Friday, 29 September 2017

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY ONYIA EMEKA HARFORD TITLED “THE SHORT SIGHTEDNESS (MYOPIC) OF NIGERIANS TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT IN ICT AND AUTOMATION WORLD”



It had been obvious that radical development is fast enveloping the entire continent of the world. Especially in ICT World and Automation; the  manually system of doing things globally in under developed world are fast phasing out while the introduction of automation had become the best attribute that nations of the world should emulate from the first world continent like United State of America and Europe.

In Nigeria, the routine system of division of labor had not created changes to development rather it had worsen the system to what is called Ghost workers in the labor force of the nation; whereby citizens receives monthly and annually payments for not doing anything due to lack of competent technical and automation skill and expertise. The lack of Automation skills also had created vacuum in Nigerian labor force as well.

Nigeria being ignorant of automation skills had also continued indulging in local and traditionally routine system of executing task which at the end of the day cannot bring changes and innovation to the development of the nation. Example: The time of going to embassies for Visa line up should have been a forgotten issue in Nigeria but because of lack of ICT skills in technology, people today still travel distance to submit application for Visa while the literate ones will cease desktop, Android and Laptop to forward application to the desired embassies as well as book appointment online; forward their documents through speed post like DHL or UPS while waiting for call up for interview, if there is need for interview after the consulate officers must have scrutinized the documents submitted.

The short sightedness (Myopic) towards ICT and Automation development had made the system Jacky as well as increased sufferings of citizens who relentlessly hustles under intense sun weather condition, only to end up with one sickness or the other at aged period due to abnormal weather condition and poor feeding habits. This is why the nation Nigeria should embark seriously in ICT and Automation literacy to entire citizen to minimize the mentality of manual labor as well as enlighten them with the automation substitutes. Example, the time of going to filling station to line up or queue for Petrol is fast phasing out like in some foreign countries, just with your credit card slotted into the automation machine, you purchase your fuel by yourself. And this system of serve yourself demands  serious automation induction to create serious awareness for people to pick up in Nigeria society, because to an average Nigeria, who does not understand what credit card mean will never agree with you, irrespective of level of his education due to traditional routine system that is uncivilized. I hereby encourage everyone to help better our Nigeria economy by welcoming ICT and Automation investors; but the problem is that people refuse to drop the old system first. You cannot work with the new system while holding the old method. You need to drop the old method first which makes you despise the new one.

The mentality of seeing computer users and ICT professionals in Nigeria as 419 should be clarified to the ignorant citizens. It is not all computer users are 419, what makes one 419 as a computer users or professional is dependent on the task you embark with these ICT gadgets. When one embarks on fraudulent acts with these sophisticated computer gadgets like Iphone, Ipad, Laptop, Android and Desktop computer especially in misrepresentation of personality or personating, which is also stealing by trick, the person is not only deemed as hacker but as a 419 according to section 419 of Nigerian constitution which specifies fraudsters’ felony as well as punishment as stated below:
SECTION 419
“Any person who by any false pretence, and with intent to defraud, obtains from any other person anything capable of being stolen, or induces any other person to deliver to any person anything capable of being stolen, is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for three years”.


So computer usage  had remain a lasting solution to solve problem in developed world like USA and Europe; where automation in executing task is prevalent. If Nigeria should welcome this same gadgets as well as using it properly to execute task in the nation; our system will not only improve drastically but will create a avenue to a better working conditions. Like in the past, some locally built Public Limited Liability (PLC) Companies were recently improved just by collaborating with some foreign counterparts. One of the examples of these companies is Nigerian Breweries Plc. Using this company as a case study here, the company were once known for locally and manually system of Brewing and bottling as well as palletizing and De-palletizing crates of beer product. But the collaborating with Heineken enterprises Holland improved and upgraded the locally analogue system of manufacturing to digital system of production. These upgrade came with introduction of automation system in production like the use of automation panels and computer technology for regulating and monitoring Brewing and production process through automatic issuing of commands from the panels to the desired digital Brewing machines like the Fillers machine, conveyor belt, Palletizing and De-palletizing machine as well as computer used to monitor and regulate automation of intake of Malt, Sorghum and Maize grit which is received and conveyed by a chain, and screw conveyor through a metals separator(magnet) and spark detection mechanism for ferrous material to be removed. All these will be transformed further through the same automation command from the monitoring computer room to the drum sieve in the brewing house in order to remove bigger objects as well as dust is removed. It is of interest to also know that every unit of equipment from intake pit to the weighing bin has aspirator for dust recovery. Now, from the drum sieve, the grain is conveyed via a screw conveyor to the screen sieve (shaker) which is used only for further sieving of Malted Sorghum and malted barley.  The screen sieve has a by-pass for the maize grit.

Next, the pre-treatment raw material (either malt or adjuncts) will be conveyed via a bucket elevator to the top of Silo building. Inside the building are many Silos for storage. The malt will be stored in the Silos for malt while the rest are for adjuncts (either for sorghum or the maize). There are 26 silos , 16 silos are for storage while the remaining 10 silos are for adjunct storage. Out of the remaining 10 silos, 4 are for malted sorghum, another 4 silos are for maize grit and the remaining 2 silos are for adjunct barley. There is temperature reading giving indicator of levels of grains in the silo, and also helps the operators keep an eye on grain temperature reading which is not expected to exceed 35oc. The above activities are regulated and monitored by automation from Silos automation room in Brewing House of Nigerian Brewery plc Ama.

Now, this is to show one the important of automation and ICT to developing world, it reduces a Job of 1000 persons to 5 or 10 persons due to expatriate and skills in automation operation. If a locally manufacturing company like Nigerian Brewries plc Ama location can be transformed to a world class based company (second largest Breweries in the whole world after Heineken Enterprise Holland)  in a space of 3 years from 2000 to 2003 when it was officially commissioned by EX-PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBASANJO just because they collaborated with Heineken Enterprise Holland, Nigeria as a nation can go far than this if they welcome foreign investors to improve our economy.

Finally, If Nigeria as a nation will welcome and embrace automation starting from ICT. The nation’s working condition and environment will improve as well as improving the economy of the nation Nigeria. Long live ICT and Automation Professionals, Long lives Federal Republic of Nigeria; Long live the nations of the world.


Written by
ONYIA EMEKA HARFORD
+2348186388641




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