NIGERIAN STUDENT WINS RESEARCHER'S OF THE YEAR AWARD IN SOUTH AFRICA

A young, passionate Nigerian, Toyosi Craig was recently honoured with the YOUNG RESEARCHER OF THE
YEAR AWARD 2016 in South Africa. The award, which is dubbed Renewable Energy Research Excellence Award (RERE), is jointly organised by Renewable Energy Centre of Research and Development (RECORD), and South African National Energy Association (SANEA).

According to the organisers, the award “recognises the contribution of young upcoming researchers to renewable energy in South Africa”, and it is given on the basis of merit, innovation, novelty and applicability.

Elevated Sight Magazine caught up with Toyosi Craig, who opened up on a number of issues bothering on his experiences in South Africa and some of the challenges young people are confronted with in Nigeria. Read, enjoy and don’t forget to share!

ESM: Can we meet you?

Toyosi: My name is Toyosi Craig. I am a Nigerian. I am an engineer. I do innovation management and systems analysis. I am currently doing a PhD in engineering management with a special focus on solar energy, in Stellenbosch University, South Africa. I am more of an advocate for good governance and good citizenship and helping others help themselves.

ESM: Why South Africa?

Toyosi: Like a friend would say, I left Nigeria without combing my hair. I initially came here for a Master’s degree in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering in 2014 and I have been around since then. I have led a lot of inventions and innovations in Nigeria, for which I couldn’t find any support or funding. I initiated a lot of Startups. Some of them include: a pounded yam making machine that pounds two man-size meal in 20 seconds; conversion of Jatropha seed oil to make diesels; making of tiles from sawdust and used pure water sachets, among many others. But as you know, no one was ready to support. Nigerian society and multinationals only fund upcoming dancers, musicians, models and the likes.

ESM: Tell us about your experiences so far in South Africa


Toyosi: The truth is I never expected what I met in SA. I initially wanted to go to Canada or UK, which my parents couldn’t afford. But I really thank God I am here. Getting to know that some of the schools here are world class; I am fully funded, my research group for example invented some solar heliostat ahead of Google engineers. We have jet fighters that we work on. There are innumerable drones, a micro satellite in the space, what else do you want as an engineer. The computers available are almost 80% of the student population in number, just to mention a few.

ESM: Tell us about the recent award you received

Toyosi: To God be the glory, I was honoured as the young researcher of the year in the energy sector of South Africa.

My Master’s degree project was an innovation, which was widely appraised around the world. It is a parabolic solar cooker that tracks the sun and can cook at night or when there is no sun because it saves heat. The system was adapted for African conditions and can be used to set up small heat based factories in rural areas. Also, it eliminates the solar cooker users’ exposure to sun as the cooking section is separated from the heat receiver.

ESM: What would you consider as significant difference in studying in South Africa as against Nigeria?

Toyosi: SA takes education as a priority and their educational system is highly funded and all research have focus and applications, either industry based, public sector based or for the societal good. They have structures and great research policies.

The truth is SA is far ahead when it comes to Research, because the government, the industries and the universities are on top of their games and working together. I promise you, we have the population who are willing to go to school in Nigeria but there is very little support. The reverse is the case in SA.

ESM: Are you looking forward to contributing to the development of Nigeria and in what area?


Toyosi: Contributing to Nigeria and Africa as a whole is not just my dream but my destiny. I believe my calling is to wipe out hunger from Africa, which can be achieved through several approaches.

The first thing I am passionate about is giving identity to all Nigerians. It has failed many times, but without it we cannot plan. I have the model and I hope I can implement it someday, so that we can know each Nigerian and each person’s life can be valuable.

The second is electricity; we have made a lot of headway in Solar Energy and other renewable energies in South Africa. I am looking forward to helping in that area back home. I have actually sent a lot of documents home.

Lastly, some of our citizens are losing focus and are really depressed; you may not know but it is the truth. I hope I can inspire many to rediscover themselves. I was also frustrated sometimes ago, but I didn’t give up. We just need an enabling environment and we can be all we are meant to be. I believe Nigerians are the smartest people God made.

ESM: What do you think we can do to improve our educational system?

Toyosi: First thing, government should start giving university scholarships to as many students as possible to study AT HOME. We don’t have an education sector goal. As you can see, companies don’t trust our graduates because most lack required skills. It is fundamentally wrong for a high school graduate willing to study more, to not be able to, because there are no enough spaces in schools or because he/she cannot afford private schools. We are yet to get it right yet. It’s not supposed to be difficult for a high school student to graduate and proceed to higher institution for his/her primary discipline of interest.  In SA, if you do well in your matric (equivalent to our WAEC and NECO), you will not only study your dream course, you will also be funded 100%.

Education is expensive no doubt, but we have to decide whether or not we want the best for our people. We need proper structures that would encourage research. There is a lot to do. And we haven’t started yet.

ESM: What are your plans for the future?

Toyosi: My plan is simple; wipe hunger out of Africa. This has to start with Nigeria. We have the largest population, abundant natural resources, an amazing weather, and fertile soil. Whatever would help reposition Nigeria, and for Nigerians to achieve their maximum potentials, that I am committed to doing to the best of my ability and capacity.

Double Celebration For Gov. Dickson As Wife Delivers Quadruplet; Appeal Court Upholds Election

Bayelsa First Lady gives birth to quadruplet
by Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa
After many years of marriage without a child, the First Lady of Bayelsa State, Dr. Rachael Dickson, has given birth to quadruplet in an undisclosed hospital in the United States of America (USA).
A statement signed by Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seriake Dickson, said the development contributed to the season of celebrations in the governor’s family.
The statement said: “The season of celebrations continues in the family of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State as his wife, the First Lady, Dr. Rachael Dickson just put to bed in the United States of America.
“She was delivered of a quadruplet; a bouncing baby boy and three beautiful baby girls. Mother and children are doing well.
“This is particularly good news for the family and Bayelsans because this bundle of joy is coming after many years of praying and waiting upon the Lord.
“Governor Dickson thanks friends, family members and Bayelsans for their prayers and support and enjoins them to continue to pray for the family”.

Recession: Obiano abolishes school levies, wheelbarrow tax, others

The Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, on Tuesday said he foresaw long suffering as a result of the recession in the country.

Consequently, he said he had abolished some levies and taxes in the state to cushion the effect of the economic downtown on the people.

This was contained in his special broadcast to the people of the state on Tuesday afternoon.

He said, “Following the formal announcement by the Federal Government that the nation’s economy has gone into a recession, I consider it my duty, as your governor, to distil the message of the economic situation of the country down to the grassroots.

“Following this development too, I am happy to announce to you that I have come up with a stimulus package that will ease the pain of the recession and help our dear state bounce back to prosperity.

“Brothers and sisters, our country’s painful journey into the current recession is fairly known to us.

“The events that triggered this decline are very well documented in the public domain.

“So, I will not go through the details of how we arrived where we are.

“I wish to assure you that after a careful study of the situation, I am more convinced now than ever before that with our fundamentals, our infinite capacity to come back from deficits and our implicit faith in God, our story should be different in Anambra State.”

He said the state’s intervention would come in four key areas.

In the area of tax relief programme, for example, he said, “Special Intervention Programmes (would be) for Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs and Large Enterprises.”

The governor said the objective of his Tax Relief Programme was to evaluate existing taxes, levies and fees in the state and introduce some waivers, and in some cases, scrap the collection of some illegal levies imposed on the people.

He said these would go a long way to cushion the impact of the recession on households in the state.

The text read in part, “I hereby suspend the sale of consolidated emblems in Anambra State.

“I suspend the collection of Hawkers Permit on all streets in the state.

“I suspend the collection of Wheelbarrow Tax in all markets in the state.

“Lastly, I abolish the imposition of unapproved levies on students in public primary and secondary schools in the state.

“All these pronouncements shall take immediate effect.”

He said the state would do these as the governor’s role “is to envisage challenges and provide solutions that will ensure a speedy comeback from difficult situations that require the power and might of a state government.”

The governor said that his agricultural policy and various other intervention measures would sustain hope and life for his people in the prevailing hard economic situation.

Credits - Punch

RECESSION: NIGERIA NEEDS ECONOMIC REVOLUTION TO SURVIVE - OTUNBA GBENGA DANIEL.

Nigeria needs a complete revolution in technology as well as other aspects of endeavours to enhance and boost the Nation's production capability, in order to survive the prevailing economic hardship.
The immediate past Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel made this assertion today, while speaking on a radio programme in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The former Governor, who explained that Nigerians have chosen evolution, which is a longer process over revolution, said no "Nation can develop without local contents".
He noted that only Nigerians can develop Nigeria, stressing that 'no Nation would develop our country at the detriment of their own Nations'.
Otunba Daniel said, "It is criminal for any Nation to be importing without producing to meet the Country's needs, thus there must be urgent plans to support production processes in Nigeria".
"All the big countries of the world built their nations by themselves. I didn't award any of my contracts to any foreigner throughout my 8 years. Ogun State Road Maintenance Agency, OGROMA was a typical example of direct labour that was evolving. What are the billions you hear daily on building bridges? if they continue building at that prices, when are we going to get roads to my village?, he asked.
While observing that economic problems in Nigeria have created various security challenges, the engineer turned politician, hinted that all the policies he operated as a PDP Governor, were based on empirical research and that was why welfare policies and programmes like the teaching service scheme, OGUNGRAD, TRACE and OGEGEP among others were formed to reduce the high unemployment in the State.
Otunba Daniel, said Nigeria needs a fundamental change and a strong will to tackle importation by starting a technological revolution that would improve production processes and evolve over time.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN DIRECTED BY THE POLICE TO WRITE A STATEMENT

If the police ask you to write a statement, which they normally do when they stop you on the road and take you to their station or when they invite you to their station, you should know how to write a good statement that will not implicate you.

First, whether you write a statement as a witness or as a suspect, you must understand that your statement is very likely going to be used against you either in court or for the purpose of blackmail by some officers (not all). Therefore, take your statement writing as a serious matter.

Remember that you have right to refuse to write a statement until your lawyer is present. But this normally leads to argument and hostile reactions from the police, and it may likely be a pretext for them not releasing you immediately.

There are no hard and fast rules as to the content of a statement. It is supposed to be what you know in relation to an incident or the reason for you being brought to the station. Since the statement is not just a general view on anything you like, it is important that you know the reason for which you have been brought to the station.

For those who have been suspected of committing an offense, make sure that before you start writing a statement, you ask the officer the offense for which you have been brought to the station. If he tells you that there is no offense, that they just want you to tell them all you know, you can politely say: No, Sir. The police force is meant to enforce the criminal law. Therefore, the police would not have any justification to bring you to the station except if they suspect that an offense has been committed somewhere by somebody - either you or someone else. And you need to know the offense and the person suspected before you could write your statement.

Also, if you were arrested or invited as a result of a petition written against you, you must demand to read carefully that petition before you start giving your statement.

When you start your statement, make sure you explain in your statement the reason for which you have been asked to make your statement. For instance, you can say something like: "I was stopped while driving my vehicle with registration number xxxxx on ________ street in _______ city. After showing my papers to officer xxxxxxx, I was taken to the police station and informed that  my car was suspected of being stolen car"

Then you make your statement. You will see that the police will not like this. But you should be able to state the summary of the circumstances that led to you having to make a statement in the station.

I will say more about writing statements at police stations. For now, just get the idea that you should explain why you are making a statement and the offenses you were told you were suspected of. You should state that in your statement before you begin to write other things

POST SCRIPT: The reason you have to state in your statement the reason for making a statement is obvious. Your statement when read by a third party can only make sense in the context of the matter that prompted the statement. So, if you didn't state the matter to which your statement relates, the police may change the matter down the line. Initially, you thought you were arrested because of stolen vehicle, but the police later charged it to kidnapping. If a judge is reading your statement in a kidnapping case, he will think you were evading the issues. He will think you were dodging the matter that you don't want to answer the question. And he will form a negative opinion of you based on your presumably inconclusive and evasive statement . So be careful and be wise

(C) Lady Kuku Ikpidungise

LEARN FROM MY PAST MISTAKES - BY OTUNBA TUNDE ALABI

Friends, please learn from my mistakes!

As a teenager I heard that a teenager got drowned in a swimming pool so I vowed not to go near water. I did not learn swimming. Unfortunately, my inability to swim was what denied me a good job after graduation. Now I can swim but the job was gone.

The day that I wanted to start learning driving was when a young man drove himself to death on Aba road in Port Harcourt. I mourned the guy, thanked God that I didn't know how to drive so that I won't die. I abandoned learning how to drive. Two weeks after, a juicy employment opportunity propped up and I came top in written and oral interview only to lose out because I couldn't drive. The position came with a Toyota Hilux attached which must be self driven.

Sometimes ago, I was offered a Nigerian representative of a Chinese  company but because I didn't see far into the future I declined. The company is today well established in Nigeria and some other African countries and I'm just here on Facebook ���

I later realized that my problem was the quality of my thinking. I was narrow minded and saw tragedies instead of opportunities. Everything changed from the moment that I realized my mistakes.

If you are the type that sees only calamities in every situations then you need to change your mindset. Stop being a pessimist, every calamity brings its own opportunities. Look deeply.

The last time Lekki was flooded some poor people were thankful to their gods that they were not Lekki residents because they saw only tragedies they didn't see the opportunities.

When the stock market crashed some poor people celebrated their luck because they had no investment in the stock market. They saw disasters they didn't see opportunities.

Now that the country is effectively in recession, don't resign your faith. Don't see doomsday, look deeper and see the opportunities. A critical time like this demands for critical thinking. Be strong. Be strengthened.

Learn from my mistakes in the past!

God bless you.

Tunde Alabi
17th September, 2016

NIGERIANS CONSUMING "ARSENIC CHEMICALS" FROM IMPORTED RICE - AGRIC MINISTER

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, on Wednesday in Abuja said Nigerian businessmen demanded 2.5 billion dollars (about N492 billion) a week for importation of goods and services into the country.
Ogbeh made this known in a meeting with officials of VICAMPRO, an indigenous Agro Company investing in production of Irish Potato on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that the ministry was willing to support local investors with capacity to produce goods and save the country’s foreign exchange.

He said that the consumption of rice in the country was rising and that a lot of people were not aware that the rice had some degree of arsenic.

The minister said that consuming rice in large quantity on a regular basis was a bit of health risk, adding that substituting it with potato would be welcomed development.

“The volume of importation of virtually everything into this country is too much.

“The demand for dollars in this country as at today is 2.5 billion a week; this is the quantum of dollars Nigerians are asking for to import things.

“Since 1986, we began this habit of importing everything and doing virtually nothing at home to sustain ourselves; now, we do not have the dollars and people are very hungry.

“This day was coming anyway, no matter who was in power; we have the most ridiculous method of devaluing our currency; every week, we auction the dollar and naira goes up.

“We sat and were hoping that by devaluation, we are going to arrive at Eldorado; if we continue like this, it will be a thousand naira to a dollar,’’ he said.

While commending the investor, Ogbeh said that any private sector effort that would develop local production of goods would be fully supported by the ministry.

“We should aggressively take the West African market; there is no reason why we should allow Irish potato from Ireland and France and Belgium into West Africa; it is the same story with onions.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of VICAMPRO, Mr Michael Agbogo, said that potato could bring value worth over one trillion naira annually if properly harnessed.

He said that potato was the fourth most important crop in the world and that a barrel of oil was an equivalent of 14 kilogrammes of potatoes.

According to Agbogo, while current price of crude oil will fetch the country about N16,000 per barrel, the equivalent in potato will fetch the country N39,000.

He said that in terms of value, potato had three times the value of crude oil, adding that it was a huge industry the country could get into.

Agbogo said that Egypt and Algeria were the leading potato producing countries in Africa, with Egypt producing four million tonnes annually from about 100,000 hectares of land.

He said that Nigeria, which had close to 500,000 hectares, was struggling to produce one million tonnes of potato per annum.

Credits- Daily Post.