How Africa Can Achieve Sustainable And Affordable Supply Of Energy For All By 2030?

Chekwube .A. Umegboro

Benin City, Edo State,

Nigeria.

4th January, 2016.

TO:

THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL,

BAN KI-MOON,

Geneva, Switzerland.

Dear Sir,

ENERGIZING AFRICA THROUGH ENERGY, BY 2030 IS POSSIBLE

I hope your day goes well. Mine did. I must confess that I am delighted especially on gender mainstreaming issues and its sensitization. And, in talking about energizing Africans through energy supply, which is the epitome of this letter, I intend to use in simple expressions, Sir, culminating problems and arrived solutions to sustainable energy in Africa.

Energy is life. It’s our dependant, without it other life-holds crumble. And yes we are without it. The World Bank has declared 32 of the 48 nations on the continent to be energy crisis. Energy in Africa is a scarcer commodity than in the developed world annual consumption is 518 kwh in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon, lets turn commitments into kilowatt hours for real people! If it is believed that biomass energy, liquefied petroleum gas, biogas digesters and advanced biomass cook stoves are the cheapest options for cooking in sub-Saharan Africa, which I obviously agree with, out of about 1.2billion peoples in Africa, about 620million of these people in Sub-Saharan Africa are without power.

Indeed, the World Bank has pumped in money in revamping energy in Africa in which current projects totals US$3billion but, where is the market? In whose signature where these monies distributed – is it the rural needy or urban rich? Many things also affect the effective distribution of energy which includes ethnicity, political views, religious mediocrity, social status and well, luck. Corruption is of great problem in this fight too. Yes, there are limited water resources but what has happened to those in used.

Furthermore, Africa is yet to tap other energy sources like wind, geothermal, and solar. There is also over usage of the tapped hydro power.

External finance in an ascertain market for the targeted real people, under the leadership of selected graduates, undergraduates, university lecturers, selected engineers will be life changing. Let the UN take care of it in partnership with the country’s government and the above mention individuals in this way, the divergent solutions like tapping other energy sources will be made possible.

Yours faithfully

       Anna

Umegboro .A. Chekwube

ACHIEVE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS IN THE NEXT 15 YEARS

“When the news of (the birth of) a female (baby) is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief! He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that whereof he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonour or bury her in the earth? Certainly, evil is their decision.”¹ This is how the Islamic Holy Book describes Arabs before the coming of Islam there. Of a truth, women were nothing but a space taker - even up till now especially in developing countries. Christian priests saw women as the cause of ‘original sin’, the source of all catastrophes happening in the world. They are enemies of successful men, the main cause of hatred among men.

And Yahweh told Jeremiah that if He would not listen to any body, yet will He listen to the supplication of the wailing women who are interceding for their generation.

Society for a long time has assigned certain roles to women which were merely domestic and these include ‘being sex objects, giving birth to children, nursing the children, cleaning the house and cooking. This from the view point of the sociological social stratification, conveniently satisfies the focus of the gender debates, to use contemporary terminology, the ideal woman has become the grass root woman, who should be content being a house wife, a petty trader, and if necessary, an assistant to the husband in the farm! These roles (deem natural) make here completely subordinate to man, it is therefore not surprising that such a woman does not aspire to high professional jobs. She could not because she had been conditioned and condemned to servitude by a society that is committed and dedicated to making here a chattel.

Society has soon realized that there is that vacuum needed to be filled by women - sensibility, intelligence, affection, consistency and care. Women have become the last resort in financial breakthrough and family collapse. Whence those who debate against feminism and gender equality on the grounds that the girl child solely depend on her male superiors whether husband or man friend making her weak, a slot and categorizing her a filthy are the real blockage hindering young women from broadening their horizon. So, the problem is not only culture or religion neither is it culminating factors of societal travails – it is greatly the women themselves culminating the attitudes of anti-feminist stands.  Madam C.J Walker the first made American millionaire was a black woman. Folorunsho Alakija, Linda Ikeji, Ngozi Okonlo-Iweala, Chimamanda Adichie, Stella Okoli, Bukola Elemide, etc have all distinguished themselves in their various fields.

African women have been hindered by many things but no need crying over spilled milk, let us talk about how to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.

(i)               Fighting feminine fear: there is that internal fear in a woman especially at the onset of her carrier about certain decisions to make in order not to flop and bring here entire womanhood to further criticism. That fear of being in the steering in the highway attracting degrading insults about how sluggish she drives. The fear of professional failures, quick emotional breakdown, bodily features and structures et al. The fear becomes a fight, an internal fight only the female can overcome. Some women fear that employers will view them as vulnerable… if they decide to start a family.”² Some women still believe that men are stronger leaders,  have better ideas and are more equipped to achieve success.³

(ii)            International bodies’ legislation: these bodies should have a distinct department that looks into gender equality form there the sensitization can get to those in the grassroots. They can instill more resolutions to what Nigeria should achieve in the total development of the girl child for a year.

(iii)          Government participation: it is the decree from international legislation that will guide the country’s government in measures through which women are to be treated. Especially a country’s law that harbours domestic violence, child marriage, gender segregation, etc.

(iv)          Compulsory education for the girl child: but this is hindered especially for those in the Northern part of Nigeria. The girl child is not allowed education especially because she is seen as too fragile to be away from the care of her parent, and also that education might amount to nothing since she will be married away and all her seemingly future conjoined with that of her husband. If every girl – not minding her limits whether physical or mental is given education, then the society is bound for material and financial prospects hence female appreciation.

(v)             Revival programs: we can set up clubs in secondary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The students through the coordination of the Ministries of women affairs should guide these clubs and bring these young students together so as to enlighten them.

(vi)          Women empowerment: ECOWAS ECOWGEN is a good example as it is impacting on the lives of rural women in uplifting their sense of acceptance through empowering them in agriculture, healthcare, education and other training.

To empower will not only mean authoritative bequeathing to a woman so as allowing her access to certain rights, here, empower instills and revamp the already instilled confidence and focus in achieving the inner sketches to fulfillment. So how can Nigerian women and girls be empowered?

(i)               Female self-strength: this lies inward in the woman. Every woman has the ability to make one another successful. It takes support encouragement and non-grievances attitudes towards a fellow woman.

(ii)            Allow her financial freedom: to achieve sustainable development in mind and society, we must give the woman a chance to be financially accountable she must take the steering in issues bordering her, her family and her nation.

(iii)          Total encouragement: the woman must be encouraged to achieve beyond being a helpmate. My mother, a trained nurse impacted on the society so much that even while gone it seem she is still alive. She managed a clinic, making positive impacts in people’s health, reducing maternal mortality, giving prompt and friendly healthcare thereby putting smiles in the faces of thousands of people. She, empowered by herself strength, encouraged by her family, trusted by the society impacted on the people.

(iv)          Formal education: educated women/women that know the value of education produce healthier, decent and brighter children who in turn educate the society.

REFERENCES

1.      QURAN 16:58-59

2.      ZEYNEP ILGAZ www.forbes.com

3.      Ibid

Carnege Council Essay Contest (submitted 05/01/2016)

#Standtall: Gender Mishap – Derivative Paroxysm in the Energy Sector in West Africa.

               I had gone to my secondary school few days back to collect my S.S.C.E certificate urgently needed to complete my university’s final clearance. I waited for about an hour before the principal arrived. Immediately she walked in she shouted “up NEPA” to my dismay. This slang is the greatest hymn title for the average Nigerian. I could see the joy, relief in her eyes as well as the eyes of other school heads there. The thing is, “up NEPA” signifies the triumphant entry of power into the home of an ordinary Nigerian, held back by instances of sustainable power supply. We can now charge our phones, watch our favourite television program and allow our hearts leap for joy for no ‘just’ cause. The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) is responsible for Nigeria’s energy supply. It is aired that Nigeria is capable of generating around 3’500MW of electricity which is below the country’s needs despite government investment of around $1 billion annually. Other West African countries are not left out as the high rate of poverty is majorly caused by the low energy supply.

            Who are women? Being a woman goes beyond having hefty bosoms and nurturing skills. What if, just what if the woman is given the opportunity to corroborate the light that the world needs? A woman that can find her way through dark patches in the room where there is “down NEPA” to get that match-stick, light up the room for the safety of her kids; she can, as she had, for centuries be the best in the class and the energy to other women. Until Africa and indeed West Africa accept the fact that women’s role as background syndicate is a defect to everyone’s development, energy access can never be hundred percent. It starts from the home, the first social contact of the girl child. Why would she not be allowed formal education? Even when allowed, why is it cut short? It gets worse when you visibly encounter compromised situation in education. Why will the young bubbling girl be ‘thrown’ in ARTS and Social Studies against her will while her male counterpart is kingly in the Sciences?

            I would bet my last dough on the fact that there is shortage of women in ministries and agencies that formulate technical and engineering dictums in universities. So why won’t there be discrepancies in the rules that govern the ways and manner subjects are to be taught to favour both genders. Indeed, chances have been compromised. The roles of women and the master-plan they choose to inculcate have been bedeviled by unwholesome instances of ill-content. The average Nigerian is awed, puzzled, rebuffed, when he hears a woman say ‘I studied petroleum engineering’, or ‘I intend to work as an electrical officer in charge of maintenance in the energy sector of the country’. The saddest is seeing a woman on a ladder, effecting repairs to a loose wire on the high pole. She becomes a laughing stock as well as the reigning celebrity.

The causes of gender inequality in the energy sector in West Africa are not farfetched. We are lukewarm to change. I would not want to be a psychologist here. If we trust women with our food, water, clothes and all, why can’t we with our energy supply. What would want to kill that dream of a woman who wants to effect transformation to the energy efficiency of her country? Lack of education will, compromised learning choices, lack of encouragement through communal psychological torture, ministerial failures and governmental unfairness, unsolicited exclusion from technical and decision-making programs, and corruption in the administrative policies in energy will. I have never seen governmental committees on power, task force on energy rejuvenation, power distribution companies, headed by a woman talk more of a female deployed technician deserving a standing ovation.

       As a continent, as a community, we can never stand tall. Poverty rate is glaring, hardship, unemployment, financial constrains, and under-development. What is more? So much money is wasted on a single cause gone wrong. There is not a single economic pursuit that does not directly and indirectly rely on electricity, yet no meaningful profit, why would there not be hatred, clashes, seeking of greener pastures and leaving our lands bare. The gods have indeed want to punish us by first making us mad – for we cannot grasp impartial and genuine intellectual accordance to the female gender. Vital sectors of the economy are also affected as there is no broadband forum united in women empowerment so as to foster sharing of ideas and reduce intellectual monopoly. It has affected our perception of the woman, as imperfect and unfit. Alas, the discretion and continued psychological decay on gender issues.

How can all these be addressed? Ecowas Network on Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access has dubbed its 2015 essay competition for young Africans ‘#Standtall’. What decorum! I am being brainwashed for good. Thousands of West Africans will hear me and millions will hear ECOWAS. Government plans must also align, high schools and colleges must be educated on gender issues. Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Equatorial Guinea is prompting the establishment of a regional gas companies in dealing with issues of supply of natural gas and re-gasification units in sub-regions. I just hope women are given chances to head administrative positions. Education of the girl child should not even be an issue of discussion; every child should be allowed his/her intended field

         The hard stance of OPEC not to curb crude oil output in the face of plummeting prices comes off as a grand experiment and a workable policy following scandals and illegality rocking petroleum sectors especially in Nigeria. Diezani Alison-Madueke deserves mention here, as her being president of OPEC has encouraged women not to limit their roles in foundational issues on energy. That openness of the people and encouragement from within will salvage the loss of human resources. Government should promulgate laws that will foster this equality so as to heighten exposure and limit incompetent gestures. I have read textbooks that authoritatively spelt out the unemployable stance of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, that their agility will deny the sector needed output. Am clueless here, aren’t both sexes supposed to complement each other? Continuity in female participation must be maintained!

The outcome of all these will be huge: employment, poverty eradication, women empowerment, even development. All these are true taste of an African testimony. What is more? Respect and love between both sexes as a result of financial breakthrough, booming economic market, sustained developmental projects, refurbished energy alliance with other developed countries because of their perceived maturity in us (West Africans), reduction in manipulation and corrupt tendencies , and so on.

          To conclude, I place my hand on my chest and justify the above spelt out solutions: that #Standtall initiative should be mimicked by other organizations because it will emancipate women through educated minds; that government plans can foster gender equality in the energy sector through decorating women as partakers in the administrative affairs as it is done in other advanced countries; markets will be open, survival of the fitness will be crushed; education will be respected and of effect; diverse knowledge will be put into use for good; family and continental empowerment which is the overall justification will be attained.

For ECOWAS ECOWGEN #Standtall Essay competition (submitted 06/04/2016)

http://ecowgen.ecreee.org/index.php/standtall-gender-mishap-derivative-paroxysm-in-the-energy-sector-in-west-africa/

On 20th April 2016, I called Mr. JOSEPH who directed me to call Lydia.
He said the lady is the manager in charge of HR, he texted me her
number. I called the number three times before she finally picked. She
asked me why I was calling I told her I need a job she said okay and
asked for my qualifications I told her, she asked me to come over for
an interview that the multinational company needs graduates in various
depts. The next day I was on my way to Airport Road by Ihama Junction,
the place she had directed me to be by 8am.
I stopped at Blessed House (Winners chapel) where she told me to stop.
I went inside the Church but saw no one, just opposite it I saw the
beautiful GNLD building. I walked to a taxi driver in the junction who
God will bless and asked if anyone might be inside the church that
someone had asked me to come there. He inquired about the person I
said a job giver. He laughed. He pointed to the GNLD Building and
asked me to watch. Young men and women with different sizes of bags,
moved in and out. I watched as a lady of about 26 made a phone call
then a young boy of about 19 came out to usher her in. This boy,
dressed like an average Jambite- feeling cool is his aloko-made N200
trouser and white sleeve, continuously dialed my number wanting to
know where I was.
No graduate will be satisfied in the thoughts of going back home after
National Youth Service, infact, sensible youths would start haunting
for jobs during the scheme to secure a future of the 'ordinary' people
the govt don't care about. I am not ashamed to say I have searched,
found about three genuine ones even gone for interviews et al- infact,
one is guaranteed in some months' time but I have continued checking
online and various outlets for something to keep me busy prior that
time or a new job altogether offering bigger pay.
About four months ago while discussing with a fellow corp member on
how he wrote and passed his written and oral interview he said google
was majorly his friend. I had consulted with the oracle google on any
job interviews I was invited to. It appear a nairalander has
encountered every job call on any job site. When the likes of MG
RESOURCES, GREENLAND VENTURES, etc sent me messages to attend their job
interview to earning thousands monthly, they expose them as fake!

You see those bills they share and posters stamped on walls? Run! Run
away from them. Don't call the numbers. Infact any job 'listings' that
say 'we need fresh graduates', 'we need workers educated and
non-educated', 'drivers, cleaners, marketers, N60,000', run. Which
company will be in need of every every, designating only a number to
call.

I call on the security personel in the country to check on the
activities of GNLD and its like disguised as drugs, healthy living
supplements employers and career empowerment programs. They lie from
the very start of hiding their identity. They talk for hours,
psychologically manipulating you to pay between 8k to 20k for
registration/certification. I was not hypnotised but that day, so many
were. Thank you.

Importance of Essay Writing in Education

What is the importance of essay writing itself? How does it benefit students and educators? What connects it with education? Adversely, these are the questions to be answered first before moving on to the assigned topic. Essay, a creative efficacy, slanted in narratives, descriptively, argumentatively, elated definitions and compounded sequence of emotions, thoughts, disputes and facts. Essay compositions are educators themselves. They tell you what your teacher must not say, they make you research facts aside what you know and they propel you to inspiration, confidence and self-knowings. As an essayist you go beyond your boundary, you catapult yourself – infectious exposures. You just cannot help but become intelligent. That self steaming everyday intelligence: you are the student, you are the teacher and you are marker-board.

            Around early June 2015, I was in Abuja the Federal Capital of Nigeria. I was far away from home, pursuing an Austrian Visa I earned writing an essay for ECOWAS Ecow-gen. And yes I got the visa free of charge courtesy UNIDO. Ever since then, I vowed to never give up on my essay writing pursuit – beside I didn’t give up before that ‘big’ recognition. What am I saying? Am saying the same thing Essaymama says: Mama knows what’s best for you. What better gift to man than bestowed creativity to make things happen. To release the creativity depicted when a work is repeated, and change things for the better. Then, you educate other minds in similar ways. Essays feed the innermost contentment of readers. It is a kind of cultural signage; no wonder its prominence in schools and colleges all over the world. With essays you would know language skills better; you will build your confidence in the presence of intellectuals, vs-à-vis prominence within your clique.

            What connects essay writing with education? How do they interact? I have come across and participated in titles as ‘building peace in our hearts and mind’, ‘managing oneself in the digital age’, ‘national values or individual morality’. These titles would boast of intelligent write-ups, and no, it will not end there, practical solutions, innovations, discourses, ideas, education mechanisms and the likes will be its fruition. The little kindergarten child knows how to put/mix the alphabet together so that he will master the use of the language in calculating arithmetic, inventing new science projects, solving puzzles, understanding comprehension passages and writing creative discourses. So, the alphabet will help kids almost in every way in life in the future. This is education, this is essay writing. Its vagueness emits quality emphasis on solutions to varying practical entities. It is that creative and intelligent pieces put together for resonance.

            The importance of essay writing in education are too numerous, dealing with education in all levels and all aspects. It challenges one’s intuition. Like logic, like a pack of cards spread across benchmarks, you just must reason and expand your horizon, and expand your capabilities, as a student, then you excel. It guarantees academic performance. Little wonder continuous writing is a very importance part in school examination and essay writing takes a formidable place in it. Also, essay writing teaches morals. It integrates moral perspectives especially if assigned to students by teachers. They know that the only way to attack that discourse is through positively insightful arguments and so they teach themselves, they learn. Essay writing encourages research. Every now and then students storm libraries reading up various materials to polish and furnish their assignments detailing on essays in its many aspects, they surf the internet, borrow books, and download same on the internet. It’s like a challenge, they know that there are other students doing same thing but they intend to surpass their abilities. Research hold a special place in education and that is where essay come in.

Essay writing enhances reading culture to the detriments of other irrelevant disturbances for students. When students write essays often, it extend the time for reading in their timetable. Furthermore, essay writing helps students to improve their spellings and pronunciation because they get to check the dictionary, reference book and other textbooks once they write or intends to write. It make them cognizance of words well above their scope, giving them better understanding about what is to be taught in schools. Essay writing promotes individual performance; it gives self-assurance about one’s capabilities and ability to excel individually in especially language (English) studies. Moving on, since education entails learning, mental digestion, essay writing serves as a path of self-discovery. You don’t blame the government for not having a good job after college/ university. No matter what you studied, you would want to add a ‘good essayist’, ‘gifted writer’, etc, in your C.V; you would apply for job as a writer as well as any other field you deem fit.

Plus, essay writing makes you a story-teller extraordinaire. Your works become a book, a reference point, the reviewer’s favourite, the winner in competitions, and worthy of recognition. Your school becomes proud of you as well as your family and your country. Every time you sit down in the public to analyze things, fellow students sit down to listen to you like tales by moonlight TV program on Nigerian television where an elderly person say a story to children gathered around him/her and at the end there is always something to learn; this is education. Lastly, notice how essay writing capitulates on a given situation in order to keep the writer in tune with reality. At first there is a beam beckoning to be uncovered, it’s clearly a compounded product of brightness, bringing live feeds to the mind, to the subconscious state of thought, making it reel, making the students’ essays real.

For Essaymama writing contest (submitted 01/10/2015)