Saturday, November 9, 2013

My next target is to build an aeroplane’

‘My next target is to build an aeroplane’

Suraju demonstrating how his generator powers his fan




Seventeen-year-old secondary school student, Ismaila Suraju, has built a planting machine and a locally-made power generator that uses water and batteries, among others. They young boy who says his next target is to build an aeroplane, also claims to have the knowhow to construct a gadget that can frustrate election riggers in Nigeria.
When he was younger, 17-year-old Ismaila Suraju was forced to make a pair of slippers out of a cardboard to shield his feet from the scorching soil of the farm path. The necessity of protecting his face from the sun also compelled him to produce a baseball cap, then cars, train, grinding machines, all with the same cardboard.
Weekly Trust gathered that half way through his secondary education, Suraju graduated into using aluminum sheets in making not only miniature automobiles, such as fire extinguishing vans, excavators, but  a large  size planting machine that can be used for planting, as well.
“Anything I see, I will like to do. We went for competition. I saw some people do a motorcycle they were riding. I said I would do a planting machine in a form of a vehicle that a person can drive. I thought in our country we don’t have planting machines. Farmers are suffering. Then I took iron and aluminum sheets. I first did a small one that a small boy can enter. Then I did a bigger one. I used wheelbarrow tyres, iron from metal bed, electric motor and motorcycle gearbox to make it,” the boy said.
Suraju, who was raised by his maternal grandfather, also fabricated a miniature boat with aluminum sheets and radio motors that enable it to move forward or backward when powered by dry cell batteries. He said with better training and access to materials, he can do more.
But his problem-solving creative moves are not limited to automobiles. He fabricated a power generator that is powered by dry battery cells and water. He demonstrated how to use the generator to charge a cell phone battery as well as the standing fan he fabricated himself. But he explained that the voltage generated by the generator is not high enough to shock a human being.
According to him, he also has the solution to Nigeria’s electoral malpractices. The solution, he said, is a laptop-like device he fabricated which he calls “electronic voting system”. He showed how voting is recorded on a pair of screens that look like those of small calculators.
The “electronic voting system” has a central screen made of a translucent plastic with voting approval and disapproval written on either halves of it. When he inserts a card that has voted into the voting box, the half that disapproves of voting will be lighted from within. If the one that has not voted, but registered is inserted, the half that approves of voting will be lighted.
The young engineer, who also sees earthmovers around road construction sites near his village of Rubochi in Kwali Area Council, ended up fabricating its miniature replicas with aluminum sheets and other materials available. He used dry cell batteries to move the miniature earthmovers. But the dry cell batteries do not last long.
Asked how he is going to cope with the dry transient nature of the dry cell batteries that power most of his fabrications, Suraju showed the small turbine-like wheel he fabricated with aluminum sheets and sticks in such a way that moving water can propel it to generate power. He said he is working on how to make a small hydro-power device that can generate power for his devices.
“I want to be a mechanical engineer. I want technology to go forward in our country, Nigeria. We need to develop technology,” he said.
The boy who wants to go to a technical school for his senior secondary educations said: “I want to make a bigger excavator that human beings can enter, and it will be working. The last time we went to Brazil different countries came for the competition. We were 22 from Nigeria. Among those that went to Brazil my project was the best.”
Though he has made a miniature airplane, Suraju believes he can manufacture a big one that will carry people. He said this with the confidence of someone with absolute belief in his dream. Asked how sure his is, he replied: “If the white men can do it, why can’t we?”
Suraju’s maternal grandfather Malam Isa  feels happy that his grandson has the ability to do so many thing, and always helps him with money to buy some of the things he needs.

Eaglets' Iheanacho: I'm Feeling A Million Things

Eaglets' Iheanacho: I'm Feeling A Million Things


photo - Eaglets' Iheanacho: I'm Feeling A Million Things
Nigeria's outstanding No10 Kelechi Iheanacho put on a dazzling display of football in United Arab Emirates, scoring six goals and setting up a further seven en route to a fourth title for the west Africans. A playmaker and lethal finisher all rolled into one, his trademark goal celebrations had the Nigerian fans in UAE on their feet from start to finish.
FIFA.com caught up with the best player of the 2013 U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates to talk about how it feels to be a world champion, his chat with Nigerian legend Nwankwo Kanu and why he had doubts about his size and strength when he was called into the national team camp.
How does it feel to be a world champion?
Kelechi Iheanacho: I feel good, I feel good, I feel good! I thank God because I feel so good. I don’t know if I can find the words to say what I’m actually feeling. I can’t even tell what I’m feeling because I’m feeling a millions things at the same time. I am feeling love for my teammates and my family and my country. I feel all of it. I’m on a high for winning the World Cup and the Golden Ball [best player].
It’s all smiles here in the locker-room. How close to you feel to your teammates at this moment?
None of this could have been possible without my teammates. They are the best. The way we all cooperated together to win the World Cup is simple amazing. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever felt. I give them thanks for making it possible for us to do what we did.
You were named the tournament’s best player and you were the second top-scorer. How does that feel on a personal level?
It means a lot to me personally because when I came into the national team camp I felt uneasy. A lot of the boys thought maybe I was too small, too skinny to be a good player. But I realized now with what I’ve done here that God is preparing something special for me.
It’s been an exciting few weeks for you and your Golden Eaglets here in the United Arab Emirates. How has your time been? 
I’ve loved the time I’ve spent here in UAE. It’s a wonderful country and it was amazing for me and my teammates to see a different part of the world and to show our football to the people here. I will remember it always.
You had tremendous support from Nigerian fans here for all of your games. How important was that?
The fans here have supported us so much. It’s been incredible. They’ve given us courage and cheered us up when things weren’t going so well. The fans here in the stadium and the ones back home, they own a part of this trophy too. They helped us to win it.
One of Nigeria’s best-ever players, Nwankwo Kanu, was here to watch the final, and you two had a long chat after the whistle. What did you talk about?
He is the true hero of football in our country. Back home, he’s like a father, like a brother. He’s like everything to me. He always gives us advice. He comes to train with us, to make sure we’re happy and moving in the right direction. He helps us to understand what football is really about, and what it takes to make it in the game. Talking with him and being with him is just a great honour.
Do you have a message for the people back home?
I just want to send my love back home; to everyone and to everything Nigerian.

Eaglets are World Champions again!

Eaglets are World Champions again!

Golden Eaglets celebrating their 4th FIFA U-17 title yesterday after 3-0 victory over Mexico in Abu Dhabi, UAE.





Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets were truly golden yesterday as they thrashed defending Champions Mexico 3-0 to win a fourth FIFA U-17 World Cup in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.
With yesterday’s victory, Nigeria is now the first and only country to have won the trophy a record four times, having won it first in 1985 in China, 1993 in Japan and 2007 in South Korea.
In addition to the prestigious trophy, Nigeria also won the Fair Play Award, the Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament (Dele Alampasu), just as playmaker Kelechi Iheanacho won both the Most Valuable Player Award and the silver boot by virtue of his six goals in the championship.
Furthermore the Golden Eaglets set a new record of scoring the highest number of goals at FIFA U-17 World Cup with 27 goals in seven matches.
Nigeria took the lead early in the match when Mexico’s Eric Agguire under pressure from Yahaya Musa scored an own goal to set the Nigerians on course to winning their fourth title.
The Mexicans almost drew level in the 31st minute when Alampasu in goal for Nigeria had to lift high enough to push over Jamie’s header from close range.
After several failed attempts in the second half, Nigeria’s talisman Iheanacho made it two for Nigeria when he connected a rebound from Captain Musa Mohammed’s fierce shot at goal in the 56th minute.
Muhammed then took the game beyond the defending champions in the 81st minute when he curled a free-kick into the net for Nigeria’s third goal of the night.
Meanwhile, Nigerians have continued to send messages of congratulations to the victorious Golden Eaglets for doing the country proud.
Speaking to Weekly Trust immediately after the match, former Nigerian international Tijani Babangida said this is the best national U-17 team that Nigeria has produced.
 “This is the best Eaglets that Nigeria has produced. The boys are simply marvellous. They kept improving from the first match that they played.
“They showed positive attitude and enormous confidence which has been instilled in them by their coaches. I just hope they will keep their head and progress in their career. My advice to them is to be aware of bad agents. Champions don’t go for screening so no agent should mislead them”.
Another former international, Mutiu Adepoju also congratulated the Golden Eaglets and urged them to enjoy the sweet victory.
 “This is sweet victory and I urge the boys to enjoy it as much as they can. They spent so many months camping and now that they have made it, they should enjoy the moment”.
A member of the 1996 Olympic gold winning team, Garba Lawal said the unity in the team made the victory possible.
Lawal maintained that continuity is key to future success so the players should be monitored and guided by the appropriate authorities so that they don’t end up in the hands of bad agents.
“Unity in the team made the victory possible. Right from day one, I saw unity and patriotism in the players. They improved match after match and when they emerged champions, I was not surprised”, he said.