PEOPLESMIND

Category: Project

  • Tinubu To Commission University Of Abuja’s 3MW Solar Hybrid Power Plant

    Tinubu To Commission University Of Abuja’s 3MW Solar Hybrid Power Plant



    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to inaugurate a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power plant at the University of Abuja in early December 2024. The facility, supervised by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), is designed to provide uninterrupted electricity to the entire university community in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.

    The project is part of the Energizing Education Programme (EEP II), a World Bank-funded initiative aimed at delivering clean, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions to 37 federal universities and seven teaching hospitals across Nigeria.

    REA Managing Director and CEO, Abubakar Abba Aliyu, lauded the program as a significant step towards reducing universities’ reliance on fossil fuels and direct-grid electricity, which have imposed heavy financial burdens. “This intervention exemplifies our commitment to innovative energy solutions that empower educational institutions and foster excellence,” Aliyu said.

    A Boost to Education and Sustainability

    The power plant, nearing completion, aligns with Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasizing alternative energy solutions for sustainable development. Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, described the project as a model for future energy reforms. “This initiative showcases the administration’s resolve to enhance energy access in critical sectors like education and healthcare,” he stated during a pre-commissioning inspection.

    The University of Abuja’s Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, expressed her excitement about the transformative impact of the project, noting, “Uninterrupted power is a game-changer, enabling advancements in teaching, learning, and research.”

    National Impact

    The REA has successfully energized several institutions under the EEP II, with federal universities like Obafemi Awolowo University and Federal University Lokoja already reaping the benefits. Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire of OAU praised the initiative for alleviating the financial strain on universities.

    Renewable energy expert Olufemi Akinyelure emphasized the broader implications of the program. “This is not just about electricity—it’s about transforming universities into hubs of innovation and safety,” he said.

    Looking Ahead

    Once operational, the 3MW solar plant will bolster campus safety, reduce fossil fuel dependency, and empower institutions like the University of Abuja to achieve academic excellence.

    The commissioning marks a milestone in Nigeria’s push for renewable energy adoption, promising a brighter and more sustainable future for education in the nation.

    Peoplesmind

  • NASA delays Crew-9 mission launch to Saturday

    NASA delays Crew-9 mission launch to Saturday


    NASA announced on Tuesday that the launch of its Crew-9 mission in partnership with SpaceX has been rescheduled to September 28 due to the impending impacts of Tropical Storm Helene.

    This mission will transport three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft.


    Although Helene is currently moving through the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to affect the northwest region of Florida, its size is likely to cause high winds and heavy rainfall in the Cape Canaveral area, where the launch is set to take place.

    The Crew-9 mission was initially planned for August 18 but was postponed to allow additional time for addressing issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which is still docked at the ISS.

    Astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will be part of this ninth crew rotation mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
    Peoplesmind

  • “The Church is not the problem”

    “The Church is not the problem”



    In Texas, it costs about $30,000 to rent a stadium for one day. Famous Nigerian artistes fill those stadium across the world… and make a lot of money from their craft.

    Last month, Apostle Joshua Selman was in Dallas-Fort Worth and filled a stadium for 2 days.

    Attendance was FREE. You only need to have ticket for effective management and govt policies.

    In August 31, Pastor Jerry Eze will be in Houston. Yesterday, I tried getting the ticket but it’s already finished. A large stadium in the heart of a busy city completely packed to hear a Nigerian speak.

    Whatever Nigerian Music and Evangelism industries are doing to attract such global audience is quite remarkable. Even shopping malls here play afrobeats on repeat. American Christians stream Selman’s messages gwo gwo.

    It’s easy to criticize the progress of these two industries, but extremely difficult to replicate at scale. The world does not gather to watch a mediocre.

    Only a careless thinker would feel the church is hindering  progress in any aspect of Nigerian society. The church is NOT responsible for our failures in the Olympics, empty Chemistry labs in our schools, dysfunctional courier service…

    I look forward to when a Nigerian professor will fill a stadium in London, Brazil or Sydney just to deliver a lecture. I anticipate seeing “made in Nigeria” brands attracting global patronage.

    Don’t just sit around criticizing, go out and become excellent in your own field. Go and create that change you desire to see. It’s possible for every sector to flourish.

    America is a good example that every sector can flourish at the same time.

    When Oral Roberts and Kenneth Hagin were busy preaching in crusades, the guys at Silicon Valley were building computer systems.

    NASA was building space exploration and basketball guys were winning Olympics, the enchiladas at Wall Street were establishing global partnership for their stocks.

    Guys in MIT and Stanford university were doing their science experiments…

    Everyone was busy building their own craft. The church is NOT your problem.
    Peoplesmind
    Credit: Ifeanyi Eze

  • Architects behind Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion giga-project ‘The Line’ reveal details about construction for the first time

    Architects behind Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion giga-project ‘The Line’ reveal details about construction for the first time

    Saudi Arabia USD1 Trillion Giga Project

    The architects behind Saudi Arabia’s most ambitious infrastructure project have been speaking about the fear and excitement they feel about the task in hand.

    The Line, Saudi Arabia’s remarkable upcoming $1 trillion project, could be the next Babylon according to one of the architects behind it – but this isn’t to say it doesn’t come with its own issues.

    In case you haven’t been paying attention to one of the most ambitious projects of the next decade, here is a little bit of a breakdown.

    It’s basically a huge mirrored skyscraper laid on its side in the desert. It’s either the natural evolution of humanity or a step towards a dystopian future, depending on who you ask.

    It’s 105 miles long as well as 200 metres wide, and has been designed in the hopes of housing a whopping nine million people once it’s completed.

    Shockingly, the project is aiming to be completed by just 2030, a very tight deadline indeed. And because of this deadline, the project is well underway, with constructors working around the clock to get it completed on time.

    In a documentary that looks at the progress being made, the architects give some of the details of the mega-structure city.

    The Discovery Channel documentary on YouTube even includes Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who denounces the naysayers and doubters who believe the project is too ambitious.

    “They say a lot of projects in Saudi Arabia can’t be done, they’re too ambitious,” he said.

    “They can keep saying that and we can keep proving them wrong.”

    Architects Thom Mayne said: “It’s actually a complicated project, but the big idea is incredibly simple.”

    He noted that he and his team developed the concept for The Line and submitted an entry to an invited competition, where they won.

    According to the architects in the documentary, the city will be divided up into multiple modules.

    Not just a handful, but about 140 modules, each measuring around 800 metres long and housing 80,000 people.

    Each module is said to be different from one another, which will likely keep things a little bit interesting.

    The first five modules will be developed by different architecture firms picked ‘from a playing field of 20’.

    The one-of-a-kind mega-project is being constructed as part of NEOM, a new urban district that’s being built in the northwest of Saudi Arabia – an area that has been virtually barren historically.

    So we’ll be watching this desert space for more updates.

    Architects have said the project could be the world’s next Babylon. Credit: NEOM/Discovery UK

    Peoplesmind

  • Obaseki inspects ongoing devt of Edo Radisson Hotel, says project to be completed in November

    Obaseki inspects ongoing devt of Edo Radisson Hotel, says project to be completed in November

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the 170-room Edo Radisson Hotel will be completed before the end of his administration in November 2024.

    Obaseki gave the assurance during a meeting with a team and officials from Radisson Hotel, Dubai after which he led the team on a tour of the facilities to inspect and ascertain the progress of work done in the last three months.

    The governor said, “A great amount of work has been done in the last three months, as the facial aspect of the hotel is being cleaned up and a lot of work is going on in all the floors. I am quite satisfied with the progress of work as we are making very fast progress. We are optimistic that the project will be completed in due time.

    “We are here today to inspect and make sure it fits the Radisson Hotel standard. We have a team from Radisson Dubai to look at the project. Before the team lends their name to any project, they make sure it meets certain minimum international standards. From the brief meeting we had with them, they are satisfied that we are on track.

    “This project will be completed before I leave office in November 2024,” the governor reassured.

    Other government officials at the inspection include the Secretary to Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq.; Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Project, Crusoe Osagie, and Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, amongst others.

    The hotel, which is the Radisson Group’s 12th hotel in Nigeria, officially marks its debut in Benin City.

    The hotel’s array of Scandinavian-inspired accommodations will range from contemporary standard rooms to expansive executive suites, including a presidential suite.

    Creating a social hub for delectable cuisine, the hotel’s gastronomic offering will include a lobby bar and café, an all-day dining restaurant as well as a pool bar and grill. To provide a harmonious stay, guests can also unwind in the hotel’s gym and spa.

    The Radisson Hotel Benin City is situated in the prime Government Reserved Area (GRA). Conveniently accessible via the airport and Benin-Sapele roads, the two main arteries of the city, the hotel is just five minutes-drive from the Benin Airport and on the doorstep of the Benin Golf Course and the city’s commercial center.

    It is also within close proximity to various security offices, such as the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police Force, providing an additional security presence in the vicinity of the hotel.

    The hotel’s meetings and events spaces will consist of a-507sqm sub-divisible ballroom, three meeting rooms and a pre-function area for a wide range of tailored events.

    Peoplesmind

  • Chinese scientists successfully clone a rhesus monkey for the first time

    Chinese scientists successfully clone a rhesus monkey for the first time

    Chinese cloned monkey species highlights limits of cloning

    Retro, a cloned rhesus monkey born on July 16, 2020.
    He is now more than 3 years old and is “doing well and growing strong,” according to Falong Lu, one of the authors of a study published in the journal Nature Communications Tuesday that describes how Retro came to be.
    Retro is only the second species of primate that scientists have been able to clone successfully.
    The same team of researchers announced in 2018 that they had made two identical cloned cynomolgus monkeys (a type of macaque), which are still alive
    today.

    For the first time ever, scientists have successfully cloned a rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta), a primate species noted for its closeness to humans.

    This comes more than a quarter of a century since Dolly the sheep became the first cloned mammal.

    The experts in China used somatic cells – animal cells other than sperm and egg cells – from a rhesus monkey to create the genetically identical copy.

    The clone (pictured above) is “healthy” and has survived for more than two years since its birth in Beijing, unlike prior efforts to clone the species.

    However, experts still rule out “unjustifiable” human cloning, as it still has too many ethical and safety considerations.

    The rhesus monkey clone was created using a technique known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) by Qiang Sun and colleagues at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

    The Rhesus macaque is of interest because it is close to humans anatomically and physiologically and has been used a lot already in research on human health.

    “Notably, no rhesus monkey has been cloned through somatic cell nuclear transfer so far,” the experts say in their paper, published today, Jan. 16, in Nature Communications.

    “[We report] the successful cloning of a healthy male rhesus monkey… and introduce a promising strategy for primate cloning.”

    The SCNT technique takes a somatic cell, such as a skin cell, and moves its DNA to an egg cell with its nucleus removed.

    Somatic cells contain the genetic information on how an organism is built, but cannot give rise to new organisms, which is why the technique involves the DNA transfer to an egg cell.

    If the transfer is successful, the process will lead to a complete reprogramming of the genetic material in the nucleus and enable the egg to start dividing and form a cloned embryo, which is provided with a healthy placenta to grow in.

    SCNT has previously resulted in the successful cloning of various mammalian species, including Dolly the sheep in 1996.

    Peoplesmind

  • Effect of inoculation with Bradyrhizobium and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on soil properties and performance of three soybean (Glycine max. [L.] Merril) varieties by Olanisimi Babatunde O

    PROJECT
    PROPOSAL

    ON

    Effect of inoculation with Bradyrhizobium and
    Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on soil properties and performance of three
    soybean  (Glycine max. [L.] Merril)
    varieties.

                                                BY

    OLANISIMI BABATUNDE OLAREWAJU

    FPA/AT/21/3-0045

    DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

    FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, ADO EKITI STATE, NIGERIA.

     

    Introduction

    •       Soybean
    (Glycine max [L.] Merril) is a crop of global importance and one of the most

    •       widely
    cultivated worldwide, with dual suitability as a source of protein and oil,
    used for human and animal consumption and industrial purposes (Singh, 2010).

    •        The 2019/2020 world soybean crop occupied a
    planted area of 122.647 million hectares, with global production of 337.298
    megatonnes (USDA, 2020).

     

    Introduction cont’d

    •       The
    nitrogen needs of soybean are met by symbiosis with elite strains of Bradyrhizobium,
    applied through seed inoculation     during sowing (Rodriguez et al., 2020).

    •       Despite
    the cost reduction by the association soybean-Bradyrhizobium, soybean
    production     systems of high technological level are highly dependent on
    chemical inputs, such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and mineral
    fertilizers that increase production costs and cause greater ecological impact
    when used in excess (Sousa et al., 2020).

     

    Introduction cont’d

    •       Besides
    fertilization, the only possible way to increase P-available for a plant is
    microbial solubilization and mineralization of P (Alori et al., 2017).

    •        Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi collect and transfer
    water and minerals such as phosphate to their host (Marquer et al., 2019).

    •       Symbiotic
    relationship between rhizobia and legumes is responsible for contributing the
    largest amounts of fixed nitrogen to agriculture. Estimates indicate that
    legumes can fix up to 200 kg N ha-1 year-1 under optimal field conditions
    (Giller, 2018).

     

    Specific objectives of the study

    •       Examine
    the effect of Bradyrhizobium on soil chemical properties and
    performance of three varieties of soybean

    •       Examine
    the effect of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi 
    on soil chemical properties and 
    performance of three varieties of soybean

    •       Assess
    their combined effects on the performance of three soybean varieties


    Materials and method

    •       The
    experiment will be conducted at the Screen house in the Teaching and Research
    Farm of the Department of Agricultural Technology of the Federal Polytechnic,
    Ado-Ekiti.

    •        The screen house experiment will be was
    carried out to evaluate the effect of inoculation with Bradyrhizobium
    and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on soil chemical properties and performance of
    three soybean  (Glycine max. [L.]
    Merril) varieties.

     

    Methodology cont’d

    The experiment shall be a 3×7 factorial scheme arranged in a
    Completely Randomized Design (CRD) replicated three times. 21 plastic
    containers of 7litre capacity will be perforated at the bottom and filled with
    top soil.

    2 seeds each of soybean varieties will be planted per hole.
    The three soybean varieties to be used for the experiment are (i) TGX 1485-10
    (Early maturing variety), (ii),TGX 1904-6F (Medium maturing variety) and  (iii) TGX 1448-2E  (Late maturing variety).

     

    Methodology cont’d

    Treatment will consist of the following;

    i. Inoculation with Bradyrhizobium (Brad)

    ii. Inoculation with Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)

    iii.Use of phosphatic fertilizer alone (P)

    iv. Use of Nitrogen fertilizer alone (N)

    v.Combination of Brad + AMF)

    vi.P+N

    vii. Control

     

    Methodology con’d

    •       Inoculation
    with Bradyrhizobium will be done before planting. Here, the seeds of the
    three soybean varieties will be 
    sterilized, mixed with the Bradyrhizobium  inoculants before planting

    •       The
    Mycorrhizal inoculation will be done in the same way before planting

    •       Routine
    management such as  weeding and watering
    will be done when necessary.

    •       Data
    collected were subjected to

    •       ANOVA
    using GLM procedure. Where significant F values between the means were
    recorded, the

    Tukey honesty significant difference (HSD) will used to
    separate the means.

     

    References

    •       Ames,
    R.N., Thiagarajan, T.R., Ahmad, M.H. and McLaughlin, W.A. (1991). Co-selection
    of compatible rhizobia and vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for cowpea in
    sterilized and non-sterilized soils. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 12:
    112–116.

    •       Arumugam,
    R., Rajasekaran, S. and Nagarajan, S.M. (2010). Response of Arbuscular
    mycorrhizal fungi and Rhizobium inoculation on growth and chlorophyll
    content of Vigna unguiculata (L)     Walp. Journal of Applied Science and
    Environmental Management, 14(4): 113–115.

    •       Afzal
    A, Bano A, Fatima M. Higher soybean yield by inoculation with N-fixing and
    P-solubilizing bacteria. Agron Sustain Dev. 2010;30:487-95.
    https://doi.org/10.1051/agro/2009041.