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Youth Columnists

Ronica on 'This Day N Age'

Nneamaka Madumelu (Nnenny)

April 21, 2007

Nigerians rank the highest in the world in terms of sexual satisfaction, according to results of a Global Sexual Well-being Survey conducted by the United Kingdom-based Life Aid Foundation.

The Southern African correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the survey's finding as saying that Nigerians take the longest time having sex, at 24 minutes per session, while Indians are the quickest with 13 minutes.

While Nigerians have lots of great sex, scoring 67 per cent, the Japanese are the least sexually satisfied nation with only 15 per cent.

According to the survey, which polled more than 26,000 respondents across 26 countries, Nigerians are followed by Mexicans and Indians who scored 63 per cent and 61 per cent.

Although South Africans have great sex and many orgasms in a number of encounters, they are too stressed out to enjoy it, the survey found.

Only a quarter of people in France, which was long dubbed the country of romance, are fully satisfied, the survey released on Friday added.

On the average, about 44 per cent of all respondents around the globe claimed to be completely satisfied.

It's great that these questions were asked because it tackles the whole issue in a positive way said Johannesburg- based sexologist, Dr. Elna McIntosh.

Chinazo Okoli

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Niger Delta Kidnappings: perception, denial and reality for investment
CHARLES IKE-OKOH

 July 10th, 2007 BusinessDay

The runaway spate of kidnappings in the Niger Delta region and the unacceptable levels of crime offers abundant proof of the denialism that characterises governance and leadership in Nigeria

The horrendous spate of kidnappings in the Niger Delta-including the disgusting targeting of children, and the story they tell about the state of our country right now, is an occasion for all Nigerians to take immediate stock. At stake is nothing less than our chance of bringing into being the prosperous and free society to which we all aspire.

This is no exaggerated claim. If we consider some related aspects of the kidnappings - the society they describe, the actors and government’s response to that description and the government’s response to the challenge posed by the actors - we have every reason to be concerned about the future.

There can be no doubt, in as much as the federal government or the office-bearers of the surrounding states where this irresponsible kidnapping take place try to play down on the issues, the statistics so far portray a society in which crime is endemic, violent and unrelenting. From January 2007 to-date there has been no less than 500 crimes of all categories, most notably murder, culpable homicide, robbery, car theft, rape, crude oil theft (this will never go away) and drug-related crimes.

Nor is any geographic part of Nigeria, nor any specific community spared. While crimes of Kidnapping, culpable murder and crude oil theft or pipeline vandalisation is highest in Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa States, attacks in rural areas is increasing. Though, there are no official statistics to back-up these assumptions, it is clearly obvious that more and more Nigerians and the expatriate community are experiencing more violent crimes.

Alarming as these crimes are, it is important to note how government has responded. Bluntly put: there seems no real sense of urgency or crisis at the highest levels.

In all the incidences, particularly with regards to kidnappings, the security agencies and government officials have consistently tried to juggle issue to suggest ‘a one off incidence’ that will not reoccur.

Government’s bland response is at one with its usual method for dealing with crime: the overall aim is to play down the extent of the crisis. To this end, they juggle and in most cases (Bola Ige, Marshall Harry) they bungle the cases so as to suggest that some investigative work is in progress, and that this is cause for satisfaction. Given the overall crime context - its rate, frequency and violence - this tactic is akin to pointing out a favourable view from a few selected deckchairs, while the Titanic as a whole is sinking fast.

Another striking approach by the government is to displace responsibility for crime prevention to the citizens themselves. So we were told always that most misdemeanours are carried out by people known to the victims, or it is politically motivated, or that the security agencies are ill equipped to deal with the crimes

Again, it has become fashionable to talk of‘re-building’ the Niger Delta infrastructure and institutions and bringing the ‘militants’ within the organized society-another step is to release figures of billions of Naira that has been spent by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) or prepare a document for the press to suggest that all will be well when they are done spending on the region.

But from government, Nigerians do not merely seek explanations or blueprints-(that are often not implemented); they look for concrete, workable and urgent solutions. It is here that our rulers are letting down the law-abiding Nigerians and the legally employed expatriate working in the country.

The runaway spate of kidnappings in the Niger Delta region and the unacceptable levels of crime offers abundant proof of the denialism that characterises governance and leadership in Nigeria. As with the other critical areas of our national life where government has failed - the electricity meltdown, the dilapidated roads across the country, failed educational system and the state’s diminished capacity to deliver basic services – the political leaders prefer to regard the problem as perceptual, not actual.

Rather than confront the facts, they seeks rather to take refuge in the failures of the past; or to list the shortcomings of the victims; or to hide behind vaguely-worded promises for renewal.

Certainly, behind the reality of crime lies the legacy of the country we have all inherited. For nearly thirty years, the law under the military became synonymous in many of our peoples’ eyes with injustice; now, it seems, all laws are suspect.

A conspicuous sign of withering faith in both government’s capacity and in the security forces to deal with the crises, is the disturbing rise in vigilantism across the country and the hesitation of business, particularly for those in the oil related business, to participate in economic activities within the region. There are strong indications that most are now beginning to consider operating from safe areas, outside the Niger Delta. Many business think tanks are also beginning to be worried about the degree of risk the violence poses for investment in the country in general. The question often raised is what happens to the Niger Delta region when businesses begin to move out in droves?

Indeed, the issue has gone beyond just throwing yet more money at the problem, as government periodically announces. The Federal, State governments within the region and indeed all the stakeholders in the region need to begin to pool their best ideas, and be receptive to constructive and proactive strategies that engage all levels of society in the battle.

The Federal Government, and indeed the President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, must heed the warnings of business think-tank. Crime or Kidnapping perpetrates a culture of fear, it holds back business opportunities, encourages emigration and causes a deteriorating quality of life.
 

Nigerian graduates to get global advantage at Microsoft IT Academy BusinessDay July 9th, 2007 As Nigeria strives to bridge the technological divide, the nation's education sector is set to take a huge leap with the establishment of the Microsoft IT Academy Program in Nigeria. The program, a global IT program for academic institutions is aimed at helping their faculties and students achieve training and certification in a number of areas and accelerate advancement in current careers for practitioners or into the workforce for students. To mark the formal launch of Microsoft IT Academy in Nigeria, the company organized a train-the-trainers workshop at the University Lagos for lecturers from various Nigerian universities. The training, which is tailored towards building the capacity of lecturers of IT departments of tertiary institutions so that they can pass down the training to their students, has started the program with a number of federal universities including the University of Lagos, University of Jos, University of Ibadan and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The program itself incorporates a comprehensive IT learning solution packaged to help students achieve technological proficiency for today's workplace, thereby ensuring that employers can recruit professionals that are equipped with the necessary technology skills and intellectual training. According to Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu, Country Manager for Microsoft Nigeria, "The goal of Microsoft Information Technology Academy is to help education leaders teach new skills to enhance graduates employability, foster a knowledge-based economy and empower Nigeria's graduates to compete globally. It is absolutely crucial for academic institutions to rapidly advance the development of technology skills in their communities." Institutions that are accredited members of Microsoft IT Academy can enjoy many privileges from its comprehensive curriculum and workforce development resources. The IT Academy program has two categories of IT programs, namely, IT Pro Platinum and Microsoft Office Specialist. The IT Pro Platinum contains courses for Microsoft Certified Professionals packaged to empower participants (lecturers and students) with a comprehensive curriculum and workforce development resources while Microsoft Office Specialist provides benefits towards Microsoft Office specialist certification and caters to less technical students. The IT Pro Platinum is designed to help accredited schools to incorporate Microsoft curriculum and industry certification into their IT studies. As part of the program, the participating universities will also receive a broad range of benefits including training, certification, consulting on the program and hardware acquisition subsidies. At the launch, Charles Uwadia, a professor of information systems who is director of the Centre for Information Technology University of Lagos expressed optimism that Microsoft IT Academy Centres would act as a catalyst for human capital development. This is because the Academy's comprehensive curriculum and workforce development resources include online courses; Microsoft software for use in learning laboratories; a student online campus with access to training community mentorship, a faculty resource centre and many other tools for students and teachers that could transform the prospects for the growth of a vibrant IT industry in Nigeria. Bunmi Afolabi, the Executive Director of Bitrax Axxent, the Microsoft Training partner implementing the IT Academy program in Nigeria, commended Microsoft for this great initiative and expressed her determination to live up to the challenge. She said the trainees would be furnished with deep knowledge and skills to impart on the world technically. She is confident the Microsoft IT training would go a long way towards meeting the huge demand for qualified IT professionals in the industry. "Nigerian young professionals should start looking beyond the shores of Nigeria. With the .Net program and other advanced software development, internet communications has taken a new dimension. We need to be at the cutting edge of technology." "We thank Microsoft for helping to lay this foundation." Afolabi concluded. The program, which currently runs in 100 countries, has empowered thousands of participants with latest technologies and hundreds of academic institutions with comprehensive curriculum and other resources to benefit from the instant recognition and the credibility of the Microsoft brand. In this way, Microsoft has helped education and government leaders to midwife a credible workforce that is able to keep pace with the global economy

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