Proffer Solution To Frequent Collapse Of Our National Grid, UNN VC Charges Engineers

IMAGE: UNN.EDU.NG

BY IKECHUKWU ODU

NSUKKA, ENUGU STATE (VANGUARD) - The Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, Prof. Charles Igwe, on Friday, charged engineers to intensify researches aimed at finding lasting solution to the energy crisis which results in frequent collapse of the national grid.

The Vice Chancellor who described energy as the life wire of all the sectors of the economy, said that the prospect of the nation towards solving its myriad of challenges may not be feasible without reliable electricity.

He made the statements during his opening address at the 19th Herbert Macaulay Memorial Lecture, HMML, christened ‘The Path to Stable Electricity in Nigeria,’ organised by the Faculty of Engineering, UNN, at the St. Teresa’s College Main Hall, Nsukka.

He also described Herbert Macaulay as one of the first Nigerian nationalists who championed Nigerian independence, adding that UNN would continue to recognize his great contributions to national development.

He equally said that UNN instituted HMML lecture series to highlight the several faces of a man who has been described as the father of Nigerian nationalism and to encourage present day engineers, surveyors, architects and other professionals to learn from his professional lifestyle and make every effort to leave good footprints on the sands of time.

While delivering the HMML lecture, the Managing Director of Azura Power West Africa Limited, Eric Okeke, said the problem of energy problem in the country is lack of money.

He also said “This is because, without money, whatever product we develop is a waste. In simple terms, what makes a product attractive to the inventor is simply the ability of that product to generate money. Is there a market for this my product and if there is, are people ready to pay me to enjoy the services of my product? Once the answer is yes, then we are in business. But where a product is not attractive enough for users to pay for it, or where it is attractive, but the owner does not have the mechanism to collect payment,then no matter how beautiful that product is, it is a failure,” he explained.

Okeke also said that lack of enough energy generation, transmission and distribution capacity to ensure that consumers enjoyed stable electricity in their homes and offices, as well as non cost reflective tariff to ensure that value chain was operated and maintained efficiently, and investments made for future growth, were the two major issues resulting in inaccessibility of energy in Nigeria.

He also said “Nigerians have always taken electricity as a social product which should not be paid for. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when this attitude emerged; but it stands to reason that electricity from the grid became increasingly unstable (and so served as a backup power source to most people rather than their primary source), people stopped paying for a product they were not receiving. Cognizant of this, the government at the point of privatisation planned to increase the tariff over time.

“The logic was that people would only start paying when service had improved, and service would only improve if the previous issue of under capacity was solved,” he said.

He however said poor private investments in power sector had been attributed to fear of investors to recoup money invested as electricity consumers most times feel reluctant to pay for service rendered.

“Power generation is cost effective,so the inability of some customers to pay for service rendered have been a drawback to electricity distribution companies in the country,” he said.

Mr. James Agada, an Engineer and Managing Director, Ixzora Laboratories in a keynote address said that the problems of stable electricity in Nigeria has to do with technical, political and economic challenges.

“Technical, political and economic are among the challenges militating against stable electricity in Nigeria

“It is also an opportunity for policy makers to create an environment and structure where such private generation can be fed back to the public grid,” he said

Earlier, Prof Emeka Obe, Dean, Faculty of Engineering in UNN said that electricity remain the key driver of every modern economy.

According to him, “electricity is the base of infrastructure on which nearly every other infrastructure relies.

“The lecture provides us with the avenue to interact with distinguished professionals who have the love for our faculty and indeed our university at heart,” he said.

The Dean, however appealed for help to enable the faculty to have a 1000 capacity lecture theater, new and separate building for seven departments, among others

UNN Inaugurates Chinua Achebe’s Literary Court

Commissioning of the Chinua Achebe Literary Court by the Dean, Fculty of Arts, Prof. Nnanyelugo Okoro. Image via Vanguard

BY IKECHUKWU ODU

NSUKKA (VANGUARD) — The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, has inaugurated Chinua Achebe's Literary Court to promote artistic creativity amongst the students of the institution.

The institution, Thursday, said the idea behind the court is to create a condition that would ignite creativity and Literary art competitions amongst the students in order to produce more Achebes.

Speaking after the inauguration of the court in the Faculty of Arts, UNN, which was also part of the activities to mark the 3rd Distinguished Personality Lecture of the Faculty of Arts, the Dean, Prof. Nnanyelugo Okoro, said "Chinua Achebe stands for arts. His immense contribution in this Faculty is invaluable.

" We decided to inaugurate his court in order to promote and ignite other Literary arts competitions amongst the students of this institution. We want to promote prose, poetry, drama and other literatures generally speaking. The idea is to ensure that UNN produces artists in the like of Chinua Achebe, and even people that can surpass his records," he said.

Okoro, also proposed Chinua Achebe Study Centre, which he said would be headed by a professor whose chair would be endowed by an institution, corporate organisation, a foundation or an individual.

He added that the centre, given Achebe's towering scholarly stature, would attract scholars from all over the world who would visit the centre to impart knowledge on the students, adding that the it would also generate revenue for the development of the nation.

While delivering his lecture entitled ' Re-engineering Igbo Apprenticeship Model in Era of Digital Economy' the lecturer, Engineer Ken Nwabueze, said the lecture became imperative in order to align the old Igbo apprenticeship approach which revamped the economy of the South-east in the 80's to be in line with the present digital economy era.

He added that the model is the longest and perhaps the largest informal capitalist venture in the world which has continued to reduce mass-scaled inequality and elimination of abject poverty in any society.

"Igbo apprenticeship is a model that needs to be studied, analysed, and innovated to keep up with changes in business environment and technological advancements. The lecture will focus on looking at comparable models around the world, especially, the venture capitalist models used in building up wealth in US, China, India, and so many other countries.

" The Igbo Apprenticeship model is model is the longest, and perhaps, the largest informal venture capitalist system in the world.

In order to re-engineer this model in this era, we need to identify those challenges with the current model and possibly proffer solutions for the present digital economy," he said.

He said that acts of sabotage and corruption has marred the system as being practiced today.

He said the model can still be used to engage the unemployed graduates in Nigeria today, by mentoring them to explore opportunities in the ever changing world of the digital technologies.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Charles Igwe, said academic lectures are needed for effective collaboration between the town and gown in order to find solutions to challenges facing the nation.

The Vice Chancellor who was represented by his deputy, Prof. James Ogbonna, described the lecturer as an experienced entrepreneur whose vast knowledge would be needed in mentoring the youths towards securing a better future for themselves.