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Tag: Science

  • NLNG flags off 2019 prize for science,Literature, and Literary Criticism

    The Advisory Boards for The Nigeria Prize for Science, The Nigeria Prize for Literature and The Literary Criticism Prize, sponsored by Nigeria LNG (NLNG) Limited, have published the Call for Entries for the 2019 edition of the prizes, flagging off this year’s competitions.

    The Science and Literature prizes, which are now in their 15th year, each come with a cash prize of $100, 000 while the Literary Criticism Prize has a prize money of N1 million.

    The Science Prize, which recognises outstanding scientific achievements by Nigerians and non-Nigerians, will this year focus on Climate Change: Erosion, Drought and Desertification.

    The Literature Prize, on the other hand, will focus on Children’s Literature. The prize which honours the author of the best book by a Nigerian rotates among four literary genres, namely Prose Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Children’s Literature. The Literary Criticism Prize, which also aims to promote Nigerian Literature, will receive entries on works in literary criticism of Nigerian Literature, especially critical essays on new writings in Nigerian Literature.

    According to the online media, the Call for Entries for the Literature prize and Literary Criticism opened on February 15, 2019 and will close on April 5, 2019. The window for the science prize also opened on February 15, 2019 but will close on May 3, 2019.

    Professor Obododinma Oha will chair the panel of judges for this year’s Literature and the Literary Criticism competition. Professor Oha, poet, editor and a translator, is a professor of Semiotics, Stylistics, and Creative Writing at the Department of English, University of Ibadan. He writes poems in English and Igbo.

    Other members of the panel include Professor Asabe Usman Kabir and Dr. Patrick Okolo. Professor Kabir is a professor of Oral and African Literature at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. Dr. Oloko, a Senior lecturer at the University of Lagos Nigeria, specialisation in African postcolonial literature, gender and cultural studies.

    The winners of the Literature and Literary Criticism prizes will be announced at an award ceremony in October 2019, to commemorate the anniversary of the first LNG export from the NLNG’s Plant on October 9, 1999. The Science Prize winner as usual will be revealed earlier in the year.

    Three winners emerged in the prize categories in 2018. They were Soji Cole who clinched the Literature Prize award with his play, ‘Embers’, Dr. Peter Ngene  was awarded the Science Prize, for his work in “Innovation in Electric Power”, and Professor Isidore Diala, a professor of African Literature at Imo State University, Owerri, took home the Literary Criticism Prize.

    The Nigeria Prize for Literature and The Nigeria Prize for Science are part of Nigeria LNG Limited’s numerous contributions towards building a better Nigeria.

  • ‘Science, others hold future for economy’

    Encouraging students to embrace Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects would help bridge skills gap in the information communication technology (ICT) sector, an electronic payment and digital commerce firm, Interswitch Group, has said.

    Its Founder & GMD, Mitchell Elegbe, who spoke ahead the hosting of the first edition of the InterswitchSPAK project with a N12.5million-scholarship among other prizes, said when students are encouraged early in their life to pick interest in STEM subjects, they end up designing solutions to societal problems.

    He said the project is the firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative that is primarily focused on driving increased interest in the study of STEM subjects among Senior Secondary School students across the country.

    Elegbe said the session would give the students the opportunity to meet real-life models who prove that success is possible, regardless of existing challenges. It will focus on knowledge sharing, as well as motivating the students on character building and assuming leadership responsibilities in all their spheres of contact.

    He said: “The Masterclass is a real experiential window for the students, where they do not only meet successful people who are providing solutions, they are motivated and prepped by these people to begin to develop the right mind set and attitude for leadership and success.”

    He said the initiative is multifaceted-made as it is up of the TV quiz show which includes the Innovation Challenge, the MasterClass, and the InterswitchSPAK volunteers’ week, all targeted at students aged between 14 and 17 years in SS 2 or year 11, as the case maybe. InterswitchSPAK aims to encourage and guide the students on career paths that will help them achieve full optimisation of their potentials and dreams to become innovators and entrepreneurs.InterswitchSPAK 1.0. began with a national qualifying examination from which the top 81 students out of the over 11,000 students from various private and public secondary schools across the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT, qualified to compete in the TV quiz show.

  • Defence Industries, FUTA to partner on science, technology

    The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on science and technology.

    DICON’s Director-General Maj.-Gen. Bamidele Ogunkale said the deal, which was signed at the corporation’s headquarters in Kaduna, will boost science research and efforts to solve national technological challenges.

    He said: “With the signing of this MoU, I hope we can define our relationship or collaboration in specific terms to realise what constitute our defined objectives with clarity to both parties.

    “Our areas of convergence and line of action have of also been clearly expressed and I am highly optimistic we can take the MoU to the next level.”

    Ogunkale said the partnership was inspired by the Chief of Air Staff (COAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who, during this year’s Nigerian Air Force Day celebration, signed an MoU with DICON and 25 science and technology universities across the country.

    According to him, such partnerships could help to stem brain drain.

    He said: “Presently, we experience brain drain; our best brains travel out to develop other nations, most of which are already developed. I believe this situation we find ourselves in could be mitigated with the will of all stakeholders being expressed towards positive end.”

  • ‘Science, tech bank coming’

    Federal Government’s drive to move the economy out of current dependence on mineral resources to a knowledge-based economy, will soon get further push with the proposed establishment of the Science and Technology Bank.

    When in operation, the bank will develop venture capital system for the purpose of commercialising research and development (R&D) results from research institutes and other higher institutions in the country.

    Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who spoke at a world press conference on the Presidential Executive Order No.5  in Lagos, yesterday, said venture capital system is very low in the country making it necessary to float a bank for this purpose.

    He said: “There is a very fundamental change going on in the country. A change from dependence on mineral resources to dependence on brain power (on intellect) that come up with R&Ds that transform into physical products.”

    “The bank will be useful for all researchers in both the government and the private sector agencies and this has become very necessary as the current administration wants to speed up commercialisation of research and development in the country.”

    The minister said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is making very important reforms that will grow the economy with special recognition of the role of science and technology and participation of indigenous professionals which forms the basis of the Executive Order 5.

    Onu saidPresident Buhari is very serious in changing Nigeria for the better, saying since independence, Nigeria’s direction towards development has been wrong because they are directed towards commodities whose prices are determined by outsiders and when there is a drop in price the economy catches cold.

    “But we are now changing this and working towards a new direction by using science and technology to add value to the abundant resources at our disposal, adding that in the history of any nation, there comes a time when critical decisions have to be taken in order to quickly move to a new level of development of the nation so as to more effectively protect and secure the citizens.”

  • Yabatech acquires software for detecting plagiarism

    The Governing Council of Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech) on Wednesday said it had acquired a world-class security software capable of detecting any act of plagiarism in write-ups submitted by students and lecturers.

    Mr Lateef Fagbemi, Chairman, Governing Council of the college stated this at the 11th International Science, Technology, Education, Arts, Management and Social Sciences (iSTEAMS) Conference in Lagos.

    Fagbemi spoke on “Plagiarism and Its Legal Implications Within Academic Environments: Consequences On The Institutions And Offender”.

    The three-day conference organised by the Research Nexus Africa Network, in collaboration with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ends on June 29.

    Fagbemi said the software would detect the slightest act of plagiarism and copyright.

    According to him, with the software, the college is confident that products, are now better secured and their final works, much more reassuring.

    He said the conference was apt as it brings to the front burner, the unfortunate situation of plagiarism.

    “Educational institutions must step up the quality control mechanisms and academic papers submitted by writers must be thoroughly checked to detect a possibility of plagiarism.

    “Yabatech has now acquired world-class security software that can detect even the slightest act of plagiarism in write-ups submitted by our students and lecturers.

    “This is where the deployment of technology comes in.

    “Relevant software must be acquired by our institutions to detect any possible case of plagiarism and be able to nip it in the bud,’’ he said.

    Fagbemi further remarked that plagiarism was prevalent, not only in tertiary institutions but also in science, journalism, literature, film creation and other areas.

    He said that in the academic and intellectual industry, plagiarism was a serious ethical offence.

    According to him, plagiarism cases could be detected even in works of famous writers, songs, filmmakers, philosopher, scientist, and public workers, among others.

    “Plagiarism is not in itself a crime, but can constitute copyright infringement.’’

    Fagbemi recommended that institutions must step-up the quality control mechanisms, while government must set up legislative intervention in curbing the problem of plagiarism.

    “ Our laws must be re-jigged to cater for the menace as a specific problem.

    “A specific problem deserves a special and deliberate solution.

    “The legislature must promulgate laws that specifically and pointedly address plagiarism, and all its variance, taking it away from the adaptation of the copyright laws, under which it is currently treated.’’

    Also speaking, Dr Obafemi Bank-Olemoh, Leadership/Business Intelligence expert at Caleb Business School, Lagos urged the Federal Government to develop the human resource capital to achieve industrialisation.

    Bank-Olemoh said the three tiers of government needed to re-access and reinforce the implementation of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) policies.

    He spoke in a paper titled: “Nigeria’s Industrialisation Drive cannot succeed if not anchored on the Investment and Development of Human Resource Capital; particularly on Technical Vocational Education (TVE)”.

    He said the success of Free Trade Zones hinged on addressing infrastructure deficit by appropriate funding.

    He noted that sustainability of Nigerian Industrial Zones could not be achieved if the expatriate quota abuse is not controlled.

    According to him, the integration system pathway should be adopted to bring together TVE curriculum, academic and applied curriculum, the labour market demands, institutions and the society at large.

    “The focus now should be on the development of a viable natural system of a vocational and technical education programme that will have easy access and exit learning pathways.

    “It must be validated by accredited learning that will lead to work or continued progress along another learning pathway.

    “This will help ginger youths and adults to see TVE as challenging and worthwhile,’’ he said.

    Mr Obafemi Omokungbe, Rector, Yabatech commended iSTEAMS for organising the conference and urged participants to be active in all sessions.

  • Albert Einstein, science and religioin

    There are so many enriching, stimulating ennobling and enlightening thoughts on diverse aspects of life – human rights, education, friendship, freedom, morality, politics, science etc. – in Albert Einstein’s collection of essays simply titled ‘Ideas and Opinions’. We have, however, chosen to focus today on the great scientist’s views as regards religion, morality, God and the relationship of these phenomena to the scientific vocation and imagination. Einstein’s essays which will inform the reflections in this piece are: ‘Religion and Science’; ‘The religious Spirit of Science’ and ‘Religion and Science Irreconcilable?’

    Some of the keenest intellects and most outstanding personalities of our time – scientific and non-scientific – have dismissed religion as utterly pre-scientific and mythical. In the same vein, they have derided the idea of God as a veritable illusion. Here in Nigeria, for instance, the late engineering genius, Professor AyodeleAwojobi, was a professed agnostic. He said he had no evidence to prove the existence or otherwise of God. The late Dr. Tai Solarin and BekoRansomeKuti were also lifelong atheists who denied belief in the existence of the supernatural. Yet, the trio were veritable moral exemplars and fighters for truth and justice whose lives showed that there is no necessarily ineluctable nexus between religious belief and a moral outlook on life.

    The British mathematician, philosopher and winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1950, Professor Bertrand Russell was also a professed atheist throughout his long life. I remember poring for hours over his treatise titled ‘One hundred reasons why I am not a Christian’ at the central library of the University of Ibadan as a student. A contemporary scientist who is a passionate advocate of atheism is Professor Richard Dawkins, is the English ethnologist and evolutionary biologist, whose explosive book, ‘The God Delusion’, published in 2006 has sold millions of copies around the world. He contends in the highly controversial and polemical book that the whole idea of God’s existence is a delusion and that religious belief is difficult to distinguish from some form of insanity. On a personal note, I find it difficult to believe that such a complex, intricate and well-ordered world like ours could have come into existence simply by chance or that creation can exist without a creator. Would it not be ridiculous if somebody claimed that Professor Dawkin’s book simply sprang to life by chance without an author that conceived, designed and wrote it? But then, mine is no scientific mind and my seeming ignorance may thus be permitted.

    Now, there are important points of convergence as well as fundamental divergences between Richard Dawkins and Albert Einstein’s conceptions of God, religion and morality. Like Dawkins, Einstein does not believe in what the former describes as an “interventionist, miracle-working, thought-reading, sin-punishing, prayer-answering God of the Bible”. Both men denounce the idea that there is a supernatural and personal God who interferes with the affairs of men and the universe. Another point on which both men are agreed in my view is their belief that there is no logically necessary relationship between religion and morality; that man does not need religion in order to be good. As Einstein puts it “A man’s ethical behaviour should be based effectually on sympathy, education and social ties and needs, no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death”. This observation reminds us of the Sufi Muslim poet who wrote: “O Lord, if I worship thee in fear of hell, burn me in hell; If I worship thee in hope of heaven, deny me of heaven; But if I worship thee for thy own sake, withhold not thy beauty everlasting”.

    However, unlike Dawkins who mercilessly deprecates religion and launches a most vicious and virulent attack on the notion of God, Einstein demonstrates a greater respect and understanding of the role of religion in promoting the good and welfare of humanity. According to him, “For the moral attitudes of a people that are supported by religion need always aim at preserving and promoting the sanity and vitality of the community and its individuals, since otherwise this community is bound to perish. A people that were to honour falsehood, defamation, fraud, and murder would be unable, indeed, to subsist for very long”. Yet, he also laments the wide gulf between the lofty claims and ideals of religion and the actual lived experience of humanity. In his words “For while religion prescribes brotherly love in the relations among the individuals and groups, the actual spectacle more resembles a battlefield than an orchestra. Everywhere, in economic as well as in political life, the guiding principle is one of ruthless striving for success at the expense of one’s fellow men”.

    Einstein traces the evolution of religion from beliefs based on fear of the supernatural that characterized primitive human society to the social and moral conception of religion and a God who, protects rewards and punishes a human species that he loves and cherishes. This he says is found in Judeo-Christian religion as well as the religions of the peoples of the Orient. For him, however, the highest conception of religion is what he describes as the Cosmic Religious feeling – which he obviously favours personally. This Cosmic religion, he claims, is borne of “the sublimity and marvellous order which reveal themselves both in nature and in the world of thought”. Continuing, he avers that “In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognise, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views”. In other words, despite his lack of belief in a personal God who intervenes in human affairs, Einstein cannot believe that such a well ordered world as ours could exist without a designer.

    For Einstein, then, science is not necessarily a substitute for religion. He believes that both phenomena serve qualitatively different ends. Science provides man with the knowledge of what is; how various parts of an observable physical universe relate to each other but it cannot dictate “what should be the goal of human aspirations”. He argues that our fundamental ends, aspirations and purposes as human beings cannot be determined by scientific demonstrations, “but through revelation, through the medium of powerful personalities. One must not attempt to justify them but rather to sense their nature simply and clearly”.

  • Six authors win $200,000 NLNG prize for science, literature

    Six authors win $200,000 NLNG prize for science, literature

    THE Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited has presented $200,000 prize to six winners of its “Nigeria Prize for Science and Literature ’’

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ikeogu Oke emerged the winner of the Prize for Literature and received a cash prize of $100,000 for his poetry ‘The Heresaid’.

    For the Nigeria Prize for Science, three works jointly won the award for the competition, which has as its theme :”Innovation for Malaria Control”.

    The $100,000 prize would be shared by the five authors – Dr. Chukwuma Agubata, Prof. Olugbenga Mokuola, Dr. Bidemi Yusuf, Dr. Ikeoluwapo Ajayi and Prof. Ayodele Jegede.

    Speaking at the public presentation of the winners in Lagos, Mr. Sadeeq Mai-Bornu, NLNG Deputy Managing Director, said the prizes were aimed at bringing Nigerian scientists and authors to public attention.

    “The Nigeria Prize for Science, the Nigeria Prize for Literature and the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism sponsored by NLNG, is to celebrate excellence in scientific breakthroughs and literary accomplishments in our country.

    “At NLNG, we believe that the NLNG Science Prize will provide leaders with answers to crucial issues in development, improve the standard of living and re-energise the scientific community to seek solutions to national problems.

    “With the Nigeria Prize for Literature and Prize for Literary criticism, it is expected that the quest for a prestigious prize will improve the quality of writing, editing and proof-reading.

    “It will also have positive outcome on publishing with far-reaching positive effect on print and broadcast journalism,’’ he said.

    Chairman, NLNG Literature Prize Advisory Board Prof. Ayo Banjo said Oke emerged the winner for 2017 after diligent consideration and critical, objective application of the guidelines and criteria by the judges.

    “Oke’s poetry, ‘The Heresaid’ was outstanding and the decision for its winning was based on its apt topicality, relevance, artistic heft and the pursuit of artistic provenance.’’

    Also speaking at the presentation, Prof. Akpoveta Susu, Chairman, NLNG Science Prize Advisory Board, said the winners were selected after diligent consideration and critical application of guidelines and criteria.

    Susu, who was represented by Prof. Barth Nnaji, a former Minister of Power, said due to the very high standards set, none of the entries on their own could be adjudged the winner.

    Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who was represented by Elizabeth Ibezim, said the current socio-economic challenges required scientific researches to solve.

    Onu hailed the NLNG for promoting excellence in scientific breakthroughs as this would encourage scientists in the country.

     

     

  • Girls share science, tech experience

    The disproportionate ratio of men to women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has robbed women of opportunities in technology profession. Because of this gender imbalance, women are discouraged to choose career on these fields.

    How to bridge the gender gap and address the shortfall was the crux of discussions at the 2017 Science and Technology Fair held last Wednesday at Muson Centre in Onikan, Lagos.

    The event was organised by Dr Christopher Kolade Foundation (CKF) through its STEMMA Hands-on Empowerment (SHE) Initiative – an immersion programme aimed at offering girls from low-income and middle-income families an opportunity to experience science and technology in a simplified way.

    During a panel discussion by the pupils with the theme: “Girls for girls in Science and Technology”, the participants shared their experiences dealing with STEM education.

    Blessing Samuel, an SS 3 pupil of Omole Senior Grammar School in Ogba area of Lagos, said she would not accept the stereotype that tough science-oriented subjects were meant for only boys. This misconception, she said, had led many girls away from science and technology.

    Misturah Isiaq, a 16-year-old pupil of Estate Senior Grammar School in Ilupeju, said low self-esteem is the reason many girls abandoned science to embrace other disciplines.

    But, Eneh Abah, an SS 3 pupil of Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Grammar School in Ojodu, who switched from science to Arts-oriented class, said she did so to pursue her passion.  However, she praised SHE for impacting her life.

    “I strongly believe that everything I have learnt in SHE Initiative will always be part of me.  Right now I can create disco light, fire alarm, temperature, when I see devices I can tell the components that were used to make them. I can never forget them. When you see a SHE Initiative girl you know. It has really impacted on young girls. When I grow older, I will create an organization like Christopher Kolade Foundation to help young girls too. I know that girls can do it and we have to let the world know,” she said.

    Miss Soaniabari Luckyman of Ijeshatedo Senior Grammar School in Okota said she was studying science because she loved engaging her brain to find solution to difficult situations.

    The girls’ discussion enthralled the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule, who listened with rapt attention as they explained how they developed interest in science and technology.

    Dr Adebule counseled the pupils to be Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-compliant, irrespective of their career choices.

    In her keynote address titled: “Building an inclusive 21st century workforce: The girl-child challenge”, Dr Adebule said there was need to continually change education curriculum and infrastructure to meet contemporary realities, given the switch from old skills to digital technology, robotics and artificial intelligence.

    She said: “For Nigeria not to be left out in the new world of inclusive sustainable development, economic prosperity and healthy environment, the girl-child of today who will become the expert woman of tomorrow must not be left behind in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

    “Innovation and technology have proven to be levelers for both genders with regards to jobs and productivity. Gone are the days when brute strength and stamina give advantage to the male folks and determine the kind of jobs that women can do.”

    Dr Kolade, who was represented by his wife, Beatrice, said SHE was designed to stir participants’ curiosity and interest in exploring science and technology, with the aim to change the stereotype around girls and science.  He said the beneficiary pupils would be equipped with life-long skills in science and technology, while also being trained on leadership, personal development and ethics.

    “The Foundation focuses on education as its key strategic initiative. Priority is given to promoting girl-child education, leadership, governance education, theological education and inter-faith relations. The initiative is guided by enduring legacy integrity, professionalism, ethical standard and continuous learning for which Dr. Kolade is known,” he said.

    The event also featured a panel discussion of successful women of Science and Technology including: Mrs. Bunmi Afolabi, Alumni Relations Director, Lagos Business School; Nkem Begho, CEO, Future Software Resources; Dr Abisoye Ajayi, Founder Pearls Africa Foundation; and Miss Omoka, CEO of Software Designer. They shared their career experiences in STEM, including the challenges they faced. They spoke about the reasons why girls should be involved in Science and Technology.

  • Curtailing prevalence of Girl Child marriage in Nigeria

    Curtailing prevalence of Girl Child marriage in Nigeria

    For Nigeria’s girl bride, certain institutional, religious and cultural nuances have continued to stagnate her mental and physical growth. Life for her, is convulsively appalling; besides the trauma of stigmatization, neglect and abuse, it steals her future, violates her right with increased reproductive health risk.

     

    This heart-wrenching experience is nothing compared to the psychological trauma of ostracism and betrayal she suffers by her parents, other family members and the society where she lives in.

     

     

    Prevalence of girl child marriage, have remained an issue of great concern in Nigeria as in many parts of Africa and the world. There are still insufficient data to truly measure the extent of damage this socio-cultural malaise may have done to the psyche of Nigeria girl brides.
    Girl child marriage, according to GirlsNotBrides,  has reached an all time high. Nigeria ranks 13th among the 20 countries with the highest rate of child marriages; 16 of them are African nations.

     

    Child marriage still occurs in rural communities of Nigeria, especially in the northern region. Nigeria, a country of 180 million people in population, is made up of three major ethnic groups; the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

     

    Mrs. Bose Ironsi, a sexual and reproductive right advocate, retired nurse mid-wife and social worker, also a trained psychologist, founder of Women’s Health And Rights Project( WRAHP ), an agency that deals with issues related to men and women’s health and rights, said “Child marriage is big of a problem in Nigeria.” She said “there is massive number of young girls being married off as bride”.

     

    “It’s not what the child wants” she says bluntly.

     

    Girls with no education tend to marry at an average of about 15 years, and end up confined to carrying out domestic chores and at risk of life threatening diseases. While age of marriage increase to 18 for girls with primary education. Average age of marriage for women with secondary education rises to about 21.

     

    About huge number of empirical evidence which according to Mrs. Ironsi, shows that when girls and women become part of the economic drivers in any country, and can influence political decisions, the country’s development is certain. Along with the many humane and human components, including the moral aspect of it.

     

    Despite the child right act which frowns at girl child marriage with formulations and implementations of gender sensitivity, equality and child development. Nigeria, Africa’s biggest nation, is yet to recover from the menace of girl child bride.girls

    Sexual and reproductive right advocate, Ironsi Bose, painted a more disturbing picture of the situation when in her speech, said “many people are unaware of the gravity of the problem.” She said “countless women and girls still experience a blatant lack of rights, representation and resources.”

     

    “They end up confined to carrying out domestic chores and at risk of life threatening diseases and psychological trauma,” she says.

     

    Statistics on a local level, has shown that an average of 11.6 percent of adolescent girls aged 15-19 are married in the country. Twenty three percent are already mothers or pregnant with their first child while 47.6 percent of these girls have no primary education.

     

    Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Development, Sen. Aisha Alhassan, has said “child marriage is extremely prevalent in the Northeast and Northwest geo-political zones of Nigeria.”

     

    Women’s Health And Rights Project may be absolutely correct about the sufferings of these girls, pegging parental negligence as the overriding cause.

     

    Ironsi blame parents for giving out their young girls in marriage, and not discussing issues about sexuality with them, as they needed to live up to expectation, establish a cordial relationship with them and teach them how to understand danger when it’s coming.

     

    The sexual reproductive and right activist said Education shouldn’t be based on how to read and write or how to become a successful entrepreneurs alone, “they should be taught self development, leadership, family life, life skills,” “they need to understand what is sex, courtship, and implication of early sex.”  

     

    Psychological Dangers

    However, marriage for a teenage girl whose stage in adolescence has not been completed, can lead to psychological deterioration, because her side level of maturity is not sufficient enough to help her cope with responsibilities that comes within the marriage.

     

    DR Ralph Emeka Ogbolu, clinical psychiatrist and coordinator of the suicide research and prevention initiative at Lagos University Teaching Hospital ( LUTH ), Lagos Nigeria, said “as human beings in normal psychological development, we move from one stage to another, previous learning experience help us develop on more learning experience as we grow older, the same thing with the development of the mind.”

     

    “A child who cannot seat will now begin to run, everything follows a stage, the same thing with the development of the mind at that stage, the child’s mental development would have reached the stage where she can cope with marital conflicts, pressures and responsibilities”. He added.

     

    Traumatic experience

    Traumatic experience of early married on a girl bride, leaves her with deep wounds beyond the psychological trauma, the child would have to face the problem of child bearing.

     

    A recent survey has shown that early marriage makes girl brides stand risk of developing mental disorder, anxiety depression, drug addiction and a whole lot of psychologically related problems. Dr Ralph believes that early marriage should not be managed but totally discouraged because of its traumatic impact on the girl child.

     

    Psychological Complications And Therapy

    Psychological complication from early marriage can be so devastating on the girl child, when she develops psychological complications she would beging to decompensate, and would no longer be able to function in performing her role as a wife.

     

    The clinical psychologist said anxiety and depression are mood disorder which have to do with victim feeling unhappy and finds nothing to be happy about, because some certain hormones in the body have changed, due to a reduced level of the chemicals in the brain. And would obviously show that something significant has happened in that life before the brain begins to react to this chemical leading to anxiety or depression.

     

    Girl child marriage is no doubt, fuelled by poverty, ignorance, insecurity, poor educational attainment, strong religious traditions and the prevailing culture of male dominance in the affairs of society.

     

    Tackling the menace

    Nigeria’s acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in 2016, launched a campaign against child marriage–a programme that has immense sensitization, to curtail the spread of child marriage within the African nation.

     

    In 2003, Nigeria passed a Child Rights Act, which sets the age of marriage at 18 years-old. However, only 23 of Nigeria’s 36 states have taken concrete steps to implement the minimum age of marriage.

    Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and Minister of women affairs during a Campaign to end Child Marriage in Nigeria.
    girls

     

    Although, Nigeria’s 1999 constitution does not establish a minimum age for marriage. But contains a bill of rights that protects the right to freedom of association, privacy and religion among others, including freedom from discrimination based on sex. Nigeria became the 16th country to join the African Union Campaign to end child marriage, the policy demands that a girl child reaches the age of 18 years before she could be married.

     

    Eradicating child marriage, Barrister Paul Mashote, a human rights lawyer, said “there are many steps Nigeria’s federal government can take, with policy formulations and implementations”.

     

    Barrister Mashote highlighted antidotes to ending girl child marriage as; early education, religious sensitization and promoting awareness via social cultural methodology.

     

    Mr. Paul painted a disturbing picture about enforcement of relevant laws prohibiting early marriage, “it’s one thing to have laws, it’s another thing for you to have enforcement of such laws,” he said “when you have laws without enforcement, such laws are like toothless dogs”.

     

    In northern Nigeria, parents have complained that the quality of education is so poor that schooling cannot be considered a viable alternative to marriage for their daughters. The human rights lawyer, suggested that the Nigerian government should create an enabling environment with a system that promote free education, if it’s any serious in ending child marriage, “knowledge they say is power, the federal government to stop some vices, you don’t throw money out to the people, the best thing to do is to create measures whereby such act would be avoided”, he said.

     

    “There is need for us to educate our girls and parents, it is the duty of the government to provide free education for the citizenry, but if they are not going to do that, then we should have None Governmental Organizations( NGOs ) that would sponsor it.” He added.

     

    With the strong grip of sociocultural practices promoting girl child marriage in Nigeria, more action is needed to prevent thousands of girls from being married off in the coming years. Implementation of laws and policies that frowns at it and at the same time protects the rights of the child as well as protecting them from violence and abuse is of great importance.

     

    Valentine Iwenwanne is a Nigerian freelance journalist.

    He tweets @lovableval

  • Students urged to embrace science

    President, African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Prof. Kingston Nyamapfene, has urged secondary school pupils to embrace science in order to enable them become world – class scientists and engineers in their future careers.

    He spoke at a competition  to mark the 10th year anniversary of the university in Abuja.

    The AUST President, in a statement  by the university’s Head of Media Services, Obioha Atulomah, explained that science provides a means for the students to build a strong academic foundation for themselves.

    Glisten International Academy, Jabi, Abuja emerged winner of the first round of the quiz competition with 135 points, followed by School of the Gifted Gwagwalada with 130 points.

    “I am pleased to welcome you all to this great event as part of our celebrations for our university’s 10th year anniversary. AUST should have long organized such an event but, l am happy that dream has come to reality today,” he said.

    Nyamapfene enjoined the students not to see the competitions as a do or die affair or winner takes it all but as a way to make learning fun, while also building relationships among the schools and between AUST and schools within the university’s operational area.

    Thanking the pupils for their zeal to participate and the organizers for a job well done, the president promised to introduce more attractive prizes for deserving participating schools in future quiz competitions.