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Tag: supply

  • Addressing shortage of wheat supply

    Addressing shortage of wheat supply

    Consumption of wheat has increased over the years, with population growth. It has become one of the main diets in most homes and a major raw material for industry. But the challenge is its inadequate supply. This is attributed to lack of government’s support, inability of local farmers to meet demand and millers’ demand for higher imported grade, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Wheat has become one of the common cereals in Nigeria. It competes with staple foods, such as maize, cassava, millet and plantain. In addition, the increasing number of millers, fast – food restaurants and vendors in major towns has increased the demand for wheat flour.

    Sadly, only 20 per cent of the grade used in most of the bakeries and by major millers is obtained locally. The remaining 80 per cent is  imported. While wheat consumption is increasing following changing consumer preferences, the sustainability of supply has not been addressed.

    Stakeholders say the situation requires that government work to reduce reliance on imports, thereby improving food security and conserving foreign exchange.

    Chairman, Wheat Farmers Association, Sokoto State, Mohammed Mahe Marafa, said policy summersault has affected wheat production.

    For more than 30 years, Marafa, has been farming wheat in Sokoto. His lush wheat land stretches far and yields in huge volume.

    There are many such wheat farms along the Sokoto and Kebbi axis.

    According to him, Goronyo, Illela, Gwadabawa, Wamako, Yabo, Wurno, SabonBirni, Kebbe, Shagari and Gada are the local government areas that produce wheat in the state. Years back, he said  farmers would produce more than 30,000 metric tonnes of wheat in three months. But the story has since changed because  they   used  to get  government’s support.  “We produce, the government buys and gives us money but later, the government withdrew in 1985 and the situation has remained so till date,” he lamented.

    Last year, however, the Federal Government sent an improved wheat variety to the farmers which is said to have capacity to produce between 15 and 20 bags of wheat in three months.

    He said:  “They gave us one bag each and two bags of fertilisers. Many farmers were afraid to farm because of the bad experience they had in the past hence did not farm. I had to buy 11 bags from the farmers and at the end of the year I produced 300 bags after the March harvest.

    “The most disheartening aspect of the whole thing was that the Federal Government that gave us the variety never showed up to buy the harvest. From the month of March, we kept waiting and waiting and up to November, another planting season without a trace of the government.“

    The Federal Government finally came and bought it at the rate of N13, 000 per 25 kg, while Kebbi State government bought at N25, 000 per 25kg from the farmers. But this was rather too late a gesture.

    As the season for wheat planting  wound down early this year, farmers grew worried.

    More farmers had not planted the normal amount of seed, because they had no guarantees that the government  would buy their crop as it normally does. Marafa,  lamented how tough it has become.

    He said  if the farmers get the necessary support, each member can produce more than 100 metric tonnes of wheat in Sokoto State in three months.

    He added: ”I had a link with flours mills around the country, such  as  Flour Mills of Nigeria, Bendel Mills, Zamfara Mills and there are rich people who also come to buy on behalf of them. But sadly, these companies have also withdrawn leaving us with no market.”

    What  were  the reasons for their withdrawal?  He  said they got better ones from abroad.

    Does it mean their seedlings are of low quality?

    He  said: “ No, it is not. Here in Goronyo where I am living we have the second best wheat variety in the whole world. It is only that of Canada that is ahead of ours. Our variety is JaAlkama the red one and other varieties that have high yields.”

    According to him, Sokoto farmers produce   second best wheat in the world. “All we need is encouragement from the government and wheat users,” he said.

    To make amendments, he said his association is visiting some of the flour mills to chart a new course. “We intend to pick representatives to go and meet them and discuss  how best we can help ourselves. We gave samples of wheat to a member who has business interest in Lagos to open discussion with a number of flour mills there and if they need it we are ever ready to produce for them. We are waiting for the result,” he added.

    For industry  watchers, while the local farmers are making efforts, there is a huge gap between what Nigeria needs and what it is producing now.  In the analysis of climatic, soil and economic data, it is very difficult to grow wheat. While the  country has a rich agricultural land and climate, it is not well enough for inland cultivation of the cereal. This is because the cereal grows best in mild climate. Climates that are too hot or too cold could ruin development of the crop.

    The north generates very productive wheat yields, but relies on irrigation. The  growing  area covers  the  Sudan/Sahelian zones of Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kano, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Adamawa states.Commercial wheat production is possible through the use of expensive irrigation.  There is a growing concern about untimely rain and hail in the hitting wheat cultivation.

    A professor of Soil Science, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto,   Sumaila Sani Noma, said wheat is no longer a common crop in Sokoto State. For this reason,  he    said  farmers have now shifted to irrigated rice instead.

    The reason largely is the lack of market and heavy  importation  that  is  driving  local production into extinction.

    According to him, millers and bakers prefer  to buy  imported wheat because  it is cheaper and this  leaves  local farmers without a market.

    Another concern he expressed  was the limited planting period.

    His words: “The only period you can grow wheat is usually from November to late January or late February before the hot season starts. Any other planting beyond this will make yield reduction above 50 per cent sometimes. This is because the time frame for which you can grow wheat is very short.”

    With appropriate measures and marketing, he  said  it is possible that people can make profit in wheat farming in Sokoto.

    As wheat farmers decry lack of assistance from the government, Noma said: “People have shifted ground to irrigate rice and I think they are getting a lot from that. It will take time to convince people to go back to wheat because of the way they suffered from it.”

    In the face of low supply, Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), Dr. Gbenga  Olabanji said there was  no need to ban wheat importation.

    His words: “ No! wheat cannot be banned; there is no basis for that. There is a treaty signed on liberalisation of trade and there cannot be the banning of wheat. There should be gestation period for wheat production and development. The world is competitive and Nigeria should compete; we have what it takes to compete and Nigeria’s wheat is as good if not better than imported wheat.  Nutritionally, there is no way to compare wheat that has been stored for many years to local freshly grown wheat.

    “Remember, we are talking about food and nutrition security; food has to contain all the nutrients in their right strength. That is why the people in the village, despite their poverty, look strong and healthy – the same go for the old ones who are still working in farms.

    “We are not advocates of wheat banning, but in a few years time, even our millers will realise that our locally grown wheat is better and will key into it.”

    Right now, he said the cost of local wheat is higher than imported ones, adding that by the time the farmers are able to produce enough wheat in the country, the price will come down. In the interest of the millers, he  said  there is plan to give states the preferred variety to produce so there will  be  sufficient quantities for industries.

    The Managing Director, Chad Basin Development Authority, Garba Abba, said wheat is better grown in cold weather in Europe, Canada, United States and  Asia.

    “For us in the Chad Basin, November is ideal and for water, we draw from Lake Chad. Due to this need for water, the South Chad irrigation project, is located at New Marte to provide water for all the farmers,” he said.

    According to him, the country has comparative advantage for producing wheat, adding that Borno, Yobe  and  Adamawa states form the catchment area.

    He said: “ Our major challenge is water. Due to the fact that the basin is a low land area, we cannot irrigate our land by gravity. Water must be pumped and this involves enormous use of energy and its attendant high cost. A 30-megawatt diesel-powered station was put in place to provide the water needed by the project.

    Lake Chad is the only source of water and it is lying lower than the farm level hence the need to pump water rather than use gravity of flow.

    “We pump water to a height of 16m in two stages and the energy usage is quite heavy. At the time the station was put in place in the 70s, diesel was at 3 kobo per litre, but now in Maiduguri, the pump price is between N150-N160 per litre. The project is not yet connected to the national grid and it is the single most militating factor against the project. The grid stopped at Maiduguri, N124km away from New Marte. This energy issue makes the cost of production of wheat in the area about the highest in the world,“ he explained.

    Domestic wheat production is less than 100,000 tonnes per year. Increased production is challenged by the lack of heat-tolerant wheat varieties that are high yielding and development of rain-fed wheat cultivars that are tolerant/resistant to high temperatures, humidity, pests and diseases.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has said the Federal Government has emphatically put a lie to the long-touted myth that Nigeria cannot produce wheat in commercial quantities to enable her exit the choking grip of importation of the commodity.

    While launching two new high-yield, early maturing, heat-tolerant and drought-resistant wheat varieties developed by the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), in conjunction with the International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with assistance from the Federal Government and grant from the African Development Bank (ADB), Adesina  said  the two new wheat varieties, named Norman Borlaug and Reyna-28 which have potential yields of five to six metric tons per hectare as against the traditional variety with a yield per hectare of just 0.8 million metric tons per hectare were showcased to members of the public, agribusiness investors, journalists and other stakeholders on the field in Kadawa in Kura Local Government of Kano State.

  • $10b investment: Will it boost power supply?

    $10b investment: Will it boost power supply?

    Erratic power supply may soon be a thing of the past. A Chinese firm and two local investors are poised to inject $10 billion (about N1.99 trillion) into the manufacturing of lighting equipment and accessories to boost electricity supply. The investment may be the wedge for solar energy adaptation in the country,  Assistant Editor OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports. 

    Nigerians may soonn start enjoying regular power supploy,  following plans by a Chinese firm and its local partners to invest $10 billion (about N1.99 trillion) on energy.Under the deal Hongye-Sinari Group, Niger-Sino Industries Limited and Hamaded Logistics will build a solar energy accessories’plant. When  operational, the plant would serve industrial and housing estates, schools, hospitals and malls,  Director, Energy Generation, Hongye-Sinari Group, Mr. Xu Rongchang said.

    He explained that the investment would lift the country out of its power problems

    Noting that Nigeria has enormous potential that needs to be harnessed, Rongchang said what the country needed at the moment are products capable of reducing energy consumption, such as Light Emitting Diode (LED) products and other high quality electrical materials that comply with global standards.

    With their eyes set on playing a significant role in the energy sector, he said the companies specialize in the manufacture of lighting equipment and accessories; solar energy.

    Shedding more light on areas of investment by the Chinese firm, the head of the Chinese delegation, Mr. David Yang Xoaohua, said the company is also into the manufacture of agricultural equipment, which it also believes will be a good start, especially in the light of the agriculture revolution in the country.

    Xoaohua, while addressing members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in Lagos, during the week, said the company would also invest in construction. He said the company is one of the biggest players in real estate in China.

    “We have developed an industrial park worth $15 million and our corporate head quarters is on 8,000 square metres,” he added.

    Stating that the company has branches in over 100 countries with over 5,000 workforce, and investible fund of over $10 billion,Xoaohua said with such enormous funds, the company needed to have clear rules of engagement, an enabling environment and a good legal framework that protects investors and investment.

    He told the OPS members that his firm was in the country to ascertain the level of security and safety of lives and investments, adding that, fortunately, his team has confirmed that the country’s challenges are over blown as they can be surmounted with the right investment policy.

    The leader of the Chinese delegation said after a careful study, the firm came to the conclusion that Nigeria, being the largest economy in Africa, remains the best place to invest with high returns on investment.

    Indeed, since the rebasing of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which put Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy with GDP size of $500 billion, coupled with her population size of about 170 million, Nigeria has been the toast of foreign investors, despite serious infrastructure and security challenges.

    Despite the challenges,  Xoaohua believes that with a level playing ground by the government and other necessary agencies, the partnership would thrive and create a mutually-beneficial business for the country.

    “Our aim is to help the nation in the areas of infrastructure development and the mechanization of its manufacturing process, develop the energy sector to boost manufacturing and other forms of businesses. It’s a win-win situation as it provides opportunity for massive employment generation. This is one area we learnt the government is working hard to bridge. There will be no case of dumping of fake and substandard goods as we will set up our manufacturing plant,” he added.

    The Managing Director of Niger Sino Industries Limited, a building and construction manufacturing company in Maryland, Lagos and a former commissioner in Lagos State, Mr. Olanrewaju Saka-Shenayon, assured the Chinese investors that the government would provide a level playing ground. He said the government expects any investor to play by the rules.

    Saka-Shenayon, who was instrumental to the tripartite agreement, said having been in government he appreciates the role private sector operators can play in enterprise and infrastructure development.

    He gave Hongye-Sinari Group a clean bill, noting that it is a strong brand in China and in the over 100 countries it operates. He said this was what spurred him to invite the group to Nigeria. He stated that there is no better time for the Chinese investor to invest in the country than now, especially with its core competencies in manufacturing and real estate, which are huge job creators.

    Saka-Shenayon hailed the synergy between the Chinese company and the local investors as one that would not only transfer technology but build skills, create wealth and grow the nation’s GDP. Besides, the synergy, he said, would further build and re-enforce Nigeria’s profile as Africa’s largest economy.

    He pledged the cooperation of the OPS, noting that with the huge funds the investor is bringing into the country, the nation will be better for it.

    Managing Director, Hemadeb Logistics Limited, Mr. Olatunde Akin Bohun, said as a real estate developer in the Lekki/Ajah axis, he is excited about the coming of the Chinese investors because of the expertise and investible funds they are bringing into the sector.

    He said: “We have a 100 acres real estate development deal with Exxon Mobil and real estate partnership development agreement with some state governments in the Southwest on housing development that will be powered with solar energy. This makes our partnership with the Chinese firm a plus. Currently, we are also developing a five-star hotel on the Lekki/Ajah axis, the medical college of Afe Babalola University worth $10 million including a 140 mega watts plant in some Southwest states.”

    Pointing out that some of the challenges faced by indigenous investors in real estate are high cost of funds and fund mis-match, Bohun as mutually benefiting to parties in the tripartite agreement.

    Others at the event seen by not a few stakeholders as an endorsement of the investment deal included Chairman, Nigerian/China Business Association in China, Mr. Sebbs .P.C. Azubuike, Mr. Akin Abiola and engineer and the Executive Chairman, PEC Estates & Construction services Limited, Mr. Henry Adjbrope and Mr. Olaniyi Taiwo of Hemadeb Logistics Limited.

  • NUEE blames firms for poor power supply

    The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has blamed  owners of privatised power companies for poor power supply.

    Speaking to journalists in Lagos, its General Secretary, who also doubles as the Deputy President of the National Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, explained that profit motive had been a key factor militating against the performance of the private power sector.

    “Because the private owners are interested and thinking about maximising profit, they needed to reduce workforce and increase electricity tariff.

    “Unfortunately, the end result is constant decrease in power supply. A year before the privatisation, we met with President Goodluck Jonathan and gave analysis that power transmission and infrastructure should be improved upon by the state, because  if the private sector should be mandated to do it, they would have to borrow money from the banks at an interest rate that will be a burden on the consumers.

    He said: “However, if the government were sincere about the privatisation exercise, it should have massively mobilised for the availability of prepaid meters, thereby enabling a proper billing to which also I am sure that distribution companies would not want to absolutely subscribe to because they will not be able to realise their desired objective of maximising profit.”

    He emphasised the need for prepaid metering to address the issue of estimated billings.

  • ‘Gas supply bottleneck stalls NIPPs’ privatisation’

    ‘Gas supply bottleneck stalls NIPPs’ privatisation’

    The Director General, mBureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, has blamed bottleneck in the signing of  gas agreements that would make the transaction bankable for stalling on-going privatisation of the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) plants.

    He said the process was not  stalled because of politics  as being speculated in some quarters.

    According to Dikki, concerted efforts were being made to secure reliable gas supply that will facilitate the signing of the gas agreements.

    Its Head, Public Communications,  Mr. Chigbo Anichebe in a statement yesterday, made the clarification at a panel discussion titled Making the Power Sector Privatisation Work in a Privatised Environment” organised by the Business Day newspapers, in Lagos.

    Dikki said the privatisation programme was anchored on the attainment of clearly defined goals and parameters, adding that in the case of the generation companies, capacity is expected to be ramped up from the current low levels to those that meet the minimum target capacities specified under the respective business plans submitted by the core investors.

    For the distribution companies, he said the performance of the new owners would be measured on the basis of their abilities to reduce the Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) loss targets specified in their business plans.

  • ‘Why power supply is low’

    ‘Why power supply is low’

    The former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, has attributed erratic power supply to inadequate gas supply and transmission infrastructure.

    Noting the reforms in the sector, he lamented that the gains had been limited because the transmission network was inadequate for the nation’s power needs.

    Nnaji was delivering an address at the Breeding Leaders for Empowerment and National Transformation (BLENT) Service of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), in Lagos.

    The event, with the theme: “State of the Nigerian power sector: issues, alternatives and prospects”, attracted policy makers, stakeholders and key players in the power sector.

    Nnaji hailed the massive investments to improve power supply, but said the situation would take years before yielding results.

    The  Bishop of TREM, Dr. Mike Okonkwo, blamed the presence of a  cabal for the rot in the power sector.

    He said saboteurs were not punished even when caught, adding that this encouraged others to do likewise.

  • Dangote increases cement supply

    Dangote increases cement supply

    Dangote Cement has assured Nigerians that the high price of cement will soon be over.

    The company said it had concluded plans to increase its production in three key plants in the country and simplify its distribution network to crash the price and make the products available to Nigerians.

    President of Dangote Group Alhaji Aliko Dangote said the company had concluded plans to expand the capacity of its production lines at Obajana, Kogi State; Gboko, Benue State and Ibese, Ogun State, from 19.25 million metric tonnes (MMT) by additional 9 million tonnes by the end of the year.

    Dangote also said the expansion would move the production output of the three manufacturing plants to about 28 million tonnes, which would make the company the biggest cement production entity in Africa.

    The foremost industrialist said the company’s management would engage the operators of the trucks conveying the products to circulation points across the country to make them available everywhere and to reduce the price.

    This method, he said, would ensure an effective and efficient distribution of the company’s products.

    On the production of the new 42.5 grade of cement, Dangote said the move was borne out of the quest to prevent further building collapse and its attendant loss of lives.

    According to him, the investment in the grade of cement will enable Nigerians to access world-class cement, which would ensure the durability of the houses the cement would be built with.

    Dangote explained that before investing in the new grade of cement, companies manufacturing cement in the country were only involved in the production of 32.5 grade of cement, although they had the capacity to step up to the production of the 42.5 grade.

  • Residents demand improved power supply

    The Gwagwalada Area Council has been urged to provide electricity transformers for the residents of the area in order to curb the incessant power outage bedeviling the area.

    Some of the residents of the area who spoke with our reporter stated that the city has been suffering from incessant power outage while some had been without light for months, adding that it was affecting the economic development of the area.

    One of the residents, Soji Nkanu attributed the epileptic power supply to the inadequate supply of transformers to make power available in the area, adding that the  power supplied to some areas were  not always useful to them since most times it comes at midnight and would not last for a long time.

    “Gwagwalada has been suffering from lack power supply for a very long time now.  Some parts have not seen light for some months while some in some areas, light only comes at midnight which could only last for two to three hours,” he said.

    Nkanu added that the experience has pushed most of the residents into buying electricity generating sets and lamented that even with the epileptic power supply, they had to pay huge amount of money as electricity bills.

    “Light can never be stable in this area. It is not a new thing for power to cease for almost 100 times a day. It is unfortunate, yet we pay huge amount of money as electricity bill,” he said.

    Another resident, Maryam Alkali stated that the power supply which was supposed to be rationed so that various areas will use light, do not come regularly. She called on the government, particularly the area council, to fulfill the promise of provision of basic amenities for the people.

    “People are lamenting. It is always a total blackout at the area. A times, they will flash it for five minutes in the morning and you wouldn’t see it again until  around 1:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m. Sometimes, the light comes in form of candle light” she said.

  • NLNG set to increase cooking gas supply

    The Nigerian Liquifield and Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited has assured consumers that it will supply enough Liquifield Petroleum Gas (LPG), also known as cooking gas, to the market.

    To do this, it has increased the supply of the product from 150,000 to 250,000 metric tonnes per year.

    The General Manager, Public Affairs, NLNG, Dr Kudo Eresia-Eke said this was informed by the need to forestall a glut and make consumers access the product.

    He said the organisation is committed to deepening the local market, and provide consumers with alternative and cheaper source of cooking materials.

    He denied that gas plants had not been getting constant supply of the products.

    He said: Our goal is to increase the use of LPG in the country. This made us to increase metric tonnes of cooking gas from 150, 000 to 250, 000, after realising that consumers are showing more interest in the product.”

    Meanwhile, the President, Petroleum and Technology Association of Nigeria(PETAN) Mr Emeka Ene said the domestic consumption of the product is relatively lower compared to some West Africa countries.

    He said the scarcity created by the NIMASA/NLNG face off was yet to abate, adding that consumers had not been accessing the product.

    He said NLNG’s decision to increase the supply of cooking gas was good but that this should be monitored.

    “We still need to step up the processing and production of gas locally to acheive meaningful growth in the country. When enough gas is processed for domestic users, the development would galvanise economic activities and the country grow.

    “I think we can generate a lot of revenue from domestic use of LPG, if enough commitment is showing to its production and marketing,” he added.

    He said efforts should be geared towards supplying gas plants’operators with the product, adding that it would serve as a better alternative to kerosene.

     

  • Osun: Tackling the challenge of water supply

    Following the commencement of the full rehabilitation of the Ede Water works in Osun State, the government of Rauf Aregbesola signalled a deepening of its double-edged policy turning around the fortunes of the citizens. One face of the policy entails providing structures that prevent problems from arising in the future. That is the proactive or prophylactic approach. The other, therapeutic or curative, is to wait until the challenge crops up and then deal with it.

    But Aregbesola, the visionary leader that he is turning out to be has opted for the former in most cases since he moved into the Government House in Osogbo in November 2010. With the problems that he inherited, he has promptly applied the innovative edge of the sword. He wasn’t the creator of these problems. But tackle them, he must.

    The worth of a true leader, however, is to develop the capacity to foresee the problems and halt them in their destructive approach. That way you save money, time, energy and other valuable resources that would have gone into dealing with full-blown crises with fatal consequences both for the present and the future.

    That is the perception from which we must view the massive intervention in the Ede Water Works. Now let us look at what has been going on in the mind of the Aregbesola government to make it turn to the provision of good water as a panacea for ill-health.

    The government’s Special Adviser on Water Resources, Engineer (Mrs) Mrs Tawa Williams spoke of the mammoth funding the government is sinking into Ede Water Works to underscore its seriousness. Addressing journalists recently, Williams said the government has awarded a N2billion contract for the full rehabilitation of Ede Water Works. This supplies over 70 per cent of the water needs of Osun State. The government has set aside another N2.2billion in the 2013 budget to replace obsolete pipes across the state.

    At the inception of the Aregbesola Administration in 2010 for instance, its installed capacity had dwindled to a mere 15%, with major equipment completely broken down and staff morale depleted. The same scenario also played out in other major and mini-water works across the state.

    As soon as the Governor Aregbesola settled in, the first thing he did was to provide an initial N 417 million intervention fund to quickly reverse the downturn of this water works. Through the fund, the following equipment were promptly procured and installed: Two Brand new intake pumps; 1.5 MVA generating set; two (2 MVA) transformers; and 7 Dozing pumps.

    This intervention immediately impacted positively on the output of the water works as production rose to 30 percent and staff morale boosted. Not satisfied with this state of affairs and in his avowed commitment to touching lives in every sphere, the governor with members of the executive council, spared no effort in setting aside a whopping sum of N 2 Billion which is what is required for the full and unfettered rehabilitation of the water works.

    The rehabilitation work will be wide-raging and will ultimately transform it into what it was originally, albeit with supportive contemporary technological know-how. In this rehabilitation process, two additional low lift pumps will be installed with twelve high lift pumps. An additional 1.5 MVA generator will be provided with one MVA generator for the low lift. There will be exhaustive repairs of four-unit Clarifier and other ancillary equipment, together with the rehabilitation of 16 filter beds.

    We would not hesitate to align with this great drive to infuse funds into the business of reform in the water if we consider what the World Health Organisation WHO says: in the developing countries four-fifths of all the illnesses are caused by water-borne diseases, with diarrhoea being the leading cause of childhood death.

    WHO says that the global picture of water and health has a strong local dimension with some 1.1 billion people still lacking access to improved drinking water sources and some 2.4 billion to adequate sanitation. Today we have strong evidence that water-, sanitation and hygiene-related diseases account for some 2,213,000 deaths annually and an annual loss of 82,196,000 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs).

    WHO estimates indicate that worldwide, over 2 billion people are infected with schistosaomes and soil transmitted helminthes and 300 million of these suffer serious illness as a result.

    Malaria kills over a million people every year, and a large percentage of them are under five as well, mainly in Africa South of the Sahara. In 2001 the estimated global burden of malaria amounted to 42.3 million daily, constituting 10 % of Africa’s overall disease burden. Malaria causes at least 396.8 million cases of acute illness each year. Pregnant women are the main adult risk group. As one of the major public health problems in tropical countries, it has been claimed that malaria has reduced economic growth in African countries by 1.3 % each year over the past 30 years.

    An estimated 246.7 million people worldwide are infected by schistomiasis, and of these 20 million suffer severe consequences of the infection, while 120 million suffer milder symptoms. An estimated 80% of transmission takes place in Africa south of the Sahara.

    Diarrhoea occurs worldwide and causes 4% of all deaths and 5% of the health loss to disability.

    In Bangladesh alone, some 35 million people are exposed, on a daily basis, to elevated levels of arsenic poison in their drinking water, which will ultimately threaten their health and shorten their life expectancy.

    After the Tsunami attack in Asia on December 26, 2004 people faced the threat of water borne diseases linked to flooding, like Shigellosis, Cholera, Hepatitis A, Leptospirosis, Typhoid Fever, Malaria and Dengue fever.

    Now imagine what great gains the society would make in Osun if we have a healthy citizenry free from the debilitating effects of the diseases brought about by impure water. Imagine a healthy citizenry ensuring the full implementation of the great economic and social policies of the Aregbesola government! Imagine the enormous savings that would come the way of government if it didn’t have to spend the scarce funds looking after the sick whose ailments were caused by lack of potable water. Imagine these massive funds going into even more massive economic, industrial, social and infrastructural projects to the benefit of our active and healthy workforce.

    Who would dare oppose this formidable social army or seek to topple the government creating and sustaining them? The challenge of the moment is for all governments across the country, federal and states, to take-up the challenge thrown by the state of Osun and strive to provide efficient and sustainable water for our long-suffering citizens.

     

  • ‘Demand for skilled aviation manpower will exceed supply’

    ‘Demand for skilled aviation manpower will exceed supply’

    IF urgent steps are not taken, demand for skilled aviation manpower in Nigeria would soon exceed supply as a large percentage of the current pool of skilled personnel in the industry are fast ageing, the Director-General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, has warned.

    The NCAA helmsman, who spoke with The Nation, lamented that the large pool of skilled manpower available in the industry are above 50 years of age, raising concerns about the future of the industry.

    He said: “Statistics have also shown that the percentage of the youth, less than 40 years of age, is not enough to take over from the older generation. This may lead to scarcity of skilled professionals in the aviation industry.

    According to him, the industry faces a bleak future as the few available skilled manpower available in the country are being poached by airline operators in the Middle East and Europe that are ready to pay fat remuneration.

    He said,“Research has also shown that major carriers in Europe and the Middle East offer Nigerian pilots and engineers more than double the amount they earn in Nigeria and they are ready to poach the few available skilled personnel.”

    The aviation chief said though some African carriers and civil aviation authorities have invested massively on the training of skilled professionals, the search for greener pastures makes male professionals to constantly be on the move, adding that this development has now made the NCAA to be at the vanguard of encouraging women to make careers in the aviation industry.

    “While men are prone to constant migration, women are more stable. NCAA is now in the forefront of encouraging the training of women aviation professionals to take over from the ageing current skilled aviation professionals,” Demuren said.

    According to him, in the last seven years, there has been an unprecedented number of females enrolling and graduating as aircraft pilots and maintenance engineers at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.

    He said: “Most of these graduates are gainfully employed with different air operating certificate holders and approved maintenance organisations. One milestone that was recently achieved was the all female crew of Aero Airline that operated on April 1, 2009, which was the first of its kind in Africa.”

    Demuren lamented that insufficient training capacity to meet demand was also a major challenge confronting the industry in the country.

    “There is also the problem of learning methodologies that are not responsive to new evolving learning style. Accessibility to affordable training, lack of harmonisation of competencies in some aviation disciplines are also challenges,” he said, adding that the training capacity is insufficient to meet current demand.

    According to him, in the next 20 years, over a million pilots, engineers, technicians, cabin crew and air traffic controllers will be required to keep the global industry running, adding that for the air transport sector to remain safe, efforts must be put in place by countries to bridge the manpower gap.

    Sector analysts say it is only through the provision of the requisite technical manpower that safety can be guaranteed in the sector and incessant air mishap stopped.