Nigeria News
Nigeria Solar Car Challenge
By Sulaimon Mojeed-Sanni
On Tuesday, 4th of June, 2013, a certain advert on page 4 of Vanguard Newspaper uncharacteristically caught my attention. It was an advert about an impending car race. Well, I am not a car freak not to talk of picking interest in car racing. Till this moment, I still find it difficult to memorize the models of any of my immediate family members’ cars. I am not just always interested in such luxury. I’m always of the opinion that, once the car can conveniently take me from one destination to the other, the model or maker can please excuse me. But this particular advert about a car race got me thinking; it was to be a Solar Car Race! Solar car race in Nigeria? You may like to ask.
The concept is not only alien to this part of the world, our attempt at even a solar energy generation has been a near disaster. Respective governments; Local, State and Federal, that embraced the green energy campaign and invested in solar panelled street lights can tell the story better. The idea just seems to fail everywhere and betrays comparatively, what we see, read and hear about Solar Energy Farms. Now bringing same solar panels (that either by design or default has never performed effectively in the Nigerian environment, supposedly rich in solar strength, considering the sun blaze that characterizes sub-Saharan Africa) to make car run or race? Is sure a daring adventure!
But this Nigeria Solar Car Race, has got me thinking, and unknown to the organizers, it’s getting me so embittered about the Nigerian society that neglects development of human capacity in our respective ivory towers for pseudo art and pretentious creativity in the entertainment industry. Am not against talent hunts or support for the entertainment sub-sector, but not at the detriment of scientific, innovative and technological endeavours.
A major bulwark to the nation’s collective advancement over the years have been the misplacement of priorities. Both individual and corporate entities are in a myopic rat race to get the attention of the youth through over bloated adventures and reality TV game shows; Ultimate Search, Family and Street dances, Idols, X-Factor, Mega Jamz, Big Brother amongst others. These projects, though laudable in their own respective rights, won’t get us anywhere. The only sustainable means of empowerment, is an empowerment channelled at liberating the nation itself – Help the youth by investing in their future or areas that would ensure for them a sustainable future.
All around the globe, there are continuous interrelations, interaction and exchange of ideas bordering on science and technology. Governments are creating enabling environments essential to the wellbeing of researchers and curbing the brain drain in their countries. The interactions are private sector driven, individuals and multinational companies are striving to bridge the North and South disequilibrium in technological advancement thus investing heavily in 21st century scientific research. These companies are doing so because they understand the importance of research in economic development. For these countries, green energy remains a strong point for research, development and funding – it is an undeniable wonder of this century.
Amidst world’s turmoil, climate change and environmental degradation outcry, solar/clean energy remains the palpable solution. The Director, Solar Energy Research Centre, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Prof. Thomas Meyer, in September 2009, presented the idea that “the sun’s energy could be used to make fuels from water and carbon dioxide for heating, transportation and energy storage”. But where do Africa and particularly, the Giant – Nigeria, fall in all of this? An article I read sometime ago, establishes that one hardly see high placed implements that are Made-in-Nigeria. And the few you see are expensive, of low quality and lower quantity! We are a consumption country, we don’t produce amidst our resources.
Personally, I feel this Nigeria Solar Car Challenge is an opportunity to awake, harness and accelerate our productive capacity and make effort towards being independent technologically with regards to power generation. According to the organisers, the Nigeria solar car initiative is a challenge designed to champion integration, support and encourage technical and scientific endeavour in the field of engineering. It is an adaptation from the World Solar Challenge and America Solar Challenge with the objective of promoting research in solar-powered cars. The competition has a 20-year history spanning nine races, with the inaugural event taking place in 1987.
The Nigerian version is to involve strictly tertiary institutions in the country This I feel is the real challenge. Which of our Engineering Departments can develop a home-made petrol/diesel car not to mention solar powered cars? A solar car that uses sunshine as fuel. According to experts in the area, it is the photovoltaic cells of the car that would collect and convert energy from the sun directly into electricity, thus making the vehicle completely self sufficient. We need to take a more cursory look at our industrial ability as a nation. On two occasions, Nigeria lost the opportunity to harness the potential of starting home-made cars. In the 70s, thelate Professor Ayodele Awojobi of the University of Lagos, converted a regular motor vehicle engine to one that can run in both the forward and backward directions. He called it Autonov 1 (automobile novelty). Also in 1997, Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, an Electrical/Electronics engineer, and a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Owerri, made a prototype of his first ever all-African car which he named Z-600. These efforts just like many other innovative ones were discarded by the inconsiderate actions of government. This Solar Challenge might just be an avenue to right many wrongs!
The government of Nigeria needs take a step beyond rhetorics and make achievable the Vision 2020 and truly transform the country. While the world is making research on alternative to crude oil energy, we need to measure up through projects like the Nigeria Solar Car Challenge which possibly can help us break the jinx of epileptic blackouts. The relevant authorities: the Ministry of Power and Steel, Ministry of Science and Information Technology, National Automotive Council(NAC), Power Holding Company, amongst others must see this as an opportunity to develop the right calibre of minds from our tertiary institutions who can further be trained to liberate us all.
For NAC particularly, it is saddening that, almost 20 years after its creation, the motive for its creation by Act 84 of 25 August 1993 “to ensure the survival, growth and development of the Nigerian automotive industry using local human and material”, has remained elusive. With 123 private and public universities, over 48 polytechnics in the country, it is a shame if a sizable number are not sponsored to participate in the competition and develop their research arsenal. As at today, with fillers from the organizers, just six tertiary institututions, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Kings Polytechnic, Ubiaja(hosts); National Centre for Energy Research and Development, University of Nigeria – Nsukka; Adamawa State University, Federal University Oye, Ekiti; Ambrose Alli Universuty, Ekpoma, have shown interest. That calls for concern for a nation mouthing TRANSFORMATION AGENGA. We need to understand that the technical partnership that would be offered to participating schools by the parent body of the competition – America Solar Challenge, might just be the missing link to reach the geniuses in our ivory towers.
In a conference in 2004 tagged “Science, Technology and Innovation for the 21st Century”, Mr. Peter McGauran, Minister for Science of Australia, chairing the meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy at Ministerial Level, said this and I concur: “A well-functioning interface between the innovation and science systems is more necessary than ever to reap the economic and social benefits from public and private investments in research, ensure the vitality and quality of the science system, and improve public understanding and acceptance of science and technology and the importance of innovation.”
Also in 2011, the International Energy Agency said that “the development of affordable, inexhaustible and clean solar energy technologies will have huge longer-term benefits. It will increase countries’ energy security through reliance on an indigenous, inexhaustible and mostly import-independent resource, enhance sustainability, reduce pollution, lower the costs of mitigating climate change, and keep fossil fuel prices lower than otherwise.”
In Spain, there is a 19.9 MW Gemasolar solar plant that features 15 hours of storage and can supply power 24 hours a day. Who says Nigeria can’t do better? The America Solar Challenge is sponsored by CAT, The MathWorks, Concurrent Design Inc(Solar Engineering Company), Cockrell School of Engineering(University of Texas), Circuit of The Americas! Can Somebody/ companies( particularly telecommunications, Banks, Ministries, Green Energy experts, NDDC, States, etc ), sponsor the Nigeria Solar Car Challenge please? From the advert placement, the Nigeria Solar Challenge organizers can be reached via their email – [email protected].
•Mojeed-Sanni wrote from Lagos, Nigeria. Email: [email protected], Tweet handle: @Sanity0407
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The Kano State Government on Saturday said it has transferred 1,098 ‘almajiris’ to different states of the country.
The commissioner for local government, Murtala Garo, disclosed this while presenting a report before the state’s task force on COVID-19 at the government house, Kano.
Almajiris are children who are supposed to be learning Islamic studies while living with their Islamic teachers. Majority of them, however, end up begging on the streets of Northern Nigeria. They constitute a large number of Nigeria’s over 10 million out-of-school children.
Mr Garo said the Kano government transported 419 almajiris to Katsina, 524 to Jigawa and 155 to Kaduna. He said all of them tested negative for coronavirus before leaving the Kano State.
Despite the coronavirus test done in Kano for the almajiris, the Jigawa government earlier said it would quarantine for two weeks all the almajiris that recently arrived from Kano.
Mr Garo said another 100 almajiris scheduled to be taken to Bauchi State also tested negative to COVID-19.
In a remark, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said the COVID-19 situation in Kano was getting worse. He appealed for a collaborative effort to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.
Mr Ganduje, who commended residents for complying with the lockdown imposed in the state, said the decision was taken to halt the spread of the virus.
Kano State, as of Saturday night, has 77 coronavirus cases, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
The decision to transfer the Kano almajiris is part of the agreement reached between Northern governors that almajiris in each state be transferred to their states of origin.
However, even before the latest agreement by the governors, the Kano government had been transferring almajiris to other states and neighbouring countries after it banned street begging in the state, most populous in Northern Nigeria.
Despite the transfers, however, no concrete step has been taken to ensure such children do not return to Kano streets as there is freedom of movement across Nigeria although interstate travel was recently banned to check the spread of the coronavirus.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
By Ugochukwu Alaribe
Operatives of the Abia State Vigilante Service, AVS, popularly known as ‘Bakassi Boys’ have arrested 24 market women hidden in a container truck, at Ekwereazu Ngwa, the boundary community between Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The market women, said to be from Akwa Ibom State, were on their way to Aba, when they were arrested with the truck driver and two of his conductors for violating the lockdown order by the state government.
Driver of the truck, Moses Asuquo, claimed he was going to Aba to purchase stock fish, but decided to assist the market women, because they were stranded.
A vigilante source told Sunday Vanguard that the vehicle was impounded while the market women were sent back to Akwa Ibom State.
Commissioner for Home Land Security, Prince Dan Okoli, who confirmed the incident, said that smuggling of people into the state poses great threat to the state government’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID- 19.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
Operatives of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Yaba of the Lagos State police command have arrested one Mrs Nene Steve for allegedly killing her maid, Joy Adole
The maid was allegedly beaten to death by Nene for requesting for her salary at their residence located at 18, Ogundola Street, Bariga area in Lagos.
Narrating the incident, Philips Ejeh, an elder brother to the deceased said that he was sad when they informed him that his sister was beaten to death.
He explained that the deceased was an indigene of Benue State brought to Lagos through an agent and started working with her as a maid in January 2020.
‘’She reported that her boss refused to pay her and anytime she asked for her salary she will start beating her.
She was making an attempt to leave the place but due to the total lockdown she remained there until Sunday when her boss said she caught her stealing noodles and this led to her serious beating and death,’’ Ejeh said.
He called on Lagos State Government and well- meaning people in the country to help them in getting justice for the victim.
The police spokesman, Bala Elkana, stated that the woman and her husband came to Bariga Police Station to a report that their house girl had committed suicide.
Detectives were said to have visited the house and suspected foul play with the position of the rope and bruises all over the body which confirmed that the girl had been tortured to death and the boss decided to hang up the girl to make it look like suicide.
He said: “The police moved on with their investigation and found a lot of sign of violence on her body that she has been tortured before a rope was put on her neck.’’
He added that the police removed the corpse and deposited it in the mortuary for autopsy to further ascertain the cause of the death.
Elkana said the matter has been transferred from Bariga police station to Panti for further investigation while the couple have been arrested and will be charged to court.
Ostensibly alarmed by the latest killings of dozens of soldiers by Boko Haram insurgents, President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned an urgent meeting of Service Chiefs to find ways to stop the trend.
He has also dispatched the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, to the neighbouring Republic of Chad for an urgent meeting with President Idris Deby and his defence counterpart.
Knowledgeable sources said in Abuja on Friday that the president is worried by on the deterioration of security situation on the Nigeria – Chad Border that has led to the recently increased Boko Haram terrorism in the area.
The sources which did not want to be named in Abuja said: “Nigeria has a Chad problem in the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) put together to secure the Lake Chad basin areas and repeal the Boko Haram terrorist attacks against all the countries neighbouring the Lake.”
The sources noted that Chad is believed to be having their own internal security challenges and this has reportedly led to their pulling away their own troops manning their own border around Lake Chad, saying: “That lacuna is being exploited by the Boko Haram terrorists, who go in and out of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to launch terrorist acts. This is a clear illustration of the fact that terrorism is beyond national borders.”
When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed that the Defence Minister is going to Chad but said he is unaware of the purpose.
Meanwhile, the military authorities are said to be in the process of identifying the families of the latest victims with a view to making contact with them.
Credible sources revealed that it is the reason the president is yet to make any pronouncement on the matter.
“The President has called an urgent meeting with the Service Chiefs, as well as the fact that families of the latest victims of the Boko Haram are being identified and contacts made before a government pronouncement on the tragic attacks. This, it is understood, is the reason for the silence of the government over the incident,” the source said.
Sourced From: Tribune
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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