SOURCES OF ENERGY

Nigeria is a country richly endowed with diverse sources of energy which can be used in all spheres of the nation's economy.

However it has been difficult for the nation to maximize these sources of energy for economic growth and development due to some variables.

This forms the basis of today's news analysis written by correspondent on how to maximize Nigeria's sources of energy for optimal economic development.

Since independence in 1960, energy generation and distribution in Nigeria has deteriorated to its present abysmal level.

Past and present administration have made concerted efforts to finding a lasting solution to the epileptic power challenges facing the country but with little or no results.

Many wonder why Nigeria the so called gaint of Africa, still produces bellow capacity, going by its enormous sources of energy.

Whereas other African nations, such as South Africa,Ghana, Egypt, Kenya among others, celebrate years of uninterrupted power supply.

Studies have shown that in a fast growing and modern industrialized world, energy is a major determinate of effective productivity, which also affect all spheres of human endeavors, including health, agriculture, commerce, trade, sports, research, just to mention but a few.

Some schools of thought, have blamed the energy problem in Nigeria, for the challenges facing many industries, small and medium enterprises, leading to pandemic poverty in the country.

The incessant power outage no doubt have resulted in increase crime rates in Nigeria.

Furthermore, the council for renewable energy has disclosed that power outage resulted in an annual lost of about one hundred and twenty six billion naira.

Apart from the huge income lost and high rate of criminality, power cut has also resulted in health hazards due to heat and frequent exposure to carbon emission cause by constant use of electricity generators in different households and business enterprises.

Energy experts have therefore suggested maximum utilization of renewable energy such as sunshine, wind and natural gas among others, which Nigeria has in abundant.

Many countries around the world, have long gone beyond hydro means of generating power into solar, gas turbine, wind mill, for generating electricity for distribution.

It is pertinent to note that while government strive to improve the power situation, the various authorities distributing power in the country should provide Nigerians with prepaid meters to help put an end to estimated billings.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC, should live up to its bidding in checking the excesses of the electricity distribution companies, particularly in term of tariffs.

In addition, electricity consumers should endeavor to pay their bills as at when due, rather than conniving with power distribution staff to invade payment.

Unpatriotic Nigerians who steals or vandalize electricity cable and installation especially meters and transformers should repent and turn a new leaf.

Electricity consumers should manage power supply effectively in their homes and industries by switching off electricity supply when not in use.

Only a multi system approach can adequately put an end to the power problem in the country.  

INTER HOUSE SPORTS

The inability to identify and nurture sports talents from inter house sports competitions has been seen as one of the challenges facing the catch them young maxim in the sports world.
In today's news analysis correspondent writes on the need for education stakeholders, school authorities, government through the ministry of sports and youth development among other relevant bodies to begin to start prioritizing inter house sports as a strategy and platform for grooming young talents that will make the nation, their states and themselves proud in major competitive sports events both at national and international levels.
Every year public and private schools organise inter house sports competitions for their students and pupils.
During such sports meets, students and pupils are beautifully dressed in their different houses colors.
The children participate in various track and field events such as match past, different relay races, filling the bottles, sack race, long jump, high jump among others.
On this day, some sports officials, members of the Nigerian Association Physical And Health Education Recreation NAPHER are always on ground to document records of various games while parents and guardians sit as spectators to watch their kids and wards exhibiting sporty talents they have not seen in them before.
It is a directive from the ministry of education to all schools from across the nation, to organize sporting events to train school children mentally and physically.
However there are calls for a change in the narrative on why inter house sports are organized, so that inter house sports can be used to discover and develop sports talents that will make the state, and indeed the nation proud in the future.
Sports analysts have stressed the need for well to do individuals and organisations, including community leaders to sponsor and support sports development by building sports academies where young talented children will be trained.
Parents and guardians, should engage their children and wards in regular sporting exercises, as they stand alot to gain from it in term of making them bodily fit among others.
It is pertinent to note that aerobic exercises also help to build the affective, cognitive and psychomotive domains of the learning of a child.
Furthermore, inter house sports competitions should be sustained as a platform for catching them young in sporting activities.
The ministry of sports and youth development should ensure that they assign staff of the ministry to observe inter house sports competitions with the aim of identifying extra ordinary talents in school children who emerge winners by breaking set records, unimaginable for their ages.
Such uniquely talented children should not only be identified but also be followed up by ensuring that they are enrolled in sports academies where they can be trained to become great athletes in the future.
For more effectiveness, inter house sports should be adequately funded by government, since they are the ones who instructed public schools management not to collect inter house sports levies from school children.
Private schools who are not organizing inter house sports competition should be compelled to do so, for the good of those children in that school. 
If Delta state and indeed Nigeria must sustain its pride of place in sports, then we must start paying real attention to young talented athletes right from the primary and secondary schools during inter house sports competition.