₦airaland Forum

BelieverDE:
Please, when you are done with the reports you have to submit, don't forget to share the lessons you learned about both views of the industry.

Thanks in anticipation

Sure bro.

Because other countries has solved the most basic needs of life, they are open to development and this development do not come with much associated risks. Few (Germany) use nuclear as a starting point , while using the money to develop other alternative power sources whereas others are exploring the numerous benefits in NPP.

Nigeria for instance has lots of problems majority which are people based. Individual Nigerians outside the country are forced to comply with the system, to them, compliance is natural because they do not wish to go back to the country (Nigeria) anytime soon.

However, one dare not try the things in most civilized country in 9ja, else, you'd see the effect of large population of ignorant people. To be frank with you, there's nothing here that can't be done in Nigeria, but the effect of our perception to these things prevents it from happening. For instance, over hear, the Train, Tram, buses, etc. use same roads with each means of transport adhering strictly to rules and everything is moving on fine.

But in Nigeria, train ways care cited in areas that are not used by pedestals or cars. In cases (such as lagos) that the train passes through areas inhabited by people, one will experience high risks etc.

Back to NPP in Nigeria, first, there's a high risk of kidnapping of facility workers (not by government but civilians e.g herdsmen, militants, etc). This scenario alone presents a high risk level that must be dealt with. Secondly, risk of attacking the Facility. Public perception of NPP. And other numerous instances.

ZackOF:
hello sir. I've been following your posts and topics back to back and I'm really moved by the way you write and describe stuff. I also love your journey and struggle. please I think I need your advice. Am a fresh graduate awaiting NYSC and am thinking of serving in either Kano or Lagos. Which one do you think is better? I schooled in sokoto. Also, you said you're a PTDF scholarship awardee schooling in France, if I may ask, is this scholarship open to economics graduate like me or only for science graduates as I've read online on some scholarship blogs. Thanks

Hi,
Sorry for the late response, I noticed someone already helped out. Be informed that at this level of your life, you need little guidance and lots of personal development commitment. You will rarely see anyone who will attend to all your questions (this is the case in reality and in most education environment).

PTDF needs more of Petroleum economists, this is because, in the last decade, we have woken up to the reality of the importance of management even (often times) over technical competences. The country have lots of technical people but with low management abilities. Even at this time that technologies can be mass produced and bought when management can't. So it is a great field you found yourself.

Do not limit yourself, grab every opportunity as they come, try to do more yourself as outsiders can only give you "PowerPoint-like" advice.

orionchib:
Hi @mrphysics,

I am not yet adept at using this platform (could not find the original message about you visit to the particle accelerator, so I am quoting this one). Would you know (I realize this might be bogus and works with school-specificity, pardon me) how easy it would be to get into schools like the Science's Po Paris, Universite de Cergy Pontoise, INSA Toulouse? With a 2.2 might I add, but with relevant industry exp.

Schools in Europe generally do not give much priority or say value to African certificates. Of course, many still use it to further their education but the percentage is generally low, however, it is not impossible for you. My point is, schools reject first class students, even the ones with sound statements of purpose.

Be ready to receive some rejections (enough and it is normal). Do not limit yourself to few schools or one country, expand your scope, send as many applications as possible. Again, expect some rejections. I got two or three , those guys can be mad.

INSA is a Grande Ecole, meaning is one of the elite schools with tuition fee and great (quality) learning environment. They receive lots of application, therefore, your application needs to be super convincing (thanks to your industry experience).

Their application is on going, please do send lots of applications.

Warm regards

gensteejay:
Great thread.

I read one of your threads about UI MSc. Did you later do the program, and what area of specialization did you opt for?

I am considering enrolling for master's in Physics in UI. Thanks.

@emboldened; No, I didn't even write the exam.

UI is a good school in Nigeria, I have a friend that just concluded his masters in Medical Physics. Why not go for material science? And focus more in Nanotechnology.

Regards

Before I leave you for the night, let me share this with you.

When we left the final facility, our instructor called us (the two Nigerians). He said, "both of you are the two Nigerians right?", We said yes. Then he asked us if we have a nuclear facility like this in Nigeria, we said no. Then he said that he is shocked to hear that we don't have something like this, that Nigeria is the richest country in Africa, with a great number of people, that it is surprising that we don't have things like this over there. He proceeded to tell us about a world class nuclear research institute in South Africa where a lot of high level research is going on.

We both covered our faces in shame. The entire scenario and how it happened still keeps playing and replaying itself on my head, very painful and sad moment anyway.

Things to expect tomorrow (the picture below)

Everything happening in the ion beam rooms and the experiment areas are controlled and monitored in the control room. The facility itself is very complicated and not somewhere you'd want to spend few hours in.
Experimental processes starts from the control room and is shut down at the control room. For this year, the Ganil facility will start experimental operations on Monday and will go on 24/7 for 3 months.

Once experimental operations is about to start, it is important to check there's no human present in the experimental rooms and ion beam production areas. They ensure this through 4 processes which cost them 2m euros.

I will try to fully explain how things work in Ganil either tomorrow evening or Sunday.

Until then, stay safe.

The Ganil Facility is a Nuclear Physics research institute funded by the French Government and other supporting European partners.

The institute specializes in three research areas:
Nuclear Physics
Atomic Physics and
Material Science

I won't go into details

Like a typical nuclear environment, the facility is shut down and prepared for operations for a certain period of time. The basis here is that once the facility is in operation, the environment is radioactive and access is restricted to major areas for about 3 months. To control what happens at the various unit of the facility, a control room is necessary.

So here is the control room

Truth is, I have alot of pictures and explanations to give. I can't finish it all tonight.

So I will probably stop on my next comment.

Free lunch

We got to the facility and the bus was not allowed to go in.
Got into the building and had an hour and 30 minutes lectures on the operations of the facility, what they do, and why they do that.

We took some coffee in one filling station. Just like the ones in Lokoja Kogi state where travelers pull off to have some drinks.

I took few random pictures on our way.

Of course the roads were very smooth as expected. It was as if we were flying on air.

By the time we left, it was still dark, so I waited until we made a stop at a Total filling station to take the picture of the Benz Machine.

At exactly 7am today, we set out on a 3hrs 3o minutes journey to a Nuclear Research facility called Ganil in CAEN (Pronounced "Corn" France.

We left on a Mercedez Sprinter, fully equipped and made to give you same comfort like that of Boeing NANTES . Trust me, the seats in this vehicle is more comfortable than the Ethiopian Airways seat and many more aircrafts interior.

It's designed to give you a flying experience on the comfortable road of France.

Tinted and narrowed upwards with great dashboard that gives the driver full virtual control of the outside, our destination, and our current position.

I talk too much, when pictures would have done better

Alright guys.

I promised you guys some photo gallery and I am here to fulfill my promise.

The way I was taking picture, one would wonder if Nigeria is trying to replicate same infrastructure . But what they don't know is that we are still battling ethnicity, blame games, leaders and people who doesn't know that the world has left them behind. So we keep moving backwards in time and turn around to blame people.

That is a story for another day but something related to it broke my heart today. But before I get to that, let me lead you through the entire journey.

The goal is not to upload pictures on this thread (I got a lot of them though ), but for you to relate with the pictures so as to fully appreciate or follow the journey.

So welcome, take a seat and whatever will make you comfortable.

Hi Guys,

Tomorrow, 31st January, we will be going on our first company visit. We will visit Ganil-Spiral2 in CAEN France.

Short Intro:
Ganil is home to the French National Accelerator or say, it is the French National Physics Research Centre in CAEN. Ganil has the largest particle accelerator in France and has been an environment for some of the major discoveries in Physics and Nuclear sciences.

So expect pictures (If we are allowed to snap). We will be leaving Nantes by 7am and be at the facility by 10:30am. We will attend a conference/seminar and lead through the equipment and what they are used for.

Until tomorrow, stay tuned.

milvet:
Is one allowed to work and study?

Yes, legally you are allowed to work but the French education system is so intense that you can't cope studying and working especially in grande ecole schools.

bezimo:
I did the PM3E programme..Life is good.Moved somewhere else and it's been great so far.
I miss Nantes sha!! I will definitely visit Nantes next year..i still have some folks there.

We have 2 TOTAL Scholars currently doing the PM3E program.

bezimo:
The way to the MDE..is my guy Pierre Salmon still in charge of accommodation..lol

Nice one bro. 8 years ago, wow. How's life bro?

Lol.

We have to open a court section on nairaland where we will be judging these cases.

Every day, we hear one person's story and they expect us to say something objectively

odinga1of:
Bros I currently got a job as a Large Format Machine Operator,

The emission coming out from the machine when printing large banner is worrisome......


Does it have health implications?

Honestly, I don't know bro. Some people work with dish washing machine and the heat it produces too is worrisome, but doesn't make it too dangerous.

Try to enjoy your work bro and be productivity.

richmanrichard:
bro i've enjoyed myself on this your thread. Kudos! Pls is there any online course that you can recommend for someone whom wants to position him/herself for the future opportunities abound in nuclear energy sector in Nigeria?

I haven't seen any. But University of Portharcourt is doing M.Sc in Nuclear Engineering. Try to read about it.

ninja4life:
I am of the opinion that we can manage a nuclear power plant. It's an efficient source if energy and it's cheaper in the long run. I disagree about your view on Nigerians not appreciating risks. There are perhaps few people as conscious of risk as we are. Also the fact is, the nuclear power plant wont be managed by the average Nigerian, but rather by educated scholars like yourself; who are aware of the risk and will take the necessary precautions.

I also don't think the problem affecting oil vandalism will apply to nuclear power plant, as there's little of direct economic value to be gotten by raiding a nuclear plant.

I agree with you, we need nuclear power plant, it would provide us with a constant amount of electricity generation. Do you have an idea of the amount of power the nuclear plant in akwa ibom is expected to generate?

This is an interesting and educative thread sir. Well done.

Each unit of a NPP produce 1000MW of electricity and maybe 700-800MWe goes to the grid. I don't know how many they want to install. Maybe we are starting with something small.

BelieverDE:
How sure are you?

Any layman could be paid millions to go steal nuclear rods from the power plant.

Would the nuclear plant be made very secure?

How sure are you that that there wouldn't be tribalism and nepotism wouldn't be the order of the day when people are being employed?

Would erudite scholars be considered first for employment?

1. Fuel rods are a very sensitive material, more sensitive and more important that some of our top leaders . It is not stored in a place waiting to be used. It is brought as demanded and installed in the reactor core except if there is a fuel processing plant. To steal it, one have to open the reactor core, and this is very unlikely. You could die trying to steal it.

2. Controlling nepotism is beyond my knowledge as Nigeria is a weird country to live in.

HisGrace0000001:
mrphysics, how far about the football match.
Noticed that Samuel didn't go for the match, also noticed another Nigerian(Remi Oudin) in the lineup.
Abeg give us full gist.

Yes bro. I only saw Simon Moses

I don't know how to add videos on nairaland

...

Filled Stadium

Early shots I took when most people were still outside. Cold nearly killed me today

Seat number 318. Sat down and decided to capture every minute of the game.

Sadly, today was the remembrance of Emilano Sala, the FC Nantes player sold to Cardiff city who lost his life in a plane crash on his way to his new club.

We arrived very early to the stadium. The crowd was much as expected, most people were outside including yours sincerely. Got my ticket and was ready for the show.

FC Nantes bus actually look very cool.

Guys, I told you guys someone from Friends of Nigeria (FON) association invited us to watch the match between FC Nantes and Bordeaux FC.

The guy fulfilled his promise. Not only did he give us a ticket, the ticket was a good one, presidential side. This side was at the centre of the field and everything was clear. We could see the players real height, actions without the help of a camera or referee