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Tag: rescue

  • Jobs crisis: Agric entrepreneurship to the rescue

    Jobs crisis: Agric entrepreneurship to the rescue

    Nigeria has a large economy with a  growing youth population .The bigger challenge is how to absorb the large number of unemployed youths. Experts believe agric entrepreneurship will tackle the problem. This was the focus of the 20th annual lecture of Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) held in Ilorin, Kwara State. Daniel Essiet writes.

    For aspiring agric entrepreneurs, a new dawn is here. The 20th annual lecture of the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), held in Ilorin, Kwara State could not have come at a better time. The forum brought together successful entrepreneurs who are making impact uplifting and economically empowering women and men.

    It was to bolster economic renewal, job creation and innovation through agric entrepreneurship.

    Analysts at the event noted that Nigeria was a major economy with a growing youth population.  However, they believe that there is little evidence to suggest that the economy will absorb youths across the spectrum of skill levels and education.  They say the solution to youth unemployment is in the agri-food value chain.

    One of those who shared this view was the Chairman, Board of Directors, FirstBank of Nigeria, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika. She was the keynote speaker. She spoke on the topic: Promoting Agripreneurship Green Alternative: A Catalyst for National Security and Sustainable Development.

    She said the youth employment deficit left thousands of graduates produced by tertiary institutions jobless. Against this backdrop, she said agriculture has the capacity to absorb unemployed graduates.

    She described agriculture as an alternative to the much=touted economic resources derived from petroleum.

    “Nigeria is blessed with a very fertile land, but it is saddening to know that majority of its youths are jobless,” she said.

    According to her, the stability of Nigeria depends on the nation being able to sustain its citizens’ food production,  which would translate to social stability.

    Mrs. Awosika further said Nigeria has all  the fundamentals needed to grow in agriculture, saying, “we need to know the time of oil is long gone”.

    She said Nigeria has opportunities for young workers to start new businesses, create quality jobs, improve their quality of life and wellbeing, strengthen their sense of belonging and integrate themselves into the community. From cash crops to grains, fruits and vegetables, livestock and others, she noted that there are countless opportunities along the value chain.

    Currently, she said, the potential of the agric sector is highly underutilised.

    Mrs. Awosika noted that agriculture has evolved into what is now known as agribusiness, which is centred on making profit through maximised productivity.

    She called for entrepreneurial skills development for profitable agriculture and agribusiness enterprises among the youth.

    Mrs. Awosika said the time had  come for institutions to play their part in developing entrepreneurs,  adding that the society requires a re- orientation to enhance the entrepreneurial mindset to boost startups and create employment.

    To her, entrepreneurship has been widely acknowledged as an important mechanism for economic growth and employment creation.

    A motivational speaker, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, listed the characteristics of an entrepreneur to include vision, hard work and focus. For her, one must be focused to be the best in the market. With a good vision and great execution, one’s dreams can come true.

    A discussant at the lecture and Managing Director of Thelma Farms in Ijebu-Ode, Mr. Babatunde Ogunyemi, emphasised the need for Nigerian youths to embrace agriculture, “On my 350 hectares of land in Ijebu-Ode where I grow fresh indigenous vegetable for exportation, I feel depressed that not enough is done in agriculture.

    “Even with our huge production we can only meet just nine per cent of the demand.

    “When I met with Mr President some weeks ago in Abuja, I told him that though Nigeria is winning the war against insurgency, but how do we fight the war of feeding our citizens,” he said.

    The Executive Director, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr. Olufemi Oladunni, called for the overhaul of the agriculture sector to boost the economy, saying if government can overhaul the sector to bring appropriate intervention, agriculture will be a life saver for the nation.

    He said  the institute is working to empower Nigerians to explore opportunities in the agric sector.

    The aim, according to him, is to help Nigerians create jobs, combat food insecurity and poverty by expanding agribusiness, increasing  food production, and supporting entrepreneurship .

    Oladunni said through its training, the institute focuses on the key gaps inhibiting growth in agribusiness,  as it enables smallholder farmers to raise their incomes and yields, while also creating jobs for young people and raising incomes for women.

    He said ARMTI supports the development of a vibrant and diversified commercial agriculture as a means to move away from subsistence agriculture, often synonymous with poverty for a majority of rural households.The forum aimed at raising awareness on the importance of engaging youths in agribusiness, making a case for agribusiness as a solution to the high youth unemployment rate, and building consensus around initiatives to address unemployment, contribute to economic growth, and poverty reduction.

  • Multiple IVF cycle to the rescue

    Multiple IVF cycle to the rescue

    The road to tackling infertility via In vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is costly. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA reports that the new multiple IVF cycle has its merit.

    In vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is costly. To buy an IVF cycle is costlier than picking a package of six.

    This new information renews the hope to couples preparing for their first IVF cycle as well as those who have experienced failures.

    According to the Medical Director, Nordica Fertility Clinic, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, it is important that all fertility-challenged couples should know this because up until now, most fertility clinics have  assumed that couples who have completed three or four unsuccessful IVF cycles are less likely to benefit from future cycles. This revelation may enable fertility clinics inform patients about multiple treatment cycles.

    Ajayi said: “Fertility treatments are being stopped prematurely when few unsuccessful IVF cycles are recorded. We need to stop thinking of IVF as a single shot for a family, and think of several cycles as the standard.”

    He explained that IVF is a medical treatment, which helps infertile couples to have a baby. And it involves the extraction of egg from a female partner (or donor) and the laboratory fertilisation of the egg with sperm from a male partner (or donor) and the resulting embryo is implanted in the female partner (or surrogate) womb. The advantages of IVF include helping an infertile couple to have a baby  (with their eggs and sperm) and unless a donor egg or sperm is used, the DNA will be that of the intended parents only.

    Ajayi said the greatest percentage of IVF success occurs in six cycles. “The study came out of the UK, where researchers reviewed the statistics of 156,947 UK women who received 257,398 IVF between 2003 and 2010. From that comprehensive analysis, which included results from both fresh and frozen embryo transfers, researchers found that the average live birth rate for couples participating in six IVF cycles was 65.3 percent.

    “Within that study, other important statistics were revealed that women under 35 are the most likely to benefit from a six-cycle regimen. Women between 40 and 42 (using their eggs) had a 31.5 percent live birth rate at the six-cycle mark. Women older than 42, who use their eggs, have a less four percent live birth rate at the six-cycle mark. Maternal age was irrelevant with donor eggs, giving women who are 35 and above the same success rate as women  who are under 35.

    “This means that if you are planning to undergo IVF or have already experienced two or more unsuccessful IVF cycles, you may want to regroup and schedule a consultation with your fertility specialist,” Ajayi advised.

    How does this assist in your Fertility treatments?

    With the realisation that couples can benefit from multiple cycles, another IVF specialist, Dr Ife Oluwa Oyetunji, said couples might need to start another by bringing this new information to their fertility specialist.

    She shed light on this.  Some clinics, she said, are firm on the maximum amount of cycles they recommend their patients to participate in, depending on maternal age and fertility diagnosis. It may mean migrating to a new fertility clinic to participate in future IVF cycles. Multiple cycles also oblige a couple some discounts. So, the client should ask for multiple fertility cycle discounts. Most fertility clinics offer discounted rates for a set of multiple of IVF cycles, which is about three or four. These plans are structured in different ways, so you will want to choose the one that makes the most sense for your age, number of eggs retrieved, number of fertilised embryos among other considerations.

    She enlightened that fertility challenged couples should think about using donor eggs. “Since it is determined that maternal age is a non-issue for women using donor eggs, assuming the woman is able to carry the baby, that should be of specific interest for women who are 40 or older, and for whom IVF success rates are notoriously low. Using donor eggs is much more likely to increase your chances of a live birth outcome if you are 40 or older.

    “Also, they should consider preimplantation genetic screening (PGD/PGS). PGD is a newer technology available to couples undergoing IVF. It is a fact that the number one cause of miscarriages are genetic abnormalities in the embryo. This is nature’s way of preventing the birth of babies with serious genetic disorders, many of which compromise quality of life or are life-threatening. PGD testing is done prior to implantation to see whether or not chromosomes are normal.  Only embryos with normal results are selected for transplant.

    “While these tests do cost more, they can increase your chances of successful IVF outcomes or can help you make the decision to use donor eggs if the majority of your embryos are abnormal,” Oyetunji added.

  • Again, Saraki to the rescue

    This is an interesting but difficult times in Nigeria. Interesting because even with the agitations, tension and threat of break-down of law and order, the economy is officially said to be picking up as the nation is now said to be out of recession.

    However, in the present week, the major issue dominating public discourse is the issue of the clash between the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the military. The clash came on the eve of the departure of President Muhammadu Buhari to the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. The activities and utterances of IPOB has been considered treasonable and confrontational to the state, thereby creating tension in the land.

    While the IPOB men were making claims and issuing abuses in their bases in the South-east, there is the fear that the problem in the South-east may create backlash and fallouts in other parts of the country where ethnic/religious attack may ensue. Thank God that the issue has been managed.

    However, the crackdown on the IPOB by the military which held an exercise code-named ‘Operation Python Dance’ has also created some human rights crisis. There are some videos containing gory scenes in circulation. All these are capable of creating another public relations crisis for the country, at a time our President was to address the world.

    This is the background for a press statement issued by Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on the situation in the South-east. While the focus of the media has been on one sentence in the 10 paragraph statement, perhaps we should first do a contextual review of the entire statement so that we can have a holistic view of its real import.

    The opening paragraph vigorously canvassed the need for calm and restraint across the country. It was an appeal for all and sundry to refrain from actions, utterances and insinuations that could aggravate the crisis. The statement then moved on to address the people in the South-east states to ensure they maintain peace in their areas and not foment any chaos as “crisis will not benefit anybody but would only expose innocent people to unwarranted danger.”

    The third paragraph commended and encouraged other Nigerians for not allowing the crisis to escalate and lead to widespread violence across the country. Therefore, it was a statement aimed at promoting peace, calming frayed nerves, recommending good conduct, dousing tension and urging restraint. The same statement also appealed to the media and users of various media platforms not to use the media to promote hatred, division and conflagration. Saraki used the statement to call for responsible and patriotic use of information in the various media platforms. This was to caution people against the danger of replicating the Rwanda situation where some irresponsible elements used the radio to promote the Hutu Versus Tutsi crisis.

    A fifth paragraph then commented on the need to follow due process at all times and in all circumstances, even when we are challenged by irritable situations like the IPOB confrontation against the military. Saraki said there was need for the government to follow due process in outlawing the group so that bad precedents are not set.

    The next paragraph commended the military for their efforts in restoring peace to different parts of the country. He also advised the military to always rise above any provocation while addressing internal conflagration. He went on to canvass the need to strengthen the Police and put it in a position to always handle civil situations or effectively support the military during any civil crisis so as not to overstretch the latter.

    The Senate President further promised that the National Assembly would institute an investigation into the crisis with a view to sifting the facts from the fiction. The statement promised a fair, bare-it-all conscientious investigation while also promising that the federal legislature will be ready to address all issues agitating the minds of the people. It also urged Nigerians to always direct their grievances to the right channel.

    In the end, Saraki urged all leaders of thought at different levels to continue to engage with their followers “on the need to maintain peace and be our brothers’ keepers”.

    While this speech on the whole is commendable, bold and useful, the several commentators have put a spin on a sentence where the Senate President advised against arbitrary proscription of IPOB and recommended following due process in taking the decision.

    Viewed from all angles, Saraki’s statement has saved the nation. The statement in which he positively affirmed that he knows the President would do the right thing to ensure that the due process is followed in proscribing IPOB is now being given different interpretation. Some mistook it for a support for IPOB. Some said it will encourage IPOB. Others said it weakens the hands of the military. Yet, the fact remains that President Buhari and the government has given a right interpretation to the statement by immediately reversing the earlier decision that was not in line with due process while commencing measures aimed at complying with the provisions of Section 2 of the Terrorism  (Prevention) Act 2011 by the Attorney General of the Federation making recommendation to the President to proscribe IPOB. The President had reportedly signed the recommendation and the AGF is set to take it to the Federal High Court so that a judge can make the declaration which will then be gazetted.

    It took Saraki’s reminder for the government to quickly initiate the process. The initiation of the formal process and the fact that a senior member of the government, in fact, the number three man, helps to save the nation the embarrassment that it would have been confronted with at the UN. A group of protesters had wanted to latch on to the unilateral categorization of IPOB as a terrorist organization as an indication that government was clamping down on the opposition. There were some online commentators around the UN which had planned some form of protests on this issue.

    What calmed down the protesters and took the sail out of their winds was the publications that government had initiated the formal process of proscribing the South-east based group. Also, the military had quickly latched on to the Saraki statement to make a clarification that it has not proscribed IPOB as it said only government could take such a decision following the laid down procedure by the law.

    This is a demonstration of the political sagacity and acumen which this administration needs to use, exploit and explore at every point in time. The Senate President with his statement has demonstrated ability to take risk of being misunderstood, the need to dare to be different in the face of difficult situation and the need to speak like a leader in steadying the ship of state. His statement like many others he had issued in the past has helped to address a major problem and it takes wisdom to think through such an issue and proffer a solution.

    This definitely would not be the first time the Senate President was bailing out the government. We remember when Buhari first travelled for his medical check-up in London earlier in the year. While many politicians and government officials went to see him in London but they simply returned and kept mute so as not to run against the mills of public opinion, Saraki was the only one who spoke out. He stuck his neck out by saying the President was okay and there was no cause for alarm. His affirmative statement was so re-assuring that it calmed frayed nerves and doused tension across the country.

    After that, Saraki ensured that the senators who were planning to make noise about the continued absence of the President by raising the issue for discussion on the floor of the chambers were all pre-empted as the Senate President simply reported to his colleagues on his visit to the President.

    The same Saraki had in October 2015, pulled his weight behind all the 36 ministerial nominees of the President and ensured they all were cleared by the Senate despite the petitions and outcry against the nominations of some of them.

    I can mention many instances, in which both his private and public interventions have helped to stabilize the present administration. However, space will not permit. My final submission is that a politician like Saraki needs to be encouraged and supported not vilified and criticized like some may want to do.

     

    • Abubakar writes from Kafanchan, Kaduna State.

  • Police, others rescue baby from mentally-deranged mum

    A combined team of police, social workers and security agents have rescued a week-old baby girl from its mentally-deranged mother in Okitipupa, Okitipupa Local Government of Ondo State.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that it took the team over five hours before it could rescue the baby from the woman, whose name or relatives were unknown.

    Mrs. Bukola Odusola, head of social workers, told NAN yesterday that the baby was taken to Ondo State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa, for medical tests.

    She said reports showed that the baby was in good condition.

    Mrs. Morenike Alaka, chairperson of Okitipupa, who visited the baby in hospital, hailed the team for the rescue, saying: “Every child has a right to live.”

    She warned people to stop impregnating mentally-deranged women, saying such actions put pressure on the government.

    The council boss, presenting gifts to the baby, said the Ministry of Women Affairs was contacted to monitor the baby and take the mother to a psychiatric home.

    The Iyaloja-General of the local government, Mrs. Bernice Akinnagbe, praised the team for a good job.

    She said anybody caught sleeping with mentally-deranged women should be prosecuted.

  • Music Therapists to the rescue

    Music Therapists to the rescue

    In this interview, Karen Popkin speaks on the role music therapists play in health care. A Masters in Music Therapy holder, she is the Programme Coordinator of Creative Arts at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre’s Integrative Medicine Service.

    What is music therapy?

    Music therapy is a mental health profession in which personalised music-based interventions address physical, emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and social needs.

    What does a music therapist do?

    A board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) uses sound and music to promote healing and improve quality of life. Music therapists work with people of all ages. The settings vary, including hospitals, schools, and mental health communities.

    We learn about our clients’ strengths, preferences, and needs before creating a treatment plan. Each music therapy session is unique. However, it often entails some combination of creating, singing, moving to, or listening to music.

    We may act as guides, co-creators, and witnesses to the music people living with cancer choose and express. In addition, we provide empathic listening and psychotherapeutic counseling related to issues that arise during sessions.

    • How can music therapy help people with cancer?

    Music can be a powerful medium to provide relaxation, evoke emotions, awaken memories, and facilitate movement. It may also act as a lifeline to a life outside the treatment environment. In group settings, it may help form new connections with other people.

    Research studies show that music therapy helps address symptoms such as anxiety, pain, and depression.  Research also shows that it can be effective at helping people express feelings, communicate, cope, and adjust.

    Music therapy strengthens clients’ abilities, which transfer to other areas of life. Often, the therapist helps the client reflect on the experience with music and make meaningful connections to daily life.

    Meanwhile, music therapy provides avenues for communication for those who struggle to express themselves with words.

    Is music therapy just for people who are already musically talented?

    Not at all! Some of the most profound moments I have witnessed have been with people with no previous musical training. It’s a privilege to see a person surprised by joy while exploring and creating sounds.

  • Police rescue don, ex-commissioner

    •Suspect arrested

    Enugu State Police Command at the weekend rescued Prof. Nduka Eya unhurt. One of the suspects in the kidnap was arrested.

    The command recovered a locally-made gun from the suspect.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Enugu-based Eya was abducted by gunmen last Thursday evening at Ezillo Street, Independence Layout, Enugu.

    Command spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said in a statement the rescue was possible through a joint operation with sister security agencies.

    He said the don was rescued on Saturday about 6:30 a.m.

    “Operatives of the Anti-Kidnap Unit, through intelligence information and coordinated operation conducted in the early hours of Saturday, rescued Prof. Eya.

    “He was rescued unhurt by the operatives following an operation carried out in a forest on Enugu-Abakiliki Expressway. One suspect was arrested.

    “A locally-made gun was recovered from him,’’ Amaraizu said.

    He said the suspect was helping the police in their investigation.

    “The rescued academician and statesman has been re-united with his family, while manhunt is on for other suspects.’’

    NAN recalls that Eya was secretary-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an umbrella body of Igbo socio-cultural groups spanning nine states.

    He was Education commissioner in old Anambra State.

  • Green house: Bamboo to the rescue

    Green house: Bamboo to the rescue

    With imported greenhouses designed to help farmers produce quality and increase yield selling for about N3 million, a young entrepreneur and Co-Founder, PS Nutraceuticals, Samson Ogbole, has found a cheaper option with low cost ones  constructed with  bamboo.The aim is to encourage more Nigerians with little money to be involved in profitable farming. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Most businesses in agriculture in Nigeria use greenhouses to grow  crops.

    They use green houses to manipulate the growing conditions of crops to produce the optimum quality and yield.

    Indeed, massive greenhouses are used to grow peppers in light conditions, enabling farmers to reduce the growing season by four weeks.

    In   Nigeria and parts of Africa, farmers  are  using  greenhouses  to  grow most out-of-season crops during rainy season and at a time of year when they can’t be grown outdoors.

    These include tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, lettuce, basil, and others which command high prices in some markets.

    But not all farmers can afford it.  A standard modern greenhouse costs between N2 to N3 million. It is expensive because it is constructed with  materials such as polycarbonate panels, greenhouse film and corrugated plastic.

    Co-Founder, PS Nutraceuticals ,SamsonOgbole has been a prominent figure on the  farming scene since he and his partner established his demo farm in Ogun State. He is a proponent of technology driven agriculture. After trying a variety of  growing techniques on a smaller scale, he began commercially growing some crops,including fresh produce.

    He researched the cost of  constructing a standard greenhouse that would offer a more controlled environment in which to farm, but found the start-up costs prohibitive for small scale farmers.

    After trials, Ogbole has found a cheap option. A greenhouse made of bamboo and other cheap and locally available materials.

    Though built from local materials, Ogbole explained that he has driven  down costs  with a low  cost  greenhouse  that can control temperature, humidity and soil moisture.

    At N300,000,a bamboo greenhouse is much cheaper than the commercial greenhouse that costs as much as N2 million.

    With bamboo and locally available and inexpensive materials, Ogbole can construct a 400-square-meter greenhouse for the production of high-value vegetables.

    Vegetable varieties that can be planted in bamboo greenhouse include pumpkin, tomato, sweet pepper, and spinach.

    The other advantage is that the bamboo–structured greenhouse can last up to five years or longer, giving enough time for farmers to maximise production and increase their profit.

    One of his plans is to promote the bamboo greenhouse technology, making it a model for high-value vegetable production.

    Apart from making a profit, Ogbole believes low cost greenhouses would  create business opportunities for  young people and adults  going  into agro business ventures.

  • Beans flour to the rescue

    It has been argued that looking inward is the only way out of the economic recession Nigeria is currently facing, and agriculture has been identified as one of the ways out.

    Beans, as one of the country’s biggest agric produce, has helped to boost the economy as many are beginning to look into beans flour as a substitute.

    Beans is known to be a good and affordable source of protein, used in preparing local delicacies like akara, moi-moi, beans soup popularly known as gbegiri among Yorubas and other related ethnics or tribes.

    These foods are classified as special foods and are usually prepared at home, once in a while, especially during festivities. Sometimes, the preparation process could be long and stressful, as in preparing it, the bean seeds are washed, by with legs or hands, depending on the quantity, after which  it  is ground before the main cooking begins.

    As of today, the stress has been taken away as various brands of beans flour are now in the market, with producers raking in profits. This flour eliminates all the stress in preparation, saving time, energy and cost. With this, families prefer having rice and moi-moi at their convenience which helps make the demand huge.

    Many young entrepreneurs have dumped the quest for white collar jobs and are said to be making hay while the sun shines.

    The price of beans flour varies, starting from 1kg at the cost  of N500, to bags of 10kg sold at N5000.

    Beans flour is known to have helped many women who like to prepare akara for breakfast, without spending the previous day just preparing the bean seeds. It is highly durable as the quantity needed for the moment can be prepared. You can make moi-moi anytime you want without having to run to the grinder all the time.

  • Flooding: Retention pond to the rescue

    • NIESV offers to help

    As Lagos residents continue to lament the losses suffered during the week-long downpour, the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, has said the government is working hard to ensure that the state is flood free.

    According to Adejare, while Lagos had experienced 475mm of rainfall in the last seven days up to last Monday, the downpour of last Saturday which stood at 178mm, was more than six months of rainfall in the city of California, USA.

    Adejare, who spoke at the sensitisation programme for the 2017 Water Technology and Environmental Control Exhibition and Conference (WATEC) held at Renaissance Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, on Monday, said to contain flooding, the government had resolved to be more stringent in the campaign against dumping of refuse in canals and drains, and would scale up the application of physical planning laws against the erection of buildings on canals, drainage channels and water courses.

    He attributed the flooding of some areas to the high tide of the lagoon, persistent rainfall and high volume of storm water, and consequent backflow from the lagoon to the drains instead of the drains discharging into the lagoon. He further said that upon the cessation of the rain, its water would have receded, and described such as a proof that it was flashflood.

    To further put such situation under control, Adejare revealed that the state is building a retention pond to assist in containing flooding. The retention pond is currently being built at Sangotedo area of the state. When completed, it will serve as a form of rainfall harvesting reservoir for storm water at the peak of the rainy season; the content will then be released into the Okota River after the rains subside.

    Adejare said the retention pond was essential as Lagos in recent times had been experiencing flash flooding due to the rise in sea level and persistent rainfall. He further expatiated that flooding all over the world was rated as the second biggest of all natural disasters.

    The retention pond is part of the state government’s response to  flooding, in addition to the existence of about 202 primary channels that also serve as storage for storm water, while also serving to drain storm water.

    In a related development, in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Lagos Branch, Mr. Olurogba Orimalade,  the body regrets that in spite of the state’s investment in the development of infrastructure and urban renewal in the state, the lack of a functional maintenance policy, like managing and clearing the drains and canals, remains an albatross for having a flood free state.

    “In developed and developing nations, every local government area is supposed to have a drainage map. This map will show the drainage channels and canals. With the map, maintaining the drains becomes a much easier task. We, therefore, call on the state government as a matter of urgency, to put in place a maintenance policy which will immediately curtail any further incidence of flooding,” the statement read.

    NIESV noted that in the United Kingdom, for instance, before any new development is deemed fit for occupation, the appropriate regulatory agencies would inspect the property to confirm that such development has kept to certain standards. Such standards include environmental and sanitation standards.

    Sadly, the body noted, such checks are not carried out in Nigeria; a situation that has encouraged private developers building all sorts of structures. “Basic infrastructure like drains in and around the development therefore hardly conform to any standard, thereby giving room to scenarios where there is uneven flow within the drainage channels. This calls for a review of our approval processes during construction and before occupation, to limit the risk of houses being flooded,” NIESV said.

    The institution, therefore, offered to assist government in providing the necessary advisory towards preventing such flooding in the immediate and near future.

  • Affordable housing: private initiative to the rescue

    Affordable housing: private initiative to the rescue

    With growing population, a lingering housing deficit and government’s continued inability to provide affordable housing in practical sense, a multinational has seized the initiative to provide technical support, materials, and connect  mortgage providers with prospective house owners, among  others. MUYIWA LUCAS reports that the initiative is part of the firm’s global plan, which will benefit 25 million households, with Nigeria benefitting substantially. 

    It is not a new piece of information that Nigeria’s population is increasing geometrically. But several studies conducted by the United Nations on Nigeria’s population showed that come 2050, there will be 400 million people in Nigeria, is frightening. This projection means that the country would have overtaken the United States (US) in another 32 years from now, as the 3rd most populous country in the world.

    In similar vein, the World Bank projected that Nigeria’s population is growing at 2.8 per cent rate yearly, while her per urban population grows at 4.7 per cent as a result of the rise in rural-urban migration. This growth rate is, however, disproportional with staggered attempts at bridging the housing deficit by both the public and private sector in the country.

    To experts and other stakeholders in the real estate and construction industry, these studies represent a timely warning for the country’s built environment, especially with regards to providing affordable housing in a country where a deficit of 17 million housing exists. This fear may not be unfounded given that population explosion comes with an attendant need for housing. Stakeholders and policy makers have put Nigeria’s financial requirement to tackle the deficit at N59.5 trillion.

    A 2010 report commissioned by EFInA and Finmark Trust, titled: “Overview of Housing Finance Sector in Nigeria”, submitted that 85 per cent of the urban population live in rented accommodation, spending more than 40 per cent of their income on rent. Of these rented houses, 90 per cent are built through self financing by the owner, mainly due to lack of mortgage financing while less than five per cent of these houses have formal title registration.

    The lack of an efficient and effective mortgage financing has remained a huge albatross on the country, irrespective of the various government efforts in this direction. This is why only a tenth of the one million homes built yearly, has helped to tackle the deficit over a period of 10 years. Most of these, findings revealed, are by persons who contend with deficient financing, shoddy workmanship and poor building materials, among others.

    The low income category seem to be the most hit in Nigeria’s housing debacle. For a Nigerian aspiring to build an affordable home with about N3 million, there are enough challenges to induce headaches, which either frustrate the ambition or force the project to be abandoned. These include access to finance, which is the major source of worry; others are delays in project completion, taking between two to five years; lack of access to qualified building professionals without cut-throat charges as professional fee; mortgages focusing on the high end market; inconsistent quality of building materials; bureaucratic building approval process and the high cost of acquiring land and its tenure issues.

    A former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, acknowledged that affordable housing delivery for the low and middle income earners cannot be achieved without the provision of incentives to encourage private sector participation.

    “To build a house in Nigeria is a very expensive task due to the high cost of building materials. Affordable housing cannot, therefore, be achieved without a drastic reduction in the cost of housing construction and other associated costs, which invariably determine the selling price. Consequently, for affordability to thrive, emphasis must shift to reducing the cost of housing construction to promote access to affordable homes to the vulnerable segment of our national population,” Mrs Eyakenyihad said at a pre-summit meeting on the Nigeria housing and construction summit/expo, in 2014.

    She then called on the organised private sector, manufacturing outfits, finance houses and multilateral agencies to support the drive for affordable housing delivery.

    Eyakenyi’s call has not fallen on deaf ears, as the private sector has taken up the challenge of housing in the country. This has again made for a silver lining to appear on the horizon for Nigerians desirous of owning their affordable houses.

    For instance, Lafarge Africa has put in place an initiative, which it calls “Easy Home”, an innovative affordable housing initiative, which is already providing innovative solutions for the construction, renovation and extension of houses. The scheme is tailored to the local challenges and needs of individual home builders, including Nigerians, who already own their land and want to build. Through the initiative, LafargeHolcim Group, hopes to impact about 25 million people by 2020 and Nigeria is expected to benefit from a significant chunk of the scheme.

    Lafarge Africa Head of Affordable Housing initiative, Mr. Aurelien Boyer, explained that if the associated challenges to affordable house ownership are addressed, Nigerians could build more houses faster. This, he said, was what the firm set out to do with the Easy Home scheme. “The whole idea is to provide individuals with free technical expertise and demystify the idea of owning a home. Lafarge Africa provides free cost estimate i.e. Bill of Quantity and designs for prospective builders. We also connect them with sources of finance as well as artisans that will build at the least possible cost without compromising quality,” Boyer explained.

    The Easy Home initiative, which began three years ago, has impacted positively on over 30,000 persons across 14 states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Ondo, Benin, Osun, Nasarawa, Niger, Cross River, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Abuja. Beneficiaries of the scheme include Business people, civil servants and salary earners, who have used “Easy Home’s” menu of free services to build bungalows, duplexes, self-contained apartments, shops, schools, clinics etc.

    “The demand for housing outstrips supply in the low-income segment where most live in rented houses. Presently, 5,000 households in mainly urban and peri-urban households earning N20,000 to N300,000 monthly have keyed into the Easy Home scheme. We, as Lafarge, estimates that nine million households can afford to build their property incrementally. Through Easy Home, Lafarge Africa is contributing to the reduction of the national housing deficit and helping to accommodate a large chunk of Nigeria’s population,” Boyer explained.

    A consultant architect with a leading construction firm, Mr. Richard Ibilola, has praised the initiative. Easy Home, he said, will have a very significant and positive impact on the spread of good construction practices and the deepen building and construction supervision skills in Nigeria. For him, EasyHome will make it easier for Nigerians to step on the home acquisition ladder because it is designed to take significant initial costs burden away from house owners, and at the same time boosts the development of skills in the ecosystem.

    A financial analyst with vast experience in mortgage matters, Mr. Kayode Oyedele, who explained that given the format of the initiative and having had a first hand experience of the scheme as a financial advisor to some beneficiaries, praised the initiators of the scheme. According to him, it is a delight that the Easy Home scheme is changing the perception of mortgage financing and affordable housing schemes in the country.

    “This should be encouraged. More programmes like this will happen in Nigeria only when there’s a mortgage system, which allows for the repayment of loans to acquire houses spread over 15-25 years. Such will give developers and banks an incentive to develop massive residential projects. Regulators will also find it much easier to monitor and punish builders responsible for defects,”Oyedele said.

    To many of its beneficiaries, Easy Home is a huge relief. A pharmacist, Mrs.Ejiro Foyinbo, extolled the concept. She said the provision of free technical assistance, links to trusted builders, reliable retailers and qualified artisans, which the scheme afforded her, has helped to maximise her budget.

    But this is not Lafarge Africa’sfirst intervention in affordable housing programmes. The firm, in collaboration with the French Development Agency (AFD) and LAPO microfinance, have long invested N1.3 billion to provide affordable housing in the country under its “Ile Irorun” affordable housing initiative, which started in October 2013. It was the firm’s first operation launched in the frame of AFD and Lafarge partnership to improve housing conditions through microfinance in Africa.

    The “Ile Irorun”, was intended to enable low-income families to finance the construction, extension or the renovation of their houses and thereby help them improve their living conditions. In all, an estimated 3,500 Nigerians are expected to have benefitted from the programme by end of this year.

    In 2015, Lafarge Holcim also unveiled a self-contained studio-flat at its Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos office, as a model for affordable housing for the low and middle income earners. The feat served as the bedrock for the firm’s planned delivery of a 500-unit of low cost housing in Gwagwalada, Abuja. The types being provided in this scheme include two and three-bedroom flats and studio types. Its prices range from N1.5million for studio model, while others are between N4million and N6million.

    Stakeholders are convinced that the initiative is capable of bringing succour to the numerous Nigerians, who are daily losing hope of owning houses.