I think I’m beginning to understand why PhD is sometimes referred to in close circles as a “cult”. You see, irrespective of our differences and arguments (I could be heady at times), one thing was certain – I was modelling my life as a researcher in the mould of my advisor. Call it short-sightedness or whatever, but heck, there was just that unseen agreement with me, myself and I that that was the proper thing. After all, one year after his death, I’m still yet to beat his RG score (hopefully by end of 2020).

Damn, I can’t believe that this guy I spurred with will still remain with me one year after his demise. Heck, he really got into me. Yeah, I gave my PhD my all, forget it man, I gave it my all. Of course, I finished in record time but what the heck, my advisor wasn’t there to savour it! I didn’t attend my convocation, it wasn’t worth it and all.

Permit me to quote this modified excerpt from Tupac’s Life Goes On:

“How many strong men fell victim to strange sicknesses
Rest in peace my prof, there's a Heaven for you
Be a lie, If I told you that I never thought of death
I’m continuing your legacy prof
As life goes on.”

It is exactly one year today that my PhD advisor kicked the bucket. “Sh*t, it’s like some awakening. No, it’s an epiphany and it seems I just woke up from a deep dream – well reality check reveals the guy is really dead and gone!

As I conclude, I must caution sceptics and critics alike – any attempt at rephrasing this write-up as an affront on Christianity is clearly an exercise in futility. What made the Berean Christians notable was their ability to inquire from scriptures how true Apostle Paul’s teachings were. Today in Nigeria, youths have handed their brains over to clerics to do the thinking on their behalf. Same way I was conceived and born is the same way any human was conceived and born – sperm was involved. Just as any cleric has a brain, so also do I. Christianity does not condone stupidity or cowardice. Jesus had to contend with the Scribes and Pharisees. Apostle Paul had to defend his apostleship before the church in Galatia and Corinth. The present-day idea that sees mere mortals acting as “gods” and spewing obscenities from the altar is not only a slap on Christians but an affront on God. “Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men.” There is a widening gulf between the supposed goals of the church in Nigeria and her actions. When so-called men of God begin to have issues with succession, then it becomes obvious how much they have failed in leadership! The church in Nigeria has failed to allow youths the time and space to think for themselves. Productive time is now spent in church “doing nothing.” The church has now become so bold that it holds services even on workdays and within working hours!

Building a house, giving birth to children or getting a contract or even receiving one healing or the other during church programmes is not capable of guaranteeing a successful future for anyone. If proper and candid stock taking is done by the church in assessing the quality of life of its members and their potentials to be world changers, the results no doubt would be shameful. The Nigerian Youth must arise and take charge of their destinies. No one can decide your fate except yourself! “Be not deceived, whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” Get profitably busy with your life and chart a course for yourself. Be a positive addition to humanity and not a burden. Contribute, make a mark, advance the cause of humanity! Make God happy that your path crossed earth.

3. Nigeria is never your problem: from time to time as I interact with Nigerian Youths, I find it quite shocking when people are so desperate to just leave Nigeria without a plan. They feel that going to “the abroad” will just mysteriously solve their problems. My attempt at enlightening them about the difficulties of living in “the abroad” is met with the statement – “wetin you sef dey find for there.” They are right! What am I doing in “the abroad?” Planning is everything. When opportunities open up, I assess to see how they align with my overall goals. Believe you me I turned down a partially funded PhD in the UK for full funding in SA. Rounding off my PhD in SA I was already preparing to return to Nigeria before an offer opened up in the UK. While in Nigeria (as an undergrad) I made every bit of my stay there count. I have never viewed Nigeria as my problem. Yes, the country has its own unique way of scuttling one’s plans. Yes, life in Nigeria could get really hard. But hey, no pain, no gain. The hardship and prevailing situations rather than make one develop the mindset of an escapist should build in one resilience and perseverance. The problems facing Nigeria are enough research opportunities for multiple PhD’s in any endeavour – arts and humanities, social sciences, healthcare, science and engineering. Don’t view “the abroad” as a means of escape. Trips to “the abroad” should be for developing capacity and getting exposure that would help one take advantage of the opportunities back home. Remember that even in “the abroad” their citizens still sleep in parks, underground tunnels and are still jobless! There is no utopia anywhere. If you don’t have a plan going to “the abroad” then the chances are that one will end up in the cycle of perpetual doom – working one’s ass off (multiple jobs) just to pay bills! A times you get to see Nigerians working odd jobs and ashamed to go back home. Life would be much better in Nigeria for them but they seem to view themselves as privileged because they have internet, running water, good roads, governance and electricity. If visionaries lived for only these things, they wouldn’t have made the impact they did on humanity.

4. Develop capacity/see the future/stay relevant: folks with knowledge that is relevant will always be needed. To stay relevant, one must be able to see the future and develop the right skills-set. Knowledge today is increasing at an alarming rate and is capable of precipitating knowledge overload. The ability to sift through knowledge and acquire what’s relevant depends largely on one’s ability to envision the future and ask the right questions – what is the current craze? Today we have natural language processing (NLP) becoming popular. Think about Alexa and Google Home. Tomorrow don’t be surprised to see conversational AI forming an integral part of major industries – construction, energy, aviation etc. Thinkers are already positioning themselves to be relevant then. 15 years ago, we didn’t have data scientists or AI engineers. 10 years from now, we aren’t sure of over 40% new job descriptions. Yesterday, social scientists were very comfortable doing their normal research. Today we find them in energy (energy burden, energy poverty, energy justice), climate change (adaptation, lifestyle) and big data (ethics). Everyone who wants to remain relevant in the future is re-inventing and acquiring new skill-sets that will make them needed then. No more excuse especially with regards to access to information. Data is very cheap in Nigeria and accessed by a large percentage of Nigerian Youths.

1. You are solely responsible for your life: as I take stock of my growing-up life and reflect on the friends and acquaintances I have had through high school to university (undergrad), one fact remains – we are where we are at any time solely based on our decisions. When I made the decision to take my books seriously as a high school student, folks told me it was unnecessary. They drew my attention to Jay Jay Okocha and Kanu Nwakwo who without degrees were well paid as footballers. That mentality and mindset altered the perspective of many students then. They decided academics wasn’t it and made up their minds to be hustlers. The result, they are still hustlers today! How many Nigerians today are “made” from football or basketball or some other sports? I can tell you – 0%. I have no idea where many are today. From time to time I do get to bump into some and the stories and circumstances are not always palatable. As an undergrad, when I decided to be serious with my life, many folks then thought I was too dull. Some even said I was myopic while others said I was missing. Well, today and years after, I look back and the story is still the same. Great decisions in life result in great life opportunities.

2. Take advantage of your youth [in making mistakes and working hard]: life will never always turn out the way we expect it to especially in our growing years. However, such mistakes are better made when we still have strength. Remember that it is always good for a man that he bears his yoke (burden) in his youth. Two years post high school, I was at home. That looked like a setback, right? Initially it did, but over the years I’ve had reason to be grateful for that interlude. That period meant I got into university 2 years older than the average age of my colleagues. That meant I was more mature and could easily be advised by my seniors. When my roommate then advised me to strive hard to graduate with a 1st class, it was easy for me to assimilate and ditch other plans for that singular and life changing target. Making mistakes in my youth meant I had strength and vigour to address them. Also, I had no “reputation” to protect as a youth and so no shame when I made such mistakes. In addition, I know that it is impossible now for me to be as hardworking as I was during my undergraduate/postgraduate days. As an undergraduate I could go 2-3 months on 15-18 hours daily simply researching. During my PhD, I could go 18 hours for a whole month simply because I wanted to crack an algorithm. Today, I find it hard getting up from bed after sleeping for 7 hours! Someone says laziness (na you sabi).

Why this long epistle? I have taken my time to write this morning to my fellow Nigerian Youths because of some worrying trends that portend grave dangers for our future.

As a very young man that I am, I am privileged to be involved in leading projects that are well funded and working with international partners listed in FTSE 500. I am well paid and learning quite a lot. I am pushing boundaries and building amazing networks of professionals. I’m in a work environment that is mentally challenging and I have amazing colleagues and a fantastic boss. I am not from a rich home. If any, my parents are first-generation graduates of their families. I attended okay private schools and Unibadan (not some fancy ivy league). However, hard work, diligence, foresight and God’s favour have been underlying factors that enabled me secure full funding for my MSc and PhD studies. As I write this epistle, I am fine-tuning my life plans for the next 7-years. I am seeking out ways of buying the future by heavily investing my time in activities that will yield sustainable profits for life.

I am thus sad when I get to chat with Nigerian Youths mostly older than I am and they do not seem to have a picture of what they want from life. They seem to live a life of chance – “what will be will be.” No sir, it doesn’t work that way. Whatever happens to one is consequent on one’s previous actions. When someone goes to university and graduates with a 2.2/3rd class and doesn’t feel angry or defends him or herself with Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates, then that folk needs to be avoided like a plague. Agreed that life could spring surprises – death of parents/loved ones and other ills, however, the gift of life is enough motivation to get to the top. We’ve had folks who despite their circumstances left indelible marks on humanity. This morning I will briefly touch on the following:

When I began my doctorate in CS, there was no insult I didn’t receive from my folks back in Nigeria and even in my university. Why would you leave EEE for CS was the question? Someone even asked me if I was confused? Ahem, my folks back at Unibadan assured me that I wouldn’t be employable by the EE department at Unibadan since I had deviated. Life I had long known is a personal journey. An opportunity of full funding along with the possibility of early graduation was beckoning at me. I grabbed the opportunity and gave it my all. The result was humbling. I completed my PhD in 17 months and graduated in the 18th month with 10 Q1 journal papers. For the job forget it. I couldn’t even attend my convocation as I was in a business meeting far away in Europe on the day of my convocation!

Today, there is a “Dr” appellation before my name and that’s all that matters! My PhD was practically an EEE based research spiced with some social science perspectives. I published in the top journals there in EEE. All that was different was the route. I had noted during my masters the sudden proliferation of social scientists into the energy scene and was worried that their research was overshadowing the research of core EEE practitioners. However, during my PhD it became clearer that core EEE researchers had reached organisational inertia. They were unwilling to embrace change and adapt to trending research and today we can attest to the results.

Foresight and the power of vision
There seems to be something associated with the folks who bore the name Martin Luther – they had foresight. That the Bible is freely accessible to all today or that there are other Christian sects aside the Roman Catholics is all tied to Martin Luther. Martin Luther through his protestant actions has influenced the German language and its culture and played a key role in Christendom – taking the attention of man from the clergy back to God! That Barack Obama could be president of America may be inexplicably tied to Martin Luther King (jnr) and a host of other activists including Nina Simone. Remember that famous statement – ‘I have a dream.” Today in the USA, blacks are making considerable progress in all endeavours of life because visionaries stood up to be counted as pioneers for a future they only could see.

What do Nigerian Youths see? Do they see a bleak future or one pregnant with opportunities? Do they see a country with so many problems or bursting with potentials? Is the cup half full or half empty? Foresight will always influence perspective!

As 2018, draws to a close, hindsight and retrospection of unfolding events in 2018 must drive the Nigerian Youth to be creative. Thinking must be actively and consciously pursued by serious minded Nigerian Youths. A bulk of their time must be spent thinking (not day-dreaming or wishful thinking). Thinkers rule the world. When information is gathered, time must be allocated to digest such information and localise it for maximum impact. Today we have available technologies operational worldwide. Thinkers are currently on the prowl thinking deep about the prospect of such technologies in the Nigerian market. They are not in clubs or cathedrals, they are in some secluded place thinking. Resources abound in leaps and bounds waiting for the “one” who can piece them together to evolve something different.

Insight and knowledge distinguish the “la cram, la pour” from the truly knowledgeable one. They are what set-apart thinkers from the pack. In the very tight Nigerian Market Economy riddled with all its woes and ills, thinkers are either employed and well compensated or running businesses that are drawing foreign funding. Never forget that applied knowledge is power!

Insight and the power of knowledge
It is always refreshing working with experts. The discussions and working environment are indeed priceless. When I get to see colleagues provide some depths into pertinent issues especially in simplifying complex and technical matters, I have this satiating feeling. I detest mediocrity.

We live in a world where knowledge is growing at an alarming rate and so it isn’t uncommon to have people who have what I call “broad-spectrum idea” with no vertical grounding. Let me explain. In a random discussion with a typical Nigerian Youth, he can tell you about Nigerian politics, air his views on sports and talk passionately about his academic interest (if any). It is thus not uncommon to generalise such individual as being knowledgeable. I have no qualms with that. However, such knowledge provides no insight since it already exists. My question is simple - In what unique way has the Nigerian Youth been able to synthesise available knowledge to “create” new knowledge? That Nigeria has deficient leadership is common knowledge, however how can it be linked with say eroding family values and corrupted culture? Little wonder we have low publication output from our Nigerian academics. We rarely publish for impact. Today it isn’t uncommon to see non-medical experts publishing in core medical journals (Lancet for instance) and vice versa. When you create knowledge, the world recognises your scholarship.

In the midst of these happenings, various reports have been emanating that should be considered by the Nigerian Youth during stock taking. Locally, we have seen rising unemployment, shrinking economy, worsening insecurity, appalling educational standards, rising mortality and increasing poverty. On the international scene, there have been advances in knowledge and growing interests especially in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, decarbonisation/climate change, sustainable development, healthcare etc. These and many more are happenings that should guide stock taking by the Nigerian Youth for 2018. Sober reflection calls for quietness. Rather than subjecting oneself to ministrations that give “unprofitable knowledge”, the Nigerian Youth should be spending the ending days in 2018 seriously reflecting and making amends. Leave the bar/clubs for now. Stay away from the campgrounds. Seek out quiet places to ask yourself hard and realistic questions about your life. There is no new message anywhere. What have you made of the messages you’ve been receiving over the years? Little wonder so-called new year resolutions get forgotten few weeks into a new year.

Retrospection helps to position oneself for maximum productivity. Time out from the norm for sober reflections provides grounding for correcting mistakes. Why do countries/nations/companies have inquiries? Simple, to identify underlying reasons for an event and develop measures to avoid a repeat. Remember, that we can never be parents of the future, if we aren’t children of the past.

Hindsight and the value of retrospection
It isn’t uncommon in the business world to hear of words like appraisals, retreat, end of year report etc. The business world understands that stock taking after a financial year is important to re-assess concluded operations in line with an initial vision/mission statement. “How did we fare during the last financial year?” “Where did we make giant strides?” “Where did we mess up?” “What can we do better?” Staff during these times receive feedback on their performance highlighting areas of strength and potential areas for improvement. These activities guide decisions (retrenchment, promotion, awards) and rejuvenates staff for more productivity in the new business year.

Unfortunately, December which is supposed to be a period of stock taking for many Nigerian Youths is usually spent seeking spiritual assistance for problems that haven’t been identified! Where are the individual end of year reports for the Nigerian Youths? How has he assessed his productivity over 2018? Has his time been judiciously utilised? Have resources been efficiently deployed? What areas did he do well and in what areas does he need to improve? I can’t find any! The inability of the Nigerian Youth to reflect on his activities for the year 2018 does indeed call for sombre reflections.

As a growing up kid born and raised in a Pentecostal church, I remember giving my life to Jesus after watching Burning Hell. I wasn’t getting saved acknowledging what Jesus had done for me on Calvary but because I wanted to avoid the torments of hell fire. Little wonder it didn’t last then. Sincerely, it isn’t uncommon to see people make serious claims of receiving some form of spiritual blessings during these exercises – spirit baptism, sanctification, healings etc. Don’t get me wrong, it does happen. Question is why don’t we feel it.

Fast-forward to 31st December and millions of Nigerian Youths would be gathered at various cathedrals to “pass into the new year in God’s presence”, and here-in I argue lies the problem. First, these activities have become routine and so ingrained into the typical Nigerian Youth that it has become tradition. Second, the essence which these programmes should portray have become non-existent that we do not even know it. Third, the Nigerian Youths have become so brain-washed that they are not even able to decipher that these programmes offer no contemporary value anymore. Fourth, the Nigerian Youth has become so unaware of the fleeting nature of time and has lost all sense of PURPOSE, “for when the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse [they say] is inevitable.”

The Bible: “Where there is no vision, the people perish… (Provb 29:18)”
The Bible: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me… (Hos 4:6)”
Narcotics Anonymous: “Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”

I have started this morning on a spiritual note not because I am a Christian (which I am by God’s Grace), but because these verses portray succinctly and clearly the current state of the Nigerian Youth. The year is 2018 and in a few days’ time, 2018 as we all know will roll-over never to be seen again.

Currently in Nigeria, millions of Nigerian youths are gathered at various camp meetings engaging in some form of religious exercises. These annual meetings have been ongoing from the early weeks of December across the length and breadth of Nigeria. The meetings are usually not different – promises of a better tomorrow for the country (message of hope), admonitions to rededicate one’s life to God (salvation, altar calls), sessions of empowerment (school, business, family, spiritual etc.) and a host of other activities.

As if that was not enough, we were recently hit a lethal blow when we were termed the poverty capital of the world. According to an online report, “New reports by global development institutions show that human capital spending in Nigeria—the poverty capital of the world after recently overtaking India—is among the worst in the world.” The report concludes that “Nigeria’s social spending (mainly on health, education and social protection) is “shamefully low.” And those meager levels are reflected in reality as Nigeria is home to the highest number of out-of-school children.”

In the midst of these alarming statistics, Nigerian Youths have remained resolutely unperturbed. In fact, it has become common sight to see these so-called youths routinely hurl insults at themselves without any shame or remorsefulness to the precarious state they find themselves and the desolate future ahead of them. Let me not even get started on those so-called “idiots” who have sacrificed their brains and dignity on the altar of mammon for stipends/survival. If folks like Diete-Spiff (who became governor of Rivers State at 25), Ken Saro-wiwa (who became commissioner at 30+) and others mortgaged their future for Naira and Kobo, what legacy would we have inherited from them?

Why should any sane and level-headed thinking youth be a tool in the hand of any political office holder or religious cleric today? Do you see their kids involved in online exchange of insults at each other? How many times have you seen kids of the elites comment on political happenings in the country? Why are religious leaders all of a sudden complaining about the current “useless” government? They no longer have patronage and thus find it convenient to manipulate their followers to achieve relevance. Forget about any nonsense appeal from religious leaders, they do not have your interest at heart!

Forget about 2019, forget about political parties for now, forget about leadership, forget about Boko-Haram, forget about Fulani herdsmen. Let’s take a critical look at some salient statistics from the NBS and as reported by Premium Times. – “Out of a total active labour force of 85.08 million people in Nigeria, about 16 million people were unemployed in the third quarter of 2017, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, has said. This was contained in a report on Labour Force Statistics in the third quarter of 2017 published on the bureau’s website on Monday. The report said the category of unemployed persons comprised 8.5 million people “who engaged in an economic activity for at least an hour” and 7.5 million people “who did absolutely nothing.” Also, 18.02 million people were underemployed, as they worked for 20 to 39 hours a week, which is less than the 40 hours required to be classified among the workforce. Fully employed persons, who worked for 40 hours and above in the third quarter of 2017 were 51.06 million people, resulting in a total of 77.6 million people engaged in an extent of economic activity. The report said among the 77.6 million people who were engaged in some extent of economic activity, 29.66 million people were self-employed, engaged in agriculture and 21.66 million were self-employed in non-agricultural sectors. About 19.72 million were working for pay or wage, which, is equivalent to 25.42 per cent of the total workers in the third quarter of 2017, while paid apprentices and unpaid house workers constituted 7.30 per cent and 1.11 per cent of the total working force engaged for at least one hour a week.”
[Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/256386-16-million-unemployed-nigeria-2017-third-quarter-nbs.html]

Benjamin Disreali – 'Youth is a blunder; manhood a struggle; old age a regret."

It is always nice to contribute again and again to this platform. I have been away getting my doctorate, starting a new job and adjusting to a different environment. It’s always great to be back to a sane environment! During my hibernation, I tried keeping tabs with happenings in my dear country Nigeria and as usual I was not disappointed.

Let me say at this juncture that the Nigerian Youths are one of the most amazing sets of humans I have encountered. Mind you, I am one of them. However, despite the diversity of culture and variegated opinions across Nigerian Youths all over Nigeria, there is a common and generally agreed fact – we are all UNITED in STUPIDITY.

Think about these selected happenings – ASUU is currently on strike (with students well relaxed at home); labour unions are currently locked-in a duel with the government over some minimum wage; religious places of worship are organising all manner of programmes this period to fleece members and ensure that their brainwashing programmes are in progress and the country called Nigeria is gradually heading for destruction.

Kachukwu reminds me of an important message I received during my undergrad - 'If you know you have the capacity to graduate with a first class do all to achieve it otherwise no matter how successful you are in the future, the thought of not finishing with one will forever haunt you'. The rest as they say is history.

I watched the video and of course Kachukwu in simple English lied!

A 2.1 is a 2.1. Forget all the attempts at twisting first class to first in class or best graduating student ish.

This should serve as a lesson to the folks who are in school and feel that good grades mean nothing. That's a so-called technocrat and supposedly wealthy man who should not be bothered with grades trying so hard to arrogate to himself something as 'trivial' as finishing with first class.

All his stories of finishing his doctorate under 18 months and having a distinction at masters are just wasted efforts trying to cover a lacuna - he didn't/couldn't make a first class. Afterall folks still finish their doctorate outside Nigeria under 18 months (PhD by publication) after having a first class from the same Nigerian premier universities and distinction at masters level from the so-called abroad.

Give yourself brain. Good grades with great content is still highly valued. Don't argue with anyone. Just work hard and ensure its not la cram la pour. You would be surprised how far such efforts will take you.

May simple oversights in our early years not haunt us in our old age, Amen.

Hotzone:

100-1=98?

Don't be too quick to pick out errors so you don't embarrass yourself as you have just done.

From his statement it means 1 bad police officer is 2% which means total number of bad police officers is 50.
Of course that's not tenable but mathematically that's the implication.

Nice career path. Please answer truthfully the following:
1. Do you love research?
2. Have you published in an ISI indexed journal?
3. Can you compete with your peers on an international scale?

Don't go into academics because you couldn't get a job elsewhere. Go in there because you have a passion for research and love doing research and can communicate your findings through publications in top rated and high impact factor journals.

Nigeria doesn't need mediocres and frustrated lots on academics. So if at completion of MSc you don't have a publication then I'm scared you might just not be a good fit for academics.

I indeed came late to the party. However @baum1 has given a very insightful statement which centers around BSc. A very grounded bachelor's in a quantitative course with good exposure to mathematics is important. This is because of the leverage it provides students in higher education. My BSc and MSc were both in EE and my PhD CS. I chose this route simply because it was faster and I needed to delve more into the social sciences. I still find myself calling upon my foundation to address issues all the way ranging from social to technical to economic to environmental and policy issues. My bachelors grounding has been very useful in helping provide more robust frameworks and policy recommendations.

I hope the lad in question is allowed to make a choice himself. He needs great grades (a first would be advisable) from whatever course he decides upon. The parents need not bother about the prestige that comes with courses at bachelors level. The future of the lad is what matters most. Let the lad make his choice and let him be properly motivated and supported to make a first. With a first in a quantitative discipline, the sky is only the starting point.

Don't put a label on someone because of his course of study. Most of the top EE profs in MIT and other top universities have foundations in maths/stats/CS. They have however been able to successfully navigate their ways into EE because a good maths foundation is key.

In line with the advice given by baum1, economics as a single option is almost like a waste of time because of the limited maths scope. Agreed they claim to do all those analysis, but hey its all tailored to solving specific issues. (A general application means one can germinate a model and apply in across disciplines. Think of an engineer using the concept of electrical circuits to solve oil and gas pipeline flow attributes or resolving balancing of forces in mechanical engineering or addressing RoI for anow energy project). The career focus would be straight desk jobs in the normal coys. However a maths grounding or engineering grounding means that one has a wider scope to address issues from a theoretical perspective with sound mathematical concepts/modelling.

I wish the lad success in his future endeavors and just a piece of advise:
There are countless opportunities for Nigerians to better themselves outside the country. A Nigerian graduate/undergrad needs to know that aside getting great grades (minimum of a 2.1) important skills like research, critical thinking, analysis, problem solving must be developed. Please know how these skills can be applied across disciplines and also endeavour to keep an eye on global trends. Issues such as SDGs, climate change etc. should be known and appreciated especially as they relate to one's discipline and intended career interests. Make good use of available local opportunities like attending local conferences and presenting a paper. Receive critical feedback and develop further. Mistakes made at this level will always be forgiven. Take advantage of this time. Avoid those folks who say university degrees are not needed or that age doesn't matter. 'Owu' is blowing them hard. Don't be deceived, the job market in Nigeria has countless opportunities only for deserving exceptional candidates. I've had to turn down offers in Nigeria while still out despite claims of no job. Don't be unemployable. Build useful skills. Thanks.

Genea:
OKay then, explain to me why this is a bad movement for the country, I'm willing to learn

I'm down with flu but let me post this.

I'm not against the idea. I was only unhappy that the thread which is quite important and portends grave consequences for Nigeria has been unable to attract any good contributions so far.

I was thinking I would see pages of different comments in support or against the idea from timing to supporting framework to size etc.

Alas I'm only seeing one line statements. Do you know that such measure if properly managed would enable Nigeria correct some disadvantages we get through the fraudulent CDM (clean development mechanism)? Also, such measures if well implemented can attract significant investment in clean energy (so called power purchase agreement)? Despite my angst with PPAs especially with their possibility to germinate poverty and injustice, if properly imemented especially for off grid electrification, we could correct some of its externalities since such off grid energisation wouldnt make use of the conventional grid (hence no need for carbon tax or other measures to green the grid)

Think of how far companies will go to implement energy efficiency projects if the RECs earned can be used to obtain signification tax rebates (like the innovation tax for select companies).

Having such a robust discussion here from varying angles and perspectives and disciplines would not only educate a lot of folks but further stimulate interest and show Nigerians globally as really intelligent folks. We can even make fantastic recommendations to NSE and the authorities concerned on how such can be improved.

My 2 cents though.

Genea:
in other words you are calling me stupid?? I wonder what happened to just stating Your Own opinion and leaving me alone

No ma'am don't be quick to imply meanings. If I didn't have respect for you I'd have scrolled by. Imagine you being our minister of environment tomorrow like Amina, I'd like to see you make more grounded statements than this.

Don't forget that the world goes through NL, seeing you as a female make excellent comments puts us as Nigerians in good light and also demands greater responsibility from subsequent posters.

Good morning.

Genea:
Great idea

Your comment says a lot about the reasoning of the typical Nigerian youth. Funny enough tomorrow we would be the first to condemn our leaders for lacking the brains to think.

Ma'am can you relate renewable energy certificates with the green bonds?

Before making such comments on an important topic as this, it is better you do your research well than justhe saying something.

No wonder the MODs now push irrelevant topics to front page since we can't comment intelligently anymore on important topics.

post=69540080:
According to market operators, sovereign green bond represents a new stage in the development of the Nigerian capital markets and opens the way for further corporate issuance and international investment


Sounds good.
Learning more about that

Your post makes no sense. Perhaps it would have been a lot better if you spent the morning researching about green bonds and other variations that are being used to attract funding for green projects before spewing rubbish all in the name of making a post.

Can your brain conceptualise or even appreciate the essence of the green bond? Have you any idea how this measure differs from CDM, PPA's and other means of attracting green investments into the power sector?

Does the size of the initial offer make sense considering the forex equivalent? What kind of savings in terms of GHG reductions (proven) can be gotten from such funds? What about local energy efficiency initiatives from companies, can they also attract benefits from the bond?

A Nigeria with your ilks is doomed for failure.

Rubbish.

Lord have mercy.

This is a trending issue globally especially with concerns about such green bonds to exacerbate poverty and other injustices and yet no sensible contribution so far.

I was expecting to see comments here discussing the implications of such a bond for Nigeria vis-a-vis other initiatives like the clean development mechanism, power purchase agreements etc. and their relevance to Nigeria considering our inconsequential contribution to GHG emissions, poor power infrastructure, potential growth and the need for us to take advantage of the peaking period of our proposed strategy to mitigate emissions.

Tomorrow the youths will say our leaders are slow pokes but can't make any meaningful contribution here. If it's a tribal related post or some random romance story or a match or some other mundane story without far reaching significance, we would be counting pages.

Nonsense.

izzou:


Nepa agent.

Why don't you read up instead of boasting in your ignorance

I may be wrong about Germany ( I apologize) but why not check other countries?

Your style of response is most impressive. While I may not agree with your main source or assertion (see my response above) I'm glad that you backed up your response with hard facts. Nigeria does indeed have hope.

Sincerely no country is running 100% on renewables. It's what I call accounting misrepresentation. Even the Nordic region with its impressive roll outs and Germany's Energiewende hasn't brought the results intended.

Most entities that claim so called 100% renewables run utilise renewable energy certificates which is like paying penance ahead of committing a crime. More like green indulgences.

chibjohn:
You researched to prove me wrong which is good. If you had also done a local research you would also have found out that there is no entity called NEPA in the present day Nigeria let alone having an agent. Its good to learn that few countries have achieved that. Thanks for making me update my knowledge. That's the essence of public forums like this.

Reading down your wiki source you will see this "Albania has 94.8% of installed capacity as hydroelectric, 5.2% diesel generator; but Albania imports 39% of its electricity." So, all energy used in Albania can't be said to be 100% renewable even though there locally generated energy is 100% renewable.

I'm impressed with your stance. I wasn't going to participate but permit to clear the air.

No country worldwide runs on 100% renewables. It's an accounting misrepresentation much like the lies being perpetuated by Apple and Google that they power their data centres on 100% renewable.

It is possible that within a window the total electricity generated from installed renewable sources is over the demand for that same window. However because of the stochasticity and intermittency of renewable sources, matching demand with supply is still a problem. Even California with her impressive renewable portfolio imports 26% of her daily electricity. Same it has Germany and other cases.

Also hydroelectric power is not usually classed with mainstay renewables like solar and wind. HEPs in technical sense should be for peaking purposes. It's renewables in the general sense though.

Lastly, wiki sources aren't academic sources. Agreed they can guide but peer reviewed articles or outputs from IRENA or EIA or IEA of ISI etc would be better believed.

ROSYL:


You have written well! However,Great grades in school may not be a determining factor for one's success in life but it sure is a determining factor of one's seriousness with EDUCATION. I will always advise people to strive for the best in whatever it is you are doing. If you are in school, work hard to get good grades. Good grades will surely give you a good start in life. I'm saying this from experience. My school certificates and grades helped put my foot in the door.

As for Buhari, man with no WAEC certificate, who thinks that Foreign Policy success is when you shake hands with world leaders and have your photographs taken with them, I don't take him serious.

Thanks.

I'll put a caveat to your write up that good grades determine one's seriousness with education mostly outside Nigeria.

The reason is simple. With the growing instances of sex for marks and money for marks and other instances of graduates who can't articulate ideas or stitch together sentences to construct a flow of ideas and our flawed assessment pattern of 'la cram la pour ', it will be fatal to rely on results as a testament to how serious the majority of students are with their education.

Critical thinking is the core of any serious student. The ability to ask the right questions and possessing the skill to conduct independent research in proffering reasonable answers.

I'm a product of the system for my bachelors but was lucky enough to have been grounded in the art of research and thinking from family and senior friends. The inability of fellow scholars to assess certain fellowships or grants or ace some interviews always comes down to the poor assessment level.

Imagine a colleague of mine saying that his greatest achievement was finishing with a first class! Of course he wasn't invited for the next stage.

For serious opportunities results may not be able to put your feet anymore at the door. Poor thinkers are being weeded using online psychometric and other analytic tests.

I appreciate your perspective since at the end of the day poor grades will definitely introduce some difficulties in the progression path of a person especially in the Nigeria of today having an avalanche of graduates (their qualification or employability may be another research question).

tragergeorge:
which school,which year,your name?cos una go just de carry lie de lie anyhow,first class,engineering easy na baba

My world. You come across as a pessimist. So you expect the fellow to provide you those details requested for on a 'faceless' platform?

Sometimes learn to believe, it will help your heart and make you see life from a different perspective.

By the way, first class is not a big deal at all. Yes it has opened great doors and is something to reminiscence once in a while about, but at the end of the day events after events are showing that it is not a measure of mental acuity.

ROSYL:
Cooking beans 10 minutes before your exam? Lmao....who does that?
GPA of 1.0? seriously? I won't take anyone that's got a GPA that's below 3.5 serious.

You mean some people actually scored below 100 in JAMB? Why don't I believe this?

Sincerely, if you thought about that joke on your personal statement yourself then you will indeed make a fine comedienne. It's quite funny and savage.

As an aside, Buhari doesn't even have matric number but we all have to take his words very seriously. His pronouncements literally affect our stock market as well as potential fdi which you and I with all our supposed educational attainment can't even achieve.

Great grades in university isn't a determining factor of one's seriousness. If I was to advice anyone who wants to be academic my advice would be simple: get the minimum grades and start learning research and how to publish from year one. Your outputs and publications will stand you out.

Ditto for anyone who wants to work. Start getting your certifications from the word go. By graduation a 2.2 grade with the relevant certifications aso well as cognate experience gained through side shows as an undergrad will give one significant leverage.

Of course my advice is for someone who is in Nigeria. Our educational values are somewhat wrong which lends credence to the obviously flawed assertions by drop outs that schooling isn't everything. Otherwise how can someone be given about 9 million Naira for winning bbnaija while first class graduates and other merit awardees are left to struggle for survival?