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Tag: Japan

  • FUTA, partners launch satellite, NigeriaEdusat-1 into space

    FUTA, partners launch satellite, NigeriaEdusat-1 into space

    At Exactly 10:07 a.m. on Saturday, the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, made history when the SpaceX Falcon9 Rocket launched Birds 1 satellites, comprising 5 CubeSats belonging to Japan, Ghana, Mongolia, Nigeria and Bangladesh, into Space from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA.

    The Nigerian CubeSat, code name NigeriaEdusat-1, is designed, built and owned by FUTA in collaboration with the National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, Abuja, Nigeria, and Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan. Ibukun Adebolu of FUTA’s Department of Mechanical Engineering is the representative of Nigeria on the project. The initial launch scheduled for Thursday June 1 was aborted due to adverse weather condition.

    The satellite is expected to dock at the International Space Station, ISS, on June 5 at 10:30 a.m. Nigerian time. It is the first ever University satellite to be launched in Nigeria. From the International Space Station, the satellites will be deployed into lower orbit during the last week of June 2017.

    The major objective of NigeriaEdusat-1 is capacity building, i.e. domesticating the satellite technology in a Nigerian university, FUTA, and making the technology a common business among staff and students of the university in Nigeria for the purpose of research, resources and environmental management and sustainable socio-economic development of the nation.

    The satellite technology development in the long run shall have spillover effects on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education that is an essential tool for a country industrial development.

    Mr. Adebolu, who is involved in the Structure Configuration Design, BIRDS Project gives details of his role on the project, “My role in the Birds’ Project is Structure Design. Drawing on my background in Mechanical Engineering, I am saddled with the task of ensuring that our satellites have sufficient strength and rigidity to survive the rigorous launch and space environments. In order to achieve this, I have to ensure that all payload and Bus System are properly accommodated within the 10-cubic centimeter structure. I find this very challenging, because it involves a lot of optimisation and trade-offs. In the future, I hope to work more on other aspects of satellite design.”

    The Vice Chancellor, Joseph Fuwape, said with the successful launch, FUTA has shown the capabilities of Nigerian scientists and would build on the success to concretize its leading position in cutting edge researches and scientific breakthroughs.

     

  • Japan to invest $30bn In Nigeria, others

    Japan to invest $30bn In Nigeria, others

    The Japanese Government has promised to fulfill its $30 billion Public and Private investment pledge made in August 2016 during the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Nairobi, Kenya, which was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The assurance was given on Thursday by the Japanese Trade and Investment Mission to Nigeria led by the country’s Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Shunsuke Takei.

    The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun however urged the Mission to key into Nigeria’s easy business environment and set up manufacturing plants, instead of shipping-in finished products.

    According to her, President Muhammadu Buhari’s government was open and ready to continue to do business with the rest of the world.

    She added that the federal government was vigorously working to improve the country’s business environment through investment in transportation infrastructure and the ease of doing business.

    She said: “We urge you to set up manufacturing plants, instead of shipping-in finished products into the country.

    “We will assist you to do well. Many companies came into Nigeria and are doing very well and there is nothing to stop Japanese firms from doing very well.

    “We have introduced specific reforms by removing lots of impediments.

    “Fiscal incentives to facilitate your coming into Nigeria to invest and drive your businesses, are being put in place.”

    Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the Mission, the Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Shunsuke Takei, said that they were on a Mission in Nigeria as part of the efforts by the Japanese Government to actualize the US$30 billion Public and Private investment pledge made in August 2016 during the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Nairobi, Kenya, which was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He said that given the size of the Nigerian population and market as well as its economic recovery and potential for growth, Japanese investors were desirous of investing in Nigeria, while noting challenges in the areas of security, legal and power environments.

    He praised the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of the Federal Government and expressed optimism that the foreign exchange situation would improve further.

     

  • Japan donates US$3.5 million to WFP for Emergency Needs in Northeast Nigeria

    Japan donates US$3.5 million to WFP for Emergency Needs in Northeast Nigeria

    The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a US $3.5 million contribution from the Government of Japan to provide desperately needed food assistance to tens of thousands of internally displaced people in Northeast Nigeria.

    The funding allows WFP to deliver food to more than 160,000 people in Borno and Yobe States, where the Boko Haram insurgency has left many people severely food insecure, and experts warn of a credible risk of famine in some places.

    “We commend the Government and people of Japan for their continued contributions to WFP’s operations in Northeast Nigeria,” said Ronald Sibanda, WFP Country Director and Representative ad interim in Nigeria. “This generous contribution from Japan will help WFP continue scaling up its response to reach more families in the region with food and nutrition support.”

    Currently, some 4.7 million people are in dire need of food assistance in the three most conflict-affected states – Borno, Yobe and Adamawa – a figure that is expected to rise to 5.1 million by June.

    “This new assistance is part of Japan’s pledge made at the Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Northeast Nigeria and Lake Chad Region held between 23-24 February 2017 for humanitarian assistance in the region, and newly additional funding from the Emergency Grant Aid as a swift response to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s call for emergency humanitarian support,” said Sadanobu Kusaoke, Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria.

    “The government of Japan is committed to ensure that millions of people in dire need of food in northeast Nigeria do not go hungry,” he added. “It is expected that this funding will, in the interim, assuage the suffering of people in the affected states who are in a near-famine situation.”

    For four consecutive months, WFP has reached more one million vulnerable in northeastern Nigeria with cash-based transfers, food distributions and nutritional assistance targeting children under five, along with pregnant and nursing women. Indeed, WFP’s assistance increased in March to reach nearly 1.2 million beneficiaries, with plans to gradually scale up to reach 1.8 million people monthly during the coming lean season.

    WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.