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Nigeria Can Only Overcome Insecurity With Massive Job Creation For Youths – Achama

Published

1 year ago

August 29, 2023

Chairman and chief executive officer of Zoe Group of Companies, Engr Stephen Akpa Achama has posited that Nigeria could only overcome the hydra headed security challenges facing the country for over a decade now, through massive job creation for the citizens, especially the youths.

The real estate guru, who made his position known during an interaction with newsmen in his office in Abuja recently, noted that there could be no tranquility in any society where majority of the able-bodied citizens were unemployed or under-employed.

Achama reiterated that in its efforts to help in checking the burgeoning unemployment rate in Nigeria, Zoe New Dawn had offered thousands of Nigerians both direct and indirect employments.

He therefore appealed to government to also assist the company where necessary, in order to offer more Services to the country and the citizens, especially in the areas of affordable accommodation and employment.

“We employ more than 1,000 people here everyday and we pay them daily for their job, and it’s something government should be proud of by giving us more land and also partner with us to make house affordable for everyone.

“We have other estates in Guzape, Lugbe and Katampe with one bedroom, two bedroom, three bedroom and four bedroom; and you can own a house as cheap as N10 million and you can pay on installment within 24 months,” he said.

The philanthropist, who has empowered many women and the youths across the country with various skills and household items, informed that his company aimed to make life easier for the citizens, especially on the issue of housing.

“Part of our aims is to impact into people’s lives and not profit making. And the agenda is not only in Abuja but across Nigeria, and our portal is open for marketers and it attracts 5% of each plot,” he hinted.

On the issue of building collapse and professionalism in the real estate sector, Achama noted that buildings still collapse in the country due to the use of fake materials, as well as wrong mixing.

According to him, “One should consider the ratio of sand to water, the right requirements for cement ratio to sand and water while building, so that where one was meant to use the ratio of 10 bags of cement to a specified amount of sand and water, he would not use five.

“If you do not get the right choice of materials and use the right mix, then the load-bearing capacity will be very low and cause a strain on the building. For instance, you might be required to use 10 bags of cement to 50 wheelbarrows of sharp sand, 10 wheelbarrows of stone dust, then you decide to use five bags of cement to the ratio. You will not get the right strength of the material and the moment you don’t do it up to standard, the weight will be very low and as you go up, you intend to load to that particular strength and when you load it like that, there is no way the building will not collapse.”

On what could be done to mitigate recurrence of such tragedy, he advised estate development firms to adhere strictly to the professional ethics.

“For us at Zoe New Dawn Nigeria, before we have you work with us much, we evaluate and confirm your certificate; you know people go to site based on experience by probably hanging around construction sites for awhile without having the technical knowledge needed. In some cases we go as far as verifying from the university that you claim to graduate from on the authenticity of your certificate and professional bodies like Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, and other professional bodies before considering you for employment.

“We are resolute in ensuring we investigate and go to any lengths to ensure we have the right engineers for our jobs. We do this by taking a step forward by writing to schools and the appropriate bodies that give certificates to ensure that certificates presented are genuine,” he added.

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RMRDC: Making Giant Strides Under Prof. Nnanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso

Published

14 hours ago

September 19, 2024

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

As we embark on a journey, we always pray for an able, experienced, and courageous driver, pilot, or sailor depending on the means of transportation.

This is because the captain will have enough experience and boldness to navigate out of turbulence and to bring all the passengers and crew to the intended destination.

Interestingly, these fine qualities of ability, experience, boldness, and many more, abound in the man, Prof. Nnanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso, who we all are pleased was appointed the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, RMRDC, the Director General/CEO by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a few months ago. This is because he has brought his knowledge, ability, experience, and doggedness to bear in carrying out his assignment in charge of the Council.

The RMRDC, operating under the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, is pivotal in driving Nigeria’s industrial growth by optimizing local raw materials exploitation, development, and utilization. RMRDC, ab initio, was conceived as a child of necessity when Nigeria was reeling from the throes of global recession and plummeting crude oil prices.

Without an iota of doubt, today, the council is experiencing a transformation with massive innovation in raw material exploitation, development, and utilization, supporting business and industrial growth, and contributing to Nigeria’s economic prosperity.

Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, in Abuja to commemorate his 100 days in office, he said the council is laying a solid foundation through numerous innovations that will further enhance growth in the country.

According to him, “In the past 100 days, my strategic pursuits have been to lay solid foundations for enduring success in these goals.

“Upon assuming this position, I set five crucial deliverables which include, refocusing the Council as a premier research institution; Strengthening the Council’s productivity and operational efficiency; and Significantly improving the staff welfare to be the best in the class of similar organizations.

“Others include, Boosting the Council’s visibility and instituting remarkable culture change that encourages ownership and productivity as well as Strengthening and deepening the Council’s place in the international arena.”While speaking on his Achievements so far, the DG revealed further: “My first task, therefore, was to implement a strategic goal-setting for the Council’s staff to define and set out clear objectives and targets to be achieved by the Council within a specified period towards refocusing on this historical mandate. We unleashed five significant initiatives in that regard.

“The nationwide raw material data collection exercise that focused on technical and investment information to drive our mission forward.

“The restructuring and renaming of the former Technology Innovation Complex (TIC), at the Obasanjo Space Center at Airport Road, Abuja, to a Research and Demonstration Plants Complex (RDPC). This complex will be Africa’s first center of excellence in raw material research, featuring state-of-the-art laboratories, technology development workshops, and proof of concept demonstrations.

“We have reactivated the Council’s Journal and repositioned it internationally. The repositioned Journal of Raw Material Research (JORMAR) will host RMRDC’s researchers’ publications, which are crucial in promoting awareness, facilitating knowledge sharing, and informing stakeholders about the opportunities and challenges in Nigeria’s raw materials sector. “The collaboration with universities and academies will strengthen our capacity for conducting market-guided research, ensuring sustained workforce training while deepening our orientation in science.

“The council has reformulated a new template for all our research proposals to ensure and sustain a clear departure from the old culture of blue-sky and deliberately endless research.”Speaking further, Prof Nwanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso stated that Staff welfare remains a top priority as an issue of unpaid salaries is settled as well as set up a comprehensive welfare program. “Similarly, we established the RMRDC Training School to sustainably build our staff and stakeholders’ capacity to further the staff welfare improvement goal.

“We are committed to openness, inclusiveness, and performance management and have initiated steps to continuously improve staff ownership, orchestrate transformative culture change, boost our corporate visibility, and enhance.

“To further strengthen our visibility and communication strategies, we are upgrading our media infrastructure, which includes the launch of the RMRDC online media platform, The RMRDC TV Online.

“Additionally, we are working hard to effectively enhance the intellectual property and patent portfolio of RMRDC from its current 40 to approximately 200 new patents within the next 24 months. This proactive approach secures valuable IP assets and positions the Council as a leader in innovation within the raw materials sector, contributing to Nigeria’s overall economic growth.“As well as launching an e-registration and certification portal to enhance transparency in the raw materials sector,” DG revealed.

He however reaffirmed his commitment to reshape the future of research, technology, and innovation, driving Nigeria towards an industrially vibrant and technologically resilient economy.

“As I mark 100 days in office, I boldly say that the Council is on the verge of rewriting its history.

“I believe that in no distant future, RMRDC will play a leading role in enhancing raw materials’ development to boost raw materials’ industrial trial processing and attain sustainable industrial growth in Nigeria.

The DG, however, applauded the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, for his unwavering support and mentorship, saying the Minister’s leadership has been instrumental in the progress made so far.

In his opening remarks, the Directorate of Corporate Affairs, Mr Chucks Ngaha commended the hard-working DG who has weathered the storm further to put the Council on the ladder of more prosperity.

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