The Lagos State Government is calling on residents to be safety conscious in the process of converting petrol to Gas for domestic use.

The call follows the recent removal of subsidy payments on petrol in the country, which has led to a hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and pushed many Nigerians to explore new ways of powering their generators by converting petrol power generating sets to Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG generators.

The Director General, Lagos Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, mentioned that the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration is committed to ensure safety of lives and properties of its citizens and will leave nothing to chance to intensify advocacy in that regard.

He stated that powering generators and plants with alternative fuels like Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) offer several benefits.

According to him “CNG and LPG are generally cheaper than petrol, offering potential cost savings over the long term. These fuels are cleaner, and so do not contaminate the air as much as petrol and diesel do Natural gas and LPG are often more abundant and domestically sourced in certain regions compared to petrol. This can provide greater fuel availability and independence from fluctuations in petrol prices or supply disruptions.

“CNG and LPG combustion generally produce less noise compared to petrol. This results in quieter generator operation, which can be beneficial for residential use and minimize noise pollution.”

He declared that the Lagos State Government would continue to alert the general public of the safety hazards and risks inherent in the conversion process in the use of these LPG- powered generators at homes and offices.

He said “Spark or heat from the generator can cause fire outbreak if gas leakage occurs from the hose or cylinder valve and explosion could also occur if the generator house is not properly ventilated thereby allowing gas leak build up in enclosed space.”

“LPG is bottled under high pressure with potential for explosions if not properly handled.Gas cylinders can fall and roll off if not placed on even flooring. When this happens, the gas hose can pull out leading to uncontrolled leakages and corrosion of gas cylinders can occur also when left in the rain or in humid environment.”

“Exposure to direct sunlight can expose cylinders to excessive temperature with attendant risk of explosion while poor installation of the hybrid carburettors on generators can as well increase the risks of accident. In other words, CNG should be discouraged for household generating sets except for special cases like large estates with plants for power generation.”
He maintained that the use of sub-standard, dilapidated or expired cylinders could increase risks of gas explosion.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ms Shola Shasore stressed that it is important to note that converting a petrol generator to use alternative and less expensive fuels may require modifications and the installation of appropriate conversion kits by qualified professionals.

Shasore said the general public is hereby advised to engage ONLY qualified technicians for this service.

She however advised the public to contact the Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources or Lagos State Safety Commission for guidance on professional vendors and installation as well as appropriate safety guidelines

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Auwal Zubairu Gambo has commissioned the newly-renovated Naval Ratings’ accommodation at NDC Quarters, Ushafa and the Naval Officers’ Quarters in Gudu, together with an Administration Building, Parade Ground and Special Forces Holding Bay at Naval Unit, in Abuja.

The inauguration ceremonies which took place at various locations in Abuja, saw top Naval officers, ex- officers, unit commanders and CNS Coursemates graced the occasion.

Speaking after commissioning the Naval Unit Administrative building, Gambo, explained that project commissioning is a sign of commitment to enhancing the welfare of naval personnel.

“The commissioning of the R Adm AO Suleiman Special Forces Holding Bay Navy Town Abuja, named after the pioneer Commander of the NN SBS who is here with us, signifies our commitment to the personnel’s welfare and acknowledgement of the vital role they play in our Naval and joint operations.

“The commissioning of a new parade ground emphasizes our dedication to upholding the highest standards of military professionalism and ensuring that NN personnel have the necessary infrastructure to train and perform at their best.”

Gambo enjoined the officers of the Nigerian Navy to maintain the facilities, which were provided as part of creating an enabling working environment for them.

The commandant of the Naval Unit, commander A. Muhammed, expressed gratitude towards the commissioning of the projects.

Muhammad said, “As we gather here today to commission these projects, I feel a strong sense of gratitude for these noble ideas conceived and executed by the CNS.

“This kind gesture will enhance stability, efficiency and proficiency for officers and ratings of NUA. It will also boost their morale and thus, foster commitment for readiness in service delivery.”

Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, says Nigeria is the most competitive gastronomy tourist destination in Africa in terms of diversification of ethnic groups and unique foods culture.

Kangiwa said this in Abuja on Saturday at the Third Edition of Gastronomy Festival with the theme titled “Culinary Arts – The Gateway to Growing Tourism Destination.”

He added that the country had taken the lead in gastronomic tourist destination in Africa, saying that the institute would continue to complement government’s efforts to sustain the tempo.

“Nigeria is the most competitive gastronomy tourist destination in Africa. This can be found in the diversity of our ethnic groups and corresponding unique foods culture.

“The exhibition of today’s foods shows the abundance of Nigerian cuisines.

“Gastronomy is a cultural expression of nations through their food choices, sources of ingredients and types of cuisines, as it is typically thriving in culturally rich destinations like Nigeria.”

According to the director-general, Nigerian cuisines are reflective of the nation’s gastronomic beauty and diversity.

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In her remarks, Dr Ngozi Owundiwe, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture (FMIC), said that gastronomy was the source of the nation’s identity due to its contribution to tourism development.

Owundiwe, who was represented by the Director, Domestic Tourism in the ministry, Mrs. Patricia Narai, said “Nigerian cuisines identify us as a nation, as well as telling the good story of our people.

“It has rapidly become a major growing component in the contribution to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to all developing countries around the world.”

Also speaking, the Director-General, Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Dr Chidia Maduekwe, said Nigeria was rated as one of Africa’s best destination hubs for hospitality and tourism.

Maduekwe said that there were lots of hospitality and tourism sites and locations across the country that had yet to be harnessed.

He added that operational existing sites and locations had continued to provide leisure and development.

According to him, these have helped to promote green grass revolution and environmental protection and safety.

“These sites and locations have become the spots for the advertisement and consumption of special Nigerian cuisines and delicacies.

“These all add up to the promotion of domestic cultural integration and development.”

In his remarks, Senegal Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Nicolas Nyouky, commended NIHOTOUR for partnering with Senegal embassy on sharing of good cuisines.

“Nigeria is in the spotlight in the field of gastronomy due to its cooking techniques,” he said.

Mr. Li Xuda, Cultural Counsellor, Embassy of People’s Republic of China, commended NIHOTOUR for strengthening the partnership between Nigeria and China on showcasing their cultural heritage.

In a bid to avert a possible collapse and its attendant effects, officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) have sealed off a Seven-Floor structure located at 107B, Ajose Ogun Street, Victoria Island Lagos.

According to the General Manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki, the structure which houses Heirs Insurance and UBA Bank is suspected to be exhibiting signs of structural failure as preliminary investigations revealed that some floor tiles on the fourth floor have popped off along the expansion joints of the building.

He informed that an on-the-spot assessment of the building further revealed that in an attempt to cover up the suspected structural defects of the building, the developer had already started renovation/remodelling works without carrying out proper tests to ascertain the cause of the defects, hence the evacuation and seal-off order on the building pending further investigation.

Whilst appreciating the whistleblower for calling the attention of the State Government to the condition of the building, Arc. Oki urged all developers/owners to always do the right thing at the appropriate time by adhering strictly to the building codes of the State.

The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2,000-year-old terraces that were most likely carved by hand into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people.

As a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines they are considered to be the Eight Natural Wonder of the World by many Filipinos.

They are an outstanding example of an evolved, living cultural landscape that can be traced as far back as two millennia ago in the pre-colonial Philippines.

The terraces are located approximately 1,500 metres (5,000 feett) above sea level, and are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces.

It is said that if the steps were put end to end, it would encircle half the globe.

While the historic terraces cover an extensive area, the inscribed property consists of five clusters of the most intact and impressive terraces, located in four municipalities.

They are all the product of the Ifugao ethnic group, a minority community that has occupied these mountains for thousands of years.

The most popular place to look at the rice terraces is called the Sunrise Viewpoint, where local Igarot tribes people pose for photographs and sell wood carvings.

Declared in 2009 as free from any genetically modified organisms, farming in the area has been carried out as it was hundreds of years ago. But, the thriving economy in the Banaue Rice Terraces is tourism.

The tourism industry has developed a number of activities for visitors which may include the traditional sight seeing of the terraces and visits to the tribes at the foot of the terraces.

Around 170 people been relocated from the western French town of La Laigne after an earthquake on Friday evening.

The quake, believed to have been between magnitude 5.2 and 5.8 was felt from Rennes in the north-west to Bordeaux in the south-west.

Homes, schools and churches were damaged, with hundreds of buildings declared uninhabitable.

Earthquakes above magnitude five are unusual in France, with the last affecting the country in November 2019.

Two people were injured in the town of Deux-Sevres following Friday’s tremor.

The Charente-Maritime region just north of Bordeaux was particularly affected.

In La Laigne, the local fire service chief Didier Marcaillou warned the church had become “completely unusable” and a top government regional official said that most of the houses in the town centre were affected.

“The school will have to be closed as a precaution,” Nicolas Basselier said.

One woman cried as she told local station BFMTV that she had could no longer live in her home. “I wouldn’t wish this on anyone,” the woman, named Christine said. “In my son’s room you can fit your entire hand through the crack in the wall.”

Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne described the earthquake as “unusual” and expressed her solidarity with those “who may have been worried”.

“We will obviously ensure that everyone has access to rehousing,” Ms Borne said.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the government would initiate an accelerated natural disaster recognition procedure to help quickly assess the structural damage to buildings.

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is a United Nations observance celebrated each year on 17 June.

Its purpose is to raise awareness of the presence of desertification and drought, highlighting methods of preventing desertification and recovering from drought.

Each year’s global celebration has a unique, novel emphasis that had not been developed previously.

Environment Correspondent, Gimalo-Angel Olowogoke takes a closer look.

This year’s theme is, Her Land. Her Rights.

This day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly resolution on January 30, 1995, after the day when United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification was drafted.

Objectives of Desertification and Drought Day are:

1. To promote public awareness of the issue

2. To let people know that desertification and drought can be effectively tackled, that solutions are possible, and that key tools to this aim lay in strengthened community participation and cooperation at all levels.

3. To strengthen implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa.

In this stirring message from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Executive Secretary, Ibrahim Thiaw, we highlight the critical role women play in land restoration and sustainable farming.

Despite facing systemic challenges and owning less than 20% of the world’s land, women contribute significantly to agricultural labor and the global food supply.

Also in his video message, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says women suffer from the lack of food, water scarcity, and forced migration that result from mistreatment of land.

In rural Nigeria, 80 percent of small scale farmers are women.

Yet very few own land — held back by a lack of resources and conservative male attitudes.

Activists are calling for more rights for women farmers, including access to land and credit.

In Ethiopia, with support from the World Bank and others, a program uses small booklets and simple photos to give women a clear hold on their own land.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will reaffirm its commitment with these Desertification and Drought Day 2023 objectives:

1. Raise awareness of the disproportionate impact of desertification, land degradation and drought on women and girls and the barriers they face in decision-making on land issues;

2. Highlight women’s contributions to sustainable land management and broader SDGs;

3. Mobilize global support to advance land rights for women and girls around the world.

Saudi Arabia, a country which has been dependent on its rich oil reserves for several decades, is now on a path of economic diversification.

With Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is proving that the Kingdom could perform well in non-oil private sectors too.

As Saudi Arabia’s private sector expands rapidly, the Kingdom is expected to provide more job opportunities to nationals and foreign talents alike in the coming years.

Giga-projects like NEOM are presenting enormous job opportunities in the construction sector, along with offering employment in various other areas including advanced technologies like artificial intelligence.

Spotlight On Construction Sector

According to Grace Najjar, Project Management Institute’s regional managing director for the Middle East and North Africa region, the construction industry is expected to play a crucial role in achieving the goals set forth by Vision 2030, providing immense job opportunities in the future.

She further noted that Saudi Arabia’s construction sector will witness high demand for skilled professionals which include project managers, engineers and architects.

“Over 5,200 projects across Saudi Arabia, with a combined worth of $819 billion, are currently underway, representing 35 percent of all active GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) project values. With such a vast number of projects, there will be a significant demand for skilled professionals in the construction industry, including project managers, engineers, architects and skilled labor,” said Najjar.

She added: “This demand is expected to continue to rise in the coming years, especially as Saudi Arabia and the entire GCC are on a path of economic diversification.”

Earlier in May, a report released by the US-Saudi Business Council noted that the Kingdom’s construction sector saw the value of awarded contracts increasing to $51.3 billion in 2022 — a 35 percent rise compared to the previous year.

“The surge in contract awards continues unabated on the back of a growing economy that was fueled by significant oil revenues and the acceleration of giga-projects following the COVID-19 slowdown,” said Albara’a Alwazir, director of economic research at the USSBC.

Najjar further pointed out that local talent in Saudi Arabia will get ample chance to explore employment opportunities in the construction sector.

“In recent years, there has been a push to develop local talent in Saudi Arabia, including in the construction sector. The government has implemented several initiatives to develop skills and create employment opportunities for Saudis, including the National Transformation Program,” added Najjar