₦airaland Forum

As we all know, Yoruba people are the pacesetters in Nigeria, Africa and in some cases, the world at large. We are the head, never the tail. Here are a few of Yorubas who have comfortably enshrined their names in the record book. .[color=#000000]
Taslim Alias was the first and only Nigerian to be the President of The World Court-Prof Bola Ajibola was the first and the only Nigerian to have headed the UNO, albeit temporarily-Abimbola Awoliyi is Nigeria’s first female doctor -Kolapo Hamzat is the youngest professor of physiotherapy in Nigeria and Africa -Adegoke olubunmo is the first professor of Mathematics in Africa -Momodu Mosobalaje Olaloye is the first African professor of Geology -Dele Olojede is the first and only African to win a Pulitzer prize -Abimbola jayeola is Nigeria’s First Female Helicopter Pilot -William Akinola Dawodu was the first Nigerian car importer, he started importing cars into Nigeria in 1905 -Prof. Jade Akande was the first female professor of law in West Africa -Kofo Ademola is the first black woman to receive an undergraduate degree from Oxford University -Dr. Olaoluwa Hallowed Oluwadara is the youngest African PHD Holder in Mathematics -Deborah Enilo Ajakaiye is the first female physics professor in Africa and also the first black African to be named a fellow of the Geological society of London -Wole Soyinka is the first black and only African to win a Nobel prize for literature -Thomas Adesanya ige grillo is the first Nigerian professor of anatomy -Taslim Elias is the first African to be president of the International Court of Justice (World Court) -Folake Folarin-Coker the first African-based fashion designer to stage a show twice at the New York Fashion Week -Latunde Odeku is the first US-trained black neurosurgeon and the 1st professor of neuro- surgery in Nigeria. -Bode Thomas created the First indigenous Nigerian law firm -I.K dairo is the first Nigerian to be conferred title of Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE -Amzat Beyioku Adebowale is The first Nigerian to bring Sharp range of electronic products in Nigeria -Prof. Taiyewo Kolawole is the first Nigerian neuro- radiologist -Prof. Arinola Olasumbo Sanya is the first female Professor of Physiotherapy in Africa. -Dr. Olu Jaiyebo is The first Agronomist in Nigeria. Professor Micheal Adepoju Adeyemo is The first Nigerian Chartered Accountant -Latola Films was the 1st film production company in Nigeria -Prof. Ilesanmi Adesida, is the first black Vice- Chancellor in an american unversity -Mrs. Sade Thomas-Fahm is the First woman to own a boutique in Nigeria -Nojim Maiyegun is the first Nigerian to win an Olympic medal -Adenike Osofisan is the first African Female Professor of Computer Science. -Prof T.O Ogunlesi is the first professor of Medicine in Nigeria -Chief Akintola Williams is the First African to qualify as a chartered accountant -Ezekiel Adekunle Ifaturoti is the first mining engineer in Nigeria -Rotimi Adebari is the First black mayor of Ireland -Folake Solanke is the First Female Senior Advocate of Nigeria -Elizabeth Abimbola is the First Nigerian Female Doctor-1937 -Helen Folasade Adu is the First Nigerian-born artist to win a Grammy-1986 -Prof. Bolanle Awe: Nigeria's first female Professor of History -Professor Thomas Adeoye Lambo is Africa’s first professor of psychiatry. -Engineer Dr. (Mrs.) Olatokubo A Somolu: is Nigeria’s first Female to hold a PHD in Engineering -Mrs Adetowun Ogunsheye is The first female professor in Nigeria -Mrs bisoye esther tejuosho is Nigeria’s first female industrialist -Michael Onafowokan is Nigeria’s first Architect 1952 -Aderonke Kale is the first Female Nigerian Armed Forces (2 Star) Major General: -Chief (Dr.) Bola Kuforiji Olubi is The first Female Chartered Accountant in Nigeria -George Olatokunbo Okikiolu, has written more mathematics papers than any other Black mathematician in history -Katherline okikiolu is the first black person to win the most prestigious award for young mathematics researchers in the United States and the first black woman to publish an article in the Annals of Mathematics -Samuel Layinka Ayodeji invented the excision knife to treat tropical ulcers. he won the Robert Wilson Memorial Prize in Chemistry and the Welcome Prize in Medicine.[/color]

Qelvin:
lame rebuttal as usual , I'm eager to destroy some y.ariba roach today man, can't have enough of your claw-faced clowns in my hood aleady

I was desirous of rolling in the hay with a couple of you vampirous face cannibals but not on this beautiful thread,if I may say cann. Qelvin...lol

Qelvin:
true,I personally think Yorubas are the only viable counter balance to the Hausa'Fulani subtle oligarchy...why do you think their leaders sought the alliance of the yorubas under the APC umbrella for their son to be president? cause they know and acknowledge the political strength and sophistry of your people...which others might interpret as yorubas playing second fiddle,but smarter yorubas(especially the younger generation) should see this as an opportunity to stage an upset when the frail and almost retiring Buhari approaches the tail of his tenure! we Igbos(yeebos if you may) are too discordant and overtly emotional than logical when it comes to politics in Nigeria,that is why we always loose out in the balance of power equation..maybe this Biafra awakening will bring us back together for good and leave you guys alone! in all I give it to you yorubas when it comes to unity sha..una try for that one,but stop kissing the fulani gluteus maximus, cause you are the only light and power of a flailing Nigeria not them...Igbos lost interest decades ago.

No,Nigeria lost interest in the Igbos long ago.Let me advise those of you agjtating for Biafra....expunge it from your minds that you are taking even a little part of SS and your Biafra would come to fruition.I am saying this because I sincerely and fervently want you to be free...

IyaIode:
I am all for regional government, resource control or federalism till someone can tell me how we will be different from any other African country should we go our separate ways.
Emerging power houses are using population to their advantage (china, Brazil, india) we need our huge market for rapid development

But the country has to be restructured first if we are to make any progress.Not with that large chunk called North...

CHALLENGING ISSUES IN NIGERIAN FEDERALISM
Since the attainment of independence in 1960, a number of national issues have generated heated debates and crises, sometimes threatening the entire fabric of the Nigerian State. These include:


State Creation and the Minority Question,


Military Intervention in Governance,


Oil and Minority Agitations,


Ethno-religious Conflicts,


Federal Character Dilemma...I detest this son of a bitch


Corruption...just like the skin of our politicians... and


Leadership crisis.

Other than the disintegration of Nigeria which I fervently pray for,let us critically look at what federalism really is and what are the sources of the present worry over adaptability of the system of Nigeria‟s situation and what are the future hopes for politically stable Nigeria through the practice of federalism?

THE CONCEPT OF FEDERALISM AND ITS KEY FEATURES

There is no universally accepted definition of the word federalism; the concept of federalism has received broad scholarly attention. To this end, each scholar defines it according to their perception. Thus, the meaning of federalism is
surrounded by what Dare called „„state of uncertainty and vagueness‟‟. Peter Ordeshook and Olga Slivetsova are of the opinion that „„the meaning of federalism is yet to escape the state of uncertainty‟‟.

This explains why each scholar approaches the study based on individual background and inclination. Early writers on the concept of federalism such as Jean Bodin, Olto, Cosmanus among others, viewed federalism as a voluntary form of political union of independent authorities.
The union either temporary or permanent, was based on the need for special common purposes like defense, trade, communications and other reasons that would benefit the parties involved. Contemporary writers on the concept of federalism such as Livingstone, Macmahon, and Riker among others viewed federalism as a mutual interactions between and direct contact with, at least two levels of government. These scholars take their root from the 1787 American constitution.
The definition of federalism by these scholars rest on the fundamental principle that, federalism is a form of governmental and institutional structure, deliberately designed by political „„architects‟‟, to cope
with the twin but difficult task of maintaining unity while also preserving diversity.
The most cogent, clearly expressed and the most acceptable definition is that of K.C Wheare. All other formulation from other scholars like Livingstone, Macmahon, and Riker are variations of his work. In his book he talked about federal principle‟‟ i.e. the method of dividing powers so that general and regional governments are each, within a sphere, co-ordinate and independent of one another. Thus, Wheare‟s proposition posits that the federal principle essentially entails a legal division of powers and functions among levels of government with a written constitution guaranteeing and reflecting the division.
Wheare‟s formulation of federalism is been drawn correctly from the United
States of America which is regarded by him as the archetype of federal government. Since other formulation of federalism from other scholars are variations of his work, the basic tenets or elements of federalism according to K.C Wheare will be used as a templates to determines Nigerian federalism and the extent to which Nigeria has fulfilled the basic tenets of federalism.
The basic tenets according to him are:
a. There must be at least two levels of governments and there must be constitutional division of powers among the levels of governments.
b. Each levels of government must be co-ordinate and independent.
c. Each levels of government must be financially independent. He argued that this will afford each levels of government the opportunity of performing their functions without depending or appealing to the others for financial assistance.
d. There must be Supreme Court of the independent judiciary. He argued that in terms of power sharing, there is likely to be conflict hence, there must be independent judiciary to resolve the case.
e. In terms of the amendment of the constitution, no levels of government should have undue power over the amendment process. He maintained that, once a country is able to satisfy these conditions, such country is said to practice federalism.





FACTORS NECESSITATING THE ADOPTION OF FEDERALISM IN NIGERIA.
1.
Heterogeneous Ethnic Groups:


Nigeria is a heterogeneous society consisting of diverse ethnic groups. These various ethnic group had different cultural backgrounds which did not support the establishment of a unitary system. It gave rise to the adoption of federalism.
2.

Historical Factors:
The different ethnic groups in Nigeria had developed different administrative structures. The colonial principle of indirect rule allowed each region to preserve its cultural and traditional practices different from those of other regions. From a historical point of view, the different groups had enjoyed regional autonomy, such that they could not give all their power to a single centralized authority as is the case with the unitary system.
3.

Differences in the Levels of Development:
the differences in the developmental levels of the major ethnic groups contributed to the adoption of federalism. There were differences in social, educational, economical, and political development. These differences degenerated into ethnic rivalry which made the different regions want to preserve their regional autonomy.
4.

Size and Population:
considering the large size of the country and its large population, federalism would bring about administrative convenience. Nigeria covers an area of over 913,073 square kilomitres, and it would facilitate administrative efficiency if the activities of the regions were coordinated by a central authority.

5.

Divide and Rule Policy of the British Colonial administration:
the British policy of divide and rule was a deliberate attempt to keep Nigeria weak and decentralised. The British considered unity among the various ethnic groups as a threat to their imperialistic interest.
6.

Fear of Domination:
there had been suspicion among the various ethnic groups, particularly the major ones the Yoruba, the Igbo, and the Hausa. There was also fear by the minority groups that they would be dominated by the majority ones.

Aareonakakanfo:
Maaan you're picking an unnecessary fight here.Please let's not derail the thread.I never said anyone is a bastard. You don't force people to be with you,Its not a must and I owe no one apologies!

Eh...eh,you are both Omoluabis.There is nothing to get worked up for here.I think the itshekiris related with the Yorubas during the national conference and there was this OPC thingy.Cut it out, Yoruba is bigger than Nigeria then and now...we all know this.. .

NRIPRIEST:
There is no good reason for this sort of ignorance!!
Nigga,why are you always pulling sshit off your azz like a rretard.
An common ibadan village drunk is more intelligent than your ddumb azz.

Nobody is coveting anybody,you hook with what you like and is available to you whether Igbo ,Hausa or Yoruba. Igbo chics and guys don't go around fantasizing about Yoruba women and men. It's all in your mind because you have a warped mindset clogged with senseless tribal sentiments. One of my guy is married to a Yoruba chic who is by the way a nice person but before that he mostly dated Igbo chics. And one thing is common with these Igbo women that marry Yoruba guys, 99.9% of them grew up in lagos which make them available to the Yoruba guys to see but their male counterparts rarely marry Yoruba women.
Now,I am not saying Yoruba girls are not desirable but it's a common knowledge in Lagos that Igbo girls are very pretty. I know because I have been around your people for more that ten years. A lot of us have dated Yoruba women in our early twenties but it's not our ideal marriage partner. Most Igbo guys who grew up in Lagos will say the same but a Yoruba guy won't mind to wife Igbo chic in a heartbeat which is good because we have more women than men.

Our dissolve to stay with our women doesn't mean we are not open minded but we prefer our women because they are beautiful,which Yoruba guys can attest to. Also our marriages survives because of the the kind of women we breed in Igbo land.

What is this one saying?

Aareonakakanfo:
They've banned us several times in their attempt to kill this thread.The next step is to move the thread to the Culture section.nawa


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Sign the petition!

I have severally signed the petition....

Shymm3x:
Lmao.

Afam4eva and lalasticlala have moved this thread to the culture section.

Why not move all the Igbo threads in the politics section to the culture section? These folks are bigots and that other handle that complained about the thread is one of Afam4eva's alternate handles, including the Balkan handle.

OAM4J

Please, help us move our thread back to the politics section where it belongs. We're discussing politics here.

But what the sky is wrong with these mods.Playing tribalism?Seun,pls there should be some punitive measures for these bias mods...

chuna1985:
.

This 21 year-old Nigerian invented a groundbreaking mobile medical UPS

Recently, 21 year-old Nigerian Jaiyeola Oduyoye, a graduate of Product Design Engineering from the University of Derby in the United Kingdom created a ground breaking invention in anticipation of her graduation from the University of Derby in June 2016.

To enhance surgical procedures in hospitals which often suffer from poor electricity, Oduyoye invented a mobile medical battery that provides temporary backup electricity to surgical theaters in developing countries. The invention was “developed for countries that have difficulty accessing uninterrupted power supplies so they are able to perform these surgeries in-country, rather than fly people out”, she said to This Day.

In 2013, Dr. Geoffrey, a Tanzanian surgeon was in the middle of a critical procedure on a child in the country, when power cut. Surgeons such as Geoffrey, throughout Africa often use torches in hospitals due to inconsistent power. As such, this new invention will be serving medical communities across developing countries with much needed support.

“Neva”- the name given to the mobile medical backup, is closely related to an industrial UPS (uninterruptible power supply). It has smooth flat surfaces so it’s easy to be cleaned and unlikely to trap dirt. It contains lithium ion battery packs that have 60 charge cycles and produces a power output enough to provide power for critical machines during surgeries. The battery packs are available for switch and replace. The product however, is completely adaptable to many situations.

It is worthy of note that the battery system of the mobile medical backup enables uninterrupted workflow by eliminating the time intensive and onerous tasks previously associated with battery management, ensuring that nurses and other healthcare professionals can now dedicate additional focus to patient care.

Cann.Chuna1985,I HATE CANNIBALS!
I SPIT INTO YOUR CANNIBAL RIGHT NOSTRIL...

Shymm3x:
Yes, AI is basically about making computers act intelligently. Though there's a lot of robotics involved today, especially the military. So they're both into AI. You can throw Akintunde Akinwande in there as well cos he's also a fellow of IEEE.

The three Nigerians that are IEEE fellows are: Olukotun, Dabiri, and Akinwande.

I think I have posted something about those scientists.They are great people...

chuna1985:
.

This 21 year-old Nigerian invented a groundbreaking mobile medical UPS

Recently, 21 year-old Nigerian Jaiyeola Oduyoye, a graduate of Product Design Engineering from the University of Derby in the United Kingdom created a ground breaking invention in anticipation of her graduation from the University of Derby in June 2016.

To enhance surgical procedures in hospitals which often suffer from poor electricity, Oduyoye invented a mobile medical battery that provides temporary backup electricity to surgical theaters in developing countries. The invention was “developed for countries that have difficulty accessing uninterrupted power supplies so they are able to perform these surgeries in-country, rather than fly people out”, she said to This Day.

In 2013, Dr. Geoffrey, a Tanzanian surgeon was in the middle of a critical procedure on a child in the country, when power cut. Surgeons such as Geoffrey, throughout Africa often use torches in hospitals due to inconsistent power. As such, this new invention will be serving medical communities across developing countries with much needed support.

“Neva”- the name given to the mobile medical backup, is closely related to an industrial UPS (uninterruptible power supply). It has smooth flat surfaces so it’s easy to be cleaned and unlikely to trap dirt. It contains lithium ion battery packs that have 60 charge cycles and produces a power output enough to provide power for critical machines during surgeries. The battery packs are available for switch and replace. The product however, is completely adaptable to many situations.

It is worthy of note that the battery system of the mobile medical backup enables uninterrupted workflow by eliminating the time intensive and onerous tasks previously associated with battery management, ensuring that nurses and other healthcare professionals can now dedicate additional focus to patient care.

Cann.Chuna1985,I HATE CANNIBALS!
I SPIT INTO YOUR CANNIBAL RIGHT NOSTRIL...

chuna1985:
.

This 21 year-old Nigerian invented a groundbreaking mobile medical UPS

Recently, 21 year-old Nigerian Jaiyeola Oduyoye, a graduate of Product Design Engineering from the University of Derby in the United Kingdom created a ground breaking invention in anticipation of her graduation from the University of Derby in June 2016.

To enhance surgical procedures in hospitals which often suffer from poor electricity, Oduyoye invented a mobile medical battery that provides temporary backup electricity to surgical theaters in developing countries. The invention was “developed for countries that have difficulty accessing uninterrupted power supplies so they are able to perform these surgeries in-country, rather than fly people out”, she said to This Day.

In 2013, Dr. Geoffrey, a Tanzanian surgeon was in the middle of a critical procedure on a child in the country, when power cut. Surgeons such as Geoffrey, throughout Africa often use torches in hospitals due to inconsistent power. As such, this new invention will be serving medical communities across developing countries with much needed support.

“Neva”- the name given to the mobile medical backup, is closely related to an industrial UPS (uninterruptible power supply). It has smooth flat surfaces so it’s easy to be cleaned and unlikely to trap dirt. It contains lithium ion battery packs that have 60 charge cycles and produces a power output enough to provide power for critical machines during surgeries. The battery packs are available for switch and replace. The product however, is completely adaptable to many situations.

It is worthy of note that the battery system of the mobile medical backup enables uninterrupted workflow by eliminating the time intensive and onerous tasks previously associated with battery management, ensuring that nurses and other healthcare professionals can now dedicate additional focus to patient care.

Shymm3x:
Impressive.

Yes,very impressive...

STILL ON MAIN ONE...

MainOne pledges to deepen broadband market

Source: Thomas-Moore Adingo | B&FT Online | Ghana
MainOne pledges to deepen broadband market

MainOne Cable has pledged to deepen its footprint in the country’s broadband and internet market to support the growth of businesses in Ghana and the West African region.

“We want to expand the network to get more customers connected, deliver value-added services, build infrastructure and services that support the internet ecosystem, and the oasis of services that enables productivity and drives organizational efficiency.

“We are continually looking at the Ghana market to see where further opportunities are to further deepen broadband adoption and replicate our impact on the connectivity market in other areas of the ICT sector. This is to enable the growth of corporate and enterprise businesses and support the overall economic prosperity of Ghana,” Kazeem Oladepo, Business Executive for West Africa told the B&FT.

Mr. Oladepo said this in Accra at the company’s fifth anniversary celebration of powering West Africa’s broadband and internet landscape.

Commenting on the company’s five-year operation, Mr Oladepo said, “It has been a very tough but exciting journey so far, one that we feel privileged to be part of when you consider the growth and progress that has been achieved in the last five years, which we pioneered.

“We wouldn’t however have gotten here without our partners, including our customers, the Government of Ghana, the National Communication Authority and the people, who have given us the opportunity to deepen broadband adoption. Everything we have achieved has been with a lot of hard work, given the operating environment generally in the region and competing in a market where there is a lot of value erosion by arbitrage business, in addition to being faced with currency constraints. The regulatory support and operating structure in Ghana has however been exceptional in helping us to overcome most of these challenges and the market has been quite supportive. We are indeed grateful.”

According to him, MainOne’s achievements in the last five years are enormous, adding that; “internet services is now commoditized and has become more efficient in Ghana is representative of the value we have brought to Ghana and the region over the years. The enormous ICT improvement tells us we have come a great long way in enabling success, for us and for the ISPs, including the 3G and LTE operators, whose sustainability we remain committed to. This is in addition to supporting the large telcos in their effort to improve quality of data services and enhance connectivity services in Ghana. The growth of e-commerce is part of our unique story and the overall productivity improvement in Ghana remains part of our most cherished accomplishments so far.”

He said infrastructure lapses remains one of the major hurdles in the sector. In spite of the challenges, the company continues to invest in fibre optic infrastructure, most recent of which is the 16 kilometers connecting its cable landing station in Teshie Nungua to Tema, which is part of its commitment to improving connectivity and uptime for its customers in the area.

The company intends to continue to implement such build-outs where the opportunities and economics align, but will also continue to work with its current partners in further deepening service spread.

Going forward, the company says it plans to move beyond connectivity services in Ghana to enabling more value-added services; and is currently exploring the landscape to appraise opportunities for increasing its product and services suite in Ghana, including additional data center space to accommodate customer requirements. It is also planning to extend its submarine cable footprint further into West Africa, with potential landing into Ivory Coast, which is in the pipeline, and Cameroon, which has reached an advanced implementation phase.

http://thebftonline.com/business/ict/14753/MainOne-pledges-to-deepen-broadband-market.html

How Main One boosts W/Africa’s ICT devt’

By Adeyemi Adepetun on August 4, 2015 9:11 pm



BEFORE the landing in 2010 of Main One undersea cable system, West Africa’s Internet service market was characterized by the slow and exasperating access to the online space. Though in Nigeria, the vibrant telecommunications market had recorded significant milestones in terms of nominal growth and voice service uptake, following liberalization in 2001, the Internet service industry at the time was witnessing a severe downturn in fortunes.

Many cyber-cafes and notable Internet Service Providers (ISPs) were closing up shop owing to the high cost of international bandwidth capacity, amplified by harsh operating environment and challenging business models. Fast-forward five years, MainOne has undoubtedly changed the face of Internet in West Africa and has been a catalyst for the growth of the Internet in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy by GDP.

Investment profile
The firm has invested over $300 million in broadband infrastructure, which is indicative of MainOne’s commitment towards improving accessibility of broadband services across the region. Huge portions of the said investment were ploughed into the deployment of the firm’s state-of-the art 7, 000 kilometer submarine cable from Europe to West Africa.

In the first year of operations, MainOne led by its Chief Executive Officer, Funke Opeke, cut down the price of wholesale international bandwidth capacity by 50 per cent. Many ISPs that were hitherto out of business got a new lease of life. Since the launch of MainOne’s services in the country, there has been a re-birth of ISPs across West Africa, many of which are customers of MainOne.

To date, there has been increase in the number of Internet Users in Nigeria since July 1 2010, according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Data from Renesys, a global Internet intelligence company, showed that MainOne is the foremost Internet Protocol (IP) provider in the West African region, with majority of the traffic coming out of West Africa on its network.

As part of the firm’s transformation from a submarine cable operator to full-fledged ICT Company, MainOne built a multi-million dollar Next Generation IP Network for Internet services. Earlier in the year, the company launched a 600 Rack, Tier III Certified Data Center, which offers colocation services and provides the foundation for offering cloud-based services in the nearest future.

Impact on Internet ecosystem
With MainOne’s massive investments in broadband infrastructure expansion, industry observers are of the view that the company is well positioned as a digital game-changer in the anticipated economic boom from frontier markets such as Nigeria and Ghana. In spite of the two countries’ socio-economic challenges, they remain attractive to global investors because of their large and young demographic, huge mobile penetration and usage, and continued strong economic growth. MainOne actively supports the social entrepreneurship and start-up community by powering technology incubation hubs, including CCHub, 440ng, Hackerspace amongst others.

The company has also supported technology development initiatives such as the yearly software competition of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria and Demo Africa among others.

The company is also facilitating the growth of electronic commerce in Nigeria, which is quite evident with the huge successes recorded by the likes of Konga.com, PagaTech, IrokoTV, Wakanow and DealDey, to mention but a few. Today, leading online stores achieve about $2 million worth of transactions per week with market size valued at $550 million expected to grow to $13 billion in 2018.

Network reliability
MainOne runs a superior network with unmatched records of high availability and reliability when compared with any other network in West Africa. Even with Nigeria’s harsh operating environment occasioned by epileptic power supply and incessant vandalism of infrastructure, the company has recorded zero downtime on its submarine cable system in the past five years.

To provide its teeming customers especially the enterprise segment, best-in-class levels of service, the MainOne network is interconnected to the leading global Tier 1 operators responsible for 70 percent of the world’s Internet traffic. This ensures quick response times for access to sites anywhere in the world.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos recently, Opeke, said, “Today, MainOne has the region’s highest active capacity on the firm’s submarine cable, and is the No.1 Internet transit provider in West Africa, interconnected with the London Internet Exchange (LINX), Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMIX), Nigerian Internet Exchange (IXPN) and the Ghanaian Internet Exchange (GIX).”
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/08/how-mainone-boosts-wafricas-ict-devt/

MAIN ONE: FUNKE OPEKE
Landing points

1. Portugal Seixal, Portugal
2. Nigeria Lagos, Nigeria
3. Ghana Accra, Ghana
4. South Africa South Africa

Total length 14,000 km
Topology trunk and branch
Design capacity 1280 Gbit/s
Currently lit capacity n/a
Technology Fiber optics
Date of first use July 22, 2010

The Main One Cable is a submarine communications cable stretching from Portugal to South Africa with landings along the route in various west African countries. On April 28, 2008, it was announced that Main Street Technologies has awarded a turnkey supply contract for the Main One Cable System to Tyco Telecommunications.

The cable system spans 14,000 km and provides additional capacity for international and Internet connectivity to countries between Portugal and South Africa on the west coast of Africa. The submarine cable project was designed in two phases, both of which were scheduled for completion in May 2010. The dual fiber pair, 1.28-Tbit/s, DWDM project connects Nigeria, Ghana, and Portugal in Phase 1 with onward connectivity through Portugal to Europe, Asia and the Americas. The Phase 1 cable system spans 6,900 kilometres. Additional connectivity extending to Angola and South Africa occurred in the second phase of the project.

Main One provides international capacity into a region that has experienced explosive growth in tele-density in recent years, but which remains constrained with respect to access to international cable capacity for global connectivity. The system is being developed by Main Street Technologies headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. An October 10, 2008 press release states that the desk top study and engineering for the system has been completed. On July 22, 2010 the cable was launched.

Project management and engineering for the cable system has been contracted to specialist undersea consulting firm, Pioneer Consulting.[1]


Path
Main One - phase 1

The Main One Cable is an undersea cable system stretching from Portugal to South Africa with landings along the route in various west African countries.
Landing points

The Main One cable system has the following landing points in operation in July 2010

Seixal, Portugal
Accra, Ghana
Lagos, Nigeria

planned landing points for phase 2 are:

Casablanca, Morocco
Tenerife, Canary Islands
Dakar, Senegal
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Bonny, Nigeria
Libreville, Gabon
Boma, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Luanda, Angola
Cape Town, South Africa
Swakopmund, Namibia

Impact

Main One will provide international capacity into a region that has experienced explosive growth in tele-density in recent years, but which remains constrained with respect to access to international cable capacity for global connectivity.

The Main One Cable system will provide open access to regional telecom operators and Internet service providers at rates that are less than 20% of current international bandwidth prices in the region available via SAT3 or satellite service providers, according to the project's organizers. Main Street says it will encourage local content development via skills transfer of critical networking technologies and job creation with the location of the network operational center (NOC) for the entire system in Nigeria.
Ownership

The cable is privately owned by Main Street Technologies, international investors like the Africa Finance Corporation and the Pan-African Infrastructure Development Fund (PAIDF) and a couple of Nigerian banks.
Progress

On April 28, 2008, it was announced that Main Street Technologies has awarded a turnkey supply contract for the Main One Cable System to Tyco Telecommunications.[4] An October 10, 2008 press release states that the desk top study and engineering for the system has been completed.[5] On July 1, 2010 press release states that Main One has been completed and commissioned.[6] The cable went live on July 22, 2010.


THE INTERVIEW...

Funke Opeke
Chief Executive Officer
Main One Cable Company, Nigeria

Funke was born and raised in Nigeria where she obtained a degree in Electronics & electrical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife in 1981 before she proceeded to New York for a Master’s degree at Columbia University. Following graduation from Columbia, Funke pursued a career in ICT in the United States and successfully ended that phase of her career as an Executive Director with the Wholesale division of Verizon Communications in New York when she decided to return to Nigeria in 2005. She joined MTN Nigeria as Chief Technical Officer, and also served as adviser to Transcorp and Chief Operating Officer of NITEL for a brief period before launching Main Street Technologies in 2007. The company went on to raise $240 Million to build the pioneer private submarine cable system in West Africa – Main One Cable. The 7,000km cable runs from Portugal down to Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria and is delivering wholesale broadband capacity across several countries in West Africa today.
What would you say are the most challenging and the most satisfying aspects of your work?

The most challenging aspect of my work is building the team to drive such an innovative project and deliver world class service quality out of our operational headquarters in Nigeria. The most satisfying is seeing how much we have achieved in four years with the establishment of the company and early progress towards the transformation of the Internet economy in West Africa.
What qualifications or certifications did you attain in order to reach your professional goals?

My Master’s degree was critical, but so were numerous training classes in Business and Finance that I obtained during the course of my employment.
If there is one message you would like to convey to young women to encourage them to consider a profession in the ICT sector, what would it be?

ICT offers a tremendous opportunity for young women to work on solutions and technologies that impact people’s lives and change the world. A career in ICT can be diverse, varied and offers good rewards. Young women with the Science and Math aptitude and skills who do not explore a career in ICT are limiting themselves.

Damola Rufai
Innovation is a common subject in Nigeria, especially in the tech space, where Nigerian youths are increasingly dedicating their time to develop exceptional solutions to problems. But a furniture innovation in Nigeria? That, is a rare subject. Two weeks ago, Damola Rufai emerged winner of a million naira prize at the IO Furniture Innovation Award, a CSR initiative of leading interior design and furniture manufacturing company, IO Furniture.

Damola Rufai’s ‘Esho Table’ was chosen as the winning design amongst other great designs, like ‘Ubuntu’, by Yinka Adepoju, and ‘Beta’, by Nafisat Dada. The ‘Esho Table’ is a versatile design that can be used in both commercial and residential settings. Made of a glass top and welded steel rods as the support, it was designed with low poly graphics in mind to conjure up images of a cut jewel, hence the name ‘Esho’, from the Yoruba word for treasure or jewel.

Ventures Africa had an exclusive interview with Mr Damola Rufai, to discuss his success at the event and the future of designing for him.

Ventures Africa (VA): Kindly introduce yourself briefly?

Damola Rufia (DR): I am Damola Rufai. I am a designer/artist. I studied architecture at Howard University and Miami Dade College. I attended Kings College, Lagos Nigeria. And Nigerian International School in the Republic of Benin for a little bit. That’s me in a nut shell.

VA: You studied architecture, can you explain the diversion to furniture making, since most people would relate architecture to building?

DR: For me it is not too far a stretch, because architecture involves design. For me, that’s the part I’ve always enjoyed about architecture, but it’s just one part of architecture. And I decided to take that skill and parlay it into something that I felt at home with and enjoyed doing more. When I was in school, one of the things I loved doing was model making, it was always like I was creating a piece of art or sculpture. It took a while but I realised I was more of a maker.

VA: How did you hear about the IO furniture Innovation award?

DR: Well, everything leads to something. My old boss I used to work with sent me the flyer. When I worked with him, I started as an architect and we had discussed going into other products not just buildings, and it was there that I started exploring lighting, furniture … After I left, this opportunity came up and he just thought I’d be interested and sent it to me. So you see why I said it is not that far-fetched that I am doing this now.

VA: How did you feel winning this award; did you think you were going to, or was it a total surprise?

DR: It was a surprise. The other finalists had very strong designs, it was very hard for me to figure out who was going to be the winner. I had confidence in my own work, I admired it and also saw the value in it but I was nervous to the very end. Let me put it this way, sometimes it’s hard to give myself all the credit, so when I saw the works of other competitors, I was like Whoa! Pretty good entries. I had no idea how it was going to end but I just thought, “Whoever wins will deserve it.”
Esho table by Damola Rufai Credit - LSF PREsho table by Damola Rufai
Credit – LSF PR

VA: So who was your biggest competition amongst the other finalists?

DR: I would say it was Yinka, he created Ubuntu. It was like a collapsible furniture piece that had an in-built shelving system. I thought he was a very strong competitor. Nafisat also had a very ambitious project – the one that converts from a bunk to a bed and sofa.

VA: So why do you think you emerged the winner, what was your edge?

DR: I’d like to think the edge was the ingenuity in the materials used, I’d like to think that was part of it. My intent was to create something that didn’t immediately look like a table and almost had a sense of weightlessness to it. When I say weightlessness, I mean visually. If you look at other people’s work, there is a heft to them. But there’s a lot of void space, when you see mine – there’s a lot of play between negative and solid. So it almost looks like cobwebs, same way cobwebs have this structure to them but still have all this void space. I wanted it to look brittle, like something that could easily break but actually wouldn’t. So for me it was like a play on expectation, because if something looks like it’s frozen in motion and looks like it might be easy to break, but then when you get to it, and it isn’t any of those things.

VA: A surprise factor?

DR: Thank you. That was what I was going for.

VA: What did you do immediately you got information about the competition, what was the process to the final design?

DR: Well, fortunately, the design is something I had done before. So it was like I just had to revisit it and improve on some things and work it out. So it still was like doing it for the first time because I didn’t just have the dimensions and everything on hand. I still had to start from scratch, and the way I usually work is – I create a physical model that gives me the look, feel and scale of what the final prototype will be. I didn’t do anything on the computer. I have a sketch and then I just intuitively start to create what I want it to look like. I use a glue gun, sticks, and I just add and remove things until I get what I’m looking for. Then I go to my artisans here in Lagos, speak to them, supervise them and we come up with the final product together.

VA: Kindly explain the name of your work – “Esho.”

DR: The name came after I finished making it. It’s part of a line; I have some table lamps that I have created in the same style too and after I finished making those, they just reminded me of a cut jewel. Let me bring this to pop culture a bit, do you listen to Drake?

VA: Yes, a little bit.

DR: Okay, there is an album he released recently with Future, if you look at that album cover, it is like a close up shot of a bunch of diamonds. And the way that just looks with the light refracting off the edges of the jewel, is what I was reminded of when I created them (the table lamps). And I just liked how easy it was to say “Esho” – two syllables.
Esho table Credit - LSF PREsho table
Credit – LSF PR

VA: So Esho means what exactly?

DR: It means treasure or jewel in Yoruba.

VA: You mentioned earlier, that this (Esho) was part of a line. Do you always have lines for your work? That is often related with fashion.

DR: Yea, it is basically the same thing, it’s no different. I am currently working on a line of fabrics, and shirts and dresses. So it pervades everything, it is bigger than just one thing. Because I know how to design buildings, I can also design other things. And so with lighting, furniture, if it has the same aesthetic style, you group them into one collection. It is the same in fashion where you can say there are spring, summer lines that usually have themes… It’s basically the same concept.

VA: A unique aspect of your work is the decision not to use modern computerised tools. Why?

DR: If you remember at the beginning of our conversation, I said when I was in school, I loved playing with sticks and my friends in school knew me for that. That’s what I liked. I like the intimacy of working with the material, and coming up with a form that is genuine to me. The way I use to do it in school was I’d start with the model and then translate that into the computer, so I’d have my drawings and 3d renderings. I also just wanted to show that you could achieve something contemporary even if it wasn’t made on a computer.

VA: What were your challenges doing this work, or was there none?

DR: Well, I wouldn’t say there was none and it is just a prototype. For me right now, it’s a one off art piece to showcase an idea, it’s not a finished work. It is functional, but there are still things I’d like to work out. Some of the challenges I faced had to do with availability of processes that could make the finished product more refined and also, access to funds, I was ultimately able to do this with support from my parents.

VA: How will a million naira affect your work?

DR: What a million naira affords me is the opportunity to do more one off pieces to showcase my vision a lot more. So I can hopefully be able to partner with bigger manufacturing companies that could assist in mass producing lines because these (current works) aren’t necessarily mass production friendly. These are like audition pieces, just to showcase the idea and the vision. Ultimately, I’d like to work with bigger manufacturing companies whether at home, or outside the country.

VA: It has to be at home.

DR: If there is a manufacturing company here that is interested, I am totally game. Ultimately, I always prefer if it’s here; its home, and you are adding to the economy. But I also know that manufacturing in Nigeria has taken a big dive. Even the CEO of IO said the other day in her speech, that a lot of manufacturing here have taken a dive. That’s one of the things that is very impressive about what she is doing; I am very excited and glad that there are people like her taking up the mantle and creating that avenue again in Nigeria because there aren’t that many. Even our textile industry, like I told you I’m planning to get into fashion, you’ll be surprised how little of our fabric is made here. If at all.
Credit - LSF PRCredit – LSF PR

VA: Have you ever had an exhibition?

DR: Yes, I participated in one but I do want to have a solo exhibition that’s a lot more expansive; something that shows off new work, and also a bigger library. The one time I did, it was part of a group exhibition, and that didn’t showcase designs, it was just art – digital painting. In the future, I want to do something that showcases art, design, and fashion because that’s where I’m headed.

VA: What’s next for you?

DR: To make more things, for people to see, to purchase, and produce. That’s what’s next for me.

VA: Any word of advice for people in your field?

DR: Hang in there. You have to stick to your guns, knowing that your work is valuable. Also know that you can’t do it alone; always talk to people that share similar interests, include as many talented people as you can in what you do. No industry is just one person, it takes a group of people to make something good.

The IO Innovation Award is aimed at promoting the raw, untapped talent of Nigerian youths through a competition that requires a display of their creativity in furniture and interior design. IO Furniture firmly believes that this platform will spark a conversation that will inspire and motivate youths in the design industry, and show them the endless possibilities of design and manufacturing in Nigeria.

Judges at the event includes Muni Shonibare, Chief Executive Officer of IO Furniture, Tayo Babalakin, president of the Association of Consulting Architects Nigeria (ACAN), and Stefano Moretti, Head of Production at IO Furniture, amongst others.

Damola’s ‘Esho Table’ will be produced and added to the IO Furniture product line, he will also receive royalties on his design for a year.



JUST LOOK AT THOSE LOVELY DESIGNS...

Shymm3x:
Err, I think both Olukotun and Dabiri should be active in AI since they're both fellows of IEEE and AI is fundamentally computing + robotics. The processor Olukotun invented is basically AI. Ditto Dabiri's vortex research.

I learnt Olukotun's recent work focuses on domain-specific programming languages that can allow algorithms to be easily adapted to multiple different types of parallel hardware including multi-core systems, graphics processing units, and field-programmable gate arrays...something akin to AI,if I may say.As for John Dabiri...his research in bio-inspired propulsion,the popular Science magazine named him one of its Brilliant 10 scientists in 2008 and for his research in bio-inspired wind energy, Bloomberg Businessweek magazine listed him among its Technology Innovators in 2012, and the MIT Technology Review magazine named him one of its 35 innovators under 35 in 2013.His expertise in
Mechanics and dynamics of biological propulsion, fluid dynamic energy conversion puts him in the field of AI because AI is interdisciplinary...it would surely get better...

Innovation Published
October 12, 2015
Direct Link


This 21 year-old Nigerian invented a groundbreaking mobile medical UPS

Recently, 21 year-old Nigerian Jaiyeola Oduyoye, a graduate of Product Design Engineering from the University of Derby in the United Kingdom created a ground breaking invention in anticipation of her graduation from the University of Derby in June 2016.

To enhance surgical procedures in hospitals which often suffer from poor electricity, Oduyoye invented a mobile medical battery that provides temporary backup electricity to surgical theaters in developing countries. The invention was “developed for countries that have difficulty accessing uninterrupted power supplies so they are able to perform these surgeries in-country, rather than fly people out”, she said to This Day.

In 2013, Dr. Geoffrey, a Tanzanian surgeon was in the middle of a critical procedure on a child in the country, when power cut. Surgeons such as Geoffrey, throughout Africa often use torches in hospitals due to inconsistent power. As such, this new invention will be serving medical communities across developing countries with much needed support.

“Neva”- the name given to the mobile medical backup, is closely related to an industrial UPS (uninterruptible power supply). It has smooth flat surfaces so it’s easy to be cleaned and unlikely to trap dirt. It contains lithium ion battery packs that have 60 charge cycles and produces a power output enough to provide power for critical machines during surgeries. The battery packs are available for switch and replace. The product however, is completely adaptable to many situations.

It is worthy of note that the battery system of the mobile medical backup enables uninterrupted workflow by eliminating the time intensive and onerous tasks previously associated with battery management, ensuring that nurses and other healthcare professionals can now dedicate additional focus to patient care.
http://www.informationng.com/2015/10/louise-jaiyeola-oduyoye-develops-neva-an-emergency-power-backup-for-surgeons.html

Ingenuity at its best: The world’s first raffia car, handwoven by a Nigerian..
Ojo Obaniyi


When you think you’ve seen it all, and that you know all that the raffia fibre from the palm tree can be used for, brilliant minds like 40 year old Ojo Obaniyi show up and prove you wrong. As if to say, “You haven’t seen nothing yet.”

Ojo Obaniyi is a weaver based in the ancient city of Ibadan, and like any other weaver that makes use of the raffia fibre, he’s made baskets, chairs, huge flower vases, and other household essentials. But in a light-bulb moment, he looked at his Volkswagen pick-up truck and thought to customise it in his own special edition of ‘love-vendor my ride’ – Xzibit, in all his years, has not seen anything like it.

Indeed, Art has no boundary, neither is innovation limited to teenagers and young adults; at 40, Obaniyi created the world’s first handwoven car. And unlike this Ankara wrapped vehicle, Obaniyi did not just wrap the exterior of his vehicle with raffia fibre; every part of the car got a makeover – the seats, the steering wheel,the dashboard, the tyre wheels, basically everything.

Obaniyi’s Volkswagen is more than just a vehicle now; it is a beautiful piece of art, and an innovation that has caught the admiration of many around the world. Just like his name, ‘Obaniyi’, which means ‘a king is honourable or valuable’ in Yoruba, Ojo Obaniyi’s ingenuity has brought him great respect, and his skill, is indeed valuable. “I wanted to prove a point that it is not only the educated elite that can make positive changes in society,” Obaniyi said. Point, proven.

Aareonakakanfo:
[b]To start with,I don't see the reason why my absence should signal the death of this thread.I'm only the OP.I loved what i saw the first time i was absent as a result of the ban.A lot of people were free and everyone was in charge.I don't know why the same thing didn't happen this time around


As per the thread title,initially i wanted to stick with Yoruba/south-west title until mayor came up with the commonwealth idea and i asked everyone what they thought about it.If people had disagreed with the new title,i probably wouldn't have changed it because at the end of the day,majority carries the vote

As per yoruba hour, na that one tire me pass,even when i was here,no one took it serious.I loved the ideas ilekeh came up with on how to make it more interesting and i even posted the picture on the first page.
and i don't know why anyone can't go through my old posts and call people out.I can't be here all the time,me sef get job

Some people complained about the thread losing its focus that we should speak more about development and i pleaded with those who were posting biographies to cut it down.Ironically, those who complained didn't even show up.Instead it was those who were posting biographies that contributed

My issue here is those who spend 90% of their time on biafran threads and only show up maybe once in a week are the ones who have the most complaints.I try as much as possible to make everyone here comfortable but i don't like it when people just complain and suddenly disappear.

Shymm3x and ritchiee how come no one is talking about "Internet of things" or is it the same with AI?


Laudate i love you.If you be man no homo.If you be woman and you are not married,i'm giving you a kiss from my keyboard.If you're married,tell oga say make e no vex


And lastly i welcome the inductees[/b]

I thought I was going to see somebody to share the AI experience with in Nigeria as per the Kaduna guy that built one artificial intelligence thing in SRI LANKA sometime ago but nobody was interested.Look at these...http://venturesafrica.com/nigerian-student-builds-fully-functional-artificial-intelligence-robot-in-sri-lanka/
http://techloy.com/2011/12/01/nigerian-student-wins-best-artificial-intelligence-research-award/

I am going to post a few things now...ciao

chuna1985:
Abia state has a direct contact to d Atlantic ocean. U n ur lots can keep creating falsehood for as long as u desire.

Cann.Chuna1985,I HATE CANNIBALS!
I SPIT INTO YOUR CANNIBAL LEFT NOSTRIL...

PenSniper:
Oodua people - always pace-setters.

Proudly Yoruba.

Its worrisome when i think of the main source of many essential farm products available in our markets.
Perhaps we should prevail on our governments to embark on mechanised farming to boost supply from the SW.

Would it be asking too much to suggest that all SW states are linked by a fast rail system?
- mass movement of people and goods.
- cheaper transportation.
- less strain on our roads through decongestion thus elongating their lifespan.
- reduction in road accidents.
- among others.

We have discussed these in the previous pages.You are a bit late,bro.

I was just wondering if any of our people is into AI. ..There was this story of one Kaduna boy that had a stint or so in AI...