ARE YOU LIVING SUSTAINABLY?

LIVING SUSTAINABLY WOULD MEAN MAKING EVERYDAY GREEN

With all the pressure on our environment, climate and our surrounding it is important that everyone starts to think sustainability. Sustainability can however not come about if we do not begin to live a sustaining lifestyle. You might begin to wonder what I mean by that.

In the a report on Sustainable living by the St’ Luke’s University in Canada, it explains “sustainable living is making conscious choices in everyday life and begin aware that you are making a choice when you leave the tap running while brushing your teeth, or while shopping for groceries’’. It thus requires a conscious effort on the part of each individual to live a sustaining life.

SUSTAINABLE LIVING – PRACTICAL WAYS

1.      AT HOME – The home is the starting point. Charity begins at home. The home front provides amble opportunity to practice sustainable living. Here are a few ways

·         Hang your cloths dry rather than using a dryer

·         Cover pots when cooking

·         Use energy saving bulbs

·         Turn off lights when not in use

·         If you use an heater or air conditioning system, don’t heat or cool an empty house

·         Shut off water when soaping during a shower or brushing your teeth

2.      RESPONSIBLE BUYING- When making decisions on where to make purchases you also have to think sustainability. You have to think different and weigh your options properly. These could include if possible buying locally. Local products help reduce transportation costs and environmental impacts while contributing to the local economy. Aside from this purchasing clothing made completely or partly form sustainable materials can support the agricultural industries.

3.      WASTE REDUCTION- This involves using fewer materials in the home, office, and school. Recycling is closely related to this. Recycling and waste reduction protects our environment because it reduces the demand on land fill space and it is also good for the economy of any country.

4.      TRANSPORTATION- One key way to reduce the carbon footprint on our environment is sustainable transportation. This allows the basic of individuals to be met without putting the future generation at risk of not meeting the same need. Here are some tips;

·         Use the public transport instead of your car thus reducing fuel use and harmful emissions

·         Carpool with your friends and colleagues. This reduces the number of cars on the road and road congestion too.

·         If you can why don’t you cycle or skate to work

·         Buy vehicles with a record of fuel efficiency

We need to secure our environment both for our use and that of the generations to come. We need to remain healthy and strong. And we can only achieve this when and if we GOGREEN so we can STAY COOL.

Follow these tips and you can be sure of a better life.

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WAYS NIGERIA UNIVERSITIES CAN OPTIMIZE THE STUDENT INDUSTRIAL WORKING EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES) PROGRAM TO BOOST AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (ARD).

Today, I watched as students in their fourth year in my university (Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria) picked up their log book for the six month SIWES program. This is generated some thoughts in my head as it relates to the development and sustainability of agriculture among young people especially those studying courses related to agriculture.

The Student Industrial Working Experience Scheme (SIWES) was established by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in 1973 to solve the problem of adequate practical skill, preparatory for employment in industries by Nigerian Undergraduate and Diploma students of tertiary institutions. The scheme was designed for duration of six months for university undergraduates. During this period, every student is expected to acquire all necessary practical skill and orientation, as well as technical knowledge needed to adequately develop national man-power and human resources.

Based on these facts, I proffer the following suggestion to boost Agricultural Research and Development:

1.      Partnership With the Government: The universities can partner with the government by having an agreement with them that they would accept a certain number of students to intern with the Ministries of Agriculture, Ministries of Environment and Agricultural Research Bodies owned by the government. This would afford the students the opportunity to learn new things, practice what they have learnt over the years and get exposure. They could also engage in ongoing projects and be of help to the facilitators.

2.      Full Usage of University Farms and Research Centre: Oftentimes, universities have farms, the university could expand these farms and take in some students to work during the SIWES program. The farm can initiate various mini-project and research works under proper supervision that would engage the students, thus promoting skill acquisition and capacity building in ARD.

3.      Partnership with Privately Owned Agro-based Industry: Most times, student battle with getting placement in companies and industries to carry out their internship. Some even spend as much as three to four months out of the six months before getting a placement. Another set of students, even go ahead to work in places having little or no relation to their course of study. Considering these fact, the university can partner with industries and farms privately owned to take in the student during the SIWES program as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.

4.      Payment of Monthly Stipend: In Nigeria, a stipend of about 100Dollars (15,000 Naira) is paid after the entire six months. Sadly, for the past four years it has not even been paid. Arrangement should be made to make sure it is paid and can also be reviewed that something is paid monthly rather than at the end of the whole program.

5.      Proper Documentation of Activities: The Universities should take in proper and well detailed reports of the student’s activities during the SIWES program. Their report can be a base for further research work or re-modeling of existing agricultural practices and research work.

The agricultural Sector in Nigeria can have sustainable development when young men and women coming out of the tertiary institutions have the required skills and knowledge to work with when they leave the four walls of the universities. If these suggestions can be implemented I believe there would be considerable advancement in Agricultural Research and Development.