₦airaland Forum

It’s funny that people are getting emotional over this topic. Also what’s happening is not racism but profiling. People might not like the idea of profiling but the truth is it does work. There is no way that customs official can screen every single person coming into the country; it will be time and resources prohibitive. But will a little bit of knowledge of what a drug courier will do, what countries they have been to, their demeanor or the way they behave, you can tailor your searches to people that fit that profile. Then as a way of checking that your profile is working, you’ll need to do random searches to see how many people your profile missed. Mind you, just because you fit a certain profile doesn’t mean that you’re concealing drugs; it just means that you’ll be searched thoroughly.

Assuming you were told that there’s a suicide bomber on the same plane as you. Who would you suspect…the Nigerians on the plane or the whites or the Arabs? Or you would not have any suspicion at all? I know I would be looking at the Arabs, then followed by the whites and skip most of the Nigerians. People from certain countries are notoriously known to engage in certain illegal activity but that’s not to say other countries don’t engage in the same activity.

The bottom line is that the lady fit the profile of a drug peddler and as such was justly searched. It is neither racism nor tribalism but profiling and it works.
Also, there are X-ray machines that can show foreign substances in your body, I just don’t know if they work as well as visual inspection.

I'm still waiting for the day I will run into my Agriculture teacher, Mr Adeboye, boy, will he get it!

I think there's a fine line between canning and abuse, most Nigerian teachers abuse their students! I believe in discipline but it should not be done in a barbaric way otherwise it becomes abuse.

Canning also did not make me a better person because I became really good at dealing with the pain. But when my mom “talks” to me, tears flow from my eyes endlessly.

In engineering, I’m pretty sure a Nigerian graduate will find it very difficult to survive initially especially if he’s to meet the same expectations as his colleagues. That’s not because he’s not smart enough but because the education system is so different. But note that engineering fundamentals are the same no matter where you learnt them but what differs are the courses that you take in your last 2 years of college that builds on those fundamentals.

Just like most people suggested, the easiest way to get accepted is get another degree which also distinguishes you from the next applicant and can also earn you more money - that's a win-win situation for you.

On the issue of English language, I’m not familiar with what Bush said but if he can’t speak English, what was he speaking? Generally speaking, do you realize that language changes over time? When languages develop independently, does that mean one variety is more valid than the other? According to you, what does proper modern English sound like OR is it old English that’s proper?
1. American English
2. British English
3. Canadian English

What I’m trying to say is that English have several standard versions that are all equally accepted to be correct and proper.


Also, in scheming through the posts, I think someone insinuated that all Chinese people are smart…wow, talk about generalizations. I guess I’m not too surprised because most Nigerians tend to think that being white, “Oyinbo”, means that you’re smarter than your black colleague. , If only you knew!!! Once you start generalizing, you're bound to run into problems.

All schools are not created equal. Even in the US, graduates of top schools earn a lot more than their counterparts from lower rated schools (tier 1 vs. tier 4). It’s a basic question of demand vs. supply; those that are highly sought after will tend to make more money.

I met a few people that did their undergrad at Unilag and graduate degree here that are doing extremely well. You have to understand that employers are investing in you and chances are that they will get a better ROI on a Harvard grad than a tier 4 grad. Note that I’m not saying that going to Harvard makes you smarter or better than the next person but it says that you’re smart enough to get in.

You have to look at the disparity in salaries between tier 1 and tier 4 MBA or Law grads to truly appreciate the difference the school you attend makes. Most of the top law firms in the US will only interview candidates from the top 25 laws schools. They don’t even want to hear from you if you don’t fall in that category except if you’re truly exceptional. Guess what…those top law firms pay about $165,000 per year while a law graduate from a tier 4 school earns about $60,000 on average.

I don't know which one is harder but Electromagnetics 1 was brutal! I would actually love to take it over just to see if I would still feel the same.

I think the Niger Deltans have a legitimate issue of underdevelopment and the issue was exacerbated by their corrupt leaders (although corruption is not limited to just their leaders). I also don’t think that they will lay down their weapons and settle for whatever the government gives them, even if it is the greater control they seek, because they can make a lot more from illegal bunkering.

You can’t let people take the law into their own hands no matter the cause because all you’re going to end up with is chaos.

I don’t know what the constitution says about declaring state of emergency but assuming it can be done, my solution will be as follows:

I’ll declare a state of emergency in the Niger delta region and appoint a military administrator to take control of the region. Then I’ll bring in consultants to evaluate the area and suggest how to make the area self-sustainable. Then I’ll pump money into the area and turn it into a modern city. The money will come from the PTF.

But since corruption and mismanagement runs through the blood of our leaders, I’ll appoint 3 separate completely independent oversight committees with each of them having conflicting interest. Committee 1 will be the one awarding the contract while committee 2 will be responsible for monitoring the appointment and development of the project. Committee 3 will be responsible for watching committees 1 & 2. The name of the game will be micro-managing; weekly substantive updates by all 3 committees to the president.

Also in order to bid for a contract, you have to demonstrate proficiency along with previous verifiable experience in that particular area. NO more contract to general contractors who know absolutely nothing about what they’re bidding on.

Punishment: Since the area is under state of emergency, anybody caught defrauding the government if proven by a special tribunal will bag an automatic 10 years in Kirikiri including forfeiture of their personal property even though it was acquired before bidding on the contract. Any committee member caught colluding with contractors or being derelict of their duty will bag an automatic 8 year jail term. This will be the ground rules before anybody bids for contracts or vie for the committee member position. Oh… you also have to submit your passport and will only get it back after being certified by the committee as completed.

I know that my suggestion seems archaic and undemocratic but I believe for development to happen in that area as soon as possible, people need to be held accountable with REAL serious consequences.

By the way, my reason for suggesting a state of emergency rule is to bypass the normal process of the law because drastic times call for drastic measures.

Working in a foreign country has its downside if you have an accent when you speak their language. Being a professional may not be that difficult but rising up to the head of the company (executive) seems almost impossible. Even with all your degrees and brilliance, you will still be thought of as a third class employee as long as your accent is still detectable right behind whites and qualified African Americans. In order to really get where you want to be, you’ll need to prove yourself above the level of your colleagues vying for the same position.

I think on average it’s a little easier for females to lose their accents because of their softer voice. By the way, almost all Nigerians, especially males, who were in Nigeria during their teenage years will still have a slight accent. I’m not talking about some heavy laced accent but the type that’s only detectable when you get excited or pronounce some words differently. Like pronouncing fuel (sounds like - fewl) vs. Fu el (Nigerian pronunciation).

Are your observations different?

I’m a Systems Engineer for a very big high tech company. I work in a very specialized field that has to do with RF (radar).

I’ll explain what I do by way of example. If you look at airport radar, like the type at the airport, it has the ability to do the following distinct functions:
1. Scan the horizon (azimuth and elevation) for airplanes
2. Track an airplane once detected
3. Calibrate the radar to some known state
4. Built-In-Test

In order for the radar to carry out all this separate functions, they have to go into that mode (function). At times I write the software modes or verify “somehow” that the mode is working or could work with the hardware (integration). I think in terms of substance or fundamental principles of science, my work will be similar to the engineers that build/design the equipments/methods that Mobile Phone Company uses in transmitting or receiving RF energy (voice) – that includes cell tower, base stations and even most aspects of a cell phone.

I love what I do and it has been extremely rewarding both financially and intellectually. I think I was born to be an engineer and it shows in my curiosity for anything technical.

But I will be changing my career soon and becoming an Attorney, a Patent Attorney. As a Patent Attorney, I will still be in contact with leading edge technology because I’ll need to write patent disclosures but I think no matter what I do for a living, I will always be an entrepreneur and an engineer. I just hope I don't get bored with all the writing!

In the US high tech industry, Electrical Engineers have the most opportunities available to them and, yes, they work in concert with other engineers especially Mechanical. With electrical engineering you can work in almost any field doing substantive related work. On any particular project, we usually have about 10 electrical engineers to 1 mechanical engineer. I think part of the reason is that mechanical-type work is limited to the beginning of the project (design/fabrication stage).

For example, if engineers were to develop a computer from scratch,

         System engineers (electrical engineer) will layout the specifications
         Electrical engineers will select and/or design the chips according to spec including power supply
         Mechanical will ensure adequate cooling/hot spot and design of the structure; they might also layout the wiring
         Electrical engineers (computer science) will write the software (think drivers, firmware middleware and application program)
         Electrical engineers will be responsible for integration and testing of the product.

I think the reason why electrical engineers might be in more demand is the fact that the field is so broad. Depending on your first job out of college and the type of electives you took while in school, you can do the work of the following majors:
Computer science
Software engineer
RF engineer
Computer engineering
Communications engineering

I guess what I’m trying to say is that the type of work you do will be more fluid once you get into the field especially if you work for a “do it all” type company. I work with a few people with BS in Mechanical that went on to get their master in electrical.


At least in the US, another option you shouldn’t rule out is getting a law degree after your engineering degree to become a Patent Attorney, which is the route I’m pursuing. Again, even with attorneys, there's more demand for engineers with electrical engineering background than any other engineering.

By the way, I have two female electrical engineers in my family that graduated at the top of their class here in the US. One went back to school to get another degree in the medical field and the other is doing her second masters in management. What I'm trying to say is that you (male or female) could be book smart but you might not like engineering-type work. Whatever field you get into make sure you have a passion for it

I can’t really speak for Zinox but I do know that all computer manufacturers are the same; that goes for Sony, HP, Dell, Apple, Toshiba, IBM e.t.c

They all spec out the chips that they want from the chip makers usually in Asia. So in terms of hardware, OEMs have access to most of the same component manufacturers. But what differentiates one OEM from the next, apart from software, is the tolerance level on the chips they’re willing to accept. This is probably where Zinox is going wrong because a wider tolerance level means that they get the chips for cheaper, unfortunately it also means that the reliability will be very low.

On the issue of battery, all batteries will lose their ability to hold their charge after awhile but I guess the question will be how long is “awhile”.

I struggle with what to say because I feel it’s wrong to kick someone while they’re down.

The very first thing you need to take care of is your resume. I don’t know about the Nigerian job market but the font is wrong and I think you have way too much unnecessary info in there. Your actual job experience which is more of substance is also in the wrong order. I hope you take the offer of the guy willing to help you in that regard and if that falls through, I can help.

Secondly, I think as long as you’re still breathing, you shouldn’t give up hope. You should always try to re-invent yourself if your current skills are not in demand or just to keep you ahead of the competition. In today’s competitive environment, even professionals don’t rest on their laurels. I see that you studied Geophysics…what kind of job are you looking for?

Thirdly, forget the girl. You should be trying to make something out of your life. Believe me, once you get “that paper”, you’ll be fending the girls off you.

Lastly, I’ll be in Naija in August to pursue a few business proposals and if anything pans out, I’ll give you a shot of interviewing for a job, that’s if you’re still looking for one.

#ifndef FRACTION_HPP
#define FRACTION_HPP

// **** BEGIN namespace CPPBook ********************************
namespace CPPBook {

/* Fraction class
*/
class Fraction {

/* private: no access from outside
*/
private:
int numer;
int denom;

/* public interface
*/
public:
// default constructor
Fraction();

// constructor from int (denominator)
Fraction(int);

// constructor from two ints (numerator and denominator)
Fraction(int, int);

// output
void print();
};

} // **** END namespace CPPBook ********************************

#endif /* FRACTION_HPP */

******************************************************************************************************
******************************************************************************************************
// include header file with the class declaration
#include "frac.hpp"

// include standard header files
#include <iostream>
#include <cstdlib>

// **** BEGIN namespace CPPBook ********************************
namespace CPPBook {

/* default constructor
*/
Fraction::Fraction()
: numer(0), denom(1) // initialize fraction with 0
{
// no further statements
}

/* constructor for whole number
*/
Fraction::Fraction(int n)
: numer(n), denom(1) // initialize fraction with n
{
// no further statements
}

/* constructor for numerator and denominator
*/
Fraction::Fraction(int n, int d)
: numer(n), denom(d) // initialize numerator and denominator as passed
{
// 0 as denominator is not allowed
if (d == 0) {
// exit program with error message
std::cerr << "error: denominator is 0" << std::endl;
std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
}
}

/* print
*/
void Fraction::print()
{
std::cout << numer << '/' << denom << std::endl;
}

} // **** END namespace CPPBook ********************************


Here's an example that does fractions. Start by compling this example and then modifying it to suite your needs.


http://www.josuttis.com/cppbook/classes/frac1.cpp.html

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Info edited for clarity.

Everything in a computer eventually becomes ones and zeros (bits); that's the only thing a machine understands. Whatever type of code you write in whatever language gets translated.

There are different types/levels of software required to control hardware.
1. Application (user interface) -  Word, excel
2. Middleware (drivers, operating system) - Windows XP, drivers for your printers, camera e.t.c. The middleware will be the bridge between your application and the hardware. Its job is akin to that of a language interpreter.
3. Firmware - code resident in the FPGA or ROM. This code looks at the register value or a set of registers to determine if they are set to 1 or zero and takes a predetermined set of actions based on that setting.

The bottom line is that whatever you do with your application code eventually gets translated into 1s and 0s in the hardware register.

Hope this helps! Ask specific questions if you're still confused.

my2cents:
I have a technical degree but I wouldn't know where to start with respect to your requirement above. This is where a Business Analyst (BA) comes in. As a developer, to begin with, I am not to get such a vague requirement. A BA helps here in that he/she goes back to the customer, gets clarification, formuala(e), etc so as to ensure that I develop the solution that they need.

It might seem that the requirement is vague but it's not, at least to an electrical engineer. A business analyst doesn't even come into the picture at all, you might have better luck with a system engineer/electrical engineer. See Ghenghis quote below.

Ghenghis:
Most of what you guys are calling "technical" are things a domain professional is expected to know e.g You'd need an accountant as the technical consultant for accounting software, a biologist in biometrics, an electronic engr in digital signal processing , all these are not necessarily software engineers.

The bottom line with any degree is that it sets you apart from everybody else. I'll repeat this again, "a degree shows what you're capable of". Your example of coasting through school will be reflective on your GPA, which will be used in conjunction with your degree to "gauge what you're capable of".

my2cents:
Wallie, I am afraid I don't know what you're saying. You give a programmer pseudo code? If you do that, aren't you in essence solving the problem you are paying the person to come up with? Why bother doing it twice. If the person can't think that far, why hire him in the first place? Are you implying that a programmer doesn't think or a programmer doesn't think enough?

Maybe my field is unique being that it is very technical. For example, this is a type of requirement that will be given to me.

"Expected values of the noise ratio histograms shall be computed by implementing a low pass filter function using an FFT / Inverse FFT." The data you will be processing is complex (real and imaginary).

Someone without a technical degree won't know where to start but I bet if given the pseudo code he will be able to come up with the code.

Also, most senior engineers don't do menial type coding; their time is better spent solving complex problems. You can also think about it as a way to train an inexperienced engineer.

my2cents:
If the person can't think that far, why hire him in the first place? Are you implying that a programmer doesn't think or a programmer doesn't think enough?

You are right, without trying to make a blanket statement; we don't hire people without the minimum degree as an engineer/programmer. You can think of the degree as a bar. A degree doen’t necessarily mean that you're smarter or you can get the job done but it shows, at least at some level, what you're capable of.

I say all of that to say this; you don’t need a degree to write software.

I agree 100% with Ghenghis.

Without being formal, I see a programmer as someone you give a pseudo code to and they come up with the necessary syntax in some language. That’s the type of work that an entry level graduate or intern would be given. On the other hand, someone with a computer science or an engineering degree might start out doing the same thing as a programmer but will eventually graduate to the type of work that requires thinking. This is where other areas of your education (technical subjects – calculus, physics, signal processing, cryptography etc) start coming into play. The difference that I’m trying to highlight is akin to differences between a technician (2 year technical degree) and an engineer (4+ year degree). Technicians can only go so far career wise (low salary), not because they’re not capable but because he probably won’t be given a chance.

If all you want to be is a programmer, you might be short-changing yourself especially if you’re capable of being more except, of course, you’re using the name "programmer" loosely.

Just to murky the water some more, I have a degree in electrical engineering (took a bunch of SW courses) and I do write software (C, C++, MATLAB) at the system level and I’m neither a programmer nor a SW engineer.

@ Ireti - are you the same Ireti that used to work for MTN? If you are, I was one of the guys in Maryland speaking to you about some GIS related "stuff".

Try the following; xor is the function. Goodluck!

#include <stdio.h>

int xor(int a, int b);

int main(void)
{
printf("%d", xor(1,0));
printf("%d", xor(1,1));
printf("%d", xor(0,1));
printf("%d", xor(0,0));
return 0;
}


int xor(int a, int b)
{
return (a|| b) && !(a&& b);
}

I can see the point of confusion. In the US, Electrical Engineers concentrate on different areas (computer engineering, Signal Processing, power systems, system engineering etc) while in school because the field is so broad. To answer your question, the only Engineers that will probably know how to wire a house are those that concentrate on Power Systems or those that are just naturally curious about electricity.

I am an Electrical Engineer and I don’t know how to wire a house nor do I ever want to know. But that’s not to say that I don’t understand the fundamental principles of Circuit Theory. Also, being an Electrical Engineer doesn’t make you qualified to wire a house (you need some sort of certification).

Also keep in mind that there is a distinction in terms of type of work done between Electrical Engineers and Technicians (electricians, engineering technology), the later are usually less educated (more hands on classes as opposed to theory) and make less money.

I might have generalized a little bit but what I said is mostly true.

I just joined the forum today and I'm very pleased to see my brothers/sisters programming. It is only a matter of time before companies start outsourcing codes to Niaja as they do to India.

Out of curiosity, are there any REAL technology companies in Nigeria? I said "real" because I'm interested in companies that develop their OWN solution and not just repackaging or rebranding. I'm looking for companies that do real engineering work i.e. coming up with a real hardware/software solution to solve a problem or fulfill a need.

Can you please provide a list or direct me to where I can find them?

Thanks!

I agree with Panche but I think the OP is going about the solution the wrong way. The first thing that you need to know is what your requirements are. Is the database required to keep track of contributions or keep track of mosque members or do you just want a generic database that stores everything pertaining to the mosque?

Depending on what your needs/requirements are that will inform what fields you need to add to your database.

With any programming language, the first thing that you have to learn is the syntax. The syntax would be equivalent to learning the rules of grammar before writing an essay. Syntax is actually the easy part but having a good foundation in it can save you a lot of debugging time down the road. The next thing to learn will be design and this is what set programmers apart because you're only limited to your imagination. There are books and tutorials out there that teach you the basics but you will eventually have to be able to string the basics together to come up with your own unique solution.

I agree with what some people said already about school not making you a better programmer. All school does is to teach you the basics/fundamentals and it's up to you to become proficient at it.

I went the school route but still have to resort to books or the internet whenever I come across something that puzzles me. If you plan on working in a technology related field, learning will always be ongoing. Goodluck!!

PS: Hopefully this will be my first post of many.