The Nation Newspaper

Tag: shortage

  • Shortage of teachers looms in Delta public schools

    Shortage of teachers looms in Delta public schools

    No fewer than 152 secondary school teachers are set to retire from the Delta State Unified Teaching Service this month, Chairman, Post Primary Education Board, Patrick Akporuno has said.

    To mitigate the manpower loss, Akporuno said the PPEB has mandated principals and vice-principals in public secondary schools to teach a specific number of periods weekly.

    His words, “For the avoidance of doubt, vice principals are to teach nine periods per week, while principals are to teach six periods per week”.

    Akporuno said the number of period’s school heads teach may be increased because of the number of people exiting.

    Akporuno said the affected teachers would be exiting service upon their attainment of 60 years of age.

    According to him, the 152 teachers were among the more than 2000 teachers that were employed in 1983, adding that the remaining teachers in the 1983 recruitment batch would all retire from service in September 2018.

    He disclosed that 66 non- teaching staff of the board would also be retiring  between January and March 2018,upon their attainment of 60 years of age.

  • Workers blame late resumption on petrol shortage

    Workers blame late resumption on petrol shortage

    There was a low turnout of workers in their offices at the Federal Secretariat complex in Ikolaba, Ibadan yesterday after the two-day holiday

    The workers claimed it was due to scarcity of petrol.

    As at 9.30 a.m., some of the offices were still under lock and key while those that were opened had a few people at their duty posts, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    However, skeletal services were ongoing in some of the offices, as those who were present were seen dusting tables and files.

    An official at the Ministry of Housing, Mrs Folake Allen, said she was happy that work had resumed after the two days break and that she was fully back to work.

    Allen said it was time for serious civil servants to get back to work for  their statutory duties, as 2017 service year was about to end.

    Mrs Bito Usman of the ministry of Labour and Productivity expressed joy on the Christmas break, saying that she was able to spend enough time with her family.

    Business activities picked up in Ibadan yesterday as patronage increased in banks, market places and other public concerns.

    NAN also observed that vehicular movement increased along major roads unlike the gridlock that characterised the situation before the holiday.

  • Firm tackles soybean shortage

    Firm tackles soybean shortage

    Feed production firm Olam is partnering the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, in the production of high-yielding soybean seeds.

    This is aimed at bridging the gap  in soybean production, which  can make processing industries stop operation. Feed producing companies are facing a shortage of soybean due to  unpredictable supply.

    Olam Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Africa and Middle East, Mr. Venkataramani Srivathsan, said though Nigeria was one of the largest producers of soybean, its 500,000 metric tonnes yearly yield was very small. This, according to him, is due to lack of adequate market liquidity and limited incentive to grow the crop.

    He said his company was focusing on boosting soybean productivity, put at below 1.0 metric tonne per hectare compared to three to 3.5 metric tonnes per hectare in Brazil and the United States

    On the partnrship, he said: “We have 220 hectares of trial soybean seed at our Kaduna site, which we plan to gradually expand. We are working with IITA. Starting from next year, we will be offering the improved seeds to farmers to boost their yields.

    “We are sourcing the bulk of raw materials for our animal feed mills, including soybean, corn and cassava from more than 300,000 Nigerian smallholder crop farmers.”

    He said Olam had set a target to increase Nigeria’s soybean production from 500,000 metric tonnes (mt) to two million over the next five to seven years.

    This will not only make Nigeria self-sufficient in plant proteins, but a net soybean exporter.

    He said his organisation was identifying potential government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and private sector partners to jointly develop farmer support and agronomy programmes, including training in good agricultural practices (GAP).

    In Kwara State, Srivathsan said its new fish feed manufacturing facility would boost supply to help meet rising demand for fish, which is two million metric tonnes yearly. Local production, he added, stands at about 800,000 metric tonnes of fish yearly.

    He said  fish farming was essential to meet the supply gap and reduce the need for imports, which result in foreign exchange outflow in excess of $1 billion.

    According to him, one of the barriers to increasing fish production is lack of good floating fish feed. Feeds accounts for over 70 per cent of the local farmers’ production costs.

    The Kwara mill, he explained, has an initial capacity of 75,000 metric tonnes of fish feed per year that can be further scaled up.

    Stakeholders say the soya-value-chain affected the cost of cooking oil, stock feeds, chicken and other poultry meats and fish, hence the need to  address this to reduce imports.

  • Ogun addresses staff shortage

    THE Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board has adopted the Task Shifting/Task Sharing Policy to address shortage of skilled health providers in its Primary Health Care Centres.

    Commissioner for Health Dr. Babatunde Ipaye broke the news at the unveiling of a document on task shifting/sharing policy for essential healthcare services, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.

    Ipaye said the government partnered Pathfinder International to meet national and global expectations on Universal Health Coverage (UCH).

     According to him, it was necessary to spell out responsibilities, to shift from highly qualified medical personnel to the lower ones, and offer opportunities to train the less- qualified to acquire competence on the task to be shifted.

    The Board’s Acting Executive Secretary, Dr.  Elijah Ogunsola, said the decision was in line with the recommendations of the 57th National Council on Health, aimed at reducing mortality and morbidity rate.

  • Ogun nurses bemoan personnel shortage

    Ogun nurses bemoan personnel shortage

    The Ogun State Chapter of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has urged the state to reposition the health sector and increase its personnel to improve physical and mental needs of patients, and attend to the overall wellbeing of nurses.

    Its Chairman, Comrade Roseline Solarin, who made this known in Abeokuta, the state capital as part of activities to commemorate this year’s International Nurses Week,  said nurses are the first point of contact in health services delivery and the heartbeat of health care service. Nurses, he said, play pivotal role in disease prevention, promotion and healing of both the mind and the body of patients.

    Solarin said it was worrisome that  Ogun State has about 3,000 nurses, including those at the state and Federal health institutions, as against 7,000 nurses it had five years ago to cater for about four million people. He  noted that many Nurses have retired and a few that were employed by the state do not match the number of those that have retired. “This has brought about gross shortage of manpower in our health facilities, coupled with the expansion of units in hospital. The nurses/patient ratio supposed to be one to four, but presently in Ogun State it is one Nurse to 20 patients, which is totally outrageous and unbearable,”Solarin said.

    According to her, lack of adequate security in most hospital poses a great threat to nurses in the state. He also identified lack of adequate equipment/and instruments to work with and where there are available, many of them have become obsolete, which have caused major challenges on service delivery in most general hospitals across the state.

    She pleaded with the state to do the needful to reposition the health sector, noting that out of five Nursing Schools belonging to the state, only one is functioning, while the other four have lost their accreditation.

    She urged the nurses to put more efforts into their profession in order to be relevant in their respective positions. She noted the importance of education in nursing practice, saying that some Nurses tend to hold on to previous knowledge and skills without making efforts to improve and maintain new ones.

    “Many Nurses nowadays are not willing to accept the challenges of staying abreast with education and development of new skills in their areas of nursing practice. They don’t make the move to forge ahead which is inimical to this noble profession,” she said.

    For the nursing practice in Nigeria to develop, the Nurses, she said, must rededicate their commitment to the professional ethics of nursing and acknowledge that their primary assignment is to the welfare of the clients, regardless of the client’s status. They must also participate in development of the profession through continuous education, research and clinical studies. “We nurses need re-orientation about our attitude to practice, profession, society and clients and then eradicate our resistance to change and global professional, clinical, technical, and theoretical advancement,” Solarin said.

  • Power sector loses N534b to gas shortage, others

    Power sector loses N534b to gas shortage, others

    The power sector lost more than N534billion of revenue in 2016, the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) has revealed.

    Of this figure, the industry lost N1.525 billion on December 24, last year alone.

    According to NESI, the N534billion amounts to the value of electricity lost on account of the challenges, part of which could have been used to bridge the liquidity gap in the power sector, estimated at N1trillion.

    It said the loss was triggered by shortages in gas supply, frequency and line limitations, and water levels management constraints that led to several cases of electricity outage in the country.

    Putting the average daily revenue loss at N1.5billion, NESI identified gas constraint as one of the major challenges confronting the electricity sector.

    Also, NESI’s operational report for January 3 showed that the power sector hit a peak generation of 4,959 megawatts (Mw) as against 3,321Mw recorded on December 2 last year.

    NESI, a subsidiary of the TCN, said that the sector recorded highest system frequency of 51.52Hz and lowest system frequency of 48.85 Hz.

    It also said the highest voltage recorded was 372KV, while lowest voltage recorded on the same day was 300KV.

    Already, the key players in the sector are finding it difficult to access more loans from Nigerian banks due to their inability to meet the payment obligations for previous debts.

    The situation will also affect the capacity of the power firms to improve on electricity supply to consumers for domestic and industrial uses.

    NESI further disclosed that about 12 power stations could not produce electricity during off-peak period under the review.

    Statistics from the National Control Centre, Osogbo, showed that Afam IV-V, Geregu Gas, Alaoji National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) and Olorunsogo Gas plants could not produce a single megawatt (Mw) on December 25, 2016

    Others that generated zero Mw on the day include Odukpani NIPP, Okpai, Ibom Power, ASCO, AES, Omoku, Rivers NIPP and Gbarain power plants.

    Nigeria has total installed power output of 11,165Mw, of which the 12 plants have a combined capacity of 2,035Mw.

    Earlier, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) had said about 3,959 Mw of electricity was generated to the 11 distribution companies (DisCos) as the country’s power supply gradually stabilised.

    Power generation data is obtained from daily forecast on the Nigerian Electricity System Operator (SO) website.

    The daily power statistics posted by SO, a section of the TCN, showed that power generation gradually improved during the festive season with a peak generation of 3,959 Mw from the national grid.

    The website showed that the country’s lowest power generation during the period was 3,366 Mw.

  • Forex shortage hits DisCos’ metering plan

    Forex shortage hits DisCos’ metering plan

    These are not the best of times for power distribution companies (DisCos).

    They are finding it difficult to get enough foreign exchange (forex) for the importation of meters and other equipment, The Nation has learnt.

    A source, who does not want to be mentioned, said the Discos could not procure meters because of their weak financial positions caused by non-payment of bills by customers.

    The source said many of the power firms supply meters which they imported before the exchange rate went up.

    The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) Executive Director, Mr. Sunday Oduntan, said funds were limiting the capacity of the firms to import meters for their customers.

    He said the firms have not been able to close the metering gap of over five million households, which they inherited from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in November 2013, due to scarcity of forex.

    He said the firms were seeking forex concessions from the Federal Government to import meters for customers, among others.

    Oduntan said: “The capacity of the DisCos to meet the metering needs of their customers has been limited by scarcity of forex. At N350 to a dollar at the parallel market, it is impossible for the firms to buy dollars that would be enough to import meters and other equipment. The cost of buying dollar has increased by over 100 per cent when compared to an exchange rate of N165 to a dollar few years ago.

    “The development hinders DisCos from closing the metering gap of over five million households inherited from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in 2013. Out of this figure, only 2.8 million households have gotten meters. Inability of the DisCos to get forex concessions for importation means many people would not get their meters in time.”

    Oduntan noted that power firms, such as the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Ikeja Electric (IK) and Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC), have supplied meters to customers in recent times.

    According to him, people who need meters are growing by the day as more houses are being built.

  • NGO to address blood shortage

    A Pentecostal church, High Life Church, has launched a non-governmental organisation (NGO), LifeBlood Nigeria, to address the gap in the quantity of blood supplied in the country.

    According to the church, a research by LifeBlood shows that Nigeria collects only 38 percent of the required blood each year.

    The Executive Secretary, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS), Dr Modupe Olaiya, who was represented by Dr Samuel Alori, launched the NGO in Lagos on June 14,  the World Blood Donor (WBD) Day.

    Olaiya said blood transfusion was an essential component of healthcare, adding: “To achieve safe and adequate supply of blood, donation must be voluntary and regular. In line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations, blood donations must come from voluntary donors and all blood donations should be screened for infections prior to use.”

    Olaiya listed some of the enduring challenges in blood transfusion in Nigeria to include sub-optimal recruitment and retention of voluntary; non-remunerated blood donors due to wrong cultural belief and lack of awareness surrounding the issue as well as the dependence on family replacement and commercial blood donors.

    She said Lagos State Government established the LSBTC in June 2004 to regulate blood transfusion services in the state under the supervision of the state’s Ministry of Health.

    The vision, according to her, was to have a state where only safe blood is transfused in all appropriate health facilities; the mission was to provide safe blood through the recruitment of voluntary blood donors, the screening of every unit of blood for transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs), and the efficient processing of blood for all who require it.

    She said all blood transfused in public and private hospitals in Lagos must carry the logo of the LSBTC to show that the blood has been screened for TTIs.

    She commended LifeBlood Nigeria initiative and praised High Life Church for an excellent start with voluntary blood donation.

    The executive secretary also commended the global nature of the campaign, saying that LifeBlood’s goals were achievable.

    Pastor Carlton Williams of High Life Church enjoined the congregation and well-wishers to change the world, saying that the understanding of the church’s role in society must change.

    According to Pastor Williams, “The era of mere doctrinal purity is past. The time of limiting our expression of Christ to just understanding the plan of God for an individual’s life is past. This is the day when nations are impacted by the structures of the kingdom through you and me.”

    He continued: “The church is going to get into spaces that we are not known for. The church must shine with potent sustainable solutions that save lives and solve problems in education, business, media, arts and entertainment, government and all manifestations of religious life.”

    Also at the event was Mrs. Tosin Osofisan, the Donor Care Manager of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Abeokuta Centre.

  • Power sector loses 4,533Mw to gas shortage

    • Sends out 1,716Mw

    The Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) yesterday said it lost 4,533megawatts (Mw) to gas constraints on Wednesday.

    For vandalism of gas pipelines that resulted in the gas shortage and 182Mw line constraint, the electricity market would have supplied 6,387Mw to its customers on June 22.

    “On June 22 2016, average energy sent out was 1716 MWh/hour (down by 138MWh/h). The reported gas constraint was 4533MW. The reported line constraint was 182MW. The water management constraint was 0MW. The power sector lost the estimated equivalent of N2,263, 000, 000 on June 22 2016 due to constraints,”the daily industry summary NESI posted on its website yesterday explained.

    It was however learnt that for the past two days, the sector has been recording zero megawatts in the last .

    But the document that our Abuja correspondent stumbled on yesterday said the generation companies produced power. “Kainji generated 224Mw, Jebba 314Mw, Shiroro 186Mw, Egbin 111Mw, Sapele I 50Mw, Delta 256Mw, Omotoso I 21Mw, Geregu NIPP 102Mw, Sapele NIPP 30Mw, Ihovbor NIPP 23Mw, Afam IV 103Mw, Ibom 90Mw, Omoku 34Mw, Egbin ST6 99Mw, Paras Energy 27Mw, and Gbarain 46Mw.

    The remaining 12 power plants generated zero Mw on the day under review.

  • NGO to address blood shortage

    A Pentecostal church, High Life Church, has launched a non-governmental organisation (NGO), LifeBlood Nigeria, to address the gap in the quantity of blood supplied in the country.

    According to the church, a research by LifeBlood shows that Nigeria collects only 38 percent of the required blood each year.

    The Executive Secretary, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS), Dr Modupe Olaiya, who was represented by Dr Samuel Alori, launched the NGO in Lagos on June 14,  the World Blood Donor (WBD) Day.

    Olaiya said blood transfusion was an essential component of healthcare, adding: “To achieve safe and adequate supply of blood, donation must be voluntary and regular. In line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations, blood donations must come from voluntary donors and all blood donations should be screened for infections prior to use.”

    Olaiya listed some of the enduring challenges in blood transfusion in Nigeria to include sub-optimal recruitment and retention of voluntary; non-remunerated blood donors due to wrong cultural belief and lack of awareness surrounding the issue as well as the dependence on family replacement and commercial blood donors.

    She said Lagos State Government established the LSBTC in June 2004 to regulate blood transfusion services in the state under the supervision of the state’s Ministry of Health.

    The vision, according to her, was to have a state where only safe blood is transfused in all appropriate health facilities; the mission was to provide safe blood through the recruitment of voluntary blood donors, the screening of every unit of blood for transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs), and the efficient processing of blood for all who require it.

    She said all blood transfused in public and private hospitals in Lagos must carry the logo of the LSBTC to show that the blood has been screened for TTIs.

    She commended LifeBlood Nigeria initiative and praised High Life Church for an excellent start with voluntary blood donation.

    The executive secretary also commended the global nature of the campaign, saying that LifeBlood’s goals were achievable.

    Pastor Carlton Williams of High Life Church enjoined the congregation and well-wishers to change the world, saying that the understanding of the church’s role in society must change.

    According to Pastor Williams, “The era of mere doctrinal purity is past. The time of limiting our expression of Christ to just understanding the plan of God for an individual’s life is past. This is the day when nations are impacted by the structures of the kingdom through you and me.”

    He continued: “The church is going to get into spaces that we are not known for. The church must shine with potent sustainable solutions that save lives and solve problems in education, business, media, arts and entertainment, government and all manifestations of religious life.”

    Also at the event was Mrs. Tosin Osofisan, the Donor Care Manager of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Abeokuta Centre.