₦airaland Forum

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK), after resuming office as President in the early 60’s, during the era of Space Race by the 2 super powers, challenged his nations scientists and Engineers ‘to land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth’ before the decade ran out and this was accomplished as National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) met the president’s time table (a few African-American Scientists took part in the project), unfortunately JFK did not live to see his dream come true as he was assassinated in office (probably as a result of his Human Right policies which was in favor of black race).

The likes of Benjamin Carson (African-American pediatric neurosurgeon), who was the first man in the world to separate twins joined at the head and both children survived - medically referred to as Occipital-Craniopagus twins; and Ayodele Awojobi (Inventor & first African to be awarded a post-Doctoral degree of Doctor of Science {DSc Hons} by Imperial College (UK) in Mechanical Vibration & Structural Resonance at age 35), has revealed that the black race is not intellectually-inferior to their western counterpart.
The duos have placed themselves on same scientific leverage like Albert Einstein.

The electric-car was developed as an alternative to cars powered by hydrocarbon (fossil) fuel; they have 3 main components; Electric Power train (motor +controller +gear box), car body (chassis +Passenger cabin) and Battery. Today the technology needed for electric power train and car body have been perfected, except for the stubborn battery obstacle.
A major technical challenge an electric car has is a limited driving range, i.e., the distance one can travel per battery charge, after which the car batteries must be recharged, also the recharge time is quite long (about 8 hrs). The range limits the use of electric cars for urban office commute.

In line with reducing greenhouse effect in our country & as a result of the shameful incessant fuel scarcity in an oil producing state such as ours, Senator–elect, Ben Murrey Bruce, purchased an electric-car.

The senator-elect in line with all this limitation has challenged and placed a price tag of 10 million dollars (chaiiii na money oooooh!), to our local scientists cum engineers to come up with a solutions by inventing battery that will propel the car for a range of 300miles, as this will enable people travel long distance before a recharge.


It’s worthy to note that our Oil & Gas design industry, with aid of local content have developed our Engineers capacity, which is at the verge of bringing our local engineers to world class professionals in no distant time.

At this stage of our development, no challenge should be too big a task to handle.





Wale Oyedokun

Generally, doctors are over worked worldwide. However, in developed countries the work load on doctors has been reducing with time. The World Health Organization (WHO) standard has been revised down progressively, and is currently at a ratio of 1 doctor to 600 patients.

Great Britain, the world’s first industrialized nation is a sovereign state, with a monarchy and parliamentary system of Government. She has a physician/patient ratio of 1:440 which exceeds WHO standard (Nigeria’s poor ratio of 1: 3500 reduces the quality of care expected to be given; which is even gloomier at state level, as Benue & Katsina states is about one doctor to 10, 000 & 15,000 patients respectively)

The UK's health care system is one of the most efficient in the world in terms of access and quality to care. The UK has a government-sponsored universal healthcare system called the National Health Service (NHS). Citizens are entitled to healthcare under this system, but have the option to buy private health insurance as well. The NHS Plan promises more power and information for patients, more hospitals and beds, more doctors and nurses, significantly shorter waiting times for appointments, improved healthcare for older patients, and tougher standards for NHS organizations. Public healthcare to all UK permanent residents is free at the point of need, being paid for from general taxation.

India medical care (a developing country with population close to a billion) was revolutionalized by Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, by bringing it at par with the best to India. What motivated him was the belief that public sector and charity hospitals needed to be complemented by strong corporate-sector medical institutions. He set out to revolutionize the unaddressed health-care needs of a section of India’s growing middle class.
Today India is home to some of the finest surgeons, doctors, and dentists in the world. India is one of the largest medical providers that offer accessible quality services to Arabic nations, as well as medical travelers from around the world (including Nigeria).
In addition, numerous outpatient, clinic and hospital’s throughout India are accredited and certified, providing high quality and high-end medical services that is affordable to travelers from the Middle East, Africa nations, and around the world.
By bringing to India world-class medical care, advanced technology, best practices and, by persuading Indian doctors living abroad to return home, Dr. Reddy succeeded in creating what has now become Asia’s foremost health system. Apollo today holds world records in heart, liver, lung, kidney and other solid organ transplants. Apollo has served over 37 million people across it 54 hospitals and over 120 clinics in the past three decades.
Though India is yet to meet WHO recommended doctor to population ratio condition, it is making good progress in that direction.

Our health sector in Nigeria still contends with brain drain, incessant doctor strikes, shortage of specialists, dilapidated facilities, poor funding and revenue loss to Indian/Israeli hospitals (We lose at least $800m every year to overseas {about 35% to India} for treatment. On cancer treatment, Nigeria loses about $24m yearly on medical tourism to India).

The nations healthcare challenges ranges from; lack of electricity, lack of trained medical personnel, lack of medical facilities, poor health financing, poor sanitation and hygiene, noise pollution, infectious diseases, poor sewage disposal, poor population-bed ratio, non-availability of ambulance should there be emergency, poor solid waste disposal, disaster management, disease surveillance, lack of good roads and proper transport system to enable both medical personnel and patients to get to health care locations, improper co-ordination of donor funds.
Others are insecurity, fake and sub-standard drugs; for example, in 1993, adulterated paracetamol syrup caused the death of many children in Oyo and Benue States, while in 2008, lots of children died from a brand of teething medication.

The diagnostic facilities even in our Teaching Hospitals are obsolete, as physicians still use equipment acquired in the 1980s to diagnose diseases that emerged in the 21st century.
Nigeria is the only Africa country and one of the 3 countries why the world is not yet polio-free.
“Where-To-Be-Born Index,” Nigeria was rated as the worst country for a baby to be born in the world; as it is the first country where pregnant mothers and children die most in the world.

In the last decade of the 20th century, Life expectancy for males & females dropped drastically. The infant mortality rate (IMR) rose significantly. About 52% of under-five deaths are associated with malnutrition. The maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 800 per 100,000 live births is one of the highest in the world. According to World Health Statistics, malaria mortality rate for Nigeria is 156 per 100,000 populations. Nigeria has one of the highest Tuberculosis burden in the world of 311 per 100,000 resulting in the largest challenges in Africa (according to USAID).
This could be attributed to the gross under-funding of the health sector and shortage of skilled medical personnel at the primary health care level.

While scientists in other countries are making headway in providing solutions to diseases such as cancer and HIV/AIDS, our poorly funded research institutions are still battling with providing treatment for malaria and diarrhea.
Worse still, while countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Canada, with population less than 34 million people each, give more than 15 per cent of annual budgets to health care; our government continues to short-change us; last year only five percent budget was set aside to cater for the health of close to 170 million Nigerians.
Over 100,000 applicants show interest in studying Medicine and Surgery annually but less than 5 percent are offered admission due to lack of Infrastructure. If funding is increased, requisite facilities will be put in place, and this in turn would increase the number of applicants admitted to study medicine, increasing the number of medical graduates and reduce the current Doctor-Patient ratio.

Till date, Nigeria does not have a national law regulating its health care practice because the National Health Bill that was proposed to the National Assembly (over 6 years now) is yet to be passed into law (like the Petroleum Industry Bill). It has been argued that the non-existence of health legislation in Nigeria has been the bane of non-performance of the health system. The passage of this bill would ensure that every Nigerian, no matter their economic status, has access to basic and standard health services wherever they live.
Without access to quality, affordable care, a low-income family will often delay going to the doctor and make do with local quacks until their condition deteriorates to the point where more serious medical interventions are needed. Not only does this increase the overall cost of treatment, it also causes a loss of wage resulting in a major financial setback to the family.

Our leaders should desist from playing lip service to diversifying the Nigerian economy and work towards greater industrialization as management of oil revenue has proven inefficacious in driving our economy to bring about the needed level of development. This can be done by direct involvement of Government in Agricultural business, develop our solid minerals potentials and scaling up funds voted for tourism. This will strengthen our economy and ensure stability.

Medical practitioners in Diaspora can be wooed back home by; promoting a stable political climate, putting in place good infrastructure (including POWER) & modern diagnostic facilities, promote country’s good image abroad and make the Country comfortable like (or close to) being overseas.

If our healthcare system were not in comatose, late President Umaru Yar’ Adua may be alive today, as the 7hrs or more time spent on flying him outside the country for medical attention may have been used to save his life…… ‘’A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE’’.


Olawale Oyedokun

…Which way Nigeria?

The state of Israel is a good example of a Nation who despite the Hostile geographical environment where it is situated (Rocky arid land mass, no mineral resources, low population, and surrounded by unfriendly neighbours), stand tall today as one of the most advanced Nations of the world.

Lee Kuan Yew transformed Singapore from a third world country to what it is enjoying today.

These nations have one thing in common; their leaders are elected based on merit and integrity.

Public office holders in Nigeria are ‘’selected’’ based on Religious and Tribal sentiments. These so-called leaders end up doing next to nothing for their Country at large or even their constituents.
After their time in office, their well placed cronies cover up the abominable things they did while in office. Any one who opposes these ‘’cabals in power’’ is either bought over or assassinated if perceived as ‘’stubborn’’ (e.g. Dele Giwa, Pa Alfred Rewane etc.)

The erudite Academic-Celebrity who in his life time was a global authority in the field of ‘’Mechanical Vibration & Resonance in Rigid Structures’’, realized that Nigeria was endowed with human and natural resources, and the only thing missing was (and still is) a visionary leader to put the nation on the path to greatness.
He became restless and agitated because Nigeria to him was witnessing a mad season in terms of corruption and mismanagement of resources. Also science and Engineering which is the bedrock of technology were relegated to the back ground; for example his inventions suffered neglect by successive Governments e.g. the bi-directional car patent in his name which was later developed and produced in the UK & USA.

In his naivety about occultic practices in Nigerian Politics, he openly opposed corrupt politicians, challenging them in the law court with his writ of summons and statement of claims in his possession. The Professor cum activist’s zeal & struggle for a true democratic culture in Nigeria lead to his demise about 27 years ago.

Almost 3 decades since AYODELE AWOJOBI passed on; the nation can barely produce quality textile materials. Cotton buds produced in Nigeria are of such low quality that rather than cleaning the ears end up depositing the cotton inside the ears.
Countries in the 70s rated along side Nigeria as 3rd world nations, like Brazil, India, China & South Korea, today manufacture Aircrafts, Vehicles, space ships, ocean-liners, submarines etc. WHICH WAY NIGERIA?