, and that other people have felt and expressed similar things. A counselor helps in creating time to focus on yourselves, to be solely concerned with your own needs. Permission to grieve, to vent anger, to express worries and to air differing opinions, in a confidential and non-judgmental environment.  Help in exploring the different options available and considering how well they fit with your own needs.  Contact with someone who is not personally involved, but who understands both the treatment technology and the range of emotions you may be experiencing.  Practical strategies for coping with the stress of infertility and treatment, based on what other people have found helpful.”

    According to her, a professional counselor is an advocate that can be turned to when feeling vulnerable or dissatisfied in a medical treatment environment. “Counselor supports in taking a break from treatment to recover emotionally and to review the decision to carry on with further treatment. Better understanding of your own responses to stress – individually and as a couple. Each partner is likely to deal with the feelings of loss and grief in differing ways, making it difficult to support each other. Counseling can help you to recognise and understand these differences, and enhance communication within your relationship.  Recognition that knowledge is an important part of feeling more in control. Help in gathering information and understanding it,” she said.

    Mrs Odiete, who practices acupuncture at Nordica Fertility Centre, said when acupuncture is used in conjunction with Western fertility treatments; acupuncture increases conception rates by 26 percent. “Acupuncture can increase fertility by reducing stress, increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs and balancing the endocrine system. The goal of an infertility treatment from a Chinese Medicine perspective is not just to get pregnant, but to stay pregnant and to have a healthy baby. Among many other benefits, acupuncture can provide better blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, creating a stronger chance for an egg to be nourished and carried to term,” she explained.

    She added that acupuncture consists of the gentle insertion and stimulation of thin, disposable sterile needles at strategic points near the surface of the body. “Over 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body connect with 14 major pathways, called meridians. Chinese medicine practitioners believe that these meridians conduct energy, between the surface of the body and internal organs. It is energy that regulates spiritual, emotional, mental and physical balance. When the flow of energy is disrupted through poor health habits or other circumstances, pain and/or disease can result. Acupuncture helps to keep the normal flow of this energy unblocked, thereby increasing a couple’s chances of conceiving.

    “One of the ways acupuncture infertility treatment increases fertility is by reducing stress, which is often a key factor in the fertility of both men and women. When people are under stress, the hormone cortizol is released in the brain. This alters the brain’s neurochemical balance, thus changing hormone levels and disrupting the pituitary balance that is key to the reproductive cycle. “Chinese medicine can help support a woman through this important time in her life-whether that is emotionally or physically, acupuncture can help with much more than just conception. It can help with morning sickness, nausea, aches and pains (low back pain, for example), anxiety preparation for birth, and insomnia, among many others,” explained Mrs Odiete.

    She added that because of the delicate balance between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and reproductive glands, stress is capable of preventing a woman from ovulating entirely.

    Mrs Odiete said: “This can contribute to the cause of female infertility. Stress can also create spasms in both the fallopian tubes and the uterus, which can interfere with movement and implantation of a fertilised egg. In men, stress can alter sperm counts, motility, and cause impotence. Acupuncture infertility treatment counters the effects of stress and cortizol by releasing endorphins in the brain. Hormonal balance does not have to be disrupted by cortizol to cause infertility. The most common cause of female infertility is an ovulation disorder, in which the release of a mature egg from the ovary is prevented, usually because of a hormonal imbalance. Without enough progesterone, for example, the fetus is unable to attach to the uterus. High levels of prolactin, the hormone that stimulates the production of breast milk, can also prevent ovulation.”

    Dr. Victor Ajayi said Endoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique used in infertility diagnosis and treatment and generally accepted that diagnostic laparoscopy is the gold standard in diagnosing tubal pathology and other intra-abdominal causes of infertility and gladly same is available at Nordica fertility.