The Nation Newspaper

Tag: rescue

  • Financing 2020 Olympics: Afe Babalola, Mary Onyali to the rescue

    There is this striking similarity between the election of the first ever non-Italian Pope, the then Cardinal Carol Wojtylar (pronounced Carol Voytihwuh) of Poland in 1978 and the abysmal outing of the Nigerian contingent at the recently concluded Rio Olympics in Brazil.       Shortly before the Conclave of Cardinals that would elect the next Pope, a barrage of Photo Journalists had accosted Wojtylar, who later appropriated the name Pope John Paul II, clicking away without let or hindrance.

    Somewhat taken aback, if not out-rightly embarrassed at the unusual and unsolicited attention from the Press, the would-be Pope retorted: “Certainly, you do not think I will become the next Pope”. But because Wojtylar has been predestined to become Pope, he was accordingly elected and announced the next occupant of the Papacy after the symbolic smoke oozed out of the roofs of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

    The same way Cardinal Carol Wojtylar did not think he would become Pope, Nigeria’s contingent to the recently concluded Olympic Games in Rio never nursed any hope or ambition to put up any superlative performance at the global tournament: no thanks to shoddy preparations, poor logistics support and lack of the necessary and much required funds, the oil of success in matters like this.

    Let’s go back a little into the history of the Olympics. In 1996, Great Britain finished 36th on the Medals table with one gold medal while Nigeria was ranked 32nd on the table. However, at the recently concluded Rio Olympics, Great Britain finished 2nd overall coasting home 27 Gold, 23 Silver and 17 bronze medals while Nigeria which ranked 32 in 1996 ended up 78th, an abysmal retrogression indeed!.

    The question will naturally arise as to what has happened to Great Britain since 1996 to enable it improve dramatically while Nigeria has suffered a dip in fortune? What has Nigeria failed to do to build on the success of 1996? The answers to these questions do not require a crystal ball. Nigeria has simply failed to put its money where its mouth is. Nigeria as a country has failed to prepare for the funding of sports.

    The quantum leap in the performance of Britain was not magic, neither was it predicated on voodoo. It was strictly the evident result of painstaking planning and clinical implementation of such plans. Worried by the abysmal performance of Britain in the 1996 Olympics and determined to take its rightful place in the Olympics, former British Prime Minister, John Major,  took the bull by the horn by setting up the UK Sports to strategically invest National Lottery and Exchequer income to maximize the performance of UK athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the global events which precede them.

    Investment decisions are made on a four-year basis to cover a complete Olympic or Paralympic cycle, but are focused on an eight-year performance development model while success is measured by the (number) of medals won, the number of medalists developed and the quality of the systems and processes in place and support the nation’s most promising future champions.

    In addition to investing 70% of its income in Sports, UK Sports also runs a number of world leading centralized strategic support services including the development of world class coaches, running talent identification campaigns, Sports Science and Medicine, Warm weather training and administration, International competition schedules and Athlete development programme as well as Access to high performance training facilities to fast track future medalists in the right sports. All of these would appear to have paid off for Britain at the recently concluded Rio Olympics.

    But what has happened to Nigeria to warrant its carting home only one bronze medal at the Rio Olympics? This dismal performance may not have come as a surprise to some given the chaotic state of the country’s preparation for the games and the abysmal funding available to its athletes. Imagine a situation where participants at the tourney were not properly kitted!  Prior to the start of the games, it was reported that athletes billed to represent the country had been asked to source for funds to pay their airfares to the venue of the games in Brazil. While the accuracy of this report was denied by sports ministry officials, subsequent events and revelations at the games proper called into question the level of funding available for our athletes.

    But long before the 2016 Olympics, Nigeria’s five-time Olympiad and former Queen of the Track, Chief Mary Onyali, has been concerned about the dwindling performance of Nigerian athletes in major continental and international tournaments and she decided to do something about it. Even though she was a 100-metre runner in her days on the track, Onyali behaved like a long distance runner who starts his race early when she, in concert with some former Nigerian internationals, conceptualized the Nigerian Olympic Fund (NOF) some seven years ago to provide funds for Nigerian participants in future Olympics and enhance their performance.

    Speaking at the Celebrity Endorsement to kick-start the NOF recently in Ado-Ekiti, Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekitit (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, who Onyali revealed was overwhelmingly voted as the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Basic Olympic Opportunity Sports Training (BOOST), said the dismal performance during the last Rio Olympics and the dwindling fortunes of sports in the country constitute wake-up calls on all lovers of sports and well-meaning Nigerians.

    He therefore called on all tiers of government and public-spirited individuals to make it a point of duty to contribute to the funding of sports to improve Nigeria’s standing in continental and world tournaments and discourage a repeat of the frustrations that emanated from the just concluded Games in Brazil.

    Babalola, a Sports enthusiast who has made the first rate  Sporting facilities like the nine beautiful courts, the lush 1000-seater Sport Pavilion, the Olympic size Swimming Pool, the modern Football pitch, the multi-billion Naira Talent Discovery Centre which houses 28 different Games among others in his university available for the training of young athletes who will later become stars, added that “we will deliberately turn our fortunes right in Sports and indeed in other areas of human endeavour. I must point out that Government cannot do it alone. There is need for private participation”.

    As a practical demonstration of his commitment and support for the project, Babalola announced a donation of N10 million as part of his contributions to the Fund and success of sports in the country, stressing that he has warmed up to the idea because it tallies with ABUAD’s objective of pioneering excellence along the parameters and perimeters of teaching, research, superlative performance in sports, community impact and scholarship as well as exemplary character.

    He therefore lauded Onyali, the Executive Director (Technical) and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NOF, Mr. Olajide Fashikun, for the bold and altruistic initiative and urged other Universities in Nigeria to key into the NOF initiative in the overall interest of all.

    Onyali, in an address at the event, extolled Babalola for his support for sports administration and his acclaimed philanthropic inclinations, the main reasons why he enjoyed the overwhelming endorsement of former Nigerian internationals to emerge the Chairman of the Governing Board of BOOST.

    The former Sprinter turned Sports Administrator said the Celebrity Endorsement which flagged off with Babalola’s public identification with the project is targeted at 10,000 celebrities through which “we shall bring one million children into sports in four years. We have got the latent talents in this country. We shall recruit and keep the very best coaches, sports scientists and sports medics, referees, umpires, volunteers and all”.

    On the proceeds accruable to the Fund, she said: “Whatever monies they give us, we shall take 10% into the National Athlete Welfare Fund to care for ageing former sportsmen and women 30% goes into the NOC Solidarity Fund which sports federations will be able to access based on performance. 50% goes into the BOOST project. The balance of 10% shall go into our operational account to drive this advocacy process.

    According to her, Ekiti state will from January 2017 enjoy the pilot of the project. Six schools have been named and the Elite Athletes programme for Tokyo 2020 will begin in ABUAD.

    “It is my prayer that we will have the courage to be the change agent for sports in this nation. We look forward to the changes in the various communities in a short while. Our return to glory as a nation is here”.

    “From 2018, there will be youth leagues where these kids will compete at state, zonal and national levels. A new generation of stars will be born, professionally-supported and managed to stardom. Our nation will never be the same. Over 27,000 professionals will be expected to work with us on this project at maturity” she concluded.

    With Onyali and Babalola’s intervention, perhaps Nigeria will gradually graduate off the hackneyed phrase that “the joy of Olympics is in participation and not in winning”. That warped and twisted logic should be done away with and the time for that is now.

     

    • Olofintila wrote from Ado-Ekiti.
  • Coal to the rescue?

    Coal to the rescue?

    •Even though it is coming late in the power generation mix, it is better late than never

    Grossly inadequate power supply is generally acknowledged as one of the most critical factors responsible for Nigeria’s protracted economic crisis. The need for businesses to generate their own power in the face of epileptic power supply not only adds to the cost of doing business, with the additional costs passed on to already hard pressed consumers. It also discourages both much needed local and foreign investment in the economy.

    Relying solely on hydro and gas sources of electricity generation, Nigeria currently generates at the best of times a maximum of 5,000 megawatts of electricity for a population of 180 million people. This contrasts sharply, for example, with South Africa, which generates 100,000 megawatts of electricity even though she has a population of about 45 million people.

    This is why the recent disclosure by the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, that Nigeria will soon be utilising coal as an alternative source of energy is a most welcome and promising development. Estimating that coal will soon be contributing 30 percent to electricity generation in the country, Dr Fayemi said that Nigeria expects to generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity from coal by 2020 to supplement other sources of energy currently in use.

    Speaking at a stakeholders’ and press meeting on “Sustainability in the Extractive Industries” at his ministry, Dr Fayemi expatiated: “We have decided that coal licenses will only be awarded to those who want to generate electricity and we are collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Power and Housing on this…You need to have a license for power generation before you acquire a license for mining. Since the inception of this administration, no license for coal has been awarded which is not for the purpose of power generation. So if you acquire a license for mining coal, you have to also have that for power”.

    Given the generous quantities of coal available in large swathes of the country, it is inexplicable that Nigeria has not tapped the potentials of this resource for power generation, which is one of her most crucial requirements for economic recovery and sustainable growth. According to the minister, coal exists in about 19 states of the federation covering a stretch of about 800 kilometres. The reluctance to exploit the country’s abundant coal reserves for electricity generation may not be unconnected with fears of the impact on climate change of carbon dioxide emissions associated with coal processing and production. For a country in our situation, that is a luxury we can ill afford. In any case, as Dr Fayemi observed, clean coal with environmental standards can be achieved.

    It is estimated that about 41% of global electricity is currently fuelled by coal-fired plants. In 2014, 29% of the electricity used in the United Kingdom was produced by coal-fired power stations. It is the same story in the United States where coal was responsible for 39% of the country’s electricity production in 2014 although this proportion fell to 33% in 2015. Eskom, South Africa’s publicly owned power firm says 53% of domestic coal consumption in the country is used for electricity generation. The largest producer and consumer of coal in the world, China, generated an estimated 73% of domestic electricity from the resource e in 2014.

    True, most countries have long term plans to move away from coal generated electricity because it produces higher amounts of carbon emissions than any other power generation source. Nigeria can also have such plans for the long term.  But for now, the country faces a power emergency and it makes no sense for the country to have huge reserves of coal lying idle when they can significantly help bridge our chronic electricity deficit. What the country needs is a balanced energy mix that taps the potentials of hydro, gas, wind, solar, coal and even ultimately, nuclear energy.

  • How agric can rescue economy, by experts

    Concerted efforts are needed to revive the  economy by stimulating    agricultural growth measures, experts have said.

    According to them, the agricultural sector accounts for 70 per cent of the nation’s employment ratio, and it is a major contributor to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP). Therefore, it requires support for expansion, including improving irrigation facilities, providing food security and creation of various funds and schemes.

    The experts include a professor of Rural Development Communication Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Kolawole Adebayo and former Dean Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Prof Abiodun Adeloye.

    They stated that building roads, power plants, ports and other infrastructure was key to spurring economic activities and unlocking opportunities in agriculture across the country.

    In an interview with The Nation on the economic challenge, Adebayo said: “The best way out of recession is increased government expenditures in the sectors that create and retain jobs while developing infrastructures. So, if we pay local contractors to develop rural roads, we would not only generate jobs in road construction, but facilitate  transportation of agricultural products and improve people’s lives.”

    For Adeloye, agriculture is still the major source of income and employment for the population, adding that it has played the most important role in poverty reduction.

    With Nigeria’s GDP dropping due to the fall in oil price and output and increasing insecurity challenge,  he noted that it was time Nigeria built its economy on agriculture.  “So we need to get back there. Let’s go back to the farms and do the work. God has been good, the rain is much this year so why dont we key into the goodies of the abundant rainfall? Agriculture and export of agriculture produce are possible solutions.”

    He emphasised the need to tackle poverty as well as support growth of agriculture to boost domestic demand.

    International Society for Root Crops, Africa Branch President and Dean, College of Food Science and Human Ecology, Department of Food Science & Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Prof. Lateef Sanni, said Nigeria’s agriculture sector had to reform its production and business structure to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI).

    He said the agricultural sector  should restructure production and business, including solutions on attracting investment from home and abroad.

    Sanni said attracting FDI in the domestic agriculture sector required setting the goals to develop a more vibrant and diversified rural economy with sustainable agricultural growth, high-value creation, food safety in line with international standard, higher competitiveness and farmer income, and technology-intensive agriculture.

  • Police rescue abducted baby in Umuahia

    Police rescue abducted baby in Umuahia

    The Commissioner of Police in Abia, Mr Leye Oyebade on Wednesday said that men of the command had rescued a 15-month-old baby girl allegedly stolen from her mother.

    Oyebade, who said this while briefing newsmen on some of the major achievements of the command, noted that the baby was stolen on Monday in Umuahia.

    He said that the suspected abductors, identified as Lawan Nuhu and Lawal Ahmed, took away the little Chinonye after drugging her mother, Mrs Chioma Chijindu at their residence at No. 8 Ohafia Street, Umuahia.

    He said that the suspects were arrested following a tip off, while N170,000 cash and  a 307 Peugeot car with Reg. No. AZ 166 KWL, were recovered from them.

    “During investigation, the suspects confessed that they drugged the baby’s mother before escaping with the baby,” Oyebade said.

    He warned parents to be vigilant about the activities of their neighbours and strangers in their areas.

    The police commissioner also said that no fewer than 12 other people were arrested in connection with alleged criminal activities, including vandalism, armed robbery and car snatching.

    According to him, three suspected vandals, identified as Obirinachi Chijioke, Chigoziem Okereke

    and Ikemsinachi Okereke, were arrested in Obikabia in Obingwa Local Government Area, following a distress call from a resident.

    Oyebade said that they were arrested while they were allegedly vandalising electricity transformer belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.

    “My men moved in and arrested the three suspects but two escaped,’’.

    According to him, the police are on the trail of two other suspects still at large.

    He said that the police had also arrested Joseph Godwin, who resides at Ogwo Road, off Ohanku Road, Aba, for allegedly killing his neighbour, Joel Effiong, a businessman in Aba on August 31.

    He said that all the suspects currently in police custody would be charged to court at the end of ongoing investigations by the police.

    Oyebade said that the command also arrested Ugorji Uche and Okoronkwo Chibuike, natives of Atani in Arochukwu, for allegedly stealing a Mitsubushi L300 bus with Reg. No. ATN 607 ZK.

    He said that the vehicle belonged to Jeremiah Igwe of Obosi in Anambra state, adding that the suspects had been transferred to Anambra state police command for further action.

    The commissioner of police expressed delight over the exploit of his men and commended residents of the state for assisting the command with useful information.

    He promised that the command would not rest on its oars until crime and criminality had been “reduced to the barest minimum in the state’’.

    “This is the reason my men have been working round the clock to checkmate the activities of criminals in the state,” Oyebade said.

    He listed items recovered from the suspects to include different kinds of arms and ammunition, electronic gadgets such as plasma television sets, tricycles and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.

     

  • Chibok: Blame game and politics of rescue

    The continuous captivity of about 200 Chibok school girlscaptured from their hostel since February 15, 2014 by a group of fanatical anarchists called Boko Haram terrorists has become a festering sore and a moral burden on the Nigerian state as hope wanes on the ability of the government to rescue them alive and intact.  The narrative has remained the same since the dithering former President Jonathan’s reaction of mum and denial and the jelly-footed, lethargic response of the security forces and the intelligence community. But for the steadfast and constant reminder of the Bring Back our Girls (BBOG) campaign group that took the campaign to the global stage, the nation would have gone to sleep as usual and forgotten about them.  No state in history has ever failed her people like the fate of these innocent Nigerians; whatever we do today, it is too little too late.  Our government has continued to vigorously pursue their release onlyat seminars, symposia and pages of newspapers by trading blames and speculating.

    Nobody appears to still have any clue of their condition and whereabouts; not even the ubiquitous intelligence community that could sniff out fresh wads of dough in the boots of cars during elections.  It is a shame that we are still living in delusion that foreign intelligence and American commandos as our development partners would come and rescue the girls for us.  The sad thing is that it only dawned on us in the face of the insurgency in the North-east that our security forces have become partisan and fractious, lacking the appetite to fight and fulfil their traditional roles.  They have become bogged down and distracted by undue political meddlesomeness.  This is the reason why with all our God-given resources as a nation, we are still not able to build capacity and equip our security forces and the intelligence community to help us fight insecurity, which insurgency is just an aspect.  Rather than invest in equipment, the politicians and some of the commanders at the Military High Command looted money meant to buy equipment to prosecute the war leaving the military humiliated and the nation embarrassed.

    There have been hostage situations in other countries in the world and at every such occasion those states have always risen to the occasion and conducted immediate rescue operation through their security forces.  In April 2004, the Russian Federation was jolted by the siege on the Beslan School in the Chechnya region where over 800 people, most of them children, were taken hostage by terrorists.  The drama and agony lasted for only 72 hours and the nation had its peace while 31 of the 32 hostage takers were killed and one arrested.  There were collateral damages and the parents and nation were not kept in suspense and the message was sent to the spine of all who may have such sinister motive that the country was equal to the task.

    Rather than take the bull by the horn, the capturing of the Chibok girls and insurgency have thrown up all manners of experts debating on terrorism, parroting theories that have taken us nowhere.  Terrorism or insurgency is an unorthodox warfare that our security forces very well know.  The whole world is watching with disbelieve as we debate and sing discordant tunes on the where about of the girls;  whether they are still safe and alive or whether they are intact or married off or as the video showed by the insurgents recently, whether they have been killed by air strike by the Nigerian Air Force.

    We are told the girls are still in the Sambisa forest.  All the excuses and foot-dragging are signatures of failure and unacceptable.  Sambisa forest is not an evil forest populated with gnomes and characters from Soyinka’s, “A Forest of a Thousand Demons”.  If the insurgents could establish their stronghold in the place, there is no earthly reason why our security forces after two years have not been able to smoke them out whether they are living in bunkers or holes.

    It is astonishing that our leaders are still prevaricating instead of summoning the political will to deal decisively with the terrorists once and for all, while we allow any collateral damage to heal with time rather than to continue to be the laughing stock of the world as a big for nothing country.

    Nigeria had faced similar crises of insecurity in the past and the armed forces had acquitted themselves creditably well. They successfully prosecuted the Nigerian Civil War whose scale cannot be compared with the Boko Haram insurgents.  In 1980, the Nigerian Armed Forces helped to put down a fanatical religious insurgent movement, “Maitatsine” in Kano led by a Cameroonian called Muhammadu Marwa. In 2004, a self-styled Taliban staged attacks against police personnel and installations in North-east and attempted to establish stronghold in the Mandara Mountains between Nigeria and Cameroon.  The military came in and flushed out the bandits with little or no casualty recorded on its side.  In the sub-region, the Nigerian armed forces have been hailed to high heavens in their exemplary feat in combat.  Indeed, the Nigerian military had always projected itself in positive light and beyond any appearance of   political partisanship but not any longer as it now  engaged in political tuff against itself;  helping  or providing  protection  and  cover for one political party or the other, thereby losing its credibility and respect.

    A good military should be apolitical but patriotic.  It is training, equipment and the ability to drive the equipment when it matters that makes a soldier; it is not the uniform as the hood does not make the monk.

    We have gone beyond what the last government did or failed to do as this has been settled by the Nigerian people in the last election; this government should be focused on concrete deliverables rather than dwelling and blaming past regimes. The government should not see the BBOG group as irritants because they are acting as the conscience of the nation.  If we are beginning to see them as becoming political arising from recent demand for the President to resign, the ruling APC has been the greatest beneficiaries of their politics and campaign.  We should remember that if we do not like the way we look in the mirror, breaking the mirror does not change anything, we have to change ourselves.  The blame-game has become too monotonous; the President should give a matching order to the security forces of which he is the Commander-in-Chief to put an end to the Chibok girls  nightmare one way or the other.

     

    • KebonkwuEsq, writes from Abuja.
  • Any rescue measure for economy in order, says LCCI

    Any rescue measure for economy in order, says LCCI

    Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Mr. Muda Yusuf said last night that he supports any measure that will yield the needed result to fix the economy. He said the economy required urgent and emergency response to battle pervasive poverty and hunger.

    He said: “We are in an unusual situation and we need to take drastic steps to fix the problems. The challenges facing the country now are multifaceted; there is the disruption in oil and gas sector due to militancy and insecurity in almost every part of the country. The government needs to urgently restore the hope of the citizens by coming up with plans to assure people that the pressure and pain they are witnessing now will not be forever”.

    Yusuf said “it is time to think outside the box,” noting that whatever policy the president has been implementing in almost all sectors of the economy has not yielded the desired result.

  • Govt working to rescue girls, says Lai Mohammed

    Govt working to rescue girls, says Lai Mohammed

    Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed said yesterday that “the Federal Government is doing everything possible to secure the release of the Chibok girls and put an end to the horrible saga of their abduction.”

    Reacting to the Boko Haram video of some of the girls, the minister said: ‘’We are on top of the situation. But we are being extremely careful because the situation has been compounded by the split in the leadership of Boko Haram. We are also being guided by the need to ensure the safety of the girls.

    ‘’Since this is not the first time we have been contacted over the issue, we want to be doubly sure that those we are in touch with are who they claim to be.’’

    He expressed the hope that the latest development will signal the beginning of the end of the nightmare to which the girls, their families and indeed all Nigerians have been subjected since the unfortunate abduction.

  • Agric revolution: Fertilizer supply to the rescue

    Agric revolution: Fertilizer supply to the rescue

    Even before the recent attempt to link urea fertilizer producer Notore Chemical Industries Plc (Notore) to sabotage of Nigeria’s national security and economy, the fertilizer maker and distributor had stepped up its campaign to revolutionalise the agric sector through local supply of fertilizer. The move, seen as a shot in the arm of the ongoing agric transformation agenda, promises to enhance food production and food security. CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

    The management of urea fertilizer producer Notore Chemical Industries Plc (Notore) is literarily up in arms. Recent statements credited to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) that it was involved in activities that sabotage Nigeria’s security and economy did not go down well with the company.

    For one, the allegation, which specifically accused Notore of being a conduit for explosive materials used by militants, came at a time the fertiliser manufacturer said it was working assiduously to give the current administration’s agric transformation agenda the required push.

    Apparently livid over the weighty allegations, which it strongly denied, Notore on Monday said as a Nigerian company with predominantly Nigerian shareholders, it had always been committed and focused on supporting initiatives of the Federal Government, and championing the African Green Revolution, especially Nigeria’s.

    “Our attention has been drawn to various publications in the media containing serious allegations about Notore. In the publications, Notore is alleged to be sabotaging Nigeria’s national security and economy by being a conduit for explosive materials as well as being “unpatriotic.”  Notore is constrained to refute the allegations in the strongest terms,” the company said.

    Stating that it does not produce, import, or in any way use nitric acid, Notore said it has worked and continues to work with government agencies to ensure that its products move strictly through its controlled distribution channels directly to official distribution partners and then into the market.

    The company, in a statement made available to The Nation, also said it is the premier producer of urea fertiliser in sub-Saharan Africa; that it has been in production for over six years and it remained committed to its core goal of enhancing food production and food security in Africa, particularly in Nigeria.

    Notore said part of its strategy to achieve this goal is to focus on sales of fertilizer in the local market via its extensive, controlled and award-winning distribution channels. It also has and uses extension workers who are committed to the training of local farmers on best practices and the creation of ‘test plots’ to showcase the benefits of effective use of fertilizer on crops.

    It listed other strategies to include the creation of an effective and efficient distribution channel to ease access to fertilizers for the farmers, as well as boosting production capacity to meet the ever increasing demand of the Nigerian farmer.

    The Onne, Rivers State-based fertiliser maker and distributor said over the past years, through its private extension services and controlled distribution channels, which include over 2, 500 Village Promoters, it has reached over three million Nigerian farmers who have been impacted positively with increased yields.

    The company added that as estimated by a 2013 report by Propcom-DFID, an innovative, market-driven initiative of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) that aims to reduce poverty in Nigeria, over 33 per cent of smallholder farmers in seven selected northern states learned at least one improved farming practice from Notore’s activities. This led to increased yields and income.

    That is not all. The fertilizer producer also said it worked with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, some selected states, and International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) in designing and implementing the fertilizer voucher program between 2009 and 2012.

    The programme, it stated, greatly improved the administration of the fertilizer subsidy programme by increasing the reach to target beneficiaries from a previous 11 per cent to as high as 60 per cent.

    “The success of this voucher programme became the basis on which the Federal Government created the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) e-wallet program, which sought to improve agricultural productivity through the effective and efficient delivery of farm inputs such as fertilizer, which increased yields.

    “It is through these and other activities that Notore has helped and continues to help build Nigeria’s agricultural and economic landscape, which has a direct impact on the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” the statement stated.

    The Nation also learnt that as part of its commitment to Nigeria, the bulk (about 75 per cent) of Notore’s production of fertilizer is focused on the Nigerian market. And because Nigeria largely has only one planting season, the majority of this production is sold locally during this peak season, while Notore only exports limited amounts of fertilizer during the dry season.

    Indeed, during the dry season, there is essentially zero demand for fertilizer in Nigeria. But, Notre, it was learnt, continued to work aggressively with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to encourage and stimulate farming in Nigeria during the off-season in order to further its core goal of increased food production and food security in Nigeria.

    For instance, the compny has been a key partner in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers’ Program aimed at increasing the local production of key crops. During the recently completed pilot of the rice anchor borrowers’ program in Kebbi State, it supplied all the urea fertilizer used in the programme.

    The result of the intervention was visible, as it delivered the requested fertilizer for the programme within a very short period to all the locations in which the program was implemented in the state. In continuation of that program, it has also committed to supplying all the urea fertilizer required for the program during the current rainy season in all 11 target states.

    “Another example of Notore’s aggressive efforts to stimulate farming in Nigeria is its successful onion intervention in Kebbi State. In 2010, an unprecedented severe case of onion twister disease in Kebbi State, similar to the recent tomato crisis, crippled all farming activities involving onions. As of the time of Notore’s intervention in 2010, onions were in short supply with high demand, thereby raising the price to an all-time high of N40,000 per bag,” the statement noted.

  • Low back pain? Chiropathy to the rescue

    Low back pain? Chiropathy to the rescue

    Do you experience low back pain? You are not alone as about eight out of  10 people do. But knowing when to seek therapeutic care is what is highly important.

    According to a chiropractor, Prof Magnus Atilade of St Luke Chiropath Clinic, Surulere, Lagos, people suffer from one or more bouts of low back pain. In most cases, it is not due to a serious disease or serious back problem. This is called non-specific lower back pain.

    Chiropractic is a health care profession dedicated to the non-surgical treatment of disorders of the nervous system and/or musculoskeletal system. Generally, chiropractors maintain a unique focus on spinal manipulation and treatment of surrounding structures.

    Atilade said the usual advice is to keep active, and do normal activities as much as possible. “Painkillers can help until the pain eases. In most cases, the pain disappears within six weeks but may come back (recur) from time to time. Chronic (persistent) pain develops in some cases and further treatment may then be needed,” he stated.

     

    Understanding the lower back

    The chiropractor said the lower back is also called the lumbosacral area of the back, and described how low back pain occurs. “Lumbosacral is the part of the back between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the legs. Most of the lower back is made up from muscles that attach to, and surround, the spine. The spine is made up of many bones called vertebrae. The vertebrae are roughly circular and between each vertebra is a disc. The discs between the vertebrae are a combination of a strong fibrous outer layer and a softer, gel-like centre. The discs act as shock absorbers and allow the spine to be flexible. Strong ligaments also attach to nearby (adjacent) vertebrae to give extra support and strength to the spine. The various muscles that are attached to the spine enable the spine to bend and move in various ways. The spinal cord, which contains the nerve pathways to and from the brain, is protected by the spine. Nerves from the spinal cord come out from between the vertebrae to take and receive messages to various parts of the body. Once anything goes wrong in any of these, there tends to be pains.”

     

    Types of low back pain

    Non-specific low back pain, according to  Atilade, is the most common type of back pain. The majority of cases of sudden-onset (acute) low back pain are classed as non-specific. ‘’This is the type of back pain that most people will have at some point in their life. It is called non-specific because it is usually not clear what is actually causing the pain. In other words, there is no specific problem or disease that can be identified as the cause of the pain. The severity of the pain can vary from mild to severe,” he explained.

    “Nerve root pain – often called sciatica – occurs in less than one in 20 cases of acute low back pain. Nerve root pain means that a nerve coming out from the spinal cord (the root of the nerve) is irritated or pressed on. (Many people call this a trapped nerve.) You feel pain along the course of the nerve. Therefore, you typically feel pain down a leg, sometimes as far as to the calf or foot. The pain in the leg or foot is often worse than the pain in the back. The irritation or pressure on the nerve may also cause pins and needles, numbness or weakness feelings in part of a buttock, leg or foot,” he stated.

    He shed light on what slip disc is, “about nine in 10 cases of nerve root back pain are due to a prolapsed disc – often called a slipped disc. A disc does not actually slip. What happens is that part of the inner softer part of the disc bulges out (prolapses) through a weakness in the outer harder part of the disc. The prolapsed part of the disc can press on a nerve nearby. Other less common conditions can cause pressure on a nerve to cause nerve root pain.”

    The chiropractor said another is Cauda equina syndrome which is a particularly serious type of nerve root problem. This is a rare disorder where the nerves at the very bottom of the spinal cord are pressed on. This syndrome can cause low back pain plus problems with bowel and bladder function (usually unable to pass urine), numbness in the saddle area (around the back passage (anus)), and weakness in one or both legs.

    “This syndrome needs urgent treatment to prevent the nerves to the bladder and bowel from becoming permanently damaged. See a caregiver immediately if you suspect cauda equina syndrome,” he said.

    There are less common causes of low back pain such as inflammation of the joints (arthritis) of the spine sometimes causes back pain. Osteoarthritis is the common form of arthritis and usually occurs in older people. Ankylosing spondylitis is another form of arthritis that can occur in young adults and causes pain and stiffness in the lower back. Rheumatoid arthritis may affect the spine, but you are likely to have other joints affected too. Various uncommon bone disorders, tumours, infections, and pressure from structures near to the spine occasionally cause low back pain. (Less than 1 in 100 cases of low back pain.)

    Atilade said Chiropathy do offer perfect treatment for any form of low back pains.  He said: “Chiropathy is used for treating musculoskeletal and spine disorders with the purpose of improving health. It can be classified as alternative medical therapy and uses spinal adjustment and other joint manipulations manually. It is basically based on the idea of spinal joint dysfunction that interferes with the proper function of nervous system, resulting in the deterioration of the person’s health.

    “There are combinations of treatments used according to the patient needs. This includes exercise, health as well as spinal adjustments and lifestyle counseling. The medical care experts state that the chiropractic disease or condition is due to low resistance power of the body. A chiropractor uses manipulations rather than surgery and medication.”

    Atilade said each chiropractic session may last between 30-60 minutes, with the number of visits needed depending on the severity of the condition. “More than 2/3s of the conditions that chiropractors treat are musculoskeletal problems, including low back pain, neck pain and headaches. It can be beneficial to an individual due to the non invasive procedure. The chiropractor emphasizes healthy lifestyle habits and there is absolute non prescription of drugs or surgery,” he stated.

     

    Tips

    To avoid low back pains, Prof Atilade gave some tips: “Whether in the office or at home make sure you take regular breaks from the computer or tablet screen, just stand on your feet and walk around for a few minutes every hour. This will relieve the stress on your back and help preserve it. Try to always sleep on your side, as this will keep your spine elongated and neutral. You should also make sure that your mattress is not too soft as this will cause your spine to bend placing stress on your lower back. Vary your footwear. Sometimes you can put on flat shoes otherwise, wear something with sensible heels and good soles to support your back. If you do a lot of walking, it will be great for you to invest in shoes with cushioned soles or a nice pair of trainers. When attempting to lift a heavy object, always lift with your legs and not your back. With this technique- you squat keeping your back straight and grasp the object e.g. a box from the bottom and rise with it. This will put the stress on your thigh muscles which are much more powerful than your lower back. Stress also causes low back pain. When you are in an emotionally stressed situation, for example, a rough day at work, or having difficulties with your spouse. It triggers a response from your body releasing the stress hormone cortisol and one of the side effects of this is muscles spasms and muscle tension, especially in your shoulders and lower back. If you already have a back ache, stress will invariably make it worse. The solution is to learn to relax and not take things to heart, you can take up exercise, or just find a person to talk to, this can help you release some of the pressure and anxiety causing you stress,” he advised.

  • 23 die in India bridge collapse

    23 die in India bridge collapse

    Rescue workers in India found 18 bodies on Friday after a bridge collapsed over a flooded river earlier in the week, a report said.

    According to the report, 23 people are feared dead after two buses and a car plunged into the Savitri River when an aging bridge on a highway linking the states of Maharashtra and Goa caved on Wednesday.

    More than 100 emergency workers in boats, helicopters and on foot scoured the site, looking for survivors and the vehicles.

    “We have recovered 18 bodies until now, of which 15 have been identified.

    One victim is the driver of a bus,” said Sushma Satpute, sub-divisional magistrate of Raigad district.

    Constant rain was hampering search operations.

    “It is raining heavily and the river is fast flowing, so it is almost impossible to venture into the water and track where the vehicles are,” Satpute said by phone from the site.

    Local police, disaster management personnel, Indian Navy divers and coastguard and Indian Air Force helicopters were involved in the operation.

    State authorities have come under attack for the accident, given the lack of maintenance for the 88-year-old bridge, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a judicial investigation as well as a safety audit of all old bridges.