My Engineers Blog

With approximately 11 million people between the ages of 15 and 34 out of work in Nigeria, it is becoming more important than ever to tackle the country’s youth unemployment challenge with practical and effective solutions.  Without a doubt, higher education plays a key role in reversing unemployment trends in Nigeria, and in helping young people to establish meaningful careers. The Nigerian Government and other education stakeholders across the country have recognised this, opening over 70 new universities since 2005. However, as the international experience demonstrates, higher education in itself is no panacea to curbing youth unemployment. Whilst creating additional university places is essential, what also needs to be considered is the quality and relevance of the tertiary education students are receiving. Frank Edwards, Education Expert and Workforce Development Director at Pearson, believes that giving students an education that sets them up for success in work and life is

Some 180,000 children under the age of five die every year - roughly 500 a day - in sub-Saharan Africa due to diarrhoeal diseases linked to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned today ahead of a conference in the region on boosting financing for the sector. Aiming to help bring universal access to water and sanitation to West and Central Africa, UNICEF has convened, in cooperation with the Government of Senegal and the African Minister's Council on Water, the first West and Central Africa Innovative Financing for Water Sanitation & Hygiene, which will be held in the Senegalese capital from today through Thursday, 17 December. "With children dying every single day, with millions stunted, with such a huge economic toll, it cannot be business as usual," said UNICEF Regional Director for West & Central Africa Manuel Fontaine, adding that the pace of progress has to speed up exponentially - and it will tak

A place where opportunities and youths abound, yet unemployment reigns, is a place devoid of strategic management of resources and doomed for crime and restiveness. Such a place is not hard for any Nigerian to imagine, because it actually exists and we live in it. Daily Times findings has however shown that an interesting 17-year old scheme in Lagos exists which provides ample opportunities for youths seeking gainful employment, the question is how successful has it been? Perhaps you live in Lagos and you ply the Ogba-Agege axis, then you may by now be familiar with seeing mature youths clad in black and white uniforms and probably concluded that they are students of a learning institute of some sorts and of course continue minding your business, which is what everyone is expected to do in Lagos. Taking a bus ride with one of the students Tolulope one fateful day, provided just the ample opportunity for interaction and to one’s greatest shock, behold Tolu was a university grad

The Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Lagos State Chapter recently organised its Inauguration Ceremony of its new Chairman, Engr Funmi Akingbagbohun FNIMechE after a hugely successful tenure of Engr |Amos Komolafe FNIMechE. The event which held at the Sheraton Hotel and Tower, Lagos brought together dignitaries from both Engineering and Business Community.  Chaired by National Chairman, Engr Prof Ademola Adisa, FNIMechE who was represented by Immediate Past National Chairman Engr Ayo Fanimokun, FNIMechE, it was to become a memorable day as Outgoing Chapter Chairman, Engr Amos Komolafe played the perfect host to the August gathering. Other Dignitaries in attendance are Special Guest of Honour, Mr. Shakiru Oyefeso, M.D. Standard Assurance Nigeria plc, Prof. Toyin Ashiru, M.D. /CEO Tricontinental Oil Services Ltd, Who delivered The Inauguration Lecture Titled "Engineering the Engineers for Nigeria's Global Competitiveness." Others are HRH Adebisi Okunbanjo

Four universities in Nigeria have been selected to establish department Welding Engineering in 2016 according to Chief Solomon Edebiri, President, Nigeria Institute of Welding (NIS). The institutions as University of Benin, Benin City, Edo state; Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta state; Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger state; and Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bauchi state. The decision followed the intervention of the Petroleum Development Fund (PTDF) welding capacity development and the recent concluded institutional welding and fabrication capacity audit for universities. Edebiri said in Benin City during the flag-off ceremony of Advanced and Specialised Welding Local Course that staff of the NIW had commenced the process of working with staff of the affected higher institution to draw up curriculum for the departments. He noted that the availability of competency in welding, inspection, fitting and machining and welding engineerin

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has called on member countries of the African Petroleum Producers Association (APPA), to close ranks and bring their influence to bear on the global oil and gas production matrix. Speaking at a media briefing to herald the forthcoming 6th Africa Petroleum Congress and Exhibition (CAPE Vl) billed for Abuja from 15th – 17th March, 2016, Dr. Kachikwu stated that it was high time APPA members rallied round to forge common positions on critical areas of mutual interest to galvanize their stakes especially in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC.  “APPA needs to meet more often, strategize more often and speak with one voice,” he said. The NNPC GMD also called on APPA member countries to resist the temptation of being over competitive among themselves so as not to deplete their strength in OPEC and other global oil and gas organizations. On the forth coming CAPE VI, the Minister informed that th

Following completion of its currently proposed merger with BG Group PLC, Royal Dutch Shell PLC says it expects an overall potential reduction of 2,800 jobs globally across the combined group, or 3% of the total combined group workforce (OGJ Online, Apr. 8, 2015). Shell deems the moves necessary to “achieve the expected benefits of the recommended combination, including previously disclosed and reported-on pretax synergies of $3.5 billion.” With BG’s business expected to be integrated into Shell’s business, Shell proposes that office consolidation is undertaken “where practical” in certain locations around the world. With regards to office footprint rationalization in the UK, Shell says it will, following deal completion, undertake a comprehensive review during the course of 2016. The reductions are in addition to previously announced plans to reduce Shell’s headcount and contractor positions by 7,500 globally. The newly proposed changes are subject to deal completion, engageme

Iran’s push for big investment in its oil industry comes amid crude prices sliding to new record lows but officials are confident the low cost of production in the country will supersede any drawback. The collapse of oil prices has driven many US shale and other high-cost producers out of business and forced companies to put their development plans on hold. Nevertheless, it is business as usual in Iran where production costs in some central oil fields wallow at $1-$1.5 a barrel. “Currently, the cheapest crude oil in terms of recovery costs is produced and supplied in Iran’s central regions where production is possible at $1-$1.5 a barrel,” CEO of Iranian Central Oil Fields Company Salbali Karimi said. The country’s oil reserves, the world's fourth largest estimated about 150 billion barrels, are mainly based in the Zagros belt and the Persian Gulf. n aerial view of an anticline in the Zagros Mountains. About a third of these anticlines contain hydrocarbons. With crude

Have you ever taken sandwiches to work and stored them in the fridge only to find at lunchtime a lunch thief has been around and stolen them? Perhaps you have children who take a packed lunch and other kids steal it or bullies take it from them? Well you could put an end to this with a very clever little invention from thinofthe.com. They have come up with Anti-Theft Lunch Bags that make your freshly prepared sandwich look as though it’s been in the bag for about a month and gone mouldy. The Anti-Theft Lunch Bags are plastic zipper bags that despite their appearance will keep your sandwiches fresh until its lunch time. The bags have been designed with green splotches on both sides to give the appearance that the sandwich inside is well past its sell by date. Of course with the bags looking so realistic it might not only put thieves off stealing and eating your sandwiches, it may also put you off too. You can pick up the Anti-Theft Lunch Bags from Perpetual Kid for a

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has outlined the Federal Government’s strategic plan on infrastructural development for the nation in the the three sectors. The Minister stated this while briefing the press on the plan. He noted that a large percentage of the difference in the proposed 2016 budget would go to capital projects. Speaking on the Power, Fashola said the economic prospects of Nigeria’s Power Sector has been projected to surpass that of Telecommunications if its privatization programme is diligently implemented. He said his quest is to stabilize the electric city market in Nigeria through consolidating the privatization the Power Sector to restore and sustain investors confidence, fully implement the media tariff order, prepaid metering among others, but first he says electricity consumers must clear up accumulated bills and ensure the pay for what the consume hence fort. He urged Government establishments to pay-up outstanding electrici

Full text of Babatunde Fashola’s inaugural media briefing of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing It is also no longer news that 3 (Three) Ministries or areas of critical public service of Power, Works and Housing have been merged into 1 (One) under the superintending authority of myself as substantive Minister and Mustapha Baba Shehuri (Honourable Minister of State) with 2 (Two) new Permanent Secretaries, Engr. Abubabar Magaji, redeployed from the Ministry of Interior to Works and Housing; and Mr. Louis Edozien from the private sector to assist us. Since our inauguration we have spent the last few days, getting to know ourselves and our officers, assessing the status of works done in all Ministries, meeting with some of our parastatals and corporations; (which is still on-ongoing) and generally trying to understand where things stand, where the problems are, what can be solved, what cannot be solved, what must continue and what must be altered. At this point I must