The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Experts

  • How to bridge housing gap, by experts

    How to bridge housing gap, by experts

    Housing shortage is not limited to the middle class. It cuts across every stratum of the society,  the Executive Director, Grenadines Homes, Mr. Adesope Adeyinka, has said.

    In an interview, he said: “When we talk about housing deficit, people actually think it is limited to the lower class of the society. It will not be fair to look at the housing deficits challenge in Nigeria from one side. The deficits actually exist among all the market segments: the top, the middle and the lower classes.’’

    in partnership with stakeholders, Adeyinka said the deficit could be  managed. Besides, through the use of modern innovative technologies, some initiatives aimed at catering for the needs of each segment of the real estate market could be executed.

    For instance, he said its parent company- Palton Morgan Holding Company, Grenadines Homes and Propertymart, is working as subsidiaries, to provide for the different classes of the market. Propertymart caters for the middle and  the lower classes, by developing affordable property, for example, that civil servants and young executives can buy.

    On the other hand, Grenadines Homes, he said, was established to provide for the housing needs of the upper class whose projects are usually in exclusive areas.

    To boost housing units in the A and B luxury and upper segment, Grenadines Homes is undertaking a new housing project, called the “Atlantic Resort”, which on completion, will add 165 residential units to the upper end of the market.

    Adeyinka said it was conceived in response to the demand for mixed-use developments driven by the rise of the middle class and a thriving business environment in Lagos state.

    “The Atlantic Resort concept is basically around live, work and play in one, beautiful environment. We are looking at a model that will achieve self-sufficiency in terms of necessary facilities that will make the residents to be productive in their respective endeavours. There will be recreational, educational, shopping and tourism facilities, among others. In other words, you can control the world from the estate. It’s already attracting foreign direct investments. The phase one alone is going to cost $150 million. It’s a project we need at a time like this,” he said.

    The Marketing Manager, Grenadines Homes, Ms. Francisca Dyegh, explained that the Atlantic Resort concept as a well-thought-out project.

    He explained: “What other companies are doing is different from what we are doing; they are selling land to developers to develop, but what we are doing in Grenadines Homes is that we are directly responding to need of people within this vicinity. Atlantic Resort is about the only mixed used development that can give you the opportunity to live, work and play in one serene, beautiful environment.’’

    The Managing Director, Brash Brands, Dubai, Kiran Gill, said her company is coming into the project to tell the story of Atlantic Resort to Nigeria in a compelling way that will attract investors locally and internationally.

    “So, we understand what the ambition and the hopes are for Grenadines Homes, what they’re planning to do with the development.  And for us at Brash, we look at how we can tell that story. To tell that story in a compelling way to consumers and to investors who are looking to buy.

    Stakeholders believe that with a growing middle class and the need to cater for their housing needs, which is projected to hit 7.6 million by 2030, the prospects for this category in terms of investment potential.

  • Experts seek improved oral health

    Dentists have called for more government’s intervention to reduce common dental problems such as gingivitis and carries. These, they said, are common oral problems which almost half of the population currently suffers from.

    They stated this during the 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine University of Lagos Idi-Araba.

    Former Dean, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Lagos State College of Medicine Ikeja, Dr Tajudeen Ayodele Kekere-Ekun said oral health is very important to people’s overall health. This, he said, is because some of the problems that occur in the mouth may affect general medical conditions of the body.

    He said failure to take care of the problem of the mouth will result in problems that may cause the teeth to develop some holes.

    Kekere-Ekun said if the dental problem is not treated, it will affect the pulp, which is the living part of the teeth.

    “If nothing is done, it will go down into the root to cause a widespread body infection,” he said.

    He identified some of the challenges of dental health as lack of adequate modern equipment to treat patients, lack of consumables and teaching aids for students of dentistry.

    Besides, there is need for expansion of the infrastructure so that more students can be trained.

    “The population of Nigeria is about 170 million and the ratio between dentists and patients is horrible. Nigeria, at present, has about 3,000 dentists,” he said.

    Kekere-Ekun said there was need for specialisation, adding: “We are doing this but there is a need to do more”.

    Dentistry, he said, is more than the teeth, gum and tongue or mouth, adding that it now involves macillofacialcrania.

    He urged the Ministry of Health to create a directorate for oral health so that dentistry can have greater attention in the scheme of things.

    Kekere-Ekun said more facilities should be provided by various agencies of the federal and state governments to make dental treatment available to the people.

    Dean, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine University of Lagos Dr Godwin Arotiba said 50 years in the life of any man calls for retrospection.

    He shared the same idea with Dr Kekere-Ekun on common dental diseases in Nigeria, urging the government to do something to improve the country’s oral health status.

    He said gum disease is responsible for low sperm count in men while expectant mothers have low preterm babies when they have gum disease.

    He said those who experience bleeding in the gum while brushing may have the disease, adding that people should brush their teeth after meal to remove debris (food particles) from their mouth.

    “More importantly, dental carries and gingivitis should be put on National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS),” he said.

    Former President, Nigeria Dental Association (NDA) Dr Clement Olojede said the Nigerian Oral Health policy, which was inaugurated in 2012, is not living up to its billing.

    Olojede urged the government to bring key players together to make the policy workable.

    “There are things that should be done for the immediate future, intermediate and long-term. The NDA and other stakeholders should be carried along,” he said.

    He said dental clinics should be made the first port of call for people suffering from dental problems.

    Olojede, who is the Secretary-General, African Regional Organisation of World Dental Organisation, said the government should make dental education more affordable.

  • Experts seek improved oral health

    Experts seek improved oral health

    Dentists have called for more government’s intervention to reduce common dental problems such as gingivitis and carries. These, they said, are common oral problems which almost half of the population currently suffers from.

    They stated this during the 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine University of Lagos Idi-Araba.

    Former Dean, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Lagos State College of Medicine Ikeja, Dr Tajudeen Ayodele Kekere-Ekun said oral health is very important to people’s overall health. This, he said, is because some of the problems that occur in the mouth may affect general medical conditions of the body.

    He said failure to take care of the problem of the mouth will result in problems that may cause the teeth to develop some holes.

    Kekere-Ekun said if the dental problem is not treated, it will affect the pulp, which is the living part of the teeth.

    “If nothing is done, it will go down into the root to cause a widespread body infection,” he said.

    He identified some of the challenges of dental health as lack of adequate modern equipment to treat patients, lack of consumables and teaching aids for students of dentistry.

    Besides, there is need for expansion of the infrastructure so that more students can be trained.

    “The population of Nigeria is about 170 million and the ratio between dentists and patients is horrible. Nigeria, at present, has about 3,000 dentists,” he said.

    Kekere-Ekun said there was need for specialisation, adding: “We are doing this but there is a need to do more”.

    Dentistry, he said, is more than the teeth, gum and tongue or mouth, adding that it now involves macillofacialcrania.

    He urged the Ministry of Health to create a directorate for oral health so that dentistry can have greater attention in the scheme of things.

    Kekere-Ekun said more facilities should be provided by various agencies of the federal and state governments to make dental treatment available to the people.

    Dean, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine University of Lagos Dr Godwin Arotiba said 50 years in the life of any man calls for retrospection.

    He shared the same idea with Dr Kekere-Ekun on common dental diseases in Nigeria, urging the government to do something to improve the country’s oral health status.

    He said gum disease is responsible for low sperm count in men while expectant mothers have low preterm babies when they have gum disease.

    He said those who experience bleeding in the gum while brushing may have the disease, adding that people should brush their teeth after meal to remove debris (food particles) from their mouth.

    “More importantly, dental carries and gingivitis should be put on National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS),” he said.

    Former President, Nigeria Dental Association (NDA) Dr Clement Olojede said the Nigerian Oral Health policy, which was inaugurated in 2012, is not living up to its billing.

    Olojede urged the government to bring key players together to make the policy workable.

    “There are things that should be done for the immediate future, intermediate and long-term. The NDA and other stakeholders should be carried along,” he said.

    He said dental clinics should be made the first port of call for people suffering from dental problems.

    Olojede, who is the Secretary-General, African Regional Organisation of World Dental Organisation, said the government should make dental education more affordable.

  • Experts differ on real estate market rebound

    The continued fall in the value of the naira may have taken its toll on the property market.

    With the war on corruption assuming an all-time high, tougher times may be ahead for the real estate sector, at least, for another two years.

    Experts at a dinner organised by the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI) in Lagos also warned that the “unclear policy direction by the Central Bank of Nigeria” (CBN), would give rise to “persistent macro-economic headwinds”, resulting in the slowing down in construction activities. A continuous foreign exchange restriction, they further argued, will increase the cost of building materials and lower disposable income, which would ultimately affect the demand for property.

    Speaking on the “Role of the Real Estate Sector in Reshaping the Economy” at the FIABCI gathering, the Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, said several abandoned projects and reduced disposable income, which have affected property demand, can be attributed to the huge shortfall in government revenues.

    He noted that because of the prevailing liquidity pressure and the capacity for refinancing on the part of Primary Mortgage Banks (PMB), there is a huge growing focus on high-end property and shopping malls, which are now attracting increased interest from private equity firms.

    “Private investors have adopted wait and see position as the CBN may likely expand the forex trading band before the Monetary Policy Committee meeting in March to N185-N220, which will reduce cost of building materials,” said Rewane, adding that this year, constrained by low activity levels in the economy and weak domestic consumption, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth will remain sub-optimal at three per cent. He, however, assured that this will get a boost next year once government spending picks up.

    But the Chief Executive Officer of Bode Adediji and Co, a firm of Real Estate practitioners and consultants, Mr. Bode Adediji, carpeted Rewane on the possibility of the market rebounding in 2017.

    Adediji explained that the property market thrives on the fortunes and misfortunes of other sectors of the economy, arguing that until there is an overall turn around in the economy, the real estate market will exhibit features of worst recession ever experienced in the past decades.

    “In any economy, a period of mass disengagement of staff is always followed by a prolonged property crisis. Those laid off will default in rent payments,” Adediji said.

    While these experts may disagree on a rebound period for the sector, except urgent steps are taken, more properties, especially residential, will continue to remain unoccupied while may more tenants may not be able to pay their rents.

  • How to avoid cancer, by experts

    How to avoid cancer, by experts

    A breast cancer survivor, Mrs Benedicta Oboh, has relived how she overcame the deadly ailment. She spoke at a summit organised by Anti-Drug, Misuse and Abuse Programme (ADMAP),  a non-governmental organisation (NGO), to mark the World Cancer Day. EZEKIEL EFEOBHOKHAN (500-Level Pharmacy) reports.

    Cancer can be survived even after diagnosis, says Mrs Benedicta Oboh, a survivor. “I don’t know how God did it, but I did not react to any of the chemotherapeutic agents used on me,” she told a gathering of students at a summit organised by Anti-Drug Misuse and Abuse Programme (ADMAP), a non-governmental Organisation (NGO), to mark the World Cancer Day.

    The event was held at the Lecture Theatre II in the old Faculty of Pharmacy Complex of the University of Benin (UNIBEN).

    Mrs Oboh was invited to tell her story at the event with the theme: Not beyond us. Those in the audience included lecturers and and secondary school pupils.

    Mrs Oboh recounted how she survived after a series of chemotherapy. The audience was held spellbound as she explained in an emotion-laden voice.

    “It is God that made me to survive,” the breast cancer survivor, who had her treatment at National hospital Abuja, told members of the audience, adding: “There was no other thing that made me survive other than divine intervention. On a certain date in 2009, I observed a lump in one of my breasts. After routine examination, I was told that it was not cancer. Later, I was told by doctors to go for further examination, which I did. But it was later discovered that I needed to remove the breast. That was when it occurred to me that I was dealing with a breast cancer.”

    She continued: “After removing the breast, I went for chemotherapy. It was not easy, but it was God. I ran into debt, trying to get treatment but God sustained me all through. Many persons were reluctant to lend me money for treatment. They thought I would not survive the treatment. But I did.”

    Mrs Oboh said she did not feel nausea and other symptoms associated with chemotherapy. She said the treatment was done by “the finger of God”.

    She added: “I kept telling myself that I would live to take care of my children. I kept having a positive face towards God and He did not fail me.”

    The ADMAP chairman, Isaac Ehimen, said people usually have fears and negative thoughts when they hear about cancer, negative thoughts. Corroborating Mrs Oboh, he said the surviving cancer was not beyond anyone.

    Dr Joseph Adewole, a consultant at the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) engaged the participants to different types of cancers and their treatments. He linked people’s way of life as a cause for rising cancer cases.

    He said: “Unregulated Intake of nicotine and alcohol and obesity increase the risk of having cancers. Also, westernisation has also led to an increase in the incidents of cancer in this part of the world.”

    He warned that modesty remained the key to survived, since scientific postulations proved inadequate to stop the surge in cases of cancer. Adewole added: “People should be careful of what they ingest. We must organise what we eat and reduce our urge to patronise public restaurants.”

    An Oncology pharmacist at UBTH, Dr Comfort Izzah, advised the participants to eat natural food, noting that it was the best way to avoid cancer. While explaining the benefits of eating fruits, she said people must avoid taking synthetic products to escape the disease.

    Prof Ray Ozolua of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology also spoke about the way people could survive cancer during a question-and-answer session.

    The event featured training on how women can conduct personal examination on their breast. They were advised to do the check every 30 days, because early detection could help in surviving cancer.

  • Nigerians in Diaspora to bring in waste management experts

    Nigerians in the Diaspora have promised to get investors to harness the potential in waste deposits in Lagos State.

    The United Kingdom All Progressives Congress (UK APC) Chairman, Mr. Abiodun Ali, made this known at a meeting with the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare.

    According to Ali, the project, when fully on stream, will earn huge revenue for the state, adding that it will also create several job opportunities.

    He said: “We are here because we are very concerned about the Nigerian environment and, particularly, Lagos State environment. We have met the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment to discuss partnership on how to invest in the Lagos environment.

    “We, in the diaspora, can help in this area. There is no much awareness on how to  keep a better environment by our people. The government is sending a lot of money to maintain a healthy environment.  We have suggested that effort should be redoubled create awareness on how the people can inculcate a better environment.

    “Those who drop waste into the drainage should be sanctioned. This is because anytime there is rain the whole place will be flooded. This can lead to a situation where the people will abandon their houses if they are submerged by water,” he said.

    “There is lot of money to be made in environmental development. We are looking at the area of waste water management, waste disposal and the turning of waste to wealth.

    “This will create conducive environment and generate job opportunities for our teeming unemployed youth. There are lots of thing in the areas that refuse are dump which can be turned to money.

    “That can also help the state to generate fund to finance some of its projects. The state cannot fund everything that is why we are talking of partnership with the government to assist the state. Government is going to make lots of money we cannot quantify because we are talking in terms of billions of dollars. Government is going make lots of money from the investors when they come.”

    Adejare  said the state was willing to partner organisations and individuals to make the state better.

    He said the government was working on proposals and projects that would make the state safe, clean and friendly, noting that it was high time people made cleanliness a way of life in view of the spread of diseases, such as Lassa Fever and others.

  • Experts worried over 2016 gloomy outlook

    Experts worried over 2016 gloomy outlook

    The nation’s economic outlook in 2016 leaves little to cheer about. These were the submissions of experts who spoke at this year’s edition, of the Nigerian Economic Outlook, organised by the Networks Business Club of the City of David, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in partnership with Access Bank Plc.

    Lagos State governor, Akinwumi Ambode who delivered the keynote address observed that one of the challenges bedeviling the country was caused in part by the crash in the price of crude oil.

    According to Ambode, who was represented by Mr. Akinyemi Ashade, Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, the current economic crisis, is the direct consequence of the fiscal irresponsibility witnessed in the past couple of years and inability to save for the rainy day during the oil price boom.

    While giving a bird’s eye view of the economic outlook for 2016, renowned economist, Bismarck Rewane said 2016 is going to be a tough year.

    Rewane who is the Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited said: “If anybody had told me this time last year that oil will drop by $50, I will say no way. But here we are in 2016 and it has dropped to $28. We don’t need an economist to forecast that a country dependent on a single commodity, which is oil, will be worse hit.”

    The year 2016, he emphasised, will be flat “but towards the end of the year, things will pick up and the reason it’s going to be that way is because the present administration is doing the right things very slowly. There seems to be no urgency. Everybody is waiting on government for its policy direction; including foreign investors. There is no time to waste because by 2017, politicians will start talking of primaries for 2019 elections.”

    Echoing similar sentiments, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, former Country Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC) who observed that things were gloomy for the economy, however, expressed optimism that there are business opportunities within the oil and gas sub-sector for those who can make the sacrifice.

  • Experts make case for solid mineral policy

    Experts make case for solid mineral policy

    Nigeria is endowed with a variety of solid minerals. There are about 40  kinds of solid minerals of various categories waiting to be exploited, according to Nigerian Extractive Industries and Transparency Initiative (NEITI). With a robust  policy, experts say that the sector could contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth and development. Assistant Editor OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE writes.

    The solid minerals sector is acknowledged as a viable alternative to oil & gas sector for foreign exchange earnings. The commercial value of the nation’s solid minerals is estimated to run into trillions of dollars annually, with 70 per cent of it said to be buried in the bowels of Northern Nigeria alone.

    The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, admitted this much during his first meeting with media practitioners when he said the solid minerals sector, when properly structured, has the capacity to provide no fewer than a million direct jobs and contribute as much as the oil and gas sector into the national economy.

    According to recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the contribution of the solid minerals sector to the Nigerian economy, which stood at one per cent as at 2014, has the potential to increase to 10 per cent by 2020.  The report further stated that the sector is capable of creating millions of direct and indirect jobs.

    The NBS report stated specifically that 44 solid minerals are found in commercial quantity and are spread across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Out of these, seven strategic solid minerals are currently prioritized and promoted for private sector participation and investment by the Federal Government. They are gold, coal, bitumen, limestone, iron ore, lead/zinc and barytes.

    To fully exploit the immense potential in the sector, experts say there is need for a solid minerals policy to ensure an orderly development of the country’s mineral resources. Such policy, they noted, would among others, provide clear rules for predictable behavior by the authorities, and a clearly prescribed pattern of developments with roles of the different actors clearly defined.

    Before now, previous administrat-ions had made it a priority to encourage investors to venture into the solid minerals sector in order to diversify the economy. This led to the introduction of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Regulation 2011 to streamline procedures for granting licenses to investors (both local and foreign) and guarantee access to mining sites with minimal encumbrances.

    The regulation provided for the right to search for, or exploit minerals in Nigeria, and is obtained through any of the following mining titles: Reconnaissance Permit, Exploration License, Small Scale Mining License, Mining License, Quarrying License, and Water Policy.

    The legislation guarantees among other things, security of tenure through mining lease, transparent procedures for granting access to mining titles on a first come first serve basis by Federal Ministry of Solid Mineral Development.

    Others are a pledge to give internationally competitive mining incent-ives and also provide comprehensive geo-science data of mineral deposits and their locations in Nigeria.

    A comprehensive package of incentives have also been put in place to create a favourable environment for investment, some of which are deferred royalty payments, capital allowances of up to 95 per cent of qualifying capital expenditure, exemption from customs and import duties for plant, machinery and equipment for mining operations.

    In addition to three to five years’ tax holiday as applicable; and tax concessions, possible capitalisation of expenditure on exploration and surveys, there is expatriate quota and resident permit in respect of the approved expatriate personnel and personal remittance quota for expatriate personnel, free from any tax imposed by any enactment for the transfer of external currency out of Nigeria.

    In addition to the above fiscal incentives, the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) Act 16 of 1995 allows for 100 per cent ownership of investment, while the Foreign Exchange Miscellaneous Act 17 of 1995, guarantees 100 per cent repatriation of capital, profit and dividends through authorised means.

    Apart from the seven strategic solid minerals that have been prioritized and promoted for private sector participation and investment by the Federal Government, other solid minerals that are found in commercial quantity, making Nigeria haven for investment, include rock salt, gypsum (an important input for the production of cement), gemstones, kaolin, and tantalite.

     

    Experts speak

    Experts have advised on the need to have added value to the numerous minerals in the country. They noted that most of the minerals are sold in raw form without any value addition, depriving the nation of the much needed foreign exchange. They argue that to derive more revenue from the products and create more employment opportunities, there has to be value addition.

    The Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA) declared that the solid minerals sector has greater capacity to generate revenue than oil Its President, Dr. Abdul Bello, said Nigeria has large solid mineral deposits in most of the 36 states of the federation. He, however, lamented that the sector had been largely neglected in the wake of the oil boom.

    Dr. Bello said in view of declining revenue from oil, government now has no option than to diversify the economy by focusing on the solid minerals sector.

    KADCCIMA Second Deputy President, Hajiya Muheeba Dankaka, agrees with him. She said the reduction in global crude oil prices is not expected to cease, at least in the short run. While noting that this has necessitated the need to diversify the economy, she said one key sector that offers great potential in achieving this is the solid minerals sector.

    Dankaka and other stakeholders however, pointed out that an industry such as the solid minerals sector that has the potential to be a major cash cow unfortunately lacks adequate regulation and a proper structure.

    They asked government to address the lack of synergy between state Ministries of Mines and the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel and to create a relationship between mining host communities and the ministry.

    They canvassed the removal of mining from the Federal exclusive list to allow states regulate mining activities in their domain.

    They also  asked that strict adherence to laws guiding environmental pollution and degradation in mining communities should be instituted while ensuring that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is carried out before mining licenses are given to artisanal miners. Government’s efforts

    Dr. Fayemi said the main focus of his ministry is to reposition mining activities in the country and ensure that the sector contributes immensely to economic growth within a decade.

    He said opportunities abound in the solid minerals sector to actualise the current administration’s vision of using the sector to diversify the economy and create jobs.

    According to the minister, any current holder of mining licence who failed to use it would forfeit such from March when the ministry would start enforcing the ‘use it or lose it’ doctrine as enshrined in the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act.

    While unveiling the roadmap, which the ministry intends to achieve in the short, medium and long term, the Minister pointed out that the country’s solid minerals sector currently makes up about 0.34 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), which translates to about N400 billion in value to the economy.

    Dr. Fayemi, a former Governor of Ekiti State, said: “While this is a significant role, it is smaller than the true potentials of the sector. In fact, what has been happening is that the sector has been operating sharply below capacity, with many mining operations manned by small scale miners as opposed to large scale players.”

    He, however, said when properly structured, the sector has the capacity to provide no fewer than a million direct jobs and contribute as much as the oil and gas sector into the national economy.

    Although the minister noted the global decline in prices of mining products, he said the good news is that Nigeria has a great deal of domestic demand for industrial minerals and metal. “So we will focus on working with other Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure the demand is met by Nigerian miners and processors,” he added.

    To achieve the ministry’s set goals, Fayemi said certain steps would be taken in the short term, including undertaking an external audit of revenue receipts in the solid minerals sector for the past years.

    He said the ministry would focus on jobs creation, block all leakages to shore up its revenue generation; build an industry that would support the country’s industrialisation and become sustainable, transparent and environmental friendly.

    “We also want to build an industry that integrates states, communities and existing miners into mining ecosystem. If we deliver on this vision, then we can build a mining sector that Nigerians can be proud of in 30 years or more from now. This sector should deliver double digit growth over the next decade with important direct and indirect economic impacts on households,” he stated.

    The Minister also said the ministry would enter into strategic partnership with the banks to develop interest in the sector and assist investors as well as the National Assembly for legislation and other ministries, National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) among others.

  • Experts seek more grants for research

    Experts seek more grants for research

    Scientists have called for more research grants to enable them collate data to enhance the government’s policies in the health sector.

    They spoke at the Nigeria Research Trust Award organised by AstraZeneca Research Trust in Lagos.

    The experts underscored the need for more research to know the health indices of Nigeria to enhance social and economic development, especially health care planning.

    Besides, data generated from research are often used to formulate government policies.

    Chairman, Scientific Review Committee of the awards, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, said research conducted often culminate in knowledge, and as such, provide necessary information for growth.

    She blamed Nigeria for not investing in data.

    According to her, Nigeria has a lot information on HIV/AIDS because there were data on the disease.

    This, she said, was made possible by various researches that were conducted.

    “Since 2007, the Presdent Emergency Fund for HIV/AIDS Research was given to universities and local governments, among others, and they developed data, which have been passed to the centre,” she said.

    Ogunsola said lack of data to plan health care is one of the country’s great problems.

    “Everybody is guessing what the situation with malaria is because there is no national data on it. This is because we have not committed serious fund to research. The United States through the National Institute on Health (NIH) commits billions of dollars to health research, in terms of what is going on and new medications, and new understanding of disease processes.These are no cheap and if people knew the answer they would not be doing the research. At the end of it people may still not get the answer. But, we have to keep trying,” she said.

    Moreover, the more money that goes into the funding of research, the better for the country.

    She said what the committee was looking for was a standardised data that cut across all regions/geo-political zones. “As at now, what we have are fragmented data and to bring them together is difficult because they were arrived at, using different methodologies. We do not want a single hospital data,” she said.

    “We are looking at communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). But we are not focusing solely on NCDs because we still have major problems with communicable diseases. This is still a major problem with data on communicable diseases. This year’s grant is on communicable and NCDs. Next year, we might face just NCDs,” she said.

    A member of the committee, Dr Funmi Lesi, said one of the major data base in the country is on HIV and AIDS.

    She said this had helped the government to plan and make innovation for health care.

    AstraZeneca Business Unit Lead, William Prinsloo, said the health challenges in Africa were increasing rapidly while the health status of Africans remained far worse than that of some people in developing regions.

    He continued: “Although a lack of access to health care and serious health system deficiencies are important reasons for this phenomenon, other elements aggravate it. One of them being insufficient research and development aimed at addressing Africa’s unmet health needs.”

    The trust fund, he said, supports local academic medical research in  non-communicable diseases (NCDs), focusing particularly on cardiovascular/metabolic, respiratory and oncology conditions.

    He said the company spent $350,000 yearly on researchers in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

    Prinsloo said the company has made a positive impact in stimulating local research.

    “To date, 46 studies have been awarded funding. Twenty seven were on non-communicable disease studies while 19 were on communicable disease studies,” he said.

  • Experts call for research

    Scientists have called for more research grants to enable them collate data to enhance the government’s policies in the health sector.

    They spoke at the Nigeria Research Trust Award organised by AstraZeneca Research Trust in Lagos.

    The experts underscored the need for more research to know the health indices of Nigeria to enhance social and economic development, especially health care planning.

    Besides, data generated from research are often used to formulate government policies.

    Chairman, Scientific Review Committee of the awards, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, said research conducted often culminate in knowledge, and as such, provide necessary information for growth.

    She blamed Nigeria for not investing in data.

    According to her, Nigeria has a lot information on HIV/AIDS because there were data on the disease.

    This, she said, was made possible by various researches that were conducted.

    “Since 2007, the Presdent Emergency Fund for HIV/AIDS Research was given to universities and local governments, among others, and they developed data, which have been passed to the centre,” she said.

    Ogunsola said lack of data to plan health care is one of the country’s great problems.

    “Everybody is guessing what the situation with malaria is because there is no national data on it. This is because we have not committed serious fund to research. The United States through the National Institute on Health (NIH) commits billions of dollars to health research, in terms of what is going on and new medications, and new understanding of disease processes.These are no cheap and if people knew the answer they would not be doing the research. At the end of it people may still not get the answer. But, we have to keep trying,” she said.

    Moreover, the more money that goes into the funding of research, the better for the country.

    She said what the committee was looking for was a standardised data that cut across all regions/geo-political zones. “As at now, what we have are fragmented data and to bring them together is difficult because they were arrived at, using different methodologies. We do not want a single hospital data,” she said.

    “We are looking at communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). But we are not focusing solely on NCDs because we still have major problems with communicable diseases. This is still a major problem with data on communicable diseases. This year’s grant is on communicable and NCDs. Next year, we might face just NCDs,” she said.

    A member of the committee, Dr Funmi Lesi, said one of the major data base in the country is on HIV and AIDS.

    She said this had helped the government to plan and make innovation for health care.

    AstraZeneca Business Unit Lead, William Prinsloo, said the health challenges in Africa were increasing rapidly while the health status of Africans remained far worse than that of some people in developing regions.

    He continued: “Although a lack of access to health care and serious health system deficiencies are important reasons for this phenomenon, other elements aggravate it. One of them being insufficient research and development aimed at addressing Africa’s unmet health needs.”

    The trust fund, he said, supports local academic medical research in  non-communicable diseases (NCDs), focusing particularly on cardiovascular/metabolic, respiratory and oncology conditions.

    He said the company spent $350,000 yearly on researchers in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.