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Business / Re: Seahorse Lubricant Brand Wins Award by bdek(m): 9:28am On Nov 07, 2022
of all the lubricant seahorses, seahorse ko seecow ni

1 Like

Politics / Re: Senate Passes Bill For States, Individuals To Supply Electricity by bdek(m): 12:25pm On Jul 22, 2022
Any power generated must be sent to the shocked shocked shocked national grid. this will likely be an issue that will block this progress
Education / Interview With Acting President Of African University Of Science And Technology by bdek(m): 10:26am On Oct 27, 2021
Africa Needs To Train An Industry Ready Generation For the Future
Prof. Peter Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, is the acting president of African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja. In this interview culled from sciencenigeria.com, he highlights the need to bridge the gap between theory and actual skills for national development and the need for Nigeria to produce young Africans who are industry-ready for the next century.
Our condolences on the death of the former president of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Prof. Charles Chidume and congratulations on your appointment as the acting president. What does this mean for you, in the light of the objectives, goals and future of the university?
As you may be aware, this university has been raised to very high standards by its late president, Prof. Charles Chidume and all other administrations before his. Currently, the institution is a centre of excellence for high-level manpower training in science and technology, with students and faculty from all over Africa. Of course, the world has gone through some perturbations occasioned by COVID-19 and that has affected operations of the university but we continue to do all we can.
While we mourn our late president, life must go on. He believed in very high standards and quality assurance and this resulted in the production of graduates sought out all over the world.
For me, the legacy he left behind is where I will begin. Even though we have created a centre of excellence, my assessment is that we have few programmes. Our graduates are from 19 African nations. The dream of the founding fathers of this university is for every country in Africa to have, at least, one student on this campus, so that it can truly be Pan-African.
Currently, we have approximately 200 students in the masters’ and post-graduate levels. My dream is that this number will be ramped up to, at least, 2000 within the next year. We have about 10 African countries represented among the student population. The desire is to ramp it up to, at least, 50 per cent of countries in Africa will have students on the campus in the next year. As we progress, we can make that all African countries.
Another thing I want to do is, seeing as the university is designed from the background of harnessing the skills and brains of Africans in the Diaspora, we want to continue to have professors of African origin who are in global universities across the world and turn the brain-drain to a gain. Beyond that, there are two sets of African lecturers in the Diaspora; those who have become professors and are in their 70s and want to come home because they are retired. We need to harness the knowledge these people have by getting them to mentor another generation. The second group is made up of young scientists and engineers from Africa who are established in these countries and, although they are not ready to come back, want to give back in every way. I will reach out to these groups so that they can collaborate with the university. If we do this, African students in Nigeria will be getting the same knowledge they would have got in Germany, the United States or anywhere.
Another thing we have got in our sights is getting these students to spend some time here, say six months and, with the collaboration of the Africans in the Diaspora, go and spend a year or so in their laboratories over there. This way, we will be churning out high-level doctorate and masters’ graduates. They have been trained in Africa and the chances of losing them to the world will be very slim. They will always want to come back to work in Africa and use whatever they have learnt to develop the continent. Of course, some of them will go back to these countries.
When I say this [university] is a centre of excellence in materials, oil and gas, computing, mathematical sciences etc., it is not just in words alone. No. The Pan-African Materials’ Institute is Africa’s centre of excellence in materials under the World Bank Programme coordinated by the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC). It is also one of the three centres of excellence for Partnership for Skills in Applied Science, Engineering & Technology (PASET), a World Bank programme designed to train 10,000 doctorate students in Africa in the next 10 years – the other two universities are the Bayero University Kano (BUK) and the University of Port Harcourt. As part of this programme, annually, they send scholars to us and we keep training them for doctorates.
Another big project which we have here, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) helps us to bring in Africans from the Diaspora. We pay for their flight fares so they can come down here and teach in person or online. I hope to leverage on this to get more resources to enable Africans in the Diaspora engage with us and teach alongside their colleagues in Nigeria.
This university seems to be one of the best-kept secrets in Nigeria, especially Abuja. A lot of people are unaware of what it has to offer. What does the AUST represent?
The original thinking is that Africa is known for the wrong reasons all over the world. Some people say it is a ‘dark’ continent, where disease and poverty thrive, where infrastructure do not work, etc. Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa, is popular for the wrong reasons. Our colleagues in North African seem to be somewhat better off.
A group of Africans in the diaspora went to Nelson Mandela during one of his birthday celebrations and asked what they can do for him. He requested that they establish three world-class universities in three African countries, for the education and training of high-level manpower. The founding fathers got to work and established what is called the Nelson Mandela Institute, which birthed the African University of Science and Technology.
The first one took off in Nigeria, the second is the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Arusha, Tanzania and the third is the International Institute of Water and Environment (2iE), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. These [three] institutions run at different levels of advancement.
One of the things we want to do is to get the general public to know of our existence, then get their children in here (for those who think the Nigerian education system has collapsed) and, then, create a multi-cultural environment for students and lecturers/professors from different African countries to interact.
What programmes do you offer so far?
Currently, we have over 13 programmes in the sciences – mathematics, physics, space physics, computing (computer science and management of information technology), engineering (systems engineering, aerospace engineering, petroleum engineering, material science and engineering), geo-informatics and geographic information systems (GIS). We have just started management sciences to support the science and engineering programmes. These management courses include economics, public policy, public administration and accounting.
We had just the post-graduate programmes but have started a process for undergraduate programmes and, by next session, when the accreditation process is completed with the National Universities Commission (NUC), we will add more undergraduate programmes like civil engineering, mechanical, chemical engineering, cyber security, data sciences, industrial chemistry etc.
Talking about ‘opening up’ the undergraduate studies…when will this come into effect?
As early as January 2022, subject to final approval by the NUC. The process is almost concluded.
You have emphasized that Africa needs skilled manpower in the science and technology space. Why is this?
Africa has an infrastructure deficit. More critical, though, is the issue of a lack of requisite manpower. The government is doing a good job reviving our rail system but where are the scientists and engineers designing our rail system? They are all expatriates. It is the same for all the sectors; electricity, oil and gas, building/road construction etc,. This is a major challenge. We lack the manpower to maintain complex systems. We are producing engineers and scientists but they are paper engineers. We are turning out many but they are not employable/skilled. They are not industry-ready.
Secondly, the world is changing. Technology is taking over, the world is science-driven. Globalization is here with us and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is here. But the content from Africa is almost zero. Africa is missing in the technology space. We need to produce young Africans for the next century, Africans who are industry-ready and can combine the theoretical knowledge they get with practical skills. How do you train these young Africans? You need doctorates and masters graduates who know what they are doing, so that when you train them, they come out ready for the industry.
Over here, in AUST, our curriculum is based on the problem-solving technique. We adopt the outcome-based learning approach. So, if you want to teach refrigeration and air conditioning, you don’t start from those mathematical things we normally teach in the classical approach; you start by asking students about the problem of controlling the environment to make it cool. You pose the problem. That is the problem-solving approach. If students begin to think about it, they look for how to find the solution. You need to bring them around to the science behind it. By the time you are done teaching them, they know how to design and maintain an air-conditioner.
One of the critical problems we have in Africa is existing in silos without partnership. Do you have partnerships with the government, industry and other academic institutions?
Remember, I said the university’s curriculum is designed with an approach to solve problems. For you to implement this, you must have partners. Partners are critical and they are selected using the triple helix concept and they are the government, industry (private sector) and academia.
On the government’s side, we have a lot of partners. If you go to the laboratory, you will see one built by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) and we use that facility jointly. The Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) has been here and we have been working with them on projects in the oil and gas sector. We have various forms of partnerships with the National Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) etc,. There are a number of industries we are collaborating with; Total, Shell etc,. For the academia, considering that it is a high-level technology training centre, we have over 20 foreign universities – including the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, University of Arizona, University of São Paulo, University of Ghana, University of Nairobi etc,.
Some of the donor agencies we partner with include PASET, International Development Research Institute (IDRC), European Union (EU) etc,. We are trying to do more because it will be easy to support students with the kind of support we get from these partners.
What would be your call to the government as regards tapping into the potentials available in science and technology to develop Nigeria?
Science and technology is evolving all the time, things are changing and we need to spend on research and development. I know they are doing a lot already – some regional laboratories are being repaired – but, in a situation where you want to use highly specialized equipment and, maybe there are only five in Nigeria and just two of the five are functional, it means a researcher has to move his sample from where he is to that point [where the functional equipment is] to do the investigation he wants to do. Laboratories are key and government has to spend a lot of money to ensure we have a lot of working laboratories. Of course, these sensitive equipment require daily power supply, which we cannot boast of here. 
We need to build infrastructure and an environment that encourages research for researchers to do what they need to. Only when we do that will we use research to drive innovation and, eventually drive development.


Source -- https://sciencenigeria.com/africa-needs-to-train-an-industry-ready-generation-for-the-future/
Foreign Affairs / Re: Twitter Bans India's Information Minister, Prasad, For One Hour. He Reacts by bdek(m): 7:23pm On Jun 25, 2021
ChiefSosa:

Twitter gave you T&C before you signed up, what other prior notice are you expecting again? Didn't you read and "accept" before using the account?
Copyright Policy/infringement is very serious, you're breaking the rules and you expect them to be quiet.
Nobody has complained does not mean Nobody will complain. They don't want to be your Abobaku in case a lawsuit comes up. Prevention is better than cure. It is their platform, if you can't comply; then gerrout.

U just made my day

6 Likes 1 Share

Celebrities / Re: Inside Kim Kardashian & Kanye West $2bn Divorce, From Property To Supercars (Pix by bdek(m): 7:59pm On Feb 21, 2021
uhmm
Politics / Re: Power Grid Collapses, Plunges Lagos, Others Into Darkness by bdek(m): 12:10am On Feb 19, 2021
sulaak:


SCADA only works if you have a functioning PPT -People, Process, and Technology competence.

You wan take me shine abi nowhala

Please check this URL or link out

https://www.electricaltechnology.org/2015/09/scada-systems-for-electrical-distribution.html
Politics / Re: Power Grid Collapses, Plunges Lagos, Others Into Darkness by bdek(m): 9:21am On Feb 18, 2021
Simple open-source software called SCADA will solve all this collapse story but because of politics they will never install it
Phones / Re: Dual Core, Quad Core, Octa Core. What Do They Mean? by bdek(m): 10:31pm On Jun 20, 2020
Sadly ppl buy phones with all these multiprocessors without much need for the features available on the phone. what
most phone and computer(desktop) applications do are Sequential computing.
The usefulness of multi-core processors is those that always want improvements in productivity, security, multitasking, game performance, data protection, and many more capabilities.
On High-performance computing or Parallel Programming is where multi-core processors are fully utilized.



(Personal opinion)

2 Likes

Autos / Re: Man's Toyota Corolla 2013 Caught Fire by bdek(m): 9:49pm On Jun 07, 2020
swintiney:


The side where the ABS is located caught fire from the picture. In SA model, the ABS is located somewhere under the brake master cylinder, left side of the servo.

The defect is around the inner electronic components of the ABS, mine of same model almost caught fire last year, I had to replace the ABS with the American model. I was lucky it occurred during the day time when people were around.

My wife parked the car around 2pm and went into the house, thereafter between 5 to 6pm, neighbors called her attention to the smoking car, when she arrived with the key, smoke truely had covered the car, she was so confused, a neighbor around removed one of the battery terminals after she managed to open the bonet and that saved the car from getting burnt.

I recalled a mechanic warned me about this issue with the SA spec but i thought it wasn't true as it actually didn't make sense to me then until it happened to my car.


quite reasonable
Autos / Re: Man's Toyota Corolla 2013 Caught Fire by bdek(m): 10:24pm On Jun 06, 2020
From assessment of the car, the fire started from the center to rear of the engine, and which means there is likely chances of misfire popping out from exhaust manifold when you actually switched off the engine without you knowing fire has started.

Allegation toward the braking system: look at the side where the ABS system accused of starting the fire did not even have any sign of fire.

Conclusion: seek an AUTO expert to help determine the cause. (not Kazeem please)

2 Likes

Car Talk / Re: Wrong Overtaking: Who Is At Fault? by bdek(m): 9:25am On May 05, 2020
so, nobody noticed that this is right-hand drive country
Health / Re: What Would You Do First & Differently When Coronavirus Lockdown Is Lifted? by bdek(m): 5:38pm On Apr 13, 2020
GAZZUZZ:
charge more cheesy

Thank God I don DIY all my cars for this period sure say I no go visit them
Car Talk / Re: 10 Most Expensive Cars That Were Found Abandoned (PHOTOS) by bdek(m): 3:17pm On Mar 18, 2019
Celebrities / Re: Cossy Ojiakor's Advice To A 'Suicidal' Follower by bdek(m): 10:36am On Jan 31, 2019
Guro:
Guys please I need someone who is skilled in php and can set up a Linux vps

If you have the above skills, please kindly quote me now!!!!

I have a job for you!
Education / Re: ASUU Strike Again by bdek(m): 9:40am On Nov 05, 2018
uhmm
NYSC / Re: Certificates Acquired During NYSC by bdek(m): 3:29pm On Oct 18, 2018
With all this certificate now, I hope you can defend them during a job interview
Career / Re: Top 7 Ways To Spend Your First Salary by bdek(m): 9:34am On Oct 12, 2018
Nathdougg:
DON'T FORGET FIRST FRUIT

on what ground?
Car Talk / Re: Nissan Transformed A Pick-up Truck Into A World Class Mobile Space Observatory by bdek(m): 7:14am On Sep 20, 2018
lonelydora:
Nissan technologically advanced than Toyota.

Good thinking, Good Product!

Is that all

1 Like

Autos / Banktype Corolla Vs Toyota Corolla Le/sport by bdek(m): 3:19pm On Apr 10, 2018
I had an argument with a friend who has Toyota Corolla LE 2003-2007 that banktype corolla 2003-2007 is faster and sharper he didn't agree with me ,i have driven both car before and the banktype corolla performance is better and reliable .
please house what is your take on this?
Religion / Re: Why Do Jehovah's Witnesses Not Believe In Miracles? by bdek(m): 9:00am On Mar 11, 2018
maximunimpact:
A JW will rather seek the help of witch doctors than pray for miracle. I was once advised by one JW woman to rub some charms in my lips for job interview success and i looked at her astonishingly but said since am not yet a baptized brother that there's nothing wrong with that.
script writer

6 Likes

Religion / Re: Why Do Jehovah's Witnesses Not Believe In Miracles? by bdek(m): 8:59am On Mar 11, 2018
PharmaGirl:

This is serious.
Are u minding this script writer

3 Likes

Autos / Re: Registered 2007 Toyota Corolla Bank Type by bdek(m): 8:56am On Feb 09, 2018
SunnyD77:


Bdek, I suggest you read my comment carefully again. I said "this is about the first of THIS GENERATION(9th or whichever)". Meaning among this "9th" generation, these were the early ones. In case you've n noticed, it has no AIRBAGS. There's no way this is 2007 model and like I said earlier, that doesn't mean it's not a nice car.

No problem except the part you mention no airbag,have you check the GLI model of this car features(ABS,2 AIRBAG,AUTO Transmissions or Manuals )
Car Talk / Re: Camry 2.2: You Don't Know One Until You Own One by bdek(m): 8:51am On Feb 09, 2018
debanj326:
I think 1997-2002 Corolla Models are far better than Camry 1997-2002 models.............My opinion
Do say i think ,everyone who is privileged to owned one knows
Car Talk / Re: Cosmas Maduka Of Coscharis Motors: Failed In 3 Businesses, He Still Persists by bdek(m): 10:20am On Feb 08, 2018
Fesomu:
Na because him get capital

See bad belle
Politics / Re: Lagos Government Declares "War" On Okada Riders - Massive Hunt Down Ongoing by bdek(m): 5:01pm On Nov 09, 2017
joduseq:
Baba, pls don't tell me you mean CMS by writing siamese ooooo. Cos am a lagosian by birth oooo
Thanks for decoding it publicly
Politics / Re: Lagos Government Declares "War" On Okada Riders - Massive Hunt Down Ongoing by bdek(m): 2:57pm On Nov 09, 2017
joduseq:
. What are you even saying Bro.... what's siamese [color=#000099][/color][i][/i]

The code is for lagosian to decode.
Car Talk / Re: Front Wheel Issue On Toyota Corrola by bdek(m): 2:40pm On Nov 06, 2017
check the caliper,the rod that hold piston or change the calipers ,that is where the noise comes from . wink smiley smiley smiley smiley

1 Like

Celebrities / Re: Remembering Lucky Dube 10 Years After Death by bdek(m): 3:27pm On Oct 18, 2017
Celebrities / Re: Majid Michel: "I Won't Be Kissing In Movies Anymore" by bdek(m): 12:36pm On Oct 17, 2017
undecided
Car Talk / Re: Man Fined For Strapping Car To A Hot Air Balloon & Flying It 98ft Over The City by bdek(m): 12:17pm On Oct 15, 2017
nairalandfreak:

What is stupidity? Do you know how many technological risks have been taken for you to enjoy life today?

because he is from indomie generation may not know

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