The Nation Newspaper

Tag: reduce

  • GenCos reduce generation to 2,669mw over low-load demand

    The Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) recorded a drop in its production on Independence Day as its generation was 2669Mega Watts (MW) on that day.

    From the Daily Operational Report that the Independent System Operator of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) posted on Monday, the electricity market had on the previous day recorded 89,043.86 MWH (3,710mw).

    But the peak generation for that day was 4,376.90mw, while the lowest generation was 3,225.40mw. The daily report indicated that the highest system frequency was 50.89Hz, while the lowest system frequency  was  50.17Hz.

    According to the report, highest voltage recorded was 354Kv and the lowest voltage recorded was 300kv.

    The Nation however gathered that the dip in generation occured on Saturday due to low load demand by the electricity  Distribution Companies (DisCos).

    The daily report of Saturday indicated that as at 06:00hours, the Gencos produced 3,535.1mw, but  the DisCos demanded for  2,672.6mw.

    The report added that as at “00:18hours, Delta GT20 was shut down due to low load demand by the DisCos, resulting to a Load loss of 70megawatts. Also as at 01:41:00hours, Sapele NIPP GtI was shut down due to low load demand by the DisCos, resulting in a Load loss equivalent of 68.5mw.”

    According to the report, as at “02:25hours-20:26hours, Delta GT15 was shut down due to low load demand by DisCos, resulting in a load loss of 80Mw.

    According to the report, Omotosho gas GT7 was sap with the GT8 as Omotosho GT8 was shut down and 25mw was transferred to GT7.

    The same day, said the report, Olorunshogo gas increased generation by 40Mw.

  • NNPC to reduce daily losses in fuel supply to N516m

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is to reduce daily losses from N774 million to N516 million, Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, has said.

    He said the corporation would achieve this by cutting the level of fuel consumed from 60 million to 40 million litres.

    He noted that product diversion and activities of some unscrupulous marketers contributed to the high consumption and once the corporation plugged the holes,  consumption level would drop.

    In a telephone chat, Ughamadu said a large portion of the fuel supplied to the market was diverted to neighbouring countries, such as Benin Republic, and Togo.

    He said NNPC has partnered the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to check the smuggling of petroleum products.

    Ughamadu said: “Our (NNPC’s) under-recovery was N774 million as at the time the level of fuel consumed in the country rose to 60 million litres per day. We, at NNPC, discovered that the higher the level of fuel that is being consumed in the country, the higher the losses recorded by the country, as a sizeable portion of the fuel is being smuggled out of the country.

    “To reduce fuel consumption, which in most cases, is smuggled out of the country, the corporation decided to partner the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS). Through this means, the Customs would help to check smuggling of petroleum products by mounting surveillance at the borders.”

    He said NNPC discovered 200 filling stations in one of the borders in the country, stressing that the partnership between it and the Customs would help in addressing problems, such as hoarding and smuggling of petroleum products, which he said, contributed to the fuel scarcity last December.

    “With the joint efforts of NNPC and the Customs, all the illegal petrol stations at the borders would disappear soon and the fuel consumption would reduce drastically.”

    He said the level of fuel consumption was 39million litres per day, adding that it grew to 80million litres per day during the fuel scarcity and later 60million litres.

    According to him, Nigerians are erroneously blaming NNPC for fuel scarcity that occurred recently, without considering other factors that caused it.

    On fuel scarcity, he said there was no scarcity in the country, as NNPC has supplied enough fuel to marketers for distribution to their retail outlets.

    He said there is fuel in states like Imo, Enugu, and Anambra, stressing that the rumour that those states do not have fuel was not true.

    He said there is a difference between selling fuel above the official pump price of N145 per litre by some marketers in the East and its unavailability.

    Ugbh    amadu said all hands were on deck to rid the fuel market of saboteurs who were frustrating the efforts of the government to supply fuel at approved pump price.

  • Fed Govt to rice millers: we’ll reduce interest rates

    The Federal Government has assured rice millers of plans to ensure reduction in interest rates paid on loans.

    Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who is the chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Rice, gave the assurance at the weekend in Lagos at a stakeholders’ meeting with Rice Distributors Association of Nigeria and Rice Millers.

    He said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would ensure rice availability and affordability.

    Bagudu said: “On the reduction of interest rates on loans requested by the millers, I think it is right. It will be done.”

    He said based on the contributions of stakeholders, it was apparent that what Nigerians wanted was not making subsidy available on rice production, but making it affordable and accessible such that they could produce rice that would compete with imported ones.

    “The mandate given to this task force, which is under the leadership of President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is to ensure the country has self-sufficiency in rice and wheat production.

    “But so far, stakeholders within the value chain, either as farmers, distributors or millers are not talking about subsidy. What they are saying is that help us tell President Buhari that we will like to have rice at a competitive price with the so-called imported rice. This has to do with affordability. I can tell you that the President is committed to this,” the governor said.

    He said the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) had responsibilities to discharge, adding that the government would intensify efforts in that regard.

    National President of Rice Distributors Association of Nigeria Deaconess Olufunmulayo Akinsanya implored the Federal Government to assist millers in producing at a cost that could be afforded by the less-privileged.

    Iyaloja-General Chief Folashade Tinubu Ojo said there is hunger in the land, urging governments to ensure efforts are intensified to make Nigerians feed well.

  • Lagos deploys technology to reduce multiple property litigation

    Lagos deploys technology to reduce multiple property litigation

    Lagos State has developed an electronic real estate litigation system to help property buyers determine those that are subjects of litigation.

    It is designed to reduce litigation in properties and ease the process of doing business in the sector.

    Speaking at its public presentation at the Alausa Secretariat, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem, said the electronic system was developed to provide easy access to information.

    Represented by the Solicitor-General, Mrs Funlola Odunlami, Kazeem said the system was designed in line with the administration’s drive to promote information technology in the state.

    According to him, “the world we know today is at the click of a button technology driven and the Lagos State government is certainly in trend with the time, we have been  working endlessly to ensure that Lagos is not left in the dark ages.

    This is why several initiatives and steps are being taken to make Lagos State as technologically driven as possible.”

    The Attorney-General said the system will give end-users constructive notice property status.

    Kazeem described the real estate sector as one which records a very large turnover within the economy of the state.

    “With the vision of becoming the largest economy in Africa, it is expected that the level of economic and commercial activities in Lagos State would experience an unprecedented level, height and pace.

    “The real sector is therefore expected to further attract a significant amount of attention,” he said.

    He said the electronic real estate litigation system would “provide a comprehensive database of real estate/property in Lagos which is subject of litigation, provide information on pending cases in court, notify the public of real estate and property which are the subject of pending litigation, curtail risk associated with property transactions, reduce litigation on real estate as the public can now easily confirm if a property is subject of a pending litigation, enhance due diligence in property transactions, ensure the public and professional bodies are able to conduct an efficient search of real estate and property, among other services”.

    Justice Olaide Olayinka who represented the Chief Judge of Lagos, Justice Opeyemi Oke, described the system as a wonderful initiative which would have positive impact on the administration of justice.

    “It is what is required in Lagos State. There are so many cases on property in court with many not knowing that the property is a matter pending in court,” he said.

    Accordign to her, the system would curtail risk in property business and make  due diligence easy to observe.

    Mr Emmanuel Akinde, who represented the Permanent Secretary, Lands and Registry, advised that the new initiative be backed by law to give it more effect just as searches on properties is backed by the Lagos Registration of Titles Law 2015.

    He noted that before now, searches were only limited to finding out if land was under government acquisition or not.

    The Surveyor-General, Mr Olutomi Sangowawa, advised that the system should be on-line real time so that investors can know if there are encumbrances when transacting businesses on properties.

  • Experts suggest ways to reduce heart failure

    Experts suggest ways to reduce heart failure

    To avert sudden death, usually caused by heart failure, Nigerians have been asked to check their lifestyle.

    A fatty deposit within the lining of the arteries causes heart failure.

    Experts who gathered in Lagos, noted that to prevent heart failure people must shun smoking, take healthy foods, reduce salt intake, engage in regular physical activity, keep their weight and waist size down and drink alcohol in moderation.

    They listed the dangers of heart failure, stating that it is imperative to seek medical check-up with qualified cardiologists from time to time, to facilitate preventive measures and ensure early diagnosis in some cases.

    They pointed out that cardiovascular diseases are diseases of the heart or blood vessels. However, the term cardiovascular disease is used to describe diseases of the heart or blood vessels that are caused by atheroma. And the narrowing of the blood vessels can lead to cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease (for example, angina, heart attack and heart failure), cerebro-vascular disease (transient ischaemic attacks and stroke), and peripheral arterial disease.

    According to a consultant cardiologist, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Prof. Micheal Balogun heart failure is responsible for about 30 percent of hospitalisation and eventual death in Nigeria.

    Hence, the experts pointed out that one’s blood pressure and cholesterol level are highly important. All people aged over 40 years should have a cardiovascular health risk assessment – usually available at pharmacies, clinics and hospitals. If you have a high risk of developing a cardiovascular disease, treatment to reduce high blood pressure (hypertension) and/or cholesterol may be advised.

    On the threats heart failure pose, Prof. Kamilu Karaye of Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital (AKTH), explained how the disease impede the everyday life of its sufferers; causing them constant pain, swollen legs, general discomfort, decline in social interaction, among others. The professor identified depression as one of the deadliest conditions that accompany heart failure, stating that without proper care or seeking professional help, the depression is likely to lead to suicide.

    The cardiologists suggested that psychological and physical support from caregivers of heart failure patients is one of the most effective ways to improve their everyday life. They explained that close monitoring i.e. helping with the administration of medications, is also consequential in helping them lead a normal life.

    Regular use of recommended medication by a qualified doctor or General Practitioner, eating healthy, minimising stress levels, and a few more were identified by the cardiologists as other imperative methods of managing heart failure among sufferers of the incurable disease.

    Other cardiologists at the event included Consultant cardiologist, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Dr. Ikechukwu Ogah; Consultant cardiologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Amam Mbakwem; Consultant cardiologist, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Dr. Maclean Akpa; Consultant cardiologist, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Prof. Ibraheem Katibi; and Consultant cardiologist, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Dr. Dike Ojji.

  • ‘Dialogue ‘ll reduce agitation’

    ‘Dialogue ‘ll reduce agitation’

    Adejare Adegbenro is the grandson of the late Chief Dauda Adegbenro, former Leader of the defunct Action Group (AG) and the late Chief Alfred Rewane, prominent National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) chieftain. In this interview with reporters in Lagos, he speaks on some national issues.

    With your background as a descendant of great politicians.

    I am not a politician. I am a businessman. Though I was born into politics and I know politics. I believe  I know politics. But I believe there are certain times you have to choose what you want whether you want to be a businessman or a politician. I believe I don’t have the right temperament to be a politician.

    But I will always give assistance, I will always grant interviews and I will always say what I believe is right for humanity and the country especially in the political terrain that we are in today.

    As a businessman, are you comfortable with President Muhammadu Buhari’s style of governance?

    With the way President Muhammadu Buhari has started, I believe he is putting the country on course. Although he is old school so to say, his efforts at making Nigeria better are on the right track. The problem with us, the youth and middle-age people is that we think we know all. And so, we don’t want to be patient with the old people, who have seen it all and who have garnered required experience to put things right. With Buhari, I believe he has the right temperament for the job because all the people that voted for him in a free and fair election believe in him and are satisfied with what he is doing. I am sure he tapped from his past antecedent as former Military Head of State, when he waged serious war against corruption and indiscipline to know that no country moves forward without discipline. So, we must imbibe discipline in ourselves.

    Another problem with us is that we Nigerians are always quick to judge. In the situation we find ourselves now, we need to give support and offer useful advice rather than heat up the polity which will not do any of us any good. Many people may be in a hurry and may not like the way President Buhari is using old school method to mend Nigeria, but how many countries of the world did not spend many years to get to where they are today? We are only two years into the rescue mission. Let us understand that magic doesn’t happen overnight.

    I believe we should come together as one to do what is right. And it is gratifying to note that the economy is growing under Buhari. Whether we like it or not, there are positive things happening in the economy but politicians, because of their grievances are just trivialising things and playing politics with serious matters of national importance. Whatever political points they might want to make, I will say it is not right.

    Rice is being produced in Nigeria today and people are feeding on rice. Yes, the poverty level is quite high, but there is time for everything. We must look inward first before looking outward. When we first satisfy our food belief in Nigeria, we can then start to focus on income from abroad. This was an economy that was totally bad before Buhari came in. it was strictly based on importation. What are will producing?

    Well, what I discover in Nigeria is that people like to talk much about what is not right rather than talk about what is right. President Buhari is old enough to be my father, but God has a reason to bring back Buhari to be our president. It is natural if age and health challenges are affecting his agility, but we have to be patient with that and give necessary support and assistance for the benefit of all. So, all of us, in addition to support and assistance should be prayerful for the man to achieve his set goal for the country. There is no doubt he means well for the country and he is doing his best for the country.

    We have to be prayerful so he can utilise well the mandate we freely gave him to serve us. We should therefore stop trivialising matters that concern our collective good. His health challenges should not be the subject of discussion but the corruption he is fight of which all of us are guilty. We all caused it and we should all fight it or else Nigeria will not move forward. It is not what the President alone can do.

    The only way we can foster unity in Nigeria is to imbibe my slogan which is, “I am a Nigerian, my tribe comes second.” I am half-Yoruba and half- Deltan.

    It seems the youths are impatient with this administration. What will you tell them?

    First and foremost we must be patient. Secondly, they need to go and educate themselves on the past, on the formation of Nigeria. How Nigeria was formed.

  • Experts seek measures to reduce post-harvest loss

    Stakeholders are seeking ways to reduce post-harvest losses.

    About 40 per cent of Nigeria’s agricultural production is lost yearly due to insufficient infrastructure.

    They also canvassed the execution of a roadmap to help attain the desired objectives of food security and nutrition.

    At a workshop in Lagos, organised  by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Postharvest Alliance for Nutrition (PLAN), the stakeholders lamented  that farmers were losing a lot after harvests to poor storage facilities, market inefficiencies and bottlenecks in the value chain, adding that it was impacting on national nutritional levels.

    Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) Director-General Mrs. Gloria Elemo said  food and nutrition security would ensure that vital ingredients for healthy living were sustained, noting that efforts should not be spared to preserve perishable foods.

    She added that fresh fruits and vegetables produced in the North hardly got to the South due to transport challenges, stressing that public and private sectors must redress the situation.

    “In the process moving these items to its consumers about 50 per cent of these fruits and vegetables are lost due to bad packaging and poor postharvest handling.

    “The country depends so much on importation whereas we have the capability to provide food for the citizenry, so if the necessary infrastructure is put in place to totally reduce postharvest losses we would not have the problem of hunger or malnutrition in the country.”

    Mrs. Elemo said the recent Nigeria Cold Chain Summit (NCCS) in Lagos, was to review strategies to eliminate losses in food storage, calling on the private sector to join hands with government to accomplish the task.

    Senior Technical Specialist, GAIN, United States, Roberta Lauretti-Bernhard, said efforts were ongoing to respond to countries that have malnutrition as well as post-harvest challenges.

    “Postharvest loss is also nutrition loss. So a platform was drawn that is a combination of the private sector, government and institutions that have a strong objective of ending not just postharvest loss but malnutrition.

    “GAIN interest in Nigeria stems from her high malnutrition burden and also high incidence of postharvest loss in fruits and vegetables thus leading to loss of micronutrients.’’

  • How to reduce sickle cell patients, by hospital

    The Federal Medical Centre in Ebute-Meta, Lagos, has called on those yet to know their genotype to avail themselves of the hospital’s services.

    By doing so, the hospital said a significant reduction in people living with the Sickle Cell Disorder (SCD) will be recorded. According to the centre, one out of every four Nigerians has sickle cell trait.

    According to the Acting Medical Director, Dr Olubukola Aseru, over 300, 000 children are born annually with SCD, and 70 per cent of these births happen in Sub-Sahara Africa.

    He said: “Nigeria by virtue of its population stands out as the most affected country in Africa with annual infant deaths of 100, 000, representing eight per cent of infant mortality. One out of four Nigerians has sickle cell trait; therefore, people need to be sensitised about the existence, consequences, prevention and care of SCD. The first step is to undergo genotype screening, and abide by medical counsel of the results.”

    Describing the condition, he said Sickle cell disease is a group of disorders, which affect hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. Haemoglobin is a protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. People with this disorder have atypical hemoglobin molecules called haemoglobin S, which can distort red blood cells into a sickle or crescent shape.

    Going by this year’s theme: “Sickle cell disease-importance of comprehensive management”, Dr Aseru said the hospital conducted free genotype screening of pupils and interested persons through the hospital’s Sickle Cell Disease project office. “When results are given and are SS (HbSS and HbSc) there will be a need for a comprehensive management of the disorder. This holistic approach goes beyond treating the biological and physical manifestations of the disease such as crises and complications, but also encompasses strategies aimed at reducing the prevalence and burden of the disorder and putting into consideration the psychosocial and economic impacts on the person, the caregivers, the family and the society as a whole,” he explained.

    The centre’s Consultant Family Physician, Dr Usman Olagoke said the SCD Project office opens from 8:00am to 4:00pm, every week day andnon-governmental organisations can assist people with SCD because home care and hospital care of those living with SCD have become increasingly complex and expensive.

    “These people need help in the area of subsidising their medical expenses, equip healthcare facilities, rehabilitation and reintegration of SCD patients, who have had irreversible complications, promote research works on SCD, and get involved in the awareness drive and vocational training,” he said.

  • Reduce their suffering

    •Time to review upward the allowance for NYSC members

    Now, your suffering continues” is a costly corruption of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), referring to the agony of lack of jobs that youth corps members face annually, after completing the mandatory one year national service. They roam the streets in search of non-existent jobs, in some cases for years. But, today, youth corps members’ suffering begins right from their days in their respective higher institutions where, unlike those who attended the same institutions about two decades ago, they suffer all manner of deprivations and indignities.

    Only a few weeks ago, students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, were reported to be sleeping in open fields on campus because of bedbugs which had infested their hostels. Those who graduated from the university some years ago cannot believe that this is what their alma mater has become. But OAU is not alone; many Nigerian tertiary institutions are like that; they have become mere shadows of their former state.

    The N19,800 monthly stipend paid to the corps members is about the latest of such suffering.

    The Yakubu Gowon regime introduced the NYSC scheme in 1973, to foster unity among the various ethnic groups in the country. Coming less than four years after a bitter civil war, the scheme was then welcomed by most Nigerians, not only for its potential to bring together youths from various parts of the country but also, as a means of exposing them, as catalysts of the envisaged unity, to know more about the country instead of seeing everything from their narrow parochial perspectives.

    Of course, money was not Nigeria’s problem then. The affluence rubbed off on the scheme as corps members had some of the best of service uniform, from face caps to shirts and trousers, as well as befitting brown canvass shoes, all imported. University graduates for whom the scheme was originally meant looked forward to the day they too would be privileged to wear the resplendent and highly respected uniform.

    But all that is gone with the wind. Today, most prospective corps members would opt out if they had the option. As a matter of fact, there have been calls for the scrapping of the scheme because, as many people contend, it has outlived its usefulness. Indeed, the calls gained stridency in the years that Boko Haram insurgents terrorised Nigerians in the north-east. Parents did virtually all they could to ensure their wards were not posted to the ‘hot spots’.

    Without doubt, the scheme provides cheap labour for many governments and private concerns, even as corps members had been deployed for electoral duties, despite the attendant risks. Many youth corps members have distinguished themselves in the remotest parts of the country, with some honoured by the host communities.

    But then, like most other things in the country, the NYSC too is now becoming less and less attractive due to the many challenges the corps members face. This was why Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State renewed his call for an upward review of their stipend to reflect the prevailing cost of living. The governor bared his mind at the swearing-in and official opening ceremony for the 2017 Batch ‘A’ Stream I of National Youth Service Corps members at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Ise/Orun/Emure Ekiti. He was represented by the secretary to the state government, Dr. (Mrs) Modupe Alade.

    We agree with the governor and others who had shared such sentiment and urge the Federal Government to review the allowance upwards. It is sad that our youths who have been posted outside of their home states have to be given peanuts. In the past, some employers augmented the allowance for them; some provided them with free accommodation, among other assistance. These days, most of these are no more. Indeed, some institutions would even reject corps members because they cannot afford to add a dime to what the government is giving them.

    If the government is interested in retaining the scheme, it should ensure it is properly funded and corps members given allowances that reflect the present economic situation. The government should not lure the innocent youths into the temptation of engaging in social vices to make ends meet in the ‘strange land’ that they have been posted to.

  • Dons to Fed Govt: reduce oil losses

    Nigeria will not only  lose its top oil producing position on thec ontinent to Angola but will also find it difficult to meet its budgetary expenditure if the militant attacks which led to the shut-downs of its oil facilities continue, experts have said.

    They are Dr Adedayo Ayoade, Senior Lecturer, Energy Law, University of Lagos and Prof Adeola Akinnisju, an energy economist at the University of Ibadan.

    According to them, Angola has maintained a daily crude oil production of 1.672 million barrels per day (bpd), while Nigeria’s figure fell by 156,900 barrels per day to 1.269million bpd in March, from 1.426mbpd recorded last February.  Consequently, the country lost its status as Africa’s top oil producer to Angola, according to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

    Ayoade said the loss of Africa’s number one spot to Angola by the country is not the problem, but that its ability to generate enough revenue for improved economic activities.

    He said the country has lost N83billion as reported by the media, adding that the economy would be in jeopardy if the trend continued. He said the Federal Government was finding it difficult to meet its budget proposal, due to fall in the international prices of crude oil, arguing the country would experience a dip in revenue in the event that the fall in oil output persists.

    Ayoade said: “The price of oil picked at $57 per barrel. When that happened, Nigerians were elated as well as believing that problems such as low revenue and its attendant impact on the economy would end soon. We should forget the loss of top position to Angola and focus on how to boost production to generate more revenues and further meet our fiscal needs.’’

    He said the loss in Africa’s top spot to Angola was a wakeup call for the industry to redouble its efforts, through production of crude oil, urging the Federal Government to provide a more conducive environment to enable operators to produce more oil and drill new wells.

    This, he said, the indigenous oil exploration and production companies and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) could only play well when the disruptions caused by militants in the region is minimised.

    Also, Akinnisiju said the reduction in crude oil production would lead to a corresponding decrease in revenue accruable to the Federal Government and by extension the external reserves.

    He urged oil firms to increase production to bring the much- needed growth to themselves and the country.