Deep Thought

 GMO, Seed System, and Food Security Question in Nigeria   By   Prof MK Othman I have received many requests for information on GMO seeds and their safety, and I have watched several video clips that criticize GMOs with serious accusations. I decided to update my previous articles on GMOs and food security. Over the past seven years, I have written multiple articles on this subject, and this will be the fifth in a series about GMOs, covering their origins, threats, biosafety, and the launch of Tela maize and Pod Bora cowpea, the first GMOs in Nigeria. The goal of this article is not to promote or discredit GMOs but to present facts about the Nigerian seed system, including GMOs, challenges, and the way forward. What is GMO?   A Genetically Modified Organism is a byproduct of biotechnology. In medicine, biotechnology has existed for many centuries as a source of innovation. Hitherto, biotechnology was a non-issue or, like any other technological breakthrough, until it...

Re: Deaths in London - Need to Halt Medical Tourism By Prof M. K. Othman Health issues matter because being healthy is essential for performing even the most basic human functions. My two-part article on this subject drew comments expressing Nigerians' serious concerns. We have what it takes to provide quality health services comparable to those in the countries we visit and support. So, why can't we tackle the health issue and become an African market for effective health service delivery?  I am sharing some of the comments with my esteemed readers to broaden the discussion; perhaps, our leaders and the wealthy among us can take on the challenge to do what is needed. Happy reading.    Thank you and well done, my Prof. Othman. I hope they'll open their banana leaves to listen to these words of wisdom. The decay in our society from top to bottom has reached a point of no return. Every layer and stratum has been deeply corrupted. It is not that we cannot build state-of-the-...

 Salamatu-WOFAN on Climate Change: Turning Adversity into Prosperity By Prof. M. K. Othman The reality of climate change and its consequences in Nigeria are indisputable, and the only option for the country is to have a sustainable mitigation strategy in place. Climate change has threatened Nigeria's development trajectory, environmental stability, and human security. The impacts are multifaceted, affecting every sector from agriculture to infrastructure, and exacerbating existing socioeconomic vulnerabilities. In recent years, the consequences on agriculture have had devastating effects, resulting in significant losses of lives and property and severely impacting Nigerian food security. Climate change has worsened resource competition, causing pastoralists to migrate south and sparking violent clashes with farmers, which have evolved into banditry and insurgency—an ongoing national disaster.  It has caused devastating floods in many communities. In 2022 and 2023, Nigeria expe...

 StopASUUStrike: Halt Looming-devastating Industrial Dispute By Prof. M. K. Othman Over the weekend, ASUU leadership issued a Riot Act: "address all lingering labour issues in the Nigerian University System to prevent another looming industrial crisis." Nigerian academics are fed up with the government's excuses, which have only resulted in a long list of Memoranda of Understanding/Memoranda of Action (MoUs/MoAs) - 2013, 2017, 2019, 2020 - and have kept them engaged in talks over the renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement for over eight years!" This was announced through its press release. Understandably, this pronouncement was long overdue due to ongoing unrest, anxiety, and frustration across all public universities. The academics feel backed into a corner with only two choices: accept the ongoing hardships, neglect, and mismanagement that threaten the collapse of the university system, or prepare for a complete industrial strike that could last for months without sal...

 Deaths in London: Need to Halt Medical Tourism II By Prof M. K. Othman The involvement of the private sector in building top-tier hospitals, as mentioned earlier, is simply a shortcut to stopping medical tourism in Nigeria. However, the health sector, like education, needs a comprehensive approach after conducting a SWOT analysis. The truth is, Nigerian medical experts are highly sought after in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Their stories of excellence not only earn respect and attention but also fill us with pride as Nigerians whenever we meet peers from different nations. These talented Nigerians have worked hard to stand out and have earned the respect of their international colleagues. Some of these medical professionals include Professor Sarki Abba Abdulkadir, Dr. Njideka Udochi, Professor Onyema Ogbuagu, and Professor Iyalla Elvis Peterside, among others. To truly stop medical tourism, we need systemic reforms in our healthcare system.  These medical e...

 Deaths in London: Need to Halt Medical Tourism By Prof M. K. Othman In 2006, I was in Maiduguri, gathering data for an animal traction study under the scorching sun of that year's Ramadan in the northeast. After finishing the day's work, we took one of my enumerators to his house, which he described as being near London. I wondered which London he meant, but I lacked the energy to ask until the next morning. I was curious to know why he referred to that location as London. He explained that London meant the graveyard because some of the prominent men, when they are sick, are taken to London for treatment, and often their bodies are returned to Nigeria for burial in "London". It was a cynical streetman's perspective, mocking the elite for their medical tourism, which sometimes still can't prevent death. Can anything stop death's cold grip when it's finally due?  The researchers are still looking for an answer. In hospitals in London and nearby areas, a...