Health

Nigerian hospital closes hole in heart… without surgery
By Steve Dada, 11.24.2010

Barely a year after the cardiovascular specialist healthcare institution, Reddington Hospital, successfully performed the first cardiac catheterisation in the country, the hospital has recorded another medical feat by performing Nigeria's first devised closure of a hole-in-the-heart without surgery.



The latest landmark achievement known as Patient Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) by non-surgical intervention performed on three-year-old child, Victoria Onuoha, in a procedure hitherto traditionally done with open heart surgery was done with a small device that is inserted through a vein in the groin.

The Acting Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Olu Lawani, yesterday explained that the achievement was made possible following an intense collaboration between doctors at the Reddington Hospital and LASUCOM/LASUTH in a spirit of Public Private Partnership (PPP).

PDA is a congenital heart disease commonly seen in early childhood, which is a condition where the hole fails to close at birth for various reasons.

"The hole causes oxygenated blood leaving the heart through the Aorta to be pushed back into the right side of the heart causing lung congestions, pulmonary hypertension and enlargement of the heart," he said.

According to Lawani, the first report on the device closure of PDA was observed in 1967 by Porstmann and had gained wide acceptance and used all over the world since then, "but this is the first report of using this mode of treatment for PDA in West Africa".

Lawani said the team of doctors who performed the operation deserved to be congratulated for their courage and skillfulness in pioneering the historic event in Nigeria and possibly the first in West Africa.

"I have to use the word 'courage' because a lot of people were very nervous about the likely outcome of this procedure being the first to be performed in Nigeria using fully indigenous expertise," he noted.

It is cheery news for sufferers of cardiovascular complication who patronize Reddington Hospital for medical attention as the hospital has completed arrangements to crash its charges on ailments to accommodate more patients who, due to financial constraints, cannot attend the hospital for treatment.

Lawani said money was not paramount in the operations and services of the hospital but "first and foremost to offer humanitarian services to the general public", noting that situation in the country today called for that.

He said the management "has appointed an external consultant to look into how our hospital charges can be brought down considerably so that a lot of Nigerians can access and utilize the huge capacity we have to offer at the Reddington Hospital at affordable cost. We are hoping the new low price regime would be effective from January 2011.

"It is our belief that there are many more children who are still in chronic ill-health as a result of heart ailment who are yet to get help for sponsorship, to benefit from this definitive cure. As our contribution to this landmark event, the management of the Reddington Hospital took a decision to wave our own charges regarding the treatment of this patient in our facility."

The father of the baby, Mr. Kenneth Onuoha, explained that he and his wife observed that the heartbeat of Victoria, who was born in 2007, was too fast.

She was inactive, vomiting and regularly running temperature, which prompted them to take her to a hospital at Bariga, Lagos State, where they reside, but the hospital could not handle the case for which they were referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) where the baby was diagnosed with congenital heart complication.

Consultant Paediatric Interventional Cardiologist at LASUTH, Dr. Adeola Animasahun, a member of the team that performed the procedure, explained that cases of congenital heart disease (CHD) are very common now in the country, occurring 6-8 in 1,000 live births. PDA 1 occurs in 2,500 births, common in females and most common in people that live in high altitude.

Victims in the past were just dying because of lack of equipment for diagnosis of such conditions, she said, noting that there are advancements in the country's medical technology that could make health-care institutions to detect such complications now and for that more and more cases are being discovered in the hospitals.

Internet Technology


SAP floats Internet Academy
11.25.2010

Systems Application Products in data processing (SAP) has established an internet academy and learning software.

The world's leading provider of business software SAP, which delivers products and services that help accelerate business innovation for their customers has signed a partner co-operation agreement with Digitcom Technologies Limited to establish SAP e-Academy and e-Learning program in Nigeria.

The Managing Director of Digitcom Technologies, Mr. Ike Ezeani, informed THISDAY that "Digitcom started conducting SAP e-Academy and e-Learning training on the 1st of September, 2010 in Port Harcourt."

He said: "The supported E-learning programme delivers comprehensive training in a convenient and cost effective format. With e-Academies you will benefit from a flexible learning programme. E-Academies allow you to learn whenever and wherever you want. The learner gets flexible access to e-learning content, training systems, and help desk support over a 3 or 5-month period. E-Academies help their students get ready for job related tasks and prepares them for SAP's certification exams.

"During the access period the student will get access to mentor tips and expert know-how via voice chat, Net meeting, or Web-based chat. E-Academies are fully supported to ensure constant and consistent help to students for all units in the module.

"Certification exam will be conducted at the end of the course. You can choose the exam date from available schedule. On successfully clearing the Certification Exam, the candidate becomes an SAP Certified Consultant in that specific module. The Certificate is awarded by SAP AG and is valid internationally.

"The SAP e-Academies and e-Learning training is a laudable initiative, the percentage of those passing SAP Certification exam is higher for students enrolled in e-Academy than in conventional classes. Knowledge can be delivered wherever and whenever it is needed. He also said that its flexible format allows learners to proceed at their own pace and repeat lessons as needed while providing interactive snapshots and simulated exercises," he added.

Currently, he said that customers in more than 120 countries run SAP applications from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small businesses and midsize companies to suite offerings for global organisations."

Digitcom is a provider of Software Solutions, Business Management processes, Software Development, IT Consulting, Inter-Networking, CAD Services, Web Site Design and Training services with head office in Port Harcourt.

Space


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Russia plans to launch Nigerian satellites in December
Russia is planning to launch two Nigerian satellites into orbit in December, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X earth monitoring satellites will be launched to a solar-synchronized orbit by a Russian-Ukrainian Dnepr heavy carrier rocket.

"We are planning to launch two Nigerian satellites on board our carrier [rocket] in December," Lavrov told reporters on Wednesday after a meeting with his Nigerian counterpart Odein Ajumogobia in Abuja.

NigeriaSat-2 will be used primarily for resource management and mapping of the Nigerian territory, while NigeriaSat-X will assist with disaster relief and global environmental monitoring campaigns.

Nigeria became the third African country to enter the space age, after South Africa and Algeria, when Russia launched NigeriaSat-1 earth monitoring satellite in 2003.



ABUJA (Nigeria), November 18 (RIA Novosti)


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Health


Uduaghan Flags Off Free Healthcare For Children

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Governor Emmanuel Udaughan of Delta State on Thursday flagged off free health care programme for children under the age of five in the state.

Uduaghan, who inaugurated the initiative at Sapele General Hospital to commemorate the Children Day celebration, urged health givers not to abuse the programme, invoking the wrath of God on workers that would sabotage it.

The governor said the children have a right to health care as, according to him, many children died because their parents could not foot their medical bills.

He advised parents to be responsible and show some care to the children, and that they should take advantage of the programme to ensure that their children are taken to the hospital when ill, and not to quacks.

“We dedicate May 27 to children under five. They have the right to health care and money should not prevent them from being taken care of. As a practising medical doctor, I know many children died because their parents could not pay their bill; they go and patronise quacks. Delta State government has decided that even if we don’t do any other things, we must take care of them from the day they are conceived to when they are 5 years.

“I appeal to health workers that this programme should not be sabotaged. If you sabotage the programme, I might not see you, but God will see you and your reward will be devastating. The programme is not only for out-patients, it also includes those on admission, surgery and the state is taken that responsibility.”

Health Commissioner, Dr. Joseph Otumara, described children as the bedrock upon which the future of the state and indeed the country depends, as such it is “incumbent upon us to endeavour to keep them in the best possible condition of health in order to guarantee a very healthy and rewarding future for us all’’.

Nuclear Power
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IAEA Head Highlights Nigeria's Nuclear Ambitions


ABUJA (Reuters) - The new head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) used his first official foreign trip on Monday to spotlight Nigeria's nuclear energy ambitions, keeping quiet on other international issues.

Yukiya Amano met Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to discuss Nigerian plans to develop its first nuclear power plant, which could provide much needed electricity to sub-Saharan Africa's second biggest economy.

Amano also discuss cooperation with Nigeria on cancer therapy but did not publicly comment on any international matters.

Diplomats and analysts say the trip is the first stage of Amano's efforts to heal differences between mainly Western industrialised countries and developing nations, a split which has hampered a united response to Iran's nuclear programme.

"I made Nigeria my first port of call because Nigeria is a very important country in Africa," Amano told reporters after meeting briefly with Jonathan in the capital Abuja.

"We discussed the future co-operation between your country and IAEA, especially on the infrastructure support for Nigeria's nuclear power programme. We also discussed co-operation in cancer therapy," he said.

Amano will visit a nuclear technology centre and hospital around Abuja on Tuesday to highlight peaceful uses of the atom.

Although the country is Africa's biggest energy producer, most Nigerians go without mains electricity for weeks, leaving neighbourhoods without private generators in darkness every night and heightening frustration among its 140 million people.

The world's eighth largest oil exporter has spent billions of dollars over the past decade to resolve its power crisis, but residents have seen little improvement due to mismanagement and corruption.

Nigerian Science and Technology Minister Alhassan Bako Zaku said Russia agreed to help Nigeria's nuclear ambitions, which were still at an early stage.

"We are still on stage one. After this, the next stage is to start building the nuclear plant and we have started training our staff for it," he said.

Space
Nigerian discovers new heavenly body News Friday, December 17, 2010


Nigerian Born Scientist Dr. Alph-onsus Ekwerike of Science Medicine Research, has discovered a new heavenly body tagged 2010 TL 78. In a new space discovery news released recently by Dr Patrick Miller, President of the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) & a Professor of Mathematics & Astronomy at Harding-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.

USA,said this discovery was done on September 15,2010 but got confirmed last month with due credit to the discoverer, Dr. Alphonsus Ekwerike.

In his congratulatory statement on Dec.9,2010 to Dr.Alphonsus Ekwerike,he said "Now, keep in mind the discovery won't be numbered for 3-10 years.

Additional observations will be made over the years until the orbit is fully refined. It is at that point that the discovery is numbered and placed into the world's official catalog. Your discovery is now in the provisional stage, and being monitored by the Minor Planet Center."

http://odili.net/news/source/2010/dec/17/310.html

NigComSat replacement for launch Dec 2011



Headlines Thursday, December 30, 2010


By Prince Osuagwu

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LAGOS - Replacement for the failed Nigerian Communications Satellite, NIGCOMSAT1R, may go up to the orbit end of 2011. This date, according to the managers of the Satellite, Nigerian Communications Satellite Company Limited, NigComSAT Ltd, was given by the Chinese company, China Walls, handling the project.






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However, the company also revealed that the Nigerian government was putting pressure on the Chinese company to speed up work on the project to have it launched at an earlier date.

Speaking with journalists in an interactive session yesterday in Abuja, CEO of NigcomSat, Engr Ahmed Rufai, said he just returned from China, where in the company of Minister of Finance and other government officials, inspected the level of work on the Satellite replacement.

According to Rufai, work on the project was at the finishing stage and the company building the satellite has picked December 2011 as the month to launch the satellite but the government officials who saw the speed of work argued that it can be done in an earlier time if more effort is added.

Nigeria's first communication satellite, NigComSat1, was in 2008, de-orbited shortly after it was launched into space in 2007.

Rufai said: "I just returned from China, where, in the company of Minister of Finance and other government officials, we went to assess the level of work on NigComSat1R. The minister himself was happy with the level of work so far and was optimistic that given a little more effort it could be launched even earlier than the December 2011 date the satellite builders was slating. But what ever happens, we are sure now that all things being equal, the replacement for Nigcomsat1 would go into space by fourth quarter of 2011″

Explaining what led to de-orbiting the satellite in the first place, NigComSat project manager, Abdulrahim Adajah, said it was as a result of the technical challenges it had, which could happen to any space satellite. He said shortly after Nigeria lost her satellite in orbit in 2008, three other countries also lost several satellites as well.

He assured Nigerians that as soon as the satellite is relaunched, the agency would embark on the second project tagged NigComSat2.

Adajah saidNigComSat1R as a communication satellite would help Nigeria in strengthening broadcast operations, boost broadband development, monitor and track railway, sea and air haulages on different routes and would equally help in controlling national security issues.

Adajah said the Chinese who built the failed NigCom Sat1 was also building the replacement satellite at no extra cost to Nigeria

According to him, having trained more than 500 Engineers between the time the first satellite was built and now, the replacement would now be monitored and controlled in Nigeria from the very first day it would be launched, even though the there would be presence of the Chinese engineers in Nigeria to also straighten operations.

He added that his company has built enough capacity on the ground stations in Abuja for the control and monitoring of NigComSat1R

World Bank lists Nigerian firm among top emission control inventors
Wednesday, 02 February 2011

AN indigenous company- Quintas Renewable Energy Solution, based in Akure, Ondo State, has been named by the Climatology Division of the World Bank as one of the 10 inventors selected across the globe for contributing towards reduction in carbon emission through their products in 2010.

The development came as the Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, urged the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), to focus on researches aimed at finding alternative sources of energy “for the country to make the required headway in industrial development.”

Incorporated in 2009, after ten years of research and development in the area of power backup (electricity) in critical areas in hospitals, offices, homes and rural communities, Quintas has a large percentage of the UPS market in Ondo and neigbouring states of Osun, Ekiti and Edo.

The company was also adjudged by the World Economic Forum (WEF), alongside 30 others, as WEF Technology Pioneers for the same period and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Omotayo Dairo, invited by the global body to Davos, Switzerland to be part of the yearly conference.

Briefing newsmen in Akure before the trip, Dairo, a medical doctor and Chairman of the Governing Board of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), said representatives of the selected companies would have private sessions with various multinational concerns across the world before having an evening with Bill Gates on Saturday.

According to Dairo, the power backups- inverters, being produced by the organisation are equipped with buffer voltage compensation features to prevent voltage drop when being loaded, battery overcharge/overdischarge and other protective features.


He explained that the inventions of the organisation in the area of generation of electricity for use in the rural communities were being set for demonstrations as precedent to commercialisation, stressing that the company had concluded plans to establish the first factory in Africa that would process saw dust, wood shavings and chippings to high energy yielding pellets and reduce global green house gas emission.

While stressing that the Davos conference would be an opportunity to showcase Nigeria to the world and attract international investment into the country, Dairo said: “Already, international financial institutions in America and Standard Chartered Bank, had expressed interest in the projects and were willing to support the initiative.”

He, however, said the organisation expects about N5 billion facility in the next five years to bolster its renewable energy drive in Africa for the next three years, noting that with a combination of efforts, Nigeria’s energy problem would be solved by the next ten years.


Link (http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37263:world-bank-lists-nigerian-firm-among-top-emission-control-inventors&catid=31:business&Itemid=562)

MTN's Commissions Digital Library At Benin University

the commissioning of the MTN digital library, which constitutes the fourth phase of the project, is scheduled for Monday, March 14th, 2011.

The MTN Foundation UniversitiesConnect project is an ICT-in-Education project like the Foundation's flagship project, SchoolsConnect, which equips secondary schools students and teachers with requisite skills to function effectively in the fast evolving digital economy.

The project is being implemented by the Education Portfolio of the Foundation.

Dignitaries from all walks of life, including government officials, members of the boards of MTN Nigeria and the MTN Foundation, as well as top officials of the University of Benin are expected at the occasion.

The UniversitiesConnect digital library comprises 128 networked computers, 3 servers, 2 high capacity printers, one sound proof 100KVA generator, VSAT equipment and internet connectivity with a 2 year subscription. The library is linked to world-class digital libraries across the world, providing access to electronic resources like books, journals, magazines etc, covering all subjects from Law, Architecture and Medicine to Arts, and Engineering.


The first phase of the project benefitted University of Lagos, Akoka while the second phase benefitted Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. University of Nigeria, Nsukka is the third beneficiary of the unique project.

Bijemi software out in 3 Nigerian languages

While more Nigerians retool indigenous software application for global competitiveness, the first web service in the world to support Nigeria three major languages, Bijemi has been launched into the market.

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Emmanuel Onyeje, General Manager, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Vincent Mante of Hiperdist Ghana, Ugochi Asinugo of HP Experience Store, Aderemi Adejumo of Resourcery and Seye Oloruntoba, Anti-Piracy Manager, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa

Speaking to IT journalists last week in Lagos to unveil the product, the Managing Director of Zeritron Limited , Mr Nnamdi Anyanwu said that Bijemi.com software application would bridge the gap and create a platform for individuals and Small and Medium Business, (SMBs) to connect and publish their businesses online without the cost associated with owing online presence.

“A lot still needs to be done as only about less than 3% has access to broadband in Nigeria. While commending the efforts of the Nigeria Communication Commission thus far, little has been achieved in content creation and management.

“One would wonder and ask how all these affect the average farmer in the rural areas. Talk is cheap they say and access to content is expensive. Over 85% SMBs especially those in the rural areas do not have access to publish their businesses online.

”Business owners can setup and maintain minisites on bijemi instead of spending huge sum in paying website designers. This will enable them focus on their core competencies.

“Bijemi.com is the first web service in the world to support Nigeria three major languages. Bijemi is also the only web service in the world that supports the use of the N sign. Users can write articles, questions and answers in Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

“This will encourage the growth and development of these languages while giving Nigerians more sense of belonging” the IT technocrat explained.

According to him, Bijemi.com is a community web service which enables users to share their expertise, business and themselves. “We specialize in the design, development, and deployment of interactive web sites, Enterprise web application and customized software” he said.

Nnamdi, who has an extensive experience in computer programming and largely in software development noted with optimism that by leveraging on the web service architecture, businesses can expand and reach out to other businesses and consumers by publishing their content themselves.

“Users earn reputation points by sharing, contributing and collaborating with others. Specifically, information that can be shared on bijemi.com includes but not limited to expertise, personal achievements, real_life experiences, articles, jobs, questions and answers, I_need_to_know, business profile and more. The more points you earn the higher your level which gives you extended and enhanced privileges to do more” he added.

Vanguard News (http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/05/bijemi-software-out-in-3-nigerian-languages/)

FG to launch NigeriaSat-2, NigeriaSat-X this month
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sunday Aborisade, Akure






The Head, Media and Corporate Affairs, National Space Research and Development Agency, Mr. Felix Ale, has said that the country will launch into the orbit the NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X satellites later this month.

Ale disclosed this in Akure on Friday when he spoke at a programme organised by the Ondo State Radio-Vision Corporation's chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

The NASRDA spokesman explained that the NigeriaSat-2 was a follow up to the success recorded with the NigeriaSat-1, which was designed for five years, but had been operating in the orbit for about eight years now.

He noted that the satellite had supported over 2,000 applications for research within and outside Nigeria, and had also assisted in the area of flood disaster in Argentina, Uruguay, North Korea, Pakistan, China, Vietnam, United States and some parts of Africa.

Ale said that the NigeriaSat-2 would be used primarily for resource management and mapping within the Nigerian territory.

He said the satellite would provide a high resolution system to map Nigeria once every four months.

Ale said, "It will support the NGDI programme by providing high quality data and enhance human natural resources in the use of satellite data.

"The satellite, which is designed for seven years, will meet demand for high resolution images locally and internationally.".

The NigeriaSat-X, on the other hand, is an experimental satellite solely designed and manufactured to improve the standard of Nigerian engineers using the facilities of NASRDA's technical partners in the United Kingdom.

"The satellite will be launched alongside NigeriaSat-2 for earth observation mission," Ale added.

He said that NigComSat-1 was designed in 2007 with a life span of 15 years, but regretted that the satellite was de-orbited 18 months after launch and active usage due to power related problems.

Friday, June 10, 2011
Nigerian plants show promise against polio virus
BY CHUKWUMA MUANYA


A novel Nigerian plant, Sphenocentrum jollyanum (akerejupon in Yoruba), could be the next best drug for poliomyelitis, diabetes, impotence and multi-drug resistant bacteria. CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.


Nigerian plants show promise against polio virus


THREE Nigerian plants have shown promise in the global effort to eradicate the Wild Polio Virus (WPV).

The study, published in Nigerian Journal of Natural Products and Medicine by J. O. Moody and V. A. Roberts is titled "Antiviral effect of selected medicinal plants: Diospyros bateri, Diospyros monbutensis and Sphenocentrum jollyanum on polio viruses."

According to the study, methanolic extracts of the different morphological parts of three medicinal plants, Diospyros bateri, Diospyros monbutensis and Sphenocentrum jollyanum were evaluated for their antiviral activities on polio virus Types 1, 2, and 3.

The leaf and root extracts of S. jollyanum, the seed extracts of D. monbutensis as well as the leaf extract of D. bateri were active against polio virus Type 2 in both the 'post-treatment assay' and 'pre-treatment assay' protocols.

The seed extract of D. bateri were active against poliovirus Type 2 in 'post-treatment assay only'. Toxicity level of each plant extract or indicator cell lines were also determined and found to range from Minimum Cytotoxic Dose (MCD50) of 3.9x10-3 mg ml-1 for crude methanol leaf extract of S. jollyanum on Hep-2 (Human Epithelia cell line) to MCD50 of 1.2x10-7 mg ml-1 for leaf methanol extract of D. bateri on Vero cell line (African Green Monkey Fibroblast).

Phytochemical screening of the plants revealed that tannins and saponins were present in the three plants while only D. monbutensis contain both combined and free anthraquinones.

The plant Sphenocentrum jollyanum belongs to menispermaceae family. In indigenous Yoruba language, it is called akerejupon.

According to another study published in African Journal Medicine and Medical Sciences, the alcoholic extracts of leaves of Diospyros bateri and D. monbuttensis showed strong antibacterial activity against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, while only the aqueous extract of D. bateri showed antibacterial activity against all the bacteria tested.

Another study published in Journal of Medicinal Plants Research concluded: "The result of this finding clearly indicated that the aqueous extract of S. jollyanum root was effective in reducing the blood glucose concentration of alloxan diabetic and hyperglycaemic (high blood glcose) rabbits. This is informative requiring that further work be conducted. This may be a potential source for the development of a new effective oral anti-diabetic agent."

The study, titled "The effect of aqueous root extract of Sphenocentrum jollyanum on blood glucose level of rabbits," was conducted by researchers from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State and College of Medicine, University of Lagos.

The researchers wrote: "Sphenocentrum jollyanum, a perennial plant is an erect shrub that belongs to the family Menispermaceae. It is distributed along the west coast of Africa from Sierra Leone across Nigeria to Cameroun. The plant is traditionally used as remedy for feverish conditions, cough and wound dressing and as an aphrodisiac. Studies have shown the leaves to possess significant antipyretic and analgesic activities. The roots and leaves have been reported to be active against Polio Type-2 virus. Investigations revealed that different parts of the plant exhibited significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties."

The bark of Sphenocentrum jollyanum has been shown to stimulate sexual capability. Its fruit tastes like mango and is edible. Sphenocentrum jollyanum is believed by medicine men to have unusual leading properties, so explaining why the root extract is swallowed for constipation and to increase appetite as well as a stomachic in southern Nigeria and Ghana.

However, results of a comprehensive assessment of the effect of Sphenocentrum jollyanum root extract on male reproductive activity in albino rats published in Reproductive Medicine and Biology suggest that methanol extract of the Sphenocentrum jollyanum root could produce harmful effects on reproductive functions in male albino rats which can be attributed to poor sperm quantity (epididymal sperm count), quality (sperm motility, viability and morphology) and testicular degeneration. The steroidogenic potential of the plant could explain its use as an aphrodisiac agent.

The researchers wrote: "Male albino rats were treated orally with distilled water (vehicle for the extract; control) and 50, 100 and 150 mg kg?1 body weight of Sphenocentrum jollyanum root extract for 8 weeks. Each group had its own recovery. Rats were killed 24 h after the last treatment. Caudal epididymal sperm count, motility, viability, morphology and organ weights were determined. Hematological indices, serum proteins, enzymes, testicular superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and testicular and epididymal histology were determined.

"Compared with the control, the extract caused a dose dependent significant reduction in progressive motility of spermatozoa, viability and total sperm counts. The number of abnormal spermatozoa and epididymal volume were not statistically significant. There was a significant increase in serum testosterone levels in rats treated with 50 and 100 mg kg?1 of Sphenocentrum jollyanum.

"There was a significant increase in red blood cell count, packed cell volume and hemoglobin concentration, whereas there was no change in white blood cell count, mean total serum protein, albumin and globulin in the sera of Sphenocentrum jollyanum treated rats when compared with the control.


.

"The extract caused a significant decrease in serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities with a significant increase in testicular SOD activity at a dose of 50 mg kg?1 bodyweight. Testicular cytoarchitecture of the extract treated rats showed degeneration of seminiferous tubules, whereas regeneration of germinal epithelium and restructuring of the germinal interstitium occurred in the recovery rats. No lesions were observed in the epididymis of the rats."




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Builders scramble for Nigeria’s second satellite contract Technology Wednesday, June 15, 2011





By Prince Osuagwu

Different satellite builders and service providers across the world are at the moment polishing their briefcases ready to storm Nigeria to slug it out for who grabs the contract to build the country's second communications satellite.


According to reliable sources, the process of getting the second and possibly third satellites off ground would begin immediately after the launch of NigComSat-1R later in the year.

NigComSat-1R is the replacement of Nigeria's communications satellite, NigComSat-1, which developed faults and was subsequently de-orbited in November 2008, 18 months after it was launched.

After attempts by NigComSat engineers and the satellite manufacturer, China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) failed to rescue the satellite, China Wall settled for a replacement, resulting in the NigComSat-1R which is reported to be nearing completion and ready to launch by the fourth quarter of this year.

The country seems to have realised that those going into the business of communications satellite must provide back-ups against any eventuality. This is particularly, when it has become obvious that a communication satellite would help a country like Nigeria, in strengthening broadcast operations, boost broadband development, monitor and track railway, sea and air haulages, on different routes, just as it would equally help in controlling national security issues.

This eventually makes the Nigerian communications satellite contract, plum for world renowned satellite builders and indeed, at the recently concluded Satellite Communications, SATCOM Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, interests were high among satellite builders, service providers and ancillary operators on who grabs the contract. Most of the arguments on why companies other than the China Great Wall should secure the contract included that Chinese companies were allegedly amateurs in satellite business.

However, Nigerian officials including engineers, who attended the event, did not buy any of the arguments but rather maintained that the major edge to securing the contract was a superior technology transfer business policy.

cations Commission, NCC, Engr Bashir Gwandu, on enhancing Africa's access to ICTs via satellite, multitude of satellite builders and launchers from Europe and America swarmed around to enquire on activities surrounding the contract of the second and third satellites for Nigeria.

Some of them openly signified interest, arguing that their long standing experience would give Nigeria's space experience some boost.

Although Gwandu in reply to those requests openly declared that he was in no position to know or determine who grabs the contract or not, he however told them that the Nigerian government was highly interested in those that can transfer satellite technology knowledge to the army of Nigerian engineers so that they can become satellite builders and launchers in the future.

According to him, "it’s unfortunate that most of you signifying interest do not have business models that support transfer of technology and Nigeria does not have the leisure of spending huge sums of money to build satellites when her engineers can do little or nothing if anything goes wrong in it.

"If you are not interested in taking Nigerian engineers through the length and breadth of what it takes to do what you are doing, sorry, we may not be interested in your offer.

We are not going to be stampeded or blackmailed with how amateur the Chinese companies are in satellite manufacture or launching but if they are the ones that can open our engineers' eyes in this technology, let them have it," he added. Gwandu noted that even satellites built by world renowned corporations also fail.

The satellite industry, like others, has its share of mishaps. Hotbird 3, owned and operated by Eutelsat had its solar array damaged in October 2006. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency lost its MTSAT 1R in April 2006. The satellite failed to operate and lost attitude on 16 April. However, it was regained 16 hours later.

This happened about a year after it was originally launched. PanAmSat lost its PAS 6 communication satellite in 2004 due to significant loss of power. It was built by the highly reputable SpaceSystems/Loral (SS/L)

Even recently Satellite fleet operator Intelsat, reported, that one of the two principal reflector antennas on its just-launched New Dawn telecommunications satellite for South Africa failed to deploy in orbit and that release of the other antenna will await attempts to force the first one to spring loose.

Builders scramble for Nigeria’s second satellite contract

Technology Wednesday, June 15, 2011





By Prince Osuagwu

Different satellite builders and service providers across the world are at the moment polishing their briefcases ready to storm Nigeria to slug it out for who grabs the contract to build the country's second communications satellite.


According to reliable sources, the process of getting the second and possibly third satellites off ground would begin immediately after the launch of NigComSat-1R later in the year.

NigComSat-1R is the replacement of Nigeria's communications satellite, NigComSat-1, which developed faults and was subsequently de-orbited in November 2008, 18 months after it was launched.

After attempts by NigComSat engineers and the satellite manufacturer, China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) failed to rescue the satellite, China Wall settled for a replacement, resulting in the NigComSat-1R which is reported to be nearing completion and ready to launch by the fourth quarter of this year.

The country seems to have realised that those going into the business of communications satellite must provide back-ups against any eventuality. This is particularly, when it has become obvious that a communication satellite would help a country like Nigeria, in strengthening broadcast operations, boost broadband development, monitor and track railway, sea and air haulages, on different routes, just as it would equally help in controlling national security issues.

This eventually makes the Nigerian communications satellite contract, plum for world renowned satellite builders and indeed, at the recently concluded Satellite Communications, SATCOM Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, interests were high among satellite builders, service providers and ancillary operators on who grabs the contract. Most of the arguments on why companies other than the China Great Wall should secure the contract included that Chinese companies were allegedly amateurs in satellite business.

However, Nigerian officials including engineers, who attended the event, did not buy any of the arguments but rather maintained that the major edge to securing the contract was a superior technology transfer business policy.

cations Commission, NCC, Engr Bashir Gwandu, on enhancing Africa's access to ICTs via satellite, multitude of satellite builders and launchers from Europe and America swarmed around to enquire on activities surrounding the contract of the second and third satellites for Nigeria.

Some of them openly signified interest, arguing that their long standing experience would give Nigeria's space experience some boost.

Although Gwandu in reply to those requests openly declared that he was in no position to know or determine who grabs the contract or not, he however told them that the Nigerian government was highly interested in those that can transfer satellite technology knowledge to the army of Nigerian engineers so that they can become satellite builders and launchers in the future.

According to him, "it’s unfortunate that most of you signifying interest do not have business models that support transfer of technology and Nigeria does not have the leisure of spending huge sums of money to build satellites when her engineers can do little or nothing if anything goes wrong in it.

"If you are not interested in taking Nigerian engineers through the length and breadth of what it takes to do what you are doing, sorry, we may not be interested in your offer.

We are not going to be stampeded or blackmailed with how amateur the Chinese companies are in satellite manufacture or launching but if they are the ones that can open our engineers' eyes in this technology, let them have it," he added. Gwandu noted that even satellites built by world renowned corporations also fail.

The satellite industry, like others, has its share of mishaps. Hotbird 3, owned and operated by Eutelsat had its solar array damaged in October 2006. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency lost its MTSAT 1R in April 2006. The satellite failed to operate and lost attitude on 16 April. However, it was regained 16 hours later.

This happened about a year after it was originally launched. PanAmSat lost its PAS 6 communication satellite in 2004 due to significant loss of power. It was built by the highly reputable SpaceSystems/Loral (SS/L)

Even recently Satellite fleet operator Intelsat, reported, that one of the two principal reflector antennas on its just-launched New Dawn telecommunications satellite for South Africa failed to deploy in orbit and that release of the other antenna will await attempts to force the first one to spring loose.

Didnt they say it was going to be Russian built before???

i acutally thought it was supposed to be chinese, but since the last chinese one failed im not surprised they're shopping

Didnt they say it was going to be Russian built before???
NigeriaSat 2 and NigeriaSat X are remote sensing satellites both are going to be launched on a russian/ukraine Dnepr rocket from a launch site in Yasny, Russia. NigeriaSat 2 is build around the british manufactured SSLT 300 bus while NigeriaSatX is based on the SSLT100 platform. Launch date: June 2011.

NIGCOMSAT 1R is chinese build communication satellite launched as a replacement for the failed NIGCOMSAT 1 to be launch on a chinese CZ-3B/E rocket from Xichang, China. Launch date: October-December 2011.

FG launches first indigenous satellite July 7




Friday, June 24, 2011
By VICTORIA OJEME & CALEB AYANSINA


ABUJA – The Federal Government yesterday fixed July 7 to launch its first made in Nigeria spacecraft, known as NIGERIASAT-X, alongside that designed and built by foreigners, NIGERIASAT-2.



At present, Nigeria has only one satellite in the orbit, and the launch of these two satellites will increase the number to three, making Nigeria the second African country, besides Egypt with 4 satellites.

Director General, National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, Dr. Seidu Mohammed, who disclosed this at a briefing on the launch of Nigeria two high resolution satellites, said the project cost the country 34 millions pounds.

He said NIGERIASAT-X depicted the ingenuity of Nigerians, as it was designed and built by Nigerian engineers trained in building of spacecraft with good configuration.

"NIGERIASAT-X is the ingenuity of our engineers who have undergone training in the design and building of satellite.

It depicts Nigeria's first effort at developing satellites and will be launched alongside NIGERIASAT-2. NIGERIASAT-2 is a high resolution satellite with a 2.5m GDS in the panchromatic channel and it is an improvement on NigeriaSat-1 which had a resolution of 32m”.

Pierre Omidyar
The Omidyar Network, founded by eBay’s billionaire founder, Pierre Omidyar has awarded a $200,000 grant to fund the Co-Creation Hub, Nigeria’s first open living lab and pre-incubation space. The hub has also received a $45,000 grant from the Indigo Trust, a unit of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts of the U.K.

According to a press release, the Co-creation Hub is a “non-profit, social enterprise centered around a shared work space where stakeholders from multiple walks of Nigerian life come together to collaboratively create tech-based solutions that address social challenges facing Nigerian society. It will be Nigeria’s first multi-functional, multi-purpose space dedicated to the creation of social technology ventures.”

The Hub will be a geek heaven of sorts, a place where techies, software developers, mobile and web programmers, government, tech companies, hackers and venture capitalists can converge to collectively create ground breaking mobile, web and software technologies that will solve social and tech-related problems around Africa, create job opportunities, and secure Nigeria’s place in the global league of tech superpowers. The co-creation hub is scheduled to launch operations in August this year.

Founded by tech enthusiasts Bosun Tijani and Femi Longe the hub will accommodate about 50-60 tech start-ups at a time and will provide a plethora of pre-incubation services including, but not limited to: training, mentorship from seasoned professionals in the technology industry and access to local and international venture capitalists. The hub will also serve as a place for stakeholders to convene, develop strategic partnerships, brainstorm on ideas and collaborate through focus groups, meet-ups, hackathons, competitions and talks by seasoned tech entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.

This is not the first time the Omidyar network is supporting the creation of a tech hub in Africa. Last year, the Omidyar network along with Hivos of Netherlands funded the iHub, Kenya’s first tech innovation hub to meet the incubation needs of the country’s ever-growing tech community. iHub, founded by Ushahidi co-founder Erik Hersman, is multi-functional in scope, serving as an open community workspace for numerous techies, a hub for investors and venture capitalists and an incubator for tech entrepreneurs. iHub officially opened to the Kenyan public in March 2010, and already boasts over 4,500 programmers, developers and entrepreneurs in its network.

Several innovation hubs are springing up across Africa. In February 2008, the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) was established in Accra, Ghana. MEST, a non-profit tech incubator, was founded by Jorn Lyseggen, a Norwegian software entrepreneur, and provides training, mentorship, incubation and funding for Ghanaian software developers, providing local jobs in the process. One of the successful startups to emerge from MEST is Leti Games, a mobile game development company which creates arcade and strategy games set in traditional African settings.



http://blogs.forbes.com/mfonobongnsehe/2011/07/20/ebay-billionaire-omidyar-gives-nigerian-tech-incubator-200000/

John Dabiri, an associate professor of aeronautics and bioengineering at California Institute of Technology (Caltech), United States, holds a B.S.E. degree from Princeton University, United States, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Caltech. SEYI GESINDE writes on the achievements of this young African-American, born to Nigerian parents, whose academic work recently fetched him the $500,000 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly called “Genius Grant,”thereby emerging the youngest scholar to receive what is now known as a “Genius Grant” from MacArthur Foundation.

•Ebony Magazine “Power 100” Most Influential Black Americans (2010) •Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2009)
•Popular Science Magazine “Brilliant 10” Scientists (2008) •Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award (2008)
•Donald Coles Prize for Best Experiment, California Institute of Technology (2005) •Winner, American Physical Society Gallery of Fluid Motion (2004)
•Oral Presentation Award, Southern California Biomedical Engineering Symposium (2002) •John Marshall II Memorial Prize for Independent Research, Princeton University (2001)
•Morgan W. McKinzie Senior Thesis Prize Finalist with Distinction, Princeton University (2001) •Grade of A with Distinction (A+), B.S.E. Thesis, Princeton University (2001).

Young Nigerian scholar, Professor John Dabiri is an accomplished man, whose age is not commensurate with his achievements in life. Within a short period of his ascendancy into the academic world, John has almost risen to the peak of his career. Today, he is being addressed as a professor in the field of Aeronautics and Bioengineering at California Institute of Technology (Caltech), United States, a distinct academic symbol he earned to himself at the age of 30.

At present, John is an assistant professor at the Graduate Aeronautical Laboratories, with a combined honour in Bioengineering at Caltech. He assumed this position after he graduated in June, 2001 from Princeton University, United States, with a B.S.E. degree summa cumlaude in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

It was in September of that same year he started off at Caltech, as a National Defence Science and Engineering Graduate Fellow, Betty and Gordon Moore Fellow, and Y.C. Fung Fellow in Bioengineering.

There, with Professor Morteza Gharib, as his supervisor, John earned an M.S. degree in Aeronautics in June 2003, after which he bagged a Ph.D. in April, 2005, in Bioengineering with a minor in Aeronautics.

On completion of his doctorate degree, John teamed up with the Caltech faculty in May, 2005, and in 2008, he was selected as an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator for research in bio-inspired propulsion. Thereafter, the Popular Science Magazine named him one of its “Brilliant 10” scientists.

John, a specialist in mechanics and dynamics of biological propulsion, theoretical fluid dynamic, energy conversion, evolutionary biology, and biomechanics focused his research works on unravelling the secrets of one of the earliest means of animal locomotion, what he did was to study some of the simplest multicellular organisms, jellyfish medusae, which propel themselves by contracting cells in their bell-shaped outer skin and generating jet forces in the tail end, with tentacles trailing behind.

His research from a theoretical engineering perspective shows that “elucidating the mechanisms of locomotion depends on detailed mathematical analysis of the fluid vortex rings that jellyfish form in the surrounding water by contracting their bell.”

Now, John’s research results have “significantly increased scientists’ knowledge of the impact of size and speed on the formation of optimal vortex rings,” the reason being that his research submission shows that “the relative impact of viscosity on propulsion decreases with greater size,” and with his “fluid dynamics theory,” the implication is that “rowing becomes a more efficient means of locomotion as animals grow larger.”

It was this research work that won him the $500,000 MacArthur Foundation grant. The MacArthur Fellows Programme award is an unrestricted fellowships to talented individuals, who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.

There are three criteria for selection of Fellows: exceptional creativity, promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishment, and potential for the fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work. With this stated criteria, was not only qualified, he merited the award.

John did not stop at his findings, with colleagues who supported him, he went forther to confirm the experimentally of his research result by examining propulsion during maturation and in adult specimens of varying size across hundreds of species, and they also found that a hybrid jet-paddling motion brings the advantage of drawing nearby prey into the bell, where the tentacles can capture them.

With this experiment, John had successfully invented “a method that allows divers to use tiny reflective particles to visualise, with high speed and fine spatial resolution, the fluid dynamics of propulsion by jellyfish in their native habitats.”

This technique provides a wealth of new data that can be used to test and refine models of vortex behaviour. The conclusion now is that John’s research “has profound implications not only for understanding the evolution and biophysics of locomotion in jellyfish and other aquatic animals, but also for a host of distantly related questions and applications in fluid dynamics, from blood flow in the human heart to the design of wind power generators.”




http://www.tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/youth-achiever/4755-youngest-recipient-of-5m-macarthur-fellowship-is-nigerian-biophysicist-professor-john-dabiri.html

NigComSat parley to focus on broadband penetration


Sunday, July 24, 2011
Everest Amaefule


The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited will focus on the role of satellite in broadband penetration as the organisation hosts key stakeholders in the ICT industry at a parley next Thursday.



NigComSat spokesman, Mr. Sonny Aragba-Akpore, said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja.

According to him, the conference will serve as a prelude to the launch of NigComSat-1R, the replacement satellite due for launch in the last quarter of 2011.

He said industry players, regulators of telecommunications, broadcasting and ICT sectors were the major stakeholders expected at the parley.

A former Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, is one of the experts expected to speak at the parley.

"Ndukwe will be speaking on a familiar turf, having been the advocate of broadband penetration during his 10-year tenure as Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC," Aragba-Akpore added.

He said, "The State Accelerated Broadband Initiative, which Ndukwe nurtured and saw to its fruition is still there for all to see as part of his imposing profile as midwife and doctor of modern-day telecommunications in Nigeria.

"He is expected to share his experience with the audience at the conference due to take place at the Abuja International Conference Centre later this July."

Other confirmed speakers include Ndukwe's successor at the NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, who will x-ray regulation as it relates to communications satellites.

The Chairman, Global System Analysis Simulation Association of USA, Prof. Tak Utsumi, will examine the global socio-economic implications of Communications Satellite.

NigComSat is hosting the conference ahead of the launch of its satellite, which is scheduled to be put in the orbit later in the year.

The new satellite is the replacement for the first Nigerian Communications Satellite known as NigComSat-1 inaugurated in the orbit in May 2007 which developed a problem with its power supply system on November 8, 2008.

Following this, the firm that handled the construction, China Great Wall Industry Corporation, undertook to replace the satellite at no cost to the country.

Team Nigeria Wins Bronze at International Physics Olympiad


A FORMER student of Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure, Ondo State, Jesuoluwajoba Ebenezer Ademehin, made history in far away Bangkok, Thailand last week, when he clinched one of the bronze medals at the 42nd International Physics Olympiad (IPhO).

Ademehin’s feat makes it the first time ever that an African country would win a medal in any category in the Physics Olympiad, since it was first organized in Warsaw, Poland, in 1967.

About 390 students from 84 countries participated in the yearly event, held between July 10 and 18. A total of 54 gold, 68 silver and 93 bronze medals were distributed among the respective winners. Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya were the only African countries at the event, but the last two left, leaving Nigeria’s five contestants as the continent’s only representatives. Three of the five contestants: Ayodeji Bode-Oke, Musa Damina and Ayomide Bamidele are students of the Nigeria-Turkish International College, Abuja.

In this year’s contest, the best nine countries were from the Asian continent. They include Taiwan, China, Korea and Singapore, which clinched five gold medals each. Others were India, Kazakhstan, Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong. Each of them won three gold medals.

It was hardly surprising that the best countries were from the same region, Asia, because their respective governments are known to pay serious attention to all Olympiads, especially those related to the sciences. Malaysia, another Asian country, is also popularly known for Mental Arithmetic, which Dr Haroun Adamu, the founder of Zaria Academy, Kaduna has now introduced in the country.

The contestants collaborated with and used the facilities of the Nigeria –Turkish International College (NTIC), Abuja under the supervsion of Mr Ayhan Yaman, the college’s Head of Physics Department.

Ademehin told The Guardian that God made it possible for him to achieve his feat. His words: “For this achievement, I thank my God and Father ultimately. I appreciate the support I received from my family: nuclear, extended, and spiritual. I appreciate the Ministry of Education in Nigeria and the National Mathematical Centre (NMC). I appreciate the support I received from the Nigerian Turkish International College (NTIC), and Yamanlar Koleji in Izmir, Turkey for housing, feeding and their interest in me and the science olympiads.

“Specifically, I appreciate the support I received from Mr. Yaman Ayhan of NTIC and my Mr. Omer of Yamanlar Koleji. Lastly, I appreciate the support I received from my friends, other members of the 2011 IPhO physics team for Nigeria, and everyone else.

“I believe Nigeria can do better in the IPhO if sufficient support is given to the Olympiads and the students. I advise that the Olympiads (in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Informatics) be taken more seriously and given a high priority.”

Bamidele said: “The competition lasted for 10 days, with two days in-between several outings, dedicated for the theoretical and experimental examinations.

“The first examination was the theoretical, which consisted of three questions that was to be written for five hours and the second was the experimental part, with two experiments which equally lasted for five hours. The questions in each exam had their difficulties and proved to be hard for some contestants.

“The last day of the event was the closing ceremony where the contestants were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals. Below bronze was the honorable mention certificate, which was also awarded to some contestants. It was also during this event that the first medal (bronze) for Africa at IPhO was awarded to a Nigerian contestant- Jesuoluwajoba Ebenezer Ademehin.”

Another contestant, Folami Samson Oluwaseun said: “This year’s competition commenced with the opening ceremony, although the Nigerian Team missed the ceremony because one of our flights was cancelled. The competition had two parts; the theoretical and experimental competition which were held on separate days. Many students had a tough time with the theoretical competition because it had more of calculus than the physics problems itself, while the experimental competition was a bit easier for me.

“We all tried our best to get the ultimate goal, which is to win a gold medal, but it was only a member of the team that was able to get a bronze medal which is one of its kind in Africa.

“Glory be to Almighty God for crowning our efforts this year by raising the flag of Nigeria through Jesuoluwajoba Ademehin. I also thank God for granting us safe trips to and from the venue, even though we encountered a lot of difficulties during the journey.

“My sincere appreciation goes to the National Mathematical Centre, Abuja for their support, the Nigerian Turkish International College, Abuja for training and accomodating me, my school, Agbonran School of Science, Ede for their contribution and above all, my parents and siblings for their support.

The last contestant, Musa Damina could not be reached for comments at press time.

After first competition, the second IPhO was organised by Prof. Rudolf Kunfalvi in Budapest, Hungary, in 1968. The third was arranged by Prof. Rostislav Kostial in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1969, while the fourth took place in Moscow, the former Soviet Union, in 1970.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55862:team-nigeria-makes-history-wins-bronze-in-international-physics-olympiad&catid=80:education&Itemid=610

Security/Space

FG to save N77bn with public security network




Everest Amaefule


The Federal Government will save N77bn annually from the roll-out of public security network planned for December, the Managing Director, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, Mr. Ahmed Rufai, has said.



Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson



Rufai said this while briefing the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, who was on tour of the premises of the satellite company in Abuja on Monday.

The Federal Government had in October 2010 embarked on the construction of the network in order to check the several security challenges confronting the nation.

When completed, the network will enable security agencies to monitor and record suspicious movements across the nation.

The NigComSat boss said N77bn was the amount the Federal Government would have spent annually had it decided to patronise commercial networks for the communications needs of security organisations in the country.

He also disclosed that NigComSat, which is responsible for the construction of the public security system, would manage and market excess capacity on the network.
"The network will enable the security agencies to talk to each other and share information. That hardly happens now. Each security agency operates on its own now. The public security system will change that," Rufai said.

He disclosed that 76 out of the 1,000 surveillance cameras meant for the first phase of the network had already been deployed in the Federal Capital Territory, while 400 would be deployed before the end of the month.

According to him, the surveillance cameras will hit 60,000 by the time they are deployed throughout the country.

Survey work for Lagos, he added, was already being undertaken.

The spate of kidnappings, armed robberies and bombings had raised security as a top priority for both the government and the citizenry in recent times with the government seeking technology assistance to curb the menace of insecurity.

The public security network is part of the technology solution that the Federal Government had sought to check the wave of violent crimes.

Given that some of the crimes are committed with the assistance of communications technology, the Federal Government recently insisted that all mobile telephone Subscriber Identification Module cards must be registered in order to get a database of mobile phone users.

The Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSat-1R) that will go into the orbit in December is expected to provide the transmission backbone for the public security network, as it is designed to be an all-Internet Protocol network.

The satellite will be used to backhaul Internet Protocol from the United States and Europe into Nigeria to ensure there is national coverage everywhere at all times.

The NigcomSat boss also told the minister that plans had reached advanced stages for the launch of a second communications satellite by 2014 and a third one by 2015.

Before then, he said the company would lease capacity from other satellite operators to complement NigComSat-1R and achieve redundancy.

The minister expressed appreciation for the ongoing work at NigComSat, but urged the company to take steps to inform the public about the various products that it had developed through its research and development department.

She said the Federal Government planned to use Information and Communications Technology platforms to create jobs and achieve transparency in governance.


http://odili.net/news/source/2011/aug/16/828.html

Fiber Optics

Main One, Seacom Team Up



http://www.thetimesofnigeria.com/TON/resources/images/Fiber%20Strands.JPEG

Main One and Seacom have interconnected their West and East African cable systems, the companies announced. This partnership extends the Main One and Seacom networks to create a system that offers connection between any Seacom and Main One point-of-presence all around Africa between South Africa and Nigeria.

Funke Opeke, Main One CEO, explained: "While efforts to implement a physical cable between Nigeria and South Africa continue, we have joined our cables together in Europe to satisfy many of our customers’ immediate requirements for capacity between Nigeria and South Africa."

As with the Main One and Seacom cables themselves, the joint solution is provided on an open-access basis and is immediately available, providing customers with a timing advantage ahead of the completion of other planned systems around the African continent.

"We hold the view that a ring-type system around the entire continent is the best way to attain adequate redundancy whilst offering customers a comprehensive connectivity solution. The announcement today shows our determination to find a viable way to extend our system with partners who share our vision to build the African internet," said Brian Herlihy, Seacom CEO.

The Main One cable system stretches from Portugal to Nigeria, with an extension completed to South Africa. It currently boasts 1.28Tb/s connection speeds.

The Seacom cable system was launched in late 2009 and is responsible for the big drop in internet data costs in South Africa. This cable also boasts 1.28Tb/s speeds, although it has been plagued by outages, mainly due to partner cables.


http://www.thetimesofnigeria.com/TON/Article.aspx?id=3275

Medicine


Telemedicine centre brings affordable, high quality healthcare to Nigeria



Telemedicine will reduce long queues in hospitals

Nigerians desirous of high quality medical consultation, especially with renown experts resident abroad now have the opportunity to do so with the as a new telemedicine centre for such interactions has opened in Lagos.

The centre, according to the progenitors would increase access to high quality healthcare services at affordable among Nigerians

The designated Glo-Telemedicine centre located on Victoria Island, Lagos is a brainchild of collaborations between Global Resources & Projects, a Nigerian body dedicated to capacity building in healthcare and some international healthcare providers across India, United States, Egypt and other countries.

According to the experts behind it, the unveiling of the centre would, ultimately provide a bridge between Nigerians who are desirous of quality healthcare and experts who may be stationed in far-flung locations locally and abroad.

Chief Executive Officer of Global Resources, Dr. Wale Alabi, who spoke on the initiative, said it is aimed at cutting the unnecessary pains and cost Nigerians bear in the course of travels abroad in search of quality medical attention.

Alabi disclosed that a huge number of Nigerians travel abroad using hard earned resources to seek medical attention at a time there are too much cope with in the country.

“The Glo-Telemedicine Centre would bridge the gap between the poor and good health services by creating a simless communication between them and those with the expertise and facilities to help them,” Alabi said.

He added that the initiative rides on the availability of the broadband access fibre optics access provided by Nigerian Telecommunication firm, Globacom, to reduce the traffic of Nigerians travelling abroad for medical attention.

“We have found from experience in dealing with international healthcare providers that most Nigerians who travel abroad for medical attentions either do not need to go all the way or are misguided. If only they are opportune to interact with the appropriate experts before going there, they would be saved so much stress,” Alabi said.

A major finding, as disclosed by Alabi is that an estimated 60 per cent of those who travel to India, South Africa, Egypt and other global health destinations could actually access similar quality of healthcare services here in Nigeria.

“It is also disheartening to note that most people who travel abroad for medical attention do so based on wrong diagnosis,” he added.

Telemedicine and other health experts from one of India’s largest hospitals, Narayana, are in the country to show support for the project, which the managers said would engage in lots of philanthropy for truly indigent Nigerians.

Alabi who threw more light on Telemedicine said it is not a medical specialty, but an important tool that is being increasingly used to deliver better healthcare throughout the world.

It utilises the rapid advances in Information and communication Technology, which now makes it possible to transmit text, sound, video, image and other information from one location to another.

“Time and cost involved in patient’s transportation can be significantly reduced,” according to Alabi

He said the centre would offer super speciality-consultation services to Nigerians at very low cost. It will also offer Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities for Doctors and other medical experts on growing trends in the profession.

“Nigeria needs to Leverage on this Technology that is already transforming other developing countries such as Kenya ,Ghana etc.,” Alabi said.

A few years ago, the Federal government of Nigeria, through the ministries of science and technology and Health, commissioned a Telemedicine project that was successfully piloted using satellite-based technologies.

That project, has, however, not grown beyond its birth size apparently because of reasons bordering on cost and applicability, most of which the Glo-Telemedicine centre has addressed.



http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=34395&print=1

Medicine


Varsity Don Discovers Way to Eradicate Malaria
Emmanuel Edukugho



7 April 2011


http://cache2.artprintimages.com/p/LRG/30/3040/AFPBF00Z/art-print/micrograph-anopheles-mosquito-malaria-vector.jpg
A breakthrough in malaria control and eradication has been achieved at Covenant University, Ota, where researchers led by Professor Ezekiel Femi Adebiyi have developed tools among which is an evolution - proof insecticide designed to be equipped with the effective capability of DDT but to target only malaria infected mosquitoes. This way, notwithstanding several breeding area, after deployment, Nigeria will soon have mosquitoes free of malaria.

At the 1st inaugural lecture series of Covenant University delivered recently, Professor Adebiyi, Head, Department of Computer and Information Science, College of Science and technology, noted that for now, the goal of most current National Malaria Prevention and Control Programmes and Most Malaria activities conducted in endemic countries is to reduce the number of malaria-related cases and deaths. To reduce malaria transmission to a level where it is no longer a public health problem is the goal of what is called malaria "control."

Applying a Bioinformatics approach in malaria control and eradication, he submitted that the overall goal of this project is to produce effective two high tech productions for the control and final eradication of malaria starting with Nigeria.

"Therefore, our first targeted product (from project 1), a cuisine of anti-malaria drugs (design and production cost is expected to be cheap, to enhance national large scale usage possibility, for example, should be embedded into the household salt) is to allow rapid cure of malaria in humans. this is to reduce to zero the chance of an uninfected mosquitoes to be infected after a bite. The second targeted product (from project 11), an advanced but human friendly pesticide DDT (a cocktail f agents) is to help delete rapidly all malaria infected mosquitoes."

He assured that the expected result of the successful execution and application of their work will make Nigeria and eventually Africa free of malaria infected humans and mosquitoes like the western world.

According to this young erudite scholar in his lecture titled - Code Malaria: Eradication Developments for the Decade, he noted that, "our products move from three processing phases that include bronze, silver and gold. At the latest (gold) stage, the product is ready for large production and commercialisation."

As regards to Bioinformatics in drugs development, Bioinformatics is described as an emerging field and is the modelling and application of computational techniques to solving labourious biology problems, beginning with the like of proteins alignment to the more rigorous like of protein 3D structures prediction and molecular recognition of protein ligand complexes. Nowadays, the application of computer science to biology can be summarised in the following quotes: "Computers are to biology what Mathematics is to Physics" -- Harold Morowitz.

Adebiyi acknowledged that there is a new renewed effort to identify new insecticidal compounds for use in malaria control. This is particularly urgent based on the rate at which resistance is emerging against available compounds. Presently, insecticides recommended for malaria control by the World Health Organisation (WHO) represent just four classes of compound for IRS and just one class of compounds for ITNs.

Noting the success in the eradication of malaria from North America, Europe and Australia via the use of DDT, the purpose of the project is to identify and validate evolution - proof insecticidal targets in A. gambiae mosquito. "Put in the language of DDT, we aimed to design a modified DDT that will not harm humans and vital species and will be devoid of any resistance mechanism attempts of the mosquitoes."

Adebiyi disclosed that The Code Malaria will be ready for full deployment after the completion of the two targeted product (from project1), a cuisine of antimalaria drugs and an advanced but human friendly pesticide in the version of DDT (a cocktail f agents) from project II).

"The final goal is to ensure that in this decade, Africa and infact, where ever malaria is a menace, this becomes a forgotten headache as we presently have in the western countries," he concluded. The Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo, said he is impressed, not surprise as it was expected, because if you are not solving problem, then you cannot add value to human life.

"I'm a believer of indigenous solution to our problems. Each one has power to add value to life, each one finds solution,. Until Africa finds solutions to its problems, we will remain impoverished for ever. It's enormous work by this erudite scholar who has ability to carry everyone along."

Describing malaria as a killer disease which has killed more people than cancer, Oyedepo pledged his support for the project.

Medicine

Nigerian scientist wins national award for sleeping sickness research




(HAT, sleeping sickness) is one of the most neglected infectious diseases of poverty. Research into the condition is underfunded and has a very low profile. The presentation of an award to a Nigerian scientist working on HAT has therefore been warmly welcomed.

Andrew Jonathan Nok – Professor of Biochemistry and Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at Ahmadu Bello University – has received the Nigerian Liquefied and Natural Gas (NLNG) Nigeria Prize for Science for his entry, entitled “Functional studies on the trypanosome sialidase/trans-sialidase: prospects for DNA vaccine”.

The Nigeria Prize for Science was launched five years ago. Professor Nok this year saw off the competition from many other scientific disciplines including engineering, agriculture, biology and chemistry. The committee for the Prize said in a statement that Professor Nok’s work would form the baseline for developing DNA-based vaccines against Trypansoma.

Anya O Anya, a professor of Zoology and chairman of the Nigeria National Merit Award Committee, said Professor Nok had achieved an outstanding feat: “Sleeping sickness affects people in all parts of Africa. The big pharmaceutical companies are not interested in developing vaccines or drugs because they believe Africans cannot afford it. So, what Professor Nok has done is to start the inter and intra-disciplinary search for a solution to the disease. It is also inspiring that this study was not only done by a Nigeriansbut it was conducted in a Nigerian laboratory”.

In his address at the award ceremony held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos, Professor Nok explained that HAT causes immense economic damage to Africa and that research on developing a DNA vaccine could play an important role in controlling the disease. He added, “I want to say that Nigeria hardly invests or sponsor research works like this. I thank Nigeria LNG for coming up with this initiative to partner with the Nigeria Academy of Science (NAS) to sponsor such work that would not only impact positively on our economy but also empower youth to work hard.” He spoke of the need to encourage young people to become scientists.

Professor Nok is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science and a Visiting Professor at Yale University. Some of his recent publications on trypanosomiasis [1-4] are listed below. Other diseases on which he has worked include rabies, clostridium and veterinary infections.



http://www.tropika.net/svc/news/20100209/Chinnock-20100209-News-tryps-Nigeria

THE SATELITES HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED!






http://www.biztechafrica.com/media/images/stories/_thumbs/nigcomsat3_jpg_410x270_upscale_q85.jpg
By Agency Reporter
Wednesday, 17 Aug 2011

Nigeria will today (Wednesday) make history as its NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X satellites will go into the orbit at exactly 8.12am at the launch site in Yasny, in Russi.

This was disclosed by the Head, Media and Corporate Affairs, National Space Research and Development Agency, Mr. Felix Ale, in a statement made available to our correspondent on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the two spacecraft have been integrated on the launch vehicle and fuelling of the launcher is already completed, while all parameters required for a successful launch have been met.

The launch of the satellites is expected to provoke high resolution data revolution in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

Ale said, “NigeriaSat-2, after its launch, will be the most advanced satellite of its kind in the global community. The successful launch of the satellites will no doubt re-echo the strategic position of Nigeria as a leading space faring nation in Africa, but it will also represent a landmark achievement of the government and people of Nigeria in the field of space science and technology across the globe.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108173175732






http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/Look-Out-Nigerian-Satellite-on-Chinese-Rocket-Coming-Through-2.jpg


http://www.africanews.com/documents/34/1c/341cbf22900e4d72a760a4298462b6da.article.jpg

Medicine



US to assist Ekiti in cancer research
By Femi Makinde
Wednesday, 17 Aug 2011

A member of the National Cancer Advisory Board for the United States of America, Prof. Funmi Olopade, has declared her intention to set up a medical research centre on breast cancer in Ekiti State.

Olopade, an indigene of the state, made this known while inspecting facilities at the University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, in company with the Governor, Kayode Fayemi.

Olopade was recently appointed to the US National Cancer Advisory Board by President Barack Obama on the strength of her breakthrough in cancer research and scholarship.

She stated that the US was “really interested in doing discovery and sponsoring researches,” adding that her scope included “understanding the problems that people have in the healthcare system and trying to develop solution to these complex problems.”

Olopade said, “We are looking for cure for breast cancer and we want to find it wherever we can study it. I study women cancers and my research is on bosom cancer.

“I have being doing researches at the University of Ibadan and also work in University of Chicago in the US.

“We don’t know where we are going to find the next cure. It could come from Ekiti and that is why I am doing the business of higher education here.”

Olopade added that she frequently visited Ekiti to see her mother who lives in the state.

Fayemi congratulated Olopade on her appointment. He said his administration would continue to tap into the wealth of experience and professionalism of indigenes of the state irrespective of their place of abode.

The governor urged Ekiti in the Diaspora to help to develop the state.

He assured that his administration would not relent in its efforts at “making the state a model, not only for our regional agenda, but a hub for National Development Agenda.”



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/us-to-assist-ekiti-in-cancer-research/

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Everest Amaefule, Abuja


Although Nigeria successfully launched two earth observation satellites into the orbit in Yasny, Russia, on Wednesday, the production of data by the satellites will not happen before the next two months.

This is because the satellites have yet to be loaded with the necessary software that will enable them to perform the functions the nation wants.

The Federal Government had listed the potential areas of application of the satellites to include, agriculture, forestry, land use and mapping, environmental and disaster monitoring, mitigation and management, geological mapping and transportation.

Others are hydrology and water resources, population and urban development, National Geospatial Data Infrastructure, as well as military, security and tourism applications.

The loading of the earth observation satellites known as NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X from the ground station in Abuja will take about two months.

The seemingly slow process of feeding the satellites with the necessary software is explained by the fact that they will be passing through the Nigerian territory four times a day and each turn will take just 15 minutes.

This means that engineers monitoring the satellites at the ground station in Abuja have only one hour daily to feed them with the required software.

The Project Manager, Mr. Francis Chizea, gave these explanations shortly after the satellites were sent into the orbit aboard a Russian launch vehicle operated by Dnepr, a satellite launch service provider, at 8.12am on Wednesday.

While NigeriaSat-2 was switched on at the ground station in Abuja after it got to the orbit; NigeriaSat-X was switched on in the United Kingdom.

The contractor, SSTL, will be involved in the control of the satellites in the next two weeks when they are expected to have stabilised.

NigeriaSat-2 is a high resolution satellite with a 2.5m panchromatic view, an improvement on NigeriaSat-1 launched in 2003, which had a 32m panchromatic camera.

NigeriaSat-X was built to flight standard by Nigerian engineers and scientists using the facilities of Surrey Satellite Technology of United Kingdom, the company that handled the construction of NigeriaSat-2.

The Director, Policy, Planning and Research, National Space Research and Development Agency, Mrs. Augusta Iheanacho, said with proper funding, Nigerian engineers had acquired the capacity to build satellites and launch them from the country.

She said, "We have recorded a landmark achievement for Nigeria. It is not just because we put two satellites in the space, but because NigeriaSat-X was built by Nigerian engineers using facilities at SSTL.

he implication is that Nigerians can build satellites on our own soil if the facilities are available. We want to use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to make funds available for the Assembly, Integration and Testing centre.

The Director-General, NASRDA, Dr. Seidu Mohammed, who was in Russia for the launching, said the successful launch of the two satellites had consolidated Nigeria's position as a space-faring nation.

He said defending the sovereignty of Nigeria was not only a political issue, but also a scientific responsibility.

Similarly President Goodluck Jonathan hailed the launch of NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X, and asked professionals to use them optimally for the development of the country.

link below http://odili.net/news/source/2011/aug/18/820.html

Nation’s Surgeons Achieve Medical Feat In Bone Stiffness .


Sunday, 21 August 2011
Lawrence Njoku, Enugu News - National

A TEAM of Nigerian surgeons has developed a new world-acclaimed surgical technique for the treatment of permanent bone stiffness of the elbow, known as ankylosis of the elbow in medical parlance.

Already, seven Nigerians have benefited from the new technique and are now living normal lives.

The new technique known as Radial Recurrent Fasciocutaneous Flap in Interposition Arthroplasty of Elbow Ankylosis was recently published in International Surgery, an official journal of the International College of Surgeons based in Italy.

The surgeons, led by Prof. Frank Akpuaka, the medical director of a private orthopaedic hospital in Enugu include Dr. Chukwuemeka Eze and Dr. Udo Anyaehie, both of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Abuja.

The Guardian investigation showed that an authoritative biomedical website, BioMed Lib.com based in the United States of America, using its search engine to assess millions of biomedical articles in the National Library of Medicine’s Meddline data base, currently rated their publication in the first position out of 4,143,174 publications worldwide.

A second rating by Biomedlib.com again scored the new technique first with a score of 93 per cent out of 3,859,118 publications worldwide.

Another rating, the 3rd by Recent Medical Findings.com also in the United States scored the new technique a close second out of 36 top biomedical articles in the field in the last 5 years.

The surgeons started experimenting on the technique in 2006 and followed up until late last year when they announced their triumph.

According to the publication, what excited the team is the simplicity of the technique.

"Radial Recurrent Fasciocutaneous Flap in Interposition Arthroplasty of Elbow Ankylosis"

Thank God I studied finance...

New technology boosts rice production in Kebbi
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg&STREAMOID=cngHNpl6tPr0fNZEHzp0yS6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxQ89PwcHEzn7$ckOO7DX8KAnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-
August 22, 2011 09:48PM


A new rice technology adopted by farmers in Jega, Kebbi State, has boosted production, says the chairman of the Agama Rice Association, Abdulmumini Umar,

Mr Umar told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Jega, that farmers who embraced the technology had recorded high yields and had called for the expansion of the programme under Fadama III.

According to him, the achievement has generated a lot of interest because the new harvesting technology of rice is better than the traditional method previously used.

“The farmers were trained by Fadama III officials four months ago and provided with seedlings and water pumps as well as extension services.

“The programme has attracted other farmers’ interest,” he said.

He added that farmers in the area had formed associations, hoping to get similar training and support to embark on the ‘Sawa’ rice production.

An official of the state Fadama III Office, Sadiq Ambursa, told NAN that the ‘Sawa’ rice production technology was adopted from Japan and would be expanded for the next five years.



http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5739531-147/story.csp

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/54838000/jpg/_54838234_auckland,newzealandnigeriasat-ximage(c)dmcii,2011.allrightsreserved.jpg

Nigeria's latest Earth observation satellites have returned their first pictures.

The spacecraft, launched on 17 August, give the African nation a powerful new capability to map its own lands and other parts of the globe.

NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X will also assist the Disaster Monitoring Constellation.

This UK-managed fleet of spacecraft is used to picture regions of the Earth gripped by natural calamities.

These might be catastrophic floods or a big earthquake. Images sent down from space will often be critical to organising an effective emergency response.

The first picture released from the Nigerian pair is of New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland.

It was acquired by NigeriaSat-X, and reveals the buildings and the landscape surrounding this major urban centre.

It is just possible to see the wakes of ships passing under the harbour bridge that joins downtown Auckland with North Shore City.

The satellite is equipped with a multi-spectral imager for general mapping, agricultural monitoring and disaster relief work.

The resolution in this picture is 22m per pixel. Vegetation is picked out in red.

Both NigeriaSat-X and NigeriaSat-2 were designed and built by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) in Guildford, UK.

What is interesting about NigeriaSat-X is that the work was undertaken by Nigerian engineers themselves. The skills they have learnt will now be taken home so that they can build future spacecraft in their own country.

It is a model previously followed by Turkey. Its engineers received their education at SSTL as well, and the same rocket that launched the Nigerian platforms also launched Rasat.

This remote sensing satellite (7.5m resolution) is the first to have been developed and manufactured in Turkey by Turkish engineers.

SSTL Executive Chairman, Sir Martin Sweeting, commented: "NigeriaSat-X is the product of Nigeria's training and development programme here at Surrey.

"It is a great credit to NASRDA (National Space Research and Development Agency) and their engineers that this satellite is performing well and its operations are progressing so quickly.

"These highly skilled engineers will not only help Nigeria to manage its resources, but also bootstrap its fledgling high-tech economy alongside a growing nucleus of highly trained people."

A first picture should be released from NigeriaSat-2 in the coming days. This is a much more powerful platform, able to resolve details on the Earth's surface just 2.5m across.

Few countries in the world have access to such a capability.

Larger Image (http://images.spaceref.com/news/2011/Auckland-2-1-lores_3.jpg)

that's fucking AWESOME!!

the satelite can see boats?! the military/security implications are huge!

FG to Activate All Abandoned Dams



The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday decided to maximise Nigeria’s power generation through the reactivation of all hydro dams and fast-tracking implementation of the gas master plan to ensure availability of gas to power the plants already nearing completion.

There are dams in Gombe, Osun, Kano and Katsina that can generate considerable megawatts of electricity but are waiting for turbines to be installed.

Briefing State House correspondents, Information Minis-ter Labaran Maku said the council deliberated on the report of the Presidential Projects Assessment Commit-tee, headed by Ibrahim Bunu.

He explained that they concentrated on how to achieve stability in power within the lifespan of the Goodluck Jonathan administration.Maku said that the committee had noted in their report submitted a few months ago that there were many dams across the country and that their hydro generating capacity would add a lot of power to the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP).

He explained that it was discovered that gas supply to the power plants posed the greatest problem to stability, but he was quick to add that the Gas Master Plan would on implementation address the problem when the Ministry of Power synchronises their work agenda with that of Ministry of Petroleum.



http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/27973-fg-to-establish-space-centre-at-uniuyo

FG to establish space centre at UNIUYO


Friday, 09 September 2011

The Federal Government is planning to establish a space centre at the University of Uyo, Uyo, to aid marine research.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Ita Okon Bassey Ewa, who stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Akwa Ibom State governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, at the Governor’s Lodge, Uyo, said the university could partner Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, on development of the coastal line and should take advantage of the centre.

Professor Ewa noted that “Akwa Ibom has a coastline that requires continuous monitoring and research. The state is rich in mineral resources and marine products and there is the need to establish such a centre here.”
He hinted that Nigeria had a coastline to monitor the space and had recently launched Satellites 2 and X in Russia which was in orbit to assist Nigeria in agriculture and regional planning with an advantage of 2.5 photo-chromatic view.

“We took a team of engineers to Russia and launched the two satellites. As a result of the feat of President Goodluck Jonathan within his first 100 days, Nigeria is able to rub shoulders with United States of America,” the minister pointed out.

He advised the governor to relocate incubation centre in the state Ministry of Science and Technology due to expensive nature of the project, stressing the need to establish Institute of Technology and a cluster of parastatals to assist in the empowerment of the people.




http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/27973-fg-to-establish-space-centre-at-uniuyo

Nigeria Sat-X: 26 engineers receive NSE's award


Monday, September 26, 2011



The 26 engineers who built the recently launched NigeriaSat-X have all received the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) chairman's merit award.

The award, which was presented by the chairman of the NSE, Abuja chapter, Mr Olatunde Akinteye, was in recognition of the achievement of the engineers in the design and building of a training model satellite to flight standard and was launched alongside NigeriaSat-2.


The Director-General of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr Seidu Mohammed, in his remark at the event, congratulated the 26 engineers for exhibiting great skills and excellence in making the nation proud.


He thanked the NSE for the gesture, saying that this was not only recognition and appreciation shown to the engineers, but also to the agency as a whole.


Dr Mohammed said the work done by the engineers and scientists went to show that education in Nigeria was as good as anywhere else in the world, adding that despite challenges, Nigerians still performed well and even better, given better conditions elsewhere in the world.

The NASRDA helmsman said the nation's venture in space was not an ego trip, but an opportunity to harness the immense benefit of space technology for the development of the nation, adding that no nation could boast of meaningful development without employing the tools of science and technology.

http://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/26/610.html

Nigeria firms urged to adopt .ng



PDF | Print | E-mail

Written by Adeleke Mainasara


Nigerian firms have been urged by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), a body responsible for managing Nigeria’s identity on the domain space, to switch to the .ng country code top level domain.

A country-code Top Level Domain (cc-TLD) is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country and identifies Websites related to that country.

According to the Chief Operating Officer of NiRA, Mr Ope Odusan, a wider adoption of .ng will help improve the country’s image on the Internet space, build local content, ensure content security, create jobs, and arrest capital flight to foreign service providers.
Odusan stressed that one of the unique features of the nation’s cc-TLD is the ease of use, adding that registrations could be done online via any of NiRA’s over thirty accredited registrars listed on the association’s Website.

He said a wider adoption of the .ng domain name will help improve Nigeria’s image on the Internet, build local content, ensure content security, create jobs, and most importantly, arrest capital flight to international Internet Service Providers.

A cc-TLD gives a country its own Internet identity, boosts the visibility of that country on the Internet and promotes the development of electronic commerce within the internal market of that country.

CNN spotlight on Omatek (one of Africa's first computer makers)

see video below:

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2010/09/30/mpa.purefoy.omatek.computers.cnn



Nigeria's first IVF clinic

see video below:

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/business/2011/09/12/marketplace-africa-nigeria-treatment.cnn

Nigeria’s new satellite demonstrates stunning high resolution capability
28/9/2011

http://www.technologynewsroom.com/press_releases/files/1893/N2_salt_lake_terminal_buildings_final_300dpi.jpg

The first high resolution satellite imagery is today released from NigeriaSat-2, as engineers from the Nigerian space agency (NASRDA) and the satellite’s manufacturer Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) continue in the successful commissioning of the new satellite from NASRDA’s headquarters in Abuja. Testing of all the systems on-board the satellite has been successfully completed, and calibration of the imaging payloads is ongoing with outstanding results already being produced.

This 2.5m resolution pan-sharpened example shows the airport at Salt Lake City, USA with the terminal buildings, runway layout and surrounding roads all clearly visible.

In the full resolution terminal buildings extract, aircraft can be seen at the stands as well as cars in the parking lot. In the runways extract painted numbers can clearly be read on the tarmac and there is sufficient detail to count the engines on larger aircraft. In another extract of a highway interchange, vehicles are readily discernable on the road.

NigeriaSat-2 is the first SSTL 300kg class satellite, and represents a significant step forward for NASRDA from its 100kg predecessor, NigeriaSat-1. The main reason for its increased size is that imaging at 2.5m resolution demands a larger camera – but the increased capability doesn’t end there. The distinctive heptagonal SSTL-300 platform is highly agile enabling it to roll off-centre to acquire images in a variety of modes to suit the application and the response times required and the data handling and power system are also significantly enhanced to provide greater throughput as well as quality of imagery.

During disasters, NigeriaSat-2 will complement its fellow Disaster Monitoring Constellation satellites by using its high resolution imager to “zoom in” on areas of interest and determine if individual buildings are damaged, bridges destroyed or roads impassable. It is also the first satellite in the African Resource Management (ARM) constellation.

Nigeria’s national space agency (NASRDA) also plans to harness the satellite’s new capabilities and fast image downloading to map the entire country in detail every four months. The high resolution and geo-location accuracy of the satellite make it possible to monitor urban development in sprawling cities such as Lagos, and for planning infrastructure such as roads. Geospatial data will also be used to update the land registry with accurate and current information.

There are also benefits for commercial imaging campaigns. NigeriaSat-2’s smaller pixel size improves the accuracy of the maps used for applications such as precision agriculture. In this case more granular data improves fertiliser application maps, meaning that fertiliser can be applied more efficiently.

At next week’s International Astronautical Congress in Cape Town, NASRDA and SSTL will present a selection of impressive high resolution images from NigeriaSat-2 collected in these early stages of the mission.

About SSTL

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) is the world's leading small satellite company, delivering operational space missions for a range of applications including Earth observation, science and communications. The Company designs, manufactures and operates high performance satellites and ground systems for a fraction of the price normally associated with space missions, with over 400 staff working on turnkey satellite platforms, space-proven satellite subsystems and optical instruments.

Since 1981 SSTL has built and launched 36 satellites – as well as providing training and development programmes, consultancy services, and mission studies for ESA, NASA , international governments and commercial customers, with its innovative approach that is changing the economics of space.

Based in Guildford, UK, SSTL is owned by EADS Astrium NV.


http://www.technologynewsroom.com/press_releases/files/1893/N2_salt_lake_terminal_buildings_final_300dpi.jpg

I guess this means.....High Resolution Google Maps. :cheers:

http://www.technologynewsroom.com/press_releases/files/1893/N2_salt_lake_roads_final_300dpi.jpg

http://www.technologynewsroom.com/press_releases/files/1893/N2_Salt_Lake_Overview_final-1-lores_300dpi.jpg

ENUGU CCTV camera

Em96W-Xm6WU

dVUtYs23BEU

qfWJl6w_maA

the CCTV cameras are AWESOME! they're better quality then ones here in the US

Nigeria to benefit from new HIV/AIDS vaccine




News Friday, September 30, 2011
By Sola Ogundipe , Chioma Obinna & Ebele Onuorah

LAGOS – Nigeria will be the first African country to access the benefit of a new protective vaccine that will stop people from developing the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, AIDS as indication yesterday emerged that Cornell Micheal Nelson, one of the scientists who discovered the vaccine will be in Nigeria next month.

In a telephone chat with Vanguard, Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, Professor John Idoko disclosed that Cornell Micheal Nelson, will be in Nigeria by October 12, to attend a symposium, where he would be presenting a keynote addrees on the newly discovered vaccine.

The choice of Nigeria for this landmark event, is not unconnected with the country's large population and notable contribution to the fight against the HIV virus. With the discovery of the vaccine, the world may be on the verge of finally overcoming the threat posed by HIV and AIDS.

However, indications from the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, revealed that Nigerian Scientists are excited over the vaccine which shows great potential to reduce the burden of HIV across the world.

According to former Director General of NIMR, Prof. Oni Idigbe, all is set for the symposium which would address other areas of the discovery.

Before now, various type of vaccines have been discovered in the past but none has shown great potential like the present vaccine discovered in Thailand.

According to the researchers, the AIDS vaccine could cut down the risk of developing the disease by a third.

Already, scientists across the world have hailed the breakthrough, saying it could be the first step to even better protection.

The new vaccine which works by stimulating the immune system - is a combination of two previous treatments which had proved ineffective when used alone.

It was tested on 8,000 HIV negative male and female volunteers aged 18 to 30 in Thailand.

They were checked for infection every six months. The results found that the chances of catching HIV were almost 32 per cent lower if a person had been given the vaccine rather than a dummy injection.

The breakthrough - funded by the US Military HIV Research Program and the Thai Ministry of Public Health - is regarded as a first step towards an effective vaccine against AIDS, which hits two million people a year.

Prof Aine McKnight, a viral expert from the University of London, said: For a quarter of a century the scientific community has been divided on whether a vaccine against HIV could be produced.

"Today that question is settled. This is exciting news, but the battle is far from won."

A spokesman from the World Health Organisation said: "The results are the first demonstration that a vaccine can prevent infection and are of great importance.

"These results have instilled new hope in the HIV vaccine research field and promise that a safe and highly effective HIV vaccine may become available for populations throughout the world."

The scientists, however advised that for now, the best protection remains having sex with a condom.




http://odili.net/news/source/2011/sep/30/335.html

Nigeria Records First Stem Cell Transplantation



http://www.stemcellresources.org/library_img/sc_400/7.jpg


A team of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, medical experts have recorded the first successful stem cell transplantation operation in the West African sub-region.

The team led by a haematologist, Dr. Nosakhare Bazuaye, performed a successful surgery made on an indigent sickle cell patient, who suffered a stroke at seven.

Chief Medical Director of UBTH, Prof. Michael Ibadin, said the cell transplant began three years ago, when the institution assembled a team of 18 experts, which it sent to Switzerland in an effort to bring comfort to Nigerians suffering from sickle cell anaemia and other diseases.

According to Ibadin, with the breakthrough, the two-week procedure which would have cost about N40m outside the country can now be done for as low as N2m locally.

He said, “This is the first time it is happening here, and this is the first time it is happening in Africa, outside Egypt and South Africa.

“It did not start now but three years ago when we sent 18 experts to Switzerland in batches and in the course of doing that, experts from Switzerland came here to put up the infrastructure.”

Surrounded by some of the experts, including Bazuaye, who carried out the procedure on the seven-year-old son of a retiree, the CMD explained what the procedure entailed.

He said, “Stem cell means primitive cell; the transplantation means you are taking from one person and transplanting to the other. For you to get the stem cell, you have to go to the bone marrow, but then it is not every cell there that is primitive. The process requires extensive technical knowledge and it’s a delicate procedure.

“To do this, you have to break down the defences of the donor through drugs. You need to get this (primitive cell) from somebody to transfer to others.

“The likely beneficiaries include sicklers, one of which we just did the stem cell transplantation on. A procedure like this can make a sickler go from SS to AA. You harvest from one source (donor) who is compatible with the patient and transplant. Cancer patients can also benefit.”

He added, “In this particular case, a child at seven, he had already had a stroke and was at the risk of having a second. The person that donated to him was the brother, who is 14. There was cross-matching which had to be done, but was not available in this country. We had to bring in somebody from Basel (Switzerland).”

The surgery, which lasted two weeks, will take another month to determine whether the grafting will jell, but an upbeat Ibadin sees nothing that could undermine the process.

He, however, called on Nigerians to rally round the institution, in its effort to make the specialised surgery widely available at a reduced cost.

He said, “It is an expensive procedure but we are not looking at that as we want a breakthrough.



http://naija-online.com/2011/10/nigeria-records-first-stem-cell-transplantation/

Science Academy praises Nigeria’s satellites



MINISTER of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Okon Bassey Ewa and the Director General of the National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Seidu Mohammed have reassured Nigerians that the Federal Government has not abandoned the nation’s space mission roadmap developed in 2006.

The assurance came just as the Nigerian Science Academy (NAS) has praised the nation’s launch of two satellites.

Ewa, who spoke in Lagos during his working visit to a telemedicine centre at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), noted that Nigeria was making “transformational progress” in the area of science and technology.

He explained that Nigeria’s recent launch of two satellites-NigeriaSat-X and NigeriaSat-2- and the LUTH telemedicine centre are evidence that Nigeria’s space mission roadmap approved by the Federal Government in was on course.


Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technologies to provide clinical health care at a distance to patients. Video-conferencing, transmission of still images, e-health, including patient portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education (CME) and nursing call centres are all considered part of telemedicine.

The LUTH telemedicine centre, which is being managed by Indian experts, was built some years ago in partnership with Pan-African e-network to render quality healthcare services and education at both LUTH and the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

LUTH Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Dr. Gbenga Ogunlewe revealed that the centre, which is linked to 12 health institutions in India, has been helpful in attending to tough medical conditions and saving lives in the institution.

President of NAS, Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, who spoke in Lagos during the academy’s public presentation of a report, praised Nigeria’s ability to launch two home-grown satellites simultaneously.

(warning: dramatic nigerian inflammatory statement)
He noted that with the development, Nigeria has surpassed its two competitors –South Africa and Egypt – in the realm of science and technology in Africa.


Ibidapo-Obe said something should be done urgently to ensure that Nigerians are able to take advantage of the benefits of what could accrue from such scientific development.

He urged the National Assembly to expedite action on the Academy of Science Bill currently before it so that the nation could catch up with developed nations in science and technology.

On his part, NASRDA boss, Mohammed said the importance of telemedicine could not be over-emphasised as it would save Nigerians seeking quality medical care, the hassle of travelling abroad.

Noting that the technology would make healthcare accessible to Nigerians, Seidu added that the it would also lower the cost of quality medical care for Nigerians living in the rural areas.




http://www.thenigeriandaily.com/2011/09/07/nigeria%E2%80%99s-space-mission-on-course-says-minister/

FG Draws Roadmap for Space Mission



http://www.sstl.co.uk/Images/Platform-images/NigeriaSat-X-with-engineer?width=250&height=166

05.11.2006

The federal government has announced that it has drawn up a master plan through which the first Nigerian would land on the moon by 2030
Giving details of the plan, which was approved at yesterday's meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), science and technology minister, Prof Turner Isuon, said that a cabinet committee has been established for the purpose.

Isuon told state house correspondents at the end of the meeting that members of the council committee include the ministers of science and technology, FCT, education, communications and the minister of state for finance.

The committee, which is to draw up the plan and budget for the actualisation of the presidential initiative, is also empowered to invite Nigerians in the Diaspora, who are specialists in space science.
The minister said that within the next 25 years, the country would aspire to produce and launch a satellite in the country and also be able to help others achieve a similar goal.

He said that the country would not go solo on the search for a place in space, adding that through its National Space Research and Development Agency, the federal government hope to go into partnerships with other nations that were ahead in space.

"As we speak, 55 young engineers are undergoing training on satellite technology in China,'' he said, adding that government was planning to establish the needed institutions and infrastructure for the programme.

``There will be a year by year plan, and capacity would be developed,'' he said, noting that by the end of 2007, between 60 and 70 satellite engineers would have been fully trained and ready for the task ahead.

He spoke of plans to develop communications software locally and also manufacture all the facilities needed in space technology such that the nation could also begin to reap huge benefits from space sciences.
The minister said that the space plan was for the future and that the federal government was ``very serious on this'' and was determined to work successfully to actualise it.



sorry, the link is broken but it came from Thisdayonline.com

Nigeria: Another Two Years To Kill Polio





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5 October 2011

The Federal Government has set another two years for the eradication of the obstinate polio virus from the country. This happened when Microsoft chief and Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, led his team to pay a courtesy visit to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday, September 29, 2011.

An elated President Jonathan thanked the current richest man in America for his interest in the wellness of Nigerians and disclosed that his government would soon set up a team to oversee a rejuvenated campaign for the total eradication of the menace, which leads to the crippling of its victims.

Explaining further, Jonathan told the visitors: "I can assure you that we will work very hard on polio with the objective of eradicating it in the next 24 months. It is now limited to about six states and eradicating it within our tenure is a goal we will pursue with full commitment."

Indeed, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has shown an abiding interest in the fight against many afflictions in Nigeria such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and now polio with the infusion of a large portion of its multi-billion dollar vote for charity around the world. Bill Gates and his wife are therefore following the worthy footsteps of former American presidents, Jimmy Carter (who for more than two decades, committed himself to the now eradicated guinea worm scourge) and Bill Clinton (who has been associated with the fight against HIV/AIDS, especially in Africa).

Bill and Melinda Gates are shining examples of philanthropy, the spirit of giving back to humanity, especially the less privileged, from the abundance of their material accomplishments. After conquering poverty through the pioneering of the Microsoft revolution that set the pace for a new world order dominated by the Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Gates addressed his uncommonly febrile mind to the conquest of health problems that plague humanity, especially the poor.

Our "money-bags" have a lot to learn from the likes of Bill Gates and put in more efforts to reduce social challenges that the poor, women, children and youth suffer in our society. They should turn greater attention to corporate social responsibility activities to support communal development, education, creation of gainful employment and the promotion of sports.

Bill Gate's initiative also places a lot of moral burden on governments at all levels, especially in the polio-endemic states of Northern Nigeria. Due to massive campaigns starting from the middle of the 1980s, polio, which is one of the six common childhood killer diseases (the others being whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, measles and tuberculosis) had been all but eradicated from Nigeria.

However, the effort suffered a serious draw-back in the early 2000s when some politicians, traditional rulers and community leaders introduced religious sentiments and some states in the North decided to stop the vaccination of children. The scourge, thus made a dramatic comeback. Only goodness knows how many more Nigerian children have become victimised as a result of this reactionary measure, which eventually was rescinded with vaccination efforts fully resumed.

The case is compounded by the fact that our borders, especially in the North, are so porous and foreigners from Chad, Niger Republic and other Sahelian West African countries come in almost at will. Foreigners from these countries which may not share the same level of commitment to the elimination of these diseases flood our country and re-introduce diseases already on the way out through our modest efforts.

It therefore behoves governments at all levels to work closely with traditional and religious leaders to tackle both the disease and its human vectors from foreign land.

We hope that the committee the President promised to set up will be able to go beyond the tepid routine for which government committees are known in Nigeria. The fight against these common childhood killer diseases should involved universal best practices that have worked in other countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has developed models that have worked in other countries. Let us put them to work for us.

The two-year deadline for the kicking of polio out of Nigeria is a challenging target. The world out there and Nigerians as well will use it to gauge the capacity of the President Jonathan regime to govern effectively.

We must meet this target, at least to justify the hand of friendship and assistance extended to us by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.



http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/201110050722.html

Coconut milk, others show promise in shrinking prostate cancer growth


.......

http://www.flowerpicturegallery.com/d/10643-1/Orange+Coconut+fruit+tree.JPG
Thursday, 06 October 2011 00:00
BY CHUKWUMA MUANYA


Can increasing the intake of meals rich in coconut milk, ginger, garlic, onions, tomato, castor bean oil, alligator pepper and West African black pepper provides the elusive cure for prostate cancer? CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.

AS men age they are bound to have prostate problems. But in some men the common prostate enlargement turns cancerous. For now it is said to have no cure. The conventional treatment options available are mainly palliatives and very delicate surgery that is rarely successful.

But naturopaths backed with scientific evidence claim that if men start early eating meals rich in coconut milk, ginger, garlic, onions, tomatoes and local spices such as alligator pepper, as well live active lifestyles they will not develop prostate problems later in life. They also say the mix can also stop prostate enlargement and growth of cancers.


A professor of Epidemiology and natural medicine and Chairman, Oyo State of Nigeria Advisory Board on Traditional Medicine, Dayo Oyekole had told The Guardian that a special blend of castor bean, alligator pepper, ginger, coconut, and West African black pepper (Xylopia aethiopica, uda in Ibo) could be used to successfully shrink and remove prostate and fibroid growths.


Nigerian researchers have investigated the effect of varying doses of coconut milk on the prostate gland. They found that coconut milk reduced testosterone level and body weight, which are key risk factors for prostate cancer.

The study titled: “Biochemical responses of rat prostate to coconut (Cocos nucifera) milk ingestion/treatment,” was published in the Nigerian Journal of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology by scientists from the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The effect of varying doses of coconut milk on the prostate gland, using indices such as levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), testosterone, oestrogen and prostate acid phosphatase (PACP) activity, was investigated.

Twenty-four adult male wistar albino rats (weighing 166-200g) were divided into four groups of six rats each. Group 1 was the reference/control group, which received no coconut milk, while groups 2, 3 and 4 received 5ml/kg body weight (b.w.) and 10ml/kg b.w and 20ml/kg b.w of coconut milk in that order.

The coconut milk was obtained when the nuts of coconut (Cocos nucifera) were opened with a sharp knife to separate the shell from the pulp and to obtain the pulp. The brown skin adhering to the pulp was removed by scraping. The pulp was washed in a running water to remove any residue. The coconut pulp was finely grated and the milk expressed by squeezing with cheese cloth. During this process, the desired coconut milk was obtained in the form of droplets.

The researchers found that coconut milk, at a dose of 5ml/kg b.w had no effect on PSA concentration by the fourth week of administration. PSA level is used to measure prostate health.

The researchers wrote, “significant decreases (p<0.05) were observed in PSA concentration of test groups 3 and 4 administered 10ml and 20ml/kg b.w of coconut milk respectively during the four - week period. This observed significant decrease was dose-dependent.

“Serum PSA concentrations decreased significantly (p<0.05) in groups 2, 3, and 4 by week eight, when compared to the value for control group 1..”

The researchers found that after four weeks of treatment with coconut milk, testosterone concentrations decreased significantly (p<0.05) in blood samples of the test groups administered 10 and 20 ml/kg of coconut milk in that order compared with the testosterone concentrations of animals in the untreated control.

The concentrations of testosterone decreased significantly (p<0.05) in the serum of test group animals administered high dose of 20 ml/kg b.w of coconut milk compared with the control after the period of eight weeks.

According to the researchers, as the dosage of the coconut milk increased, the concentration of testosterone decreased in a corresponding pattern.

There is evidence, as put forward by Ross and Henderson (1994) that reduction in dietary fat (especially long-chain saturated fats) in adulthood will reduce circulating testosterone levels, therefore low dietary fat in adulthood might further alter prostate cancer incidence.

Fife (2004) in his book titled Coconut Lovers Cookbook illustrated the beneficial effect of coconut in line with coconut having the potential to induce loss of excess body fat and increase in metabolic rate as a result of its medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA).

Meanwhile, scientists at Georgia State University, United States, have discovered that whole ginger extract has promising cancer-preventing activity in prostate cancer.

According to an online article in FirstView published in the British Journal of Nutrition, Associate professor of Biology, Ritu Aneja discovered in her lab, that ginger extract had significant effects in stopping the growth of cancer cells, as well as, in inducing cell death in a spectrum of prostate cancer cells.

Also, researchers have found that garlic and onions could help prevent men developing prostate cancer. Men, who ate the most vegetables had a 50 per cent lower risk of having prostate cancer than those who ate the least.

The benefits could be due to allium, a sulphur-based compound, which is responsible for the characteristic smell.

Also, researchers suggest that a daily serving of tomatoes could protect against prostate cancer and slow the growth of a tumour in an existing sufferer.

A study involving mice bred to be genetically susceptible to cancer showed those fed a daily diet rich in tomato extracts were less likely to fall ill - and survived longer if they did. The findings were published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.


http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63323:coconut-milk-others-show-promise-in-shrinking-prostate-cancer-growth&catid=44:natural-health&Itemid=599

Nigeria: FG, U.S. Collaborate to Produce HIV Vaccine




http://www.scientificamerican.com/media/inline/hiv-aids-latent-reservoir-treatment-cure_1.jpg

Ruby Leo
13 October 2011

The federal Government yesterday revealed plans to work with the United State, Department of Defence to facilitate the research and production of HIV vaccines to stem its transmission.

Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu made this known while declaring open an international symposium on "new prevention technologies for HIV/AIDS" in Abuja.

He said since no cure is yet to be discovered, countries are presently investing in preventing new infections.

The health minister represented by the Director of Public Health in the ministry, Dr. Mansir Kabir added that "Nigeria national HIV vaccine development plan has been developed and recently modified under the guidance of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and given mandate to a national working group to oversee the overall implementation of the vaccine plan."

Earlier the Board Chairman of NACA, Professor Emeritus Umaru Shehu said it has become pertinent for Nigeria to fully pursue the development of the HIV vaccine.

The Director General of NACA Prof. John Idoko said the symposium is geared toward updating participants on current global, regional and national effort on new HIV prevention technologies in the areas of research and development.

The National Coordinator of Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NEPHWAN) Edward Ogenyi called for the passage of anti-stigma and discrimination bill still pending before the National Assembly.





http://allafrica.com/stories/201110130300.html

African breadfruit extracts may provide next sleeping pill


Friday, October 21, 2011

http://odili.net/news/source/2011/oct/21/guardian/images/african-breadfruit-ok_200_160[1].jpg


By Chukwuma Muanya


It is better known for its seeds, which are used in making beverages and porridge meals. Recent studies suggest that eating meals rich in breadfruit could be a better option to sleeping pills in inducing sleep and treating mentally ill patients.


CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.


SLEEPLESSNESS has become the order of the day. Sleeplessness or rather insomnia has been linked with the rising cases of degenerative diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart diseases and cancer.


Little wonder the sleeping pill market is experiencing a boom. However, sleeping pills have potentially harmful side effects, including diarrhoea, constipation, dizziness, parasomnias. Parasomnias are behaviours and actions over which people have no control, like sleepwalking.


But Nigerian researchers have found that extracts of African breadfruit (Treculia Africana) could be the next best natural sedative without side effects, thereby making it useful in the treatment of mental illness.

The researchers from the Faculties of Pharmacy Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State found that the crude extract possessed sedative effects, which may be through increase in the activity of GABA in the brain.

GABA is gama amino butyric acid, and is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that is essential for the proper functioning of the brain and the central nervous system, and has the effect of reducing excessive brain activity and promoting a state of calm.


The study published recently in Ethnobotanical Leaflets is entitled "Central Nervous System Depressant Properties of Treculia africana Decne."


The researchers wrote: "The study was carried out to investigate the central nervous system activity of Treculia africana. The central nervous system depressant properties of Treculia africana were determined using: Novelty - Induced Rearing and Grooming, Locomotor activity, Ketamine-induced sleeping time and effect on rectal body temperature. [/B

]"The crude extract produced decrease in rearing, grooming and locomotor activity. It also potentiated ketamine-induced sleeping time and produced hypothermic effect in mice. The crude extract possessed sedative effect, which may be through increase in the activity of GABA in the brain."


Treculia africana is a tropical tree crop belonging to the taxonomic family Moraceae. It is also called wild jackfruit or African-boxwood. [B]In Nigeria, it is called ukwa in Ibo. It is afon in Yoruba; ize in Benin, Jekri and Sobo; izea in Ijaw; and ediang in Efik.

Analysis indicates that the seed is a rich source of vegetable oil (10 per cent), protein (17 per cent), carbohydrate (40 per cent), as well as several minerals and vitamins, and is a possible commercial raw material for the production of vegetable oil, pharmaceuticals, soaps, perfumes and paints.


The present study was led to because of claims by local herbalists that the plant was useful in the treatment of mental illness.


The study established the acute toxicity of the crude extract of Treculia africana by the determination of LD50. Acute toxicity test was carried out in order to determine the dose of the crude extract that will be administered to the mice. LD50 is the dose at which mortality occur in 50 per cent population of the experimental animals. The higher the value of the LD50 for a substance, the relatively safe the substance is assumed to be. The value obtained is not toxic to the animal.


The crude extract of Treculia africana was examined for novelty - induced rearing (NIR) in mice. NIR is a behaviour of rodents in novel environments. The behaviour is employed by rodents as one of the survival strategies in assessing the environment for food, protection and possibly escapes. Measurement of the frequency of rearing in rodents and the modification can therefore be employed in assessing the crude extracts for both sedative property and central nervous system stimulation.


Rearing has been described as the vertical locomotion activity when the animal stands on its hind leg while raising up its forearm in the air or placed on the wall of the cage. Drugs that stimulate the Central Nervous System (CNS) increase rearing behavior, while those that depress the CNS inhibit rearing behavior. In this study, the crude extract inhibited NIR showing that it has sedative effect.


The crude extract was examined for novelty - induced grooming (NIG) in mice. Grooming is an important behavioural component in animals and is associated with de - arousal state of the CNS. De - arousal indicates absence of stimulation. Drugs that have depressant effect inhibit grooming behaviour. Grooming is described in animals (rat or mice) as face or head washing with forearm or body grooming with mouth. The crude extract reduced NIG this suggests that the crude extract have depressant effect on the CNS.


http://odili.net/news/source/2011/oct/21/16.html

FG to launch NigComSat-1R in Nigeria, China

By Adeyemi Adepetun
http://megatekno.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/artificial-satellite.jpg




THE Federal Government has concluded plans to launch the de-orbited Nigerian Communications Satellite, now NigComSat-1R on December 19, with a promise to use the resources to boost communications services in the country.

It was learnt that the launch would be done in Nigeria and China simultaneously, after 29 months of putting it together again.


The Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, disclosed this in Lagos yesterday, while declaring open a three-day stakeholders' conference and exhibition on NigComSat-1R with the theme: "Pre-Launch Marketing and Sensitisation on NigComSat-1R", organised by the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited. She said it had become highly imperative for the country to explore all the resources within its ambit to make life easy for its citizens.


Johnson said the launch, aside increasing ICT contributions in Nigeria, will position the country effectively well for global competitiveness.


The minister, who was represented by her Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Ola Oguneye, noted that the gains in the telecommunications sector must be replicated in the IT sector, stressing that the gains are still very low in the IT sector. According her, the gains can only be leapfrogged through broadband and other communication facilities in the country.

"With NigComSat-1R and other cables currently in the country, it will definitely reduce the cost of bandwidth. The country still pays more for broadband services. The belief is that, with satellite communications, the country would be able to augment things and improve communications services in the country", the minister stated.


She noted that NigComSat-1R, which is still wholly owned by government needs private sector contribution to become marketable, stressing that globally, it is the private sector that drives the economy.


Speaking further on the launch, the Managing Director of NigComSat Limited, Dr. Timansaniyu Ahmed-Rufai, said NigComSat-1 which was launched in May 2007 as part of economic and technological development plans of the Federal Government, was de-orbited shortly after its installation on November 10, 2008 due to some technical challenges.


Rufai said the new satellite NigComSat-1R to be launched in December, with a 15-year plus life span, would speed up communications connections in the country. According to him, the satellite will make Nigeria to be part of the ICT producing economies, stressing that Nigeria remains a good market but the lack of adequate capacity is greatly hindering the economy.
"Nigeria, according to a recent World Bank report, imports more of ICT services, whereas on the export level, it is zero. But with the facility such as the satellite, that should change. We should stop producing market for other countries", he stated.


To the Vice President, China Great Wall Industry Corp (CGWIC), the company handling the project for Nigeria, Mr. He Xing, with the experience and verification exercise done so far, the launch will be a success, stressing that CGWIC has developed models that meet the yearning of the developing industry in the space technology.


"We shall provide long term support for the satellite. NigComSat-IR is a valuable asset for Nigeria, which will benefit the Nigerian people. Aside improving broadcasting services, it will aid telecommunications as well. This technology will be able to satisfy the technology needs among Asia, Middle East and Africa", he stated.



http://odili.net/news/source/2011/nov/22/4.html

Nigeria Releases New Vitamin A Cassava to Improve Public Health for Millions

Newsroom
http://www.nairaland.com/attachments/590626_n687523740_2007560_5427362_jpg1a7030f9bc49ad7df07d226ab59904cb

Washington D.C, December 7, 2011: The Nigerian Government today announced the release of three new vitamin A-rich ‘yellow’ cassava varieties that could provide more vitamin A in the diets of more than 70 million Nigerians who eat cassava every day. The yellow color (cassava is generally white) is due to the higher vitamin A content.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is widely prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. It afflicts almost 20% of pregnant women and about 30% of children under-five in Nigeria. VAD can lower immunity and impair vision, which can lead to blindness and even death.

Children and women will be the main beneficiaries of these new yellow varieties, which could provide up to 25% of their daily vitamin A needs. Varieties with enough vitamin A to provide up to half of daily needs are already in the breeding pipeline and should be ready for release in a few years.

These new yellow varieties were bred using traditional (non-transgenic) methods by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Nigerian National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) and were liked by farmers during field trials.

Cassava is an extremely adaptable crop; it is drought tolerant, requires limited land preparation, and grows well in poor soils. The new yellow varieties are also high yielding and resistant to major diseases and pests.

“Demand for these varieties has already started, but it will take some time before we have enough quantities to give out, ” said Paul Ilona, the HarvestPlus Manager for Nigeria.

The yellow cassava is already being multiplied through stem cuttings. In 2013, when sufficient certified stems are available, HarvestPlus and its partners will then distribute these to about 25,000 farming households initially.
Farmers will be able to grow these new vitamin A varieties and feed them to their families. They can also multiply and share cuttings with others in their community amplifying the nutritional benefits. After the mid-2014 harvest, more than 150,000 household members are expected to be eating vitamin A cassava.

This work is funded by HarvestPlus. Other partners include the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), and Nigerian Government agencies.

HarvestPlus leads a global effort to breed and disseminate micronutrient-rich staple food crops to reduce hidden hunger in malnourished populations. It is part of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Health. It is coordinated by CIAT and the International Food Policy Research Institute.

http://www.harvestplus.org/content/nigeria-releases-new-vitamin-cassava-improve-public-health-millions



http://www.harvestplus.org/content/nigeria-releases-new-vitamin-cassava-improve-public-health-millions

Awesome development!

NIGCOMSAT-1R goes into orbit today
Monday, December 19, 2011




http://odili.net/news/source/2011/dec/19/guardian/images/rufai_200_160[1].jpg
AT about 4.00 p.m. today, Nigeria's Communication Satellite (NigComSat-1R) will leave the LM-3B launch vehicle in China with rocket speed and move into orbit from where it is expected to change the face of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Nigeria.



NigComSat-1R is a replacement satellite for NigComSat-1 Satellite.


The Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat Ltd) described the satellite as a critical ICT backbone infrastructure to drive the national ICT revolution in providing revenue diversification for the nation and offering cost effective solution and affordable access to meet Nigeria's telecommunications, broadcast, aviation, maritime, defense and security needs.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/X2.jpg

Managing Director of NigComSat Ltd, Ahmed Rufai, stressed: "NigComsat-1R has the same features as NigComSat-1, with modifications on the payload aimed at addressing domestic and international market needs. It is a super hybrid, high power, quad band geo-stationary satellite, which will provide optimal and cost effective voice, data, video, internet and application services solutions."


http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/X3.jpg
With a long service life of 15 years, NigComSat-1R is built on a hybrid satellite with radiation-hardened technology, high reliability, onboard software re-programmable ability, fault tolerance, redundant components and high efficiency.


Some of the acclaimed features of the space craft include: stronger footprints and centre beams over Africa; better look angles and shorter latency for intra Africa communication traffic; more powerful signal strength; increased reliability and availability of Ku-band due to adequate fade margin compensation for attenuation losses by rain; reduced cost of deployment for VSAT installations through acquisition of smaller equipment.


Others are availability of Ka band for broadband services at lower cost arising from the frequency re-use techniques, competitively priced transmission capacity, small antennas and reduced terminal prices.


The communication payload comprises 40 transponders, 28 active and 12 redundant.

http://odili.net/news/source/2011/dec/19/13.html



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[/URL]
Nigeria, Global Biofuels Sign 414 Billion-Naira Accord

Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, signed a memorandum of understanding with Global Biofuels Ltd. to build 15 integrated biofuel plants for about 414 billion naira ($2.55 billion), the Trade and Investment Ministry said.

Global Biofuels will start “the implementation of an agro- based industrial activity for the production of ethanol, biomass electric power and food, all from a single industrial complex, using sweet sorghum as raw materials,” Olusegun Aganga, Trade and Investment minister, said in an e-mailed statement.

Work on a pilot plant in the southwestern Ekiti State will start in the first quarter and is expected to be completed within 12 months, while 14 additional plants will be established in 14 other states after the pilot project is finished, he said.

About 70 percent of the project will be funded by the Chinese government, while the remaining 30 percent will come from financial institutions including NEXIM Bank, ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, Africa Finance Corp., Fond Gari of Togo, and First Bank of Nigeria Plc, the statement said, citing Felix Obada, chief executive officer of Global.
[url]http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-02/nigeria-global-biofuels-sign-414-billion-naira-accord.html (http://topics.bloomberg.com/nigeria/)

UI rated best varsity in research in Nigeria


http://odili.net/news/source/2012/jan/3/punch/images/Isaac_Adewole-311x270[1].jpg
Isaac Adewole

Tuesday, January 3, 2012
by Segun Olugbile

The University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, has been rated the best of the nine Nigerian universities mentioned among the 62 institutions in Africa recognised for their research development.







Also, the medical school of the institution, University College Hospital, was rated among the nine best in the 2011 SCimago Institutions Ranking World Reports.

The ranking was the outcome of an exercise conducted at the SCimago Laboratory, Spain, released on its website www. scimagoir.com.

South Africa with 20 of its institutions listed on the best research ranking led other African nations, followed by Nigeria with nine and Tunisia with eight.

All the nine listed Nigerian institutions are owned by the Federal Government as no state-owned or private university is among the institutions ranked by SIR World Reports.

The other eight institutions rated in order of performance are Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State; University of Lagos and University of Benin.

Others are the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; University College Hospital, Ibadan; Federal University of Technology, Akure and the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The release, which is the third edition of the SCimago Institutions Rankings, is one of the most comprehensive research ranking of universities with over 3,042 institutions from all over the world grouped into five institutional sectors.

The ranking was based on six selected indicators seeking to reveal the main aspects of research size, performance, impact and internalisation at worldwide research institutions.

The SIR World Reports include institutions whose scholars that published in reputable international journal, exceed certain thresholds and are cited in Elsevier-Scopus database.

Responding to the report, the Vice-Chancellor, UI, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said it was a good development for the institution and a pointer to the fact that the university's rating as the best in the country by the webometric ranking last year was not a fluke.

“The report is heartwarming but that is not where we want to stop, we are taking UI back to where it rightly belongs. You will recall that there was a time that we were rated as one of the best five in the Commonwealth, our focus is not just to be one of the best in the Commonwealth but in the world,” he said.

Also, the FUNAAB's Coordinator of Webometrics, Dr. O. Folorunso, said the report would form part of the criteria to be used in the January 2012 World Webometrics Ranking of universities which attracts 10 per cent of the total scores.

The FUNAAB Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwafemi Balogun, in a statement, expressed his delight at the development with a further assurance that the university, which placed ninth in Nigeria, and 56th on the list, would not relent in its pursuit of global excellence.


http://odili.net/news/source/2012/jan/3/830.html

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6LD5TXi1rh4/TxgbCn6HRkI/AAAAAAAAAVs/REB-HnEU1Sk/s1600/Project%2BZuma.JPG

The Nigerian spatial and mapping industry is grossly under represented online. It is getting difficult to feel the pulse of the Nigerian geospatial industry using an online research. Nigerian students contribute immensely to global internet traffic. They can also be assisted to contribute positively to Nigerian online footprint by providing reviews, news, content, etc about Nigerian mapping and GIS industry.

The Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (http://www.osgof.gov.ng/ ) -Nigeria's mapping agency in collaboration with Spatial Technologies Ltd (http://www.spatialtechnologiesltd.com) -Nigeria's foremost mapping and GIS solution provider is inviting students in Nigerian tertiary institutions studying Land Surveying, and Geographic Information (GI) related courses to enter into a blogging competition codenamed Project Zuma.

Project Zuma -an online bloggging competition named after the popular and legendary Zuma rock (http://naijatreks.com/2011/03/zuma-rock-the-dome-with-a-human-face/)in Niger State is a strategic online campaign designed to improve and strengthen the online information footprint for Nigerian Geospatial and brand awareness

Professor Peter Nwilo (http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/8986/2011/11/25/fg_appoints_new_surveyor-general_federation.html)-the newly appointed Surveyor General Of the Federation said, "Project Zuma is expected to provide the platform to improve the online search profile of Nigerian Geospatial industry regarding news, information, who is doing what and what is happening where within the industry. The project is also expected to improve the creativeness and innovations of our students. This we believe would transform Nigerian Geospatial industry from being a sluggish, uninspired industry to a vibrant, innovative and technology savvy mapping industry providing a wealth of information about the emerging industry to the internet community in a consistent and efficient "

According to Ireti Ajala (http://www.blogger.com/profile/10386330751651396465)-the CEO of Spatial Technologies Ltd, "The idea behind project Zuma is to engage young Nigerians studying Land surveying and other geospatial related courses across Nigerian tertiary institutions constructively and assist them to channel their intellectual capacity, creativity and vibrancy towards an agenda of national development and other worthy projects instead of wasting precious time and money on social network gossips via Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, etc"

The Internet represents an unlimited opportunity for an industry brand, and blogs are just one of many platforms that can benefit the Nigerian GI Industry by providing a wealth of information to investors, researchers, academics, corporate companies in Nigeria, students, Government and others interested in Nigerian Geospatial Industry . Blogs could also assist Nigerian students studying land surveying, mapping, GIS, and other geospatial related courses to keep abreast of what is happening around them and learn to articulate their thoughts and perceptions in their chosen industry to reach a wider community.

OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT ZUMA

To connect with Nigerian GI professionals and students of surveying, GIS, Geography, etc across the country.
To improve the brand profile of Nigerian GI industry and make it more attractive to more people in Nigeria.

COMPETITION RULES
To enter Project Zuma competition, you must be a Nigerian student either at undergraduate or post graduate level studying any of the following GI courses:
• Land surveying
• Geography
• GIS
• Computer Science
• Geology
• Architecture
• Estate Management
• Other geography related course

OTHER REQUIREMENTS
• The blog must focus ONLY on the Nigerian GI Industry
• You must keep it fresh and updated regularly by posting news, articles, innovations, about what is happening in the Nigerian GI Industry.
• You must link each post to your Facebook page and encourage your friends to create links to your posts from their Facebook pages

HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION
Interested? Get details of how to register for the competition at this link:
http://osgof.blogspot.com/

REWARD
1. First prize : N100,000 cash
2. Second prize : N50,000 cash
3. Third Prize : N20,000 cash


IMPORTANT DATES
• Competition Start Date: March 05, 2012
• Competition End Date: May 01, 2012

PROJECT ZUMA IS OPENED TO UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNICS ONLY

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-51WA6Cq3Gf0/Txga3C7bhhI/AAAAAAAAAVY/rTxcXseufr0/s1600/Nigerian%2Bmap%2Bdata.JPG


About OSGOF
The office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF) is statutorily saddled with the responsibility of providing and coordinating surveying and mapping activities within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
As the central depository for Survey, mapping and Geo-information activities in the country, state survey departments, oil companies, private practitioners and institutions are required by law (cap 194) to inform the (OSGOF) of their surveying and mapping projects.
Contact:
Blog: http://osgof.blogspot.com/
Website: www.osgof.gov.ng (info@osgof.gov.ng)
Email: info@osgof.gov.ng (info@osgof.gov.ng)

About STL
Spatial Technologies Ltd (STL) is a dynamic Information Technology company with special emphasis on map, GIS and Location based solutions. STL is registered in Nigeria with offices in Lagos.
Contact:
Website: www.spatialtechnologiesltd.com (http://www.spatialtechnologiesltd.com/)
Email: info@spatialtechnologiesltd.com

Nigeria joins Egypt, S’Africa in solar panel production


http://www.leonardo-energy.org/files/root/Photoblog/solarroofnigeria.jpg




By John Ofikhenua 09/12/2011 00:00:00

Nigeria has joined Egypt and South Africa as the third African nation to produce its solar panels for electricity purposes locally.

The Science and Technology Minister, Professor Ita Okon Bassey Ewa, announced this yesterday when he led a delegation in a consultation visit to the Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji.

Head Media and Public Relations, Mrs Greyne Anosike made this known in a statement yesterday.

The Minister said that the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has successfully produced solar panels of international standard, which would now bridge the quantum of foreign exchange being spent on importing panels from Asia and Europe annually.

With that, Nigeria joins Egypt and South Africa as the only African nations with the technological capacity to mass produce solar panels.

Prof. Ewa, who was accompanied by his Permanent Secretary, Dr. Dare Awosika and the Director General – NASENI, Prof. O. Adewuye, said they came to show solidarity with the efforts of the Power Minister to translate Nigerian dream into reality and to seek various areas of collaboration in defining ways in which science and engineering could impact and drive the rural development.

He said Science and Technology Ministry believes that because of the difficult terrain in some parts of the country, clusters of electricity generating units as dams, wind and solar would be the best option forward and confirmed that his Ministry had done all studies relating to them and would invite the Power Minister to come and see them soon.

The Minister said “on wind energy, we have produced wind map for the country, which tells us where we have the strongest wind velocity for power generation”.

Ewa said his team was also in the Ministry to further solicit good partnership to drive the solar panel technology in Karchi, Abuja forward.

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/business/29134-nigeria-joins-egypt,-s%E2%80%99africa-in-solar-panel-production.html

^^that is good news. If an effective model can be made where these panels can somehow be sold to people where it isn't too expensive we may start to see people use solar panels instead of generators.

The federal govt. and state governments should start promoting its use by installing them on various govt. buildings so that more people will be aware of them as some kind of alternative.

^^Great News article, HerachioBlo. thanks for posting it.:okay:

Smart cities: IBM takes Lagos as pilot

http://www.neukam-helmut.de/bilder/reisen/afrika/nigeria/06_lagos_island_2.jpg
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
By Emeka Aginam

With Lagos population growing in leaps and bounds, International Business Machine, (IBM) has pledged to use its software solutions to build smarter cities for the state.


A smarter city initiative of IBM is tailored on how best the Lagos State government and other state governments can exploit information to optimize the delivery of city services.

Although Lagos State is targeted as a pilot program, the General Manager, Software Sales of IBM Software Group, Robert Picciano who was in Nigeria last week disclosed that smarter cities solutions if deployed, can now monitor, measure and manage nearly any physical system at work in the state.

According to him, IBM has ability to collect and analyze real-time information on everything from transportation networks to hospitals to the electricity grid.

According to him, the best of IBM's research, hardware, software and services capabilities together with deep industry expertise can be used to helpreduce traffic congestion, and resulting air pollution, digitize health records to improve overall patient care, improve access to, and quality of, education, enhance security systems to reduce crime rates, source and manage power more intelligently and improve quality, supply and access to, water.

"The uses for this information are nearly limitless. It can be used to empower citizens, build political capital, or develop new business models and partnerships with the private sector.

It can be used to model and predict how changes to one system will affect others, decreasing the risks of change and speeding the return on investment. And it can be used to draw the businesses that attract talent, and the talent that attracts businesses" he explained.

Framing the IBM smarter city story

Defining the opportunity, Picciano said that two years ago, IBM embarked on a mission to help cities learn how to exploit the vast amount of information already available across their cities to deliver better citizen services.

IBM, he assured was set out to help cities become "smarter" including Lagos State by leveraging information to make better decisions, anticipating problems to resolve them proactively, and coordinating resources to operate effectively.

To date, he informed that IBM has led over 2,000 projects with cities globally. "We're now on the cusp of an extraordinary opportunity: In order to scale the insights gained to the "next several thousand" cities, IBM is deploying new business models that will make best practices repeatable and make "smart" accessible for a broader number of cities globally. With increasing experience, patterns have emerged that have helped us identify" he added.

For the very first time, he disclosed that IBM has packaged together an integrated solution called the Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities designed to help cities of all sizes integrate city systems and apply intelligence to their city operations through one central point of command.

http://odili.net/news/source/2012/mar/28/310.html

Nigeria's new science fund takes US as its model



http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/7.2984.1329928149!/image/%C2%A9US%20Army%20Africa.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_300/%C2%A9US%20Army%20Africa.jpg
Nigerian science funding has so far come from international agencies, or from government departments not dedicated to science. (Here, lab technicians receive malaria microscopy training from a U.S. Army Research Unit near Lagos, Nigeria).

US Army Africa


Nigeria is to get a dedicated science fund similar to the US National Science Foundation, to provide support for research in the country.

The National Science Research, Technology and Innovation Fund, announced last month (25 January), will be run by an independent board and headed by Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan, a scientist by training.


Nigerian science funding has so far come from international agencies, or from government departments not dedicated to science.

Nigeria's recent science, technology and innovation (STI) policy, approved in December by Nigeria's highest decision-making body, the Federal Executive Council, advocated for a minimum of one per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) to be spent on science by the public and private sectors, and international organisations.

The fund has been set up in line with recommendations of the policy, but specifics on how it will operate have not yet been released.

A source in the science ministry said that the money for the fund would come from the government, along with the private sector and development agencies.

At present, research funds come primarily from the budgets of individual agencies and of international agencies. There is no specific science fund.

Previous research funds have been proposed, such as one in 2006 with a planned endowment of US$5 billion from oil revenues – but none of these proposals was successful.

But hopes are high for this new fund as the idea comes from the new STI policy, which the government says it will start implementing soon.

The permanent secretary of the science ministry, Dere Awosika, said that the Ministry of Finance was due to announce the budget of the fund in the next two weeks.

Nigeria's minister of information, Labaran Maku, said the creation of the fund meant the country was "taking a major step" in realising its development agenda, 'Vision 2020'.

The fund will be independent, managed outside the regular government funding system and open to applications from all Nigerian research organisations, said Maku.

The director-general of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Olusegun Adewoye, called on the government to provide an endowment of US$10 billion.

He said the country needs a science strategy to decide how to spend the money.

"Before the money is touched at all, there should be a strategic plan for what Nigeria needs to do in two, five and in 25 years," he said, adding that Nigeria should concentrate on building up research areas that it can succeed in.

The president of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Oye Ibidapo Obe, suggested to SciDev.Net that a percentage of national tax income should be set aside to finance the fund.

He said the fund should be operated in a transparent way by a committee consisting of members of the Nigerian Academy of Science and similar organisations.

The secretary-general of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences, Justin Epelu-Opio, welcomed the fund and said his academy would advocate a similar fund in Uganda.


http://www.nature.com/news/nigeria-s-new-science-fund-takes-us-as-its-model-1.10086

Scientists rate medicinal quality of different Nigerian honey





http://odili.net/news/source/2012/apr/6/tribune/images/05-04-12healt[1].jpg
Written by Sade Oguntola
Friday, April 6, 2012


As is generally known, honey is good for health. It is suggested that people drink it every day. But there are varieties of honey in the market. Then how do we choose honey to buy? Many people would answer, saying it is better to patronise the supermarket and choose a brand that one trusts. Such a method seems reasonable, but buying what is popular or available without giving any thought to the purpose for which they want honey is tantamount to a waste of money.

Honey has a wide varieties of flavour and people who are educated use different types of honey for different purposes, and as such, one's choice should be based on its intended use-whether it is for taste, health benefits or for beauty treatment.


Honey sold in Nigeria is not an exception and expert's analysis of available honey shows that its composition and effectiveness for medicinal uses vary from one region to another, depending on the specific plants from which it has been collected by the bee. Its composition is also affected by the climate and environmental conditions.


Nigerian researchers in a 2011 edition of African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines reportedly studied six samples of honey from three geographical locations in the country. The locations included Idanre and Ile-Ife in the Western region; Ewu in the Mid-Western region; Umudike in the Eastern region; as well as Kaduna and Jigawa both in the Northern region.

The study entitled: "Neuropharmacological Effects Of Nigerian Honey In Mice" was carried out by Moses Atanda Akanmu, Temitope Adunni Olowookere, Soliu Abiola Atunwa, Basirat Olufunmilola Ibrahim, Oluwafunmilayo Fatima Lamidi, Philomena Arekekhuegbe Adams, Bolanle Olubunmi Ajimuda, Lilian Edelauvo Adeyemo, all from the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile - Ife.


Interestingly, the trial done in mice under laboratory conditions found that honey from Umudike should be one's choice if it is meant to improve night's sleep.

The study found that honey sample from Umudike at dose of 10%V/v and diazepam (a commonly used sleeping pill) significantly increased sleep duration while honey samples from Ewu and Jigawa at the dose of 10%V/v significantly decreased the sleep duration.

In terms of using honey to control anxiety, a state of excessive fear, which could interfere with intelligence and memory, they found that honey from any region of the country would have same effect on anxiety level, but that the one from Idanre was the best.


They wrote in the journal: "In this study, hole board showed that exploratory behavior was increased with the administration of honey samples, but it was only the honey sample from Idanre (ID) at 10%v/v that showed a significant level."


A common use of honey in the community is for the prevention and alleviation of convulsion or fits. But to ensure a significant delay of convulsions and its severity of seizures, at the onset, honey from Umudike is the best as ranked by the study.

Under laboratory conditions, they found that there was a significant delay of convulsions at the incipient level and mortality in animals that had honey from Umudike and in whose convulsion was induced using Picrotoxin (PTX).

The effect was similar to what is obtainable in Diazepam, a standard anticonvulsant drug which significantly delayed convulsions and its severity as induced by picrotoxin, thus establishing its protective effects in mice.


In the report, the researchers wrote: "The rate of convulsions also became significantly decreased with administration of this sample (Umudike sample). The Umudike sample also gave between 50 and 66.7 per cent protection against PTX -induced convulsion while Jigawa sample gave 16 per cent protection when compared with control. However, other honey samples gave no protection."

In addition, when the pain-relieving or analgesic effects of these honey samples were determined after an oral administration, the researchers found out that although all helped with pain control, but honey from Idanre, Ewu, Kaduna and Ile-Ife had a significant effect in pain relief.

According to them, further tests to qualify their effectiveness however showed that Idanre and Ewu Honey samples had the most pronounced pain relieving or analgesic activities.


They suggested, however, that the mode of action of the various honey samples in relieving pain was different. But they suspected that the effects of samples from Idanre and Ewu were same, and that those samples from Jigawa, Ile-Ife and Umudike also worked in the same manner.


They wrote:" The difference in the mode of action of the honey samples can as well be due to difference in receptor selectivity and their chemical constituents since they are obtained from different sources."


There are extensive evidences to prove the benefit of honey in attacking depression. In this case, the study results showed that honey sample from Idanre orally administered in mice had a significant effect on depression that is similar to that obtainable in the Imipramine, a standard antidepressant drug, which is used in the treatment of depression.


However, other five honey samples had no significant effect on immobility time, suggesting that they have no antidepressant effect in mice.

The researchers, who concluded by saying that the study clearly demonstrated that Nigerian honey samples could be used as nutraceutical agents, stated that further studies were needed to determine the toxicity potentials and various mechanism(s) of actions of these honey samples.


Reports showed that the consumption of honey actually resulted in weight loss as compared with diets of sugar. It is also reported that it enhances immunity. Similarly, its role in the treatment of burns, gastrointestinal disorders, asthma, infected wounds and skin ulcers has been ''rediscovered''.


Traditionally in Nigeria, honey has been used in various forms to treat various types of ailments such as: Bronchial cough (mixture of equal parts of honey and fresh lemon juice); Feverish cough ( mixture of 1 fluid ounce each of honey, olive oil, lemon juice and to be taken several times a day); Colds (mixture of honey with cidar apple vinegar); Sore or irritated throats (honey drinks- mixture of a gargle of 1 quart water, 125 g honey and 5 g alum);Ulcers in the mouth (mixture of 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons glycerin, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a dash of ginger);Tension (regular intake of honey to relax the nerves); Burns and wounds and Earache (putting of drops of honey on a piece of cotton wool and into the ear).
http://odili.net/news/source/2012/apr/6/601.html

Finally the wisdom of our ancestors is rediscovered.

Nigerian Scientist Develops Process For Producing Flammable Gases From Urine


http://channelkoos.com/images/resized/images/stories/uritricity_200_151.jpg

A NIGERIAN Scientist, Ejikeme P. Nwosu, 29-year-old, may have developed a process for producing flammable gases from urine.

Nwosu, a graduate of Pure and Industrial Chemistry from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (NAU), Anambra State with Masters of Science degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, claims this process could replace fossil fuel in the near future.

Nwosu told The Guardian, "after years of study, I have successfully developed a process that converts urine into flammable gases. These gases can be used as an alternative to fossil fuel. This process is cheap, easy and very feasible. It requires treating urine with some substances I identified after years of study.

"No external heat is required for this process. The flammable gas is rich in hydrogen and ammonia. Both can be used directly to generate energy or could be further purified upon chemical treatments to get hydrogen of very high purity. Hydrogen is the best fuel for engines because it poses no threat to the environment, it produces water vapour as by product."

Scientists from Ohio University, United States, were one of the first, in July 2009, to describe the possibility of developing urine-powered cars, homes and personal electronic devices in the Royal Society of Chemistry's Chemistry Communications.

Also, the BBC reported on August 19, 2010, of a research team at Heriot-Watt University, United Kingdom, investigating whether urine could be used as a source of renewable energy.

Nwosu, who says he is the chief executive officer (CEO) and director of Research at Lumos Laboratories and Company Nigeria, Kaduna, further explained, "it is obvious that our crude oil reserves will be exhausted in few decades to come. When this happens we will be forced to use other sources of fuel, but it would be more prudent to start acting prior to such state. Besides these, fossil fuel has a lot of dangers that come with it; chief among them is climatic disorders.

"In order to leave our world better than I met it, I ventured into research on urine and have made some notable successes that can change the world forever."

Nwosu said the United States government alone has invested billions of dollars into projects that can produce hydrogen from various sources and it is high time the Nigerian government acted on this.

"Trillions of litres of urine are generated yearly globally with an average adult producing about 2.5 litres daily," he said.

The industrial chemist said contrary to people's view of urine as a waste, he sees urine as the solution to our highly sought clean, renewable and affordable energy.

"Very soon, urine will be for sale. You are welcome to our laboratory anytime for demo, while coming do so with a bottle or bottles of urine and watch me change it to fire," Nwosu said.

In a report published 2009 in Discovery News, the Ohio University scientists said they could create large amounts of cheap hydrogen from urine that could be burned or used in fuel cells, using a nickel-based electrode. "One cow can provide enough energy to supply hot water for 19 houses," said Gerardine Botte, a professor at Ohio University developing the technology. "Soldiers in the field could carry their own fuel."

http://channelkoos.com/index.php/news/1223-nigerian-scientist-develops-process-for-producing-flammable-gases-from-urine-

Herbal medicine set for rebranding as Nigeria hosts HerbFEST


http://nigerianhealthjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/nigerian-herbs-spices-800x800.jpg
October 8, 2011
By nigerianhealthjournal
Share By Abiose Adams

Standardisation is a major concern with regards to herbal medicine in Nigeria, and both practitioners and consumers of herbal medicine agree that this concern must be addressed if herbal medicine is to take its rightful place as far as healthcare is concerned in this part of the world.

This would form part of the focus of Herb FEST 2011, a biennial, regional, natural products expo holding October 11 in Lagos.

Announcing details of the conference, Professor of herbal medicine, Elijah Sokomba, said that Nigeria has a hidden treasure of herbal medicine and the earlier it starts to standardize its products, the better it is for the economy.

“There is a lot of potential in herbal medicine, but these products cannot be exported the way they are”, says Sokomba who also the national coordinator of Bio-resources Development and Conservation Programme.

“We are not looking at local consumption alone. We want the products to meet up with international standards, so that it can be internationally accepted because the current trade worth of traditional medicine worldwide is over 100 billion dollars and Nigeria is not benefitting from this; because our products are not up to standards.”

The need for standardization entails that any herbal product must have the right dosage, accurate measurement and calibration of herbal products as obtained in courtiers like China, India and the US.

This is currently not the case in Nigeria as there are challenges of wrong dosage, bogus and deceptive claims by practitioners, complication arising from use of herbal medicine, insufficient data and evidence for safety, efficacy and quality of traditional medicines. There are even no clinical trials (and detailed reports of findings presented and subjected to peer review) before products are branded and sold to consumers. This has been a bone of contention among practitioners and a major point of departure between orthodox medicine and traditional medicine practitioners.

The Director General, Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, Tamunoibuomi Okujagu also believe that the need for standisation cannot be overemphasised given the fact that most Nigerians have come to trust traditional medicine.

“We believe that traditional medicine is not inferior by the mere fact that it is Nigerian or African giving that 85 per cent of our people utilize traditional medicine practices and products; we equally recognize that a lot of its practices needs to be improved to make it up to the current standards in healthcare, he says.Against this background, Bio-resources Development and Conservation Programme, a non-governmental organization in collaboration with the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, and the International Centre for Ethno-medicine and Drug Development and the International Association for the promotion of Traditional Medicine is organizing a natural products expo during this year’s Herb FEST 2011, to help stimulate the natural products and bio business industrial sector in Nigeria and ECOWAS sub region.

“The aim is to find ways of keying into the herbal renaissance blooming across the world with a view to enhancing our capacity for delivering a new herbal and agricultural products to the international markets especially the EU and the US market under the Africa growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and thus diversify the export base of the local economy”, says Okujiagu.


http://nigerianhealthjournal.com/?p=1412

Nigeria: Scientist Invents Computer Software to Track Criminals




Onitsha — A computer scientist and former deputy governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chinedu Emeka, has developed a computer software that could be used to track criminals and check their activities in the country.

Emeka, who was deputy governor under Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju's administration, said he decided to embark on the research and develop the system as criminals were not being punished for offences committed.

Emeka, who just bagged a Phd in computer science from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said if criminals were caught and punished, prospective criminals would have a rethink before venturing into crimes.

He said there was a need for a national data base of criminals, such as the one he developed, that would be easily accessible to security agencies in the country.


He called on government and private institutions to patronize the Ivory Towers when seeking for solutions to challenges such as provision of power supply, computer software, alternative raw materials/ enhancement of existing raw materials and staff training.

Emeka called on politicians to always provide funds for universities to carry out research and development in the universities and advocated that energy should be re-channeled towards recognition of excellence in research and development.

He said government and private sector could encourage this by setting out annual prizes for most useful indigenous scientific discoveries, best made Nigeria computer software and most useful implement designed for farming.



http://allafrica.com/stories/201204120685.html

Nigeria: BoI to Promote the Country's Industry in London




http://www.theimport.co.uk/upload-images/olympic-mascots-london-2012.jpg
The Bank of Industry (BoI) has said it had concluded plans to use the forthcoming Olympic Games in London as a platform to showcase the Nigerian digital media and design industry.
The BoI explained that the move would help develop that sub-sector of the economy.

To this end, a statement from the organisation said it hosted officials of a United Kingdom-based group- Ravensbourne, who were on a four-day visit to Nigeria.

Receiving the three-man team led by Chief Executive of Ravensbourne, Prof. Robin Baker, who were in her office, Chief Executive Officer, BoI, Ms. Evelyn Oputu, explained that the focus on the Nigerian creative industry was part of the federal government's plan to strengthen the sub-sector.

Represented by BoI's Executive Director, Toni Phido, Oputu, noted that the bank also manages the government's entertainment fund.

She added that as part of the BoI's longer term plans to develop the nation's creative industries, it "will use the Olympic games as a showcasing platform for Nigeria, with particular emphasis on the Nigerian music, film and theatre/entertainment/creative sectors."

As part of its key objective, she also said part of BoI's key objective was to: "position Nigeria at the global conversation table as a though leader by partnering industry experts, academic institutions and international players during the 2012 Olympic games in London."

Responding, Baker described Ravensbourne as a UK institution that mentors university students and individuals in the creativity industry with the help of grants from the European Union. Part of the aim, he stated, was to generate ideas and business plans and generate employment within the industry.

Supported by the latest high-performance technology, he said Ravensbourne, produces highly employable and enterprising graduates.

"We are going to encourage young people to work with the BoI to develop an educational system for the creative industries (in Nigeria)," he explained further.

Baker, who was accompanied by Ms. Doreen de Bellotte, Ravensbourne's director of Human Resources; and Ms. Nike Awoyinka, Business Development Manager- Marketing, expressed hope that at the end of the visit, "a framework can be developed that can be agreed upon as deliverables in the creativity, entrepreneurship and development all rolled together."

The BoI boss further stressed that the bank was trying to change the perception of the western media about Nigeria, which had necessitated its partnership with the Nigeria Olympics committee to showcase the country's abundant talents in the fashion, textile, and creative industry at this year's Olympics Games.


http://allafrica.com/stories/201204180209.html

Nigeria makes electric car, power bike



http://odili.net/news/source/2012/may/10/vanguard/images/Power-bike[1].jpg

As the issue of environmental pollution rages and nations are seeking alternative energy sources devoid of carbon emission, Nigeria, as a major oil-exporter, will be hard hit if nothing is done. To this end, Professor James Omoleye of the Department of Chemical Engineering and former Director, Centre for Research, Covenant University, Ota Ogun State, began a series of researches with his team which culminated in the making of an electric automobile and a power bike. In this chat with Vanguard Learning, Omoleye says Nigeria is far ahead of some nations in this area. Excerpts:


http://odili.net/news/source/2012/may/10/vanguard/images/Electri-car[1].jpg
...the electric car


For Professor James Omoleye: "Nigeria is an oil-exporting country and today, the green revolution which is trying to promote mobility without atmospheric pollution, is driving the whole world to look for alternative way of transportation and that has led to some research on electric automobile.

“Electric automobile is not a new thing. In fact, somebody said it was there before fuel combustion engine came but was not efficient at that time. The use of petrol engine took over because it was more efficient. Now, because of pollution and electronic advancement which has made electric automobiles very efficient, there is a kind of shift. People want to look into electric automobile as a means of mobility."

Reducing pollution by 80 per cent:

If you can reduce the amount of pollution in the air coming through automobiles, then you would have reduced pollution by almost 80 per cent and life on earth will be safer. So there is now a tendency to move towards electric mobility, not only automobiles, even boats and trains. In advanced countries, the number of electric automobiles in use is on the increase.


Of course, many are now using what we call hybrid which is electric engine and fuel combustion engine together. This reduces the amount of fuel you burn. But the ultimate is electric automobile so that we can do away with pollution of the atmosphere. That is already gaining ground now in countries like the US and China. In China, electric bikes are common and a number of their taxis are electric. So very soon, electric mobility will take over from fuel combustion.

Electric car and power bike

"I started in 2005 to research into electric automobiles. Our electric automobile came on the road on July 1, 2010 and I have been using it but not continuously being the only one we have made, we don't just use it any how. What we did was to buy a fuel combustion engine car, removed the engine and designed and assembled the electric engine inside it.


Prof Omoleye

We have also advanced in the sense that the first one we did, we brought in the parts but between then and now, we have worked on two of the three major components which are the speed regulator and the charging system because after running about 70km, you charge for six hours continuously.

Today, we have successcfully designed and assembled our own speed controller. We have tested it by mounting it on a four-wheel cycle and it is moving very well. We have almost perfected the charging system. Of course, since September 2007, we have been able to come up with a charging system but it was not as efficient as what we have now. We are replacing the one we did in 2010 with the one we have now which is a lot faster and more reliable.

The only component we have not started to do here is the electric motor itself. But that is not a big deal because there is no vehicle company that manufactures all the parts. You get some parts from one company and then you design some," said the professor of chemical engineering.

Ahead of many nations

"We have gone very far and I think we are ahead of many other nations. We are ahead of Australia because they are not yet making those things and they are the ones in the forefront of electric automobile. An Indian man that came for business in Abuja saw my programme on television and came all the way to look for us here.

He said he came because they also have interest in electric automobile and that his company was given approval by the Indian Government to start introducing electric mobility into their taxi system. By the time we talked, I found out that we are ahead of them. They don't make any parts and yet, they have got to the point of changing their taxi system to electric automobiles but we have gone to the point of producing the controller and the charger," he said.


...Power Bike

What Nigeria must do

"Even as an oil-exporting country, we cannot help encouraging something that will not consume fuel for two reasons: One, we are not making even the fuel combustion vehicles, we are importing them so if in the next five or six years the whole world is changing into electric automobile, you say 'oh we are not going to go into that,' you will be forced to import the electric automobiles they are making and good enough, petroleum is not only used for fuel combustion by automobiles, there are hundreds of products today that are made from petroleum just that Nigeria is only focusing on exporting crude.

Our clothes are from petroleum. When you talk of petrochemicals, the basic raw material is petroleum. So all we need to do is for us to try to focus on petrochemicals and start to divert the crude we cannot export to produce other things that can be exported.

Of course we will still be selling our crude but not as much as before. This is one reason why we should not say we are not going to encourage electric automobile production. Two, for now, we are only importing vehicles, when you join the race of electric automobiles manufacturing; you become one of the countries that will be earning revenue from exporting your own electric automobiles.

So while the fuel is not used for fuelling cars again, generators for the charging the automobiles will still be using fuel . You will now join them in also exporting vehicles and so you can increase your revenue base more than what it was before. We have gone very far and I think we are among the top five countries," he noted.





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'Nigeria to send Nigerian astronauts to space by 2015'



Friday, May 18, 2012

'Nigeria to send Nigerian astronauts to space by 2015'

by Agency Reporter


Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Ewa, said on Thursday that Nigeria would launch three satellites and send astronauts to space by 2015.


Ewa stated this in Abuja at the ongoing ministerial briefing to commemorate 2012 Democracy Day and anniversary of the Goodluck Jonathan administration.


He said the move was part of government efforts to boost the economy through space technology.


The minister enumerated the country's space programme from now to 2028 when it expects to launch a made-in-Nigeria satellite into space.


Ewa said, “In 2015 we are preparing to launch NigeriaSAR-1 satellite. The NigeriaSAR is a security satellite with an acronym that stands for Synthetic Aperture Radar.


“This satellite will have a very high resolution that can cover kilometres, and for a backup of the communication satellite there will be NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-3.


“Also because of the experience we gained in Surrey, UK, we are going to build an Assembly Integration and Testing Centre for satellite technology, it is ongoing but this year we will put in more efforts to that technology.


“And before I leave office in 2015 we will send Nigerian Astronaut into space ''

http://odili.net/news/source/2012/may/18/809.html

If you ignore the last sentence everything is doable.