My Engineers Blog

As states look for ways of increasing their internally generated revenue, Engr. Andrew Idowu Desmennu, Managing Director/CEO of Andrew D. Idowu and Co. says they should look in the direction of waste management and stop capital flight occasioned by processing waste outside their domains. He says the company has come up with a system whereby people can earn money while disposing their waste and keeping the environment clean. Excerpts:  By Ebele Orakpo According to Desmennu, waste, like every product, has its value chain and if properly programmed and harnessed, will lead to increase in internally-generated revenue (IGR) for states and greater income for the citizens.  “Until waste becomes a source of income generation for everybody, we will never get out of the quagmire. About 80 per cent of waste cannot decompose because they are chemical-based but every waste can be recycled.  We don’t even eat enough so organic waste is just about 30 per cent of waste generated.” Resear

You can't overrule Africa when it comes to responding needs creative ways. Here is an African who made his bicycle from firewood. So unconventional, I may say, but when creativity and need meet the desire and determination of a man, the man must find a way.

The emergence of the newly appointed Minister of Power, Housing and Works, Mr Raji Fashola may have sent jitters down the spine of the construction companies handling the Lagos-Ibadan express way in what can be seen in their unprecedented responsiveness to the road project. The construction companies, Julius Berger PLC and RCC have been conspicuously absent for a while before they were noticed by our correspondent who plied the route Monday morning. The companies are obviously back on site in continuation of the re-construction of the N167 billion road project. The development also corroborated reports that the presence of workmen became more noticeable at the Redemption Camp and Arepo areas at the Lagos end of the road. A source at the Julius Berger end of the road, who craved anonymity, was quoted as saying that the company was back on the road for good, adding that “it is time to move forward on the project.” While palliative works were ongoing at the failed spots in th

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has elected Engr. Otis Anyaeji, FNS as the new President of the association to run its affairs in the next two years according to the constitution of the body. The election of the other new officers was successfully conducted through an E-voting system wholly developed by the Nigerian Engineers at the NiCOMSAT. The election took place in Akure, Ondo State after this year international conference hosted in the state. Other Executive Officers are THE LIST: Engr Otis Anyaeji FNSE - President-Elect Engr Mokuolu Adekunle FNSE - Deputy President-Elect VICE PRESIDENTS Engr Oguntala Margaret FNSE Engr Babagana Mohammed FNSE Engr Massari Giandomenico FNSE EXCO Engr Akinteye Joseph FNSE Engr Ishidi Edith FNSE Engr Umar Aishat FNSE Engr Eziokwu Nkem MNSE Engr Ibitoye Kilomodemo MNSE Engr Okodugba Aluyah MNSE AUDIT Engr Okengwu Chinasa MNSE Engr Ayitogo Zakari FNSE Engr Abe Williams MNSE You shall be duly informed of the ina

With about $1.5 billion economic loss yearly due to bad roads, Engineers under the umbrella of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) have made a case for authorities at all levels of government to consider the use of concrete as alternative option.  The deplorable state of roads across the country and the attendant losses to the nation was one of the high points of discussion at this year’s conference of the NSE  with the theme “National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP): Strategies for Implementation”. At the confrence held in Akure, Ondo State, Engineers bemoaned the infrastructural deficit that has been the lot of the country with a submission that infrastructural policy implementation should be taken serious by government and her agencies. They argued that the major issue with the Nigeria’s road infrastructure is the absence of effective and sufficient regulatory framework for effective road construction. The reaction to the unsavoury condition of the road

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) yesterday revealed that no Nigerian University offers welding engineering programme either at undergraduate or post graduate levels. This is despite Federal Government effort to bridge local skills gap existing in the oil and gas sector and retain the sectors job, most of which are currently exported. The revelation was contained in a study commissioned by PTDF which showed that the lack enthusiasm by the universities has been taken up by privately owned training centres with 50 of such facilities starting up in the country through the assistance of the Fund. The study carried out by the Nigerian Institute of Welding (NIW) to audit and evaluate welding capacities in vocational, tertiary and private institutions in Nigeria, found a huge deficiency in the training programme for welders especially in area of advanced and specialized welding. While speaking at the presentation, PTDF Executive Secretary, Femi Ajayi noted that until

Some 2.4 billion people around the world don’t have access to decent sanitation and more than a billion are forced to defecate in the open, risking disease and other dangers, according to the United Nations. Launching its World Toilet Day campaign for November 19, the UN said poor sanitation increases the risk of illness and malnutrition, especially for children, and called for women and girls in particular to be offered safe, clean facilities. “One out of three women around the world lack access to safe toilets,” U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement. “As a result they face disease, shame and potential violence when they seek a place to defecate.” Even where there are toilets in some places around the world, some are hardly suitable to be called toilets. In a Syrian refugee settlement camp in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, for example, toilets surrounded by graffiti-covered corrugated sheet sit right up against flimsy tents. In the Marcory district of Abidjan, Ivo

The Managing Director,  Offshore Dimensions Limited, Engr Seun Faluyi has been conferred  Mechanical Engineer of the Year Award along with National Automotive Council Director General, Engr Aminu Jalal at the just concluded International Conference of Mechanical Engineers in Abuja, recently.  This is in recognition of their contributions  to the engineering development in the country. Offshore dimensions Limited was also recognized by the institution, as Company of the Year. The company has within its short period been contributing to engineering development and professional development of engineers, especially young engineers. In a related development,   a staff of the company, Isqil Najim, was conferred with National Chairman Award both in recognition of his contribution to the growth of mechanical engineering in the country Mr. Faluyi, a holder of Masters in Mechanical Engineering has been a consistent champion of professional development of mechanical engineers ove

The Ministry of Solid Mineral Development on Tuesday said 44 different types of minerals had been discovered in 500 locations across the country. Mr Sanusi Jubril, Head of Mineral and Metal Promotion Centre of the ministry, announced this in an interview in Abuja. Jubril said the minerals could be used for industrial and domestic purposes, adding that more would soon be discovered as research continued. According to him, Nigeria is blessed with coppers that can be used for electrical appliances. “We have the rare minerals mainly used for high-tech and they are available in abundance in Nasarawa, Zamfara, among others. “We have kaolin deposit across the country in abundance for industrial use; it is used for the production of papers, paints, rubbers, drugs, tyres and pen, among others. “Gypsum is also a mineral meant for industrial use such as building plaster, prefabricated wallboard, cement manufacture and for agriculture. “We have limestone, coal, lithium, platinum,

Over the last five years, Africa has seen the highest rate of population growth at about 2.5% annually and by 2050 a quarter of the world’s population will be on the continent. Put another way, of the 2.4 billion new people on the planet by 2050, 1.3 billion of them will come from the continent, based on data from the UN World Population Prospects (pdf). The increase in population, which will also be accompanied by lower mortality rates, presents the continent with an enormous opportunity, similar to the one experienced by East Asia in the second half of the twentieth century. The so-called demographic dividend is now upon Africa as well, economists say. By 2050 ten of the youngest countries in the world will be found on the continent. The new working-age population such an explosion will generate could to lead to a 11% to 15% GDP growth on the continent, World Bank analysts argue. This is the same as doubling the current rate of growth in the region. The poverty reduction th

The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Gu Xiaojie, on Tuesday said that the Chinese government would henceforth sanction any Chinese company that would disobey Nigeria’s local content and labour laws. Gu made the assertion in an interview with newsmen in Lagos following complaints by some Nigerians that the companies were not obeying Nigerian labour laws. The Envoy, however, said that he was yet to get any report from relevant Nigerian government authorities of such companies that were violating the laws.  “As an Embassy, we have always urged our companies in Nigeria to be law-abiding, as well as engage in their Corporate Social Responsibilities in their host communities. “Specifically, I am not aware of these isolated cases of complaints that Chinese companies are not obeying Nigerian Labour laws. “We have always reminded our companies that they should not put profit above the well being and interest of Nigerians working with them,’’ he said. Gu also said that it was imperat

Recent statistics show an increase in engineering graduates, however companies are still finding it hard to fill vacancies. Channel NewsAsia's Nicole Tan looks into what is causing the manpower crunch.  Engineering forms the backbone of the Republic’s economy, with about close to half of the economy relying on input from engineers. While there have been more engineering graduates in the last decade, companies are finding it hard to fill engineering vacancies. Observers have said engineering students like Teo Wei Jie are among the growing number of engineering students who plan to have careers outside the discipline. As a child, he said he would take his toys apart to see how they work or how they could even be redesigned. Taking his fascination to the next level, he is now an engineering science student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. His final-year project, done at the National University of Singapore (NUS), was recently showcased at the Singapore International Energy Week, al

Mr Etido Inyang, the Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the conference, told a press conference in Uyo on Sunday that the event, which would hold in December 2016, would also showcase the state’s potential to the outside world. Inyang, who is also the state’s Commissioner for Special Duties, said that the conference would, among other things, discuss the future of the engineering profession. He said that the event would also be an avenue for emerging engineers from the area to rub minds with veterans and those who had made their mark in the profession. “All the engineers all over the world will converge on Uyo in December 2016 for this conference. “Everybody is so particular about Akwa Ibom because of our infrastructure development, the speed at which it was done and it is still ongoing. “They want to come and learn, while discussing the future of the engineering profession. “We, as the LOC, have put our acts together to ensure a hitch-free organisation of the conf

This is a result of an interaction in a group of professionals. It is a group specifically dedicated to engineering matters and the rule is strictly to be  observed. compliance is strict as well. many senior members that ran foul of the rules were removed to enforce discipline. And so, the group was working well and running smoothly, with everyone fully aware of the dos and donts and there were orderliness in the house... On the sidelines, is this unknown face. we called him (or her) the  WeatherMan. for good reason. He has no name tag, and his only contribution to the group is to post weather forecast for Lagos city. He was consistent as he was irritating. He did not show up in any other discussions nor properly time his weather reporting. You could be on a crucial discussion which is generating passionate feedback from participants and drawing important inputs and the next thing you will see is the weather forecast in its annoying appearance and what follows is predictable...

I have read about the disapproval by a segment of the technical professionals who think it is wrong to appoint a lawyer as the minister of Power, Works and Housing. This complaint gained credence long before the official announcement. I am in agreement with such all the reasons advanced in support of the argument. As one of those who have long canvassed the same position, I can fully identify with their logic which makes sense from all professional angles one can look at except at “Right Angle.” Looking at the current reality and the urgency of today's Nigeria, I will say the rule of thumb has to be altered and the best person with strong personality and leadership qualities to bring sanity into the rotten sectors will be just fine. The appointment of Ex Gov Babatunde Raji Fashola key into this when one look at his antecedents. For many years, Nigerians have suffered immensely from epileptic power supply, deplorable road conditions and high rents. There are also increases in

Seven years after TransCanada Corp. initially applied for Keystone XL pipeline permit, US President Barack Obama rejects the bid. The Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline wouldn’t have been a silver bullet to launch the economy, nor would it have haven an express lane for oil and gas industry, U.S. President Barack Obama told the nation Friday in a statement from the White House. Rather, it could speed along the climate change that lawmakers around the world are fighting. With the United States leading the way, the nation must hold itself to the same climate standards it demands of others and reject the pipeline, he said. The KXL would’ve transported 830,000 barrels per day of heavy oil sands – about 700,000 barrels from Canada – while picking up an additional 100,000 or so barrels from heavy U.S. plays. Advocates said it would also reduce U.S. reliance on nations less friendly to the United States, including those in the Middle East and Venezuela. A southern leg of the pipeline is in

This past week, I hosted a meeting with a small group of oil and gas procurement executives  in Houston to share thoughts on some of the major trends occurring in oil and gas, changes to the global oil and gas organization structure, as well as the impacts on procurement capability in the emerging ecosystem. As companies continue to go global and enter into challenging land rig markets, the environment is becoming an increasingly complex and chaotic environment, and procurement will need to prepare for this new landscape. Companies are trying to move towards a value-based strategy and less volume, and are selling down to get their cash values higher.  Capital expenditures may start to fall, as they turn more to their operations to extract value. In the midstream markets, the regulatory environment is going up.  The regulatory body doubled in staff size last year and again doubled this year.  “We have inspectors behind our welders and our QC operators”. A majority of resources

SCIENTISTS at Leeds University are to create new robots and drones to help fix street lights and potholes as part of an ambitious plan to create “self-repairing cities.” Academics are leading a pioneering £4.2m national research project to develop small robots which can identify problems with utility pipes, street lights and roads and fix them. The idea is to create a “self repairing city” where working robots would cause minimal environmental impact and disruption to the public. After being thoroughly tested the robots will be trialled “in a safe environment” on the streets of Leeds. The researchers will initially develop new robot designs and technologies in three areas:  “Perch and Repair” – research to develop drones that can perch, like birds, on structures at height and perform repair tasks, such as repairing street lights. The new drones have not yet been developed but Leeds University is already at the cutting edge of robotics research. Graham Brown is pictured

The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday dismissed applications by the two engineers who built the collapsed six-storey guest house of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN). Justice Ibrahim Buba dismissed their rights enforcement suits which sought to prevent their arrest, saying they lacked merit. Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun had sought to prevent their trial over the fatality which occurred last September 12, killing 116 persons. They urged the court to restrain the Lagos State government and the police from inviting, arresting or prosecuting them after they were indicted by a District Coroner, Oyetade Komolafe. After an inquest, the coroner held in his verdict that the building collapsed due to structural defects. Ogundeji and Fatiregun filed two suits against the Commissioner of Police, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Lagos Attorney-General and Komolafe. The applicants prayed the court to declare that the police

A solar-powered high-tech greenhouse, systems to stop electricity theft, and food supplements made from caterpillars are among twelve innovations shortlisted for the 2015/2016 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation by the Royal Academy of Engineering. Also selected are mobile technologies which guide parents through pregnancy and connect heart patients to cardiologists, and a three-wheeled mini-tractor which doubles as a generator. The Africa Prize, now in its second year, is Africa’s largest award dedicated to engineering innovation. It covers all engineering disciplines from mechanical, civil and computing to agricultural, biomedical, oil and gas, mining and electronics. The twelve engineering entrepreneurs will be encouraged and supported to grow a business from their innovation through six months of training and money-can’t-buy mentoring from business development and engineering experts. An overall winner will be announced in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in May 2016. The winn

The Federal Government has approved the construction of the $2.4 billion Lagos red line rail project. Commissioner for Transportation Dayo Mobereola said approving the right-of-way for the project had been a problem for years. He said the last Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)- led Federal Government foot-dragged in approving the right-of-way, which belonged to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC). According to him, it took Lagos four and half years to get approval for the project and another four years for discussion on the technicality of the project. “It took us four and half years to get approval for the project. It took us another four years to get them to discuss the technicality of the project with us. The right-of-way has been approved and we are in full discussion with the bidders,” he said. On the Blue Line Light Rail project, the commissioner said the government would complete it by the end of next year. He said Lagos was the only state in the world to have emba

DeamOval Limited chief executive officer, Derrydean Dadzie reckons manufacturing alone cannot be the panacea to Ghana's current economic woes. The dynamics of getting a manufacturing system together in Ghana make it quite difficult for the country to benefit tremendously from the manufacturing of anything. Take Ghana courting internationally based companies to invest in any sector in Ghana, you realize we may end up with a shareholding and business models between the State and the International Companies which yields no significant valuable dividends for the country. What we face is a situation of 'He who pays the piper calls the tune' Key concern areas, will be limited local contents in the operations of the factory, contract terms and tax regimes that nullifies any financial gains to the state. Typical examples are how our mining sector has yet to boost our economy, compared to a country like South Africa, and how we are yet to figure out as a country how to

China has entered the single-aisle aircraft market with the official rollout of COMAC’s new C919 airliner in Shanghai. The C919 enters a Chinese single-aisle market that is estimated by Boeing to require 4,630 new aircraft worth $490bn through to 2034. The aircraft, designed to fly for 90,000 flying hours/30 calendar years, is expected to compete against the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. “Within a few years China should be the world aviation leader, in terms of airport capacity and the number of aircraft in service,” said Jean-Luc Doublet, head of commercial airplane programs in China for Safran, a major engine and equipment supplier on the C919. The C919, which is scheduled for its first test flight in 2016, can be fitted with 156-168 seats and has a range of between 4,075km and 5,555km. Around 517 C919’s are said to have been ordered by 21 Chinese and foreign customers. While China retains the IP, a number of foreign companies have supplied key components to the aircraft,