Goodwill Ofunne

The dominant route of international commerce is its Harbours and Ports. Through them, cargoes and travellers pass from one part of the globe to another. A Port is where a ship can dock, whereas a Harbour is where ships receive and discharge cargo. 

Ports and Harbours are precisely the same. A Port is a harbour town where ships receive or discharge cargo, whereas a Harbour is an area where a ship can dock. Key Harbour components include breakwaters, jetties, entrance channels, berthing basins, piers, and docks. Docks provide a uniform water level for loading and unloading cargo, and wet docks for general cargo or dry docks for ship repairs. Therefore, the design engineer must protect the Harbour from storms and large waves.

Developing a harbour into an economically thriving Port depends upon several primary conditions. Adjoining land areas’ geographical and regional characteristics should be favourable for piers, wharves, loading and unloading facilities, warehouses, population centre development, industries, railroads, and ship repair Harbours. Also, an accessible interior economy that provides products and services for export while providing a market for imported goods. The bottom of the Harbour should offer a good holding ground for anchors—it must not be too rocky, sandy, or muddy. The primary requirements of a good Harbour are that it is open and has sufficient water depth for vessels to enter and exit safely. Ocean Harbours are commonly 40 feet deep or more. The Harbour should also be spacious enough for ships to ride at anchor and to manoeuvre. Currents and tides must not be excessive.

Planning Harbours and Ports for transportation, reclamation, or conservancy has recently included modelling the Harbours, Ports, and surrounding areas to assist with future minor modifications or additions. These enable the design engineers to produce models that allow water flow to mimic the tidal and wave effects of the existing coastline system.

Various types of scientific data are required to design and model a Port and Harbour in a delta environment. It is noteworthy to mention that Fundamental Integrated Site Appraisal Services (FISAS) Limited, with its vast experience in integrated data acquisition in the dynamic and complex ecosystems of the Niger Delta, is a trusted partner for Port and Harbour design.

Some of the critical data requirements collected and interpreted by Fundamental Integrated Site Appraisal Services (FISAS) Limited  include:

• Bathymetric data are accurate depth soundings and bathymetric surveys to understand the seafloor topography.
• Hydrographic data includes water level, tide, and current to understand the tidal regime and flow patterns.
• Sediment transport data: Information on sediment types, transport rates, and deposition patterns.
• Geotechnical data consists of Soil and rock properties, strength, stability, and settlement characteristics.
• Environmental data include water quality, salinity, temperature, and other parameters to assess potential environmental impacts.
• Meteorological data comprise Wind, wave, and storm surge data to design for extreme weather conditions.
• Geological data provide information on local geology, including fault lines, subsidence, and seismic activity.
• Oceanographic and metocean data provide information on ocean currents, waves, and water levels that help us understand the marine environment.
• Ecological data includes information on marine life, habitats, and ecosystems to minimise environmental impacts.
• Our topographic data significantly contribute to accurately mapping the surrounding land and coastal areas.

These data are essential for designing a Port that can withstand the dynamic conditions of a delta environment, ensure safe navigation, and minimise environmental impacts. Fundamental Integrated Site Appraisal Services(FISAS) Limited, as a one-stop shop for collecting and interpreting this data, provides the necessary support in the form required by the design Engineers, ensuring an efficient and comprehensive process.vides the necessary support in the form required by the design Engineers, ensuring an efficient and comprehensive process.

Discipline is the discipline of making people obey and adhere to standards of behavior and reprimanding them when they fail so that the activity or behavior can become a culture. When we do something consistently, we become better and better every day, and it develops from routine to tradition and then to culture. Therefore, discipline is vital in business for success and growth in life.

An entrepreneur is an individual who identifies a need in the marketplace and works to fulfil it. Historically, the term has been applied to an individual who starts a business, seeing the ability to accomplish that identified need as an economic opportunity. Overall, entrepreneurs possess innate talents that enable them to deal well with complexity and uncertainty, enjoy novelty, and look toward the future. However, entrepreneurship is a skill entrepreneurs can build through experience, accruing knowledge, and practising discipline.

Discipline is essential in entrepreneurship as it helps individuals develop good habits, stay focused, and make sacrifices necessary to achieve their goals. Discipline enables the entrepreneur to acquire the skill of time management as they learn to prioritise tasks, set schedules, and meet deadlines. This skill ensures the business owner sets clear, achievable goals and works towards them.

A key benefit of discipline in entrepreneurship is managing finances effectively, including budgeting, saving, and investing. Entrepreneurs make suitable investments by evaluating risk-taking steps and must have the discipline to weigh options and make informed decisions.

Another significant benefit of business discipline is adaptability and resilience in facing challenges and failures. Accepting failures in the first place is a mark of discipline and the ability to adhere to continuous learning. This ability to stay curious and committed to education and self-improvement is a discipline every progressive entrepreneur must have to maintain resilience and growth.

Similarly, discipline enables the entrepreneur to become accountable, to take responsibility for actions and decisions, and to be responsible to oneself and others. Again, discipline keeps the entrepreneur focused on the organisation’s vision and mission and the period’s goals while avoiding distractions. The body is full of light when the eye is single. 

The critical measure of entrepreneur discipline is perseverance, which is the ability to persist through challenges and setbacks and maintain motivation. Although perseverance can be difficult, it shows the entrepreneur’s ability to see challenges as corrective and amelioration tools in business ventures. The most crucial benefit of discipline is self-discipline, which leads to developing self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-motivation to achieve success.

Establishing a culture of discipline can help entrepreneurs increase their chances of success and build a strong business foundation.

Nigeria gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960, and efforts to forge a national identity that would accommodate the diverse ethnic groups within the country marked the post-colonial period. 

Nigeria is a culturally diverse country with over 250 ethnic groups, each with its distinct traditions, languages, and clothing styles. The diversity of Nigeria’s population has resulted in an array of traditional attires that vary across regions and ethnic groups. These traditional clothes are deeply rooted in the cultural heritage and history of each ethnic group.

Here are some of the several national attires, including:

• Agbada: a flowing robe worn by men, typically made from cotton or silk.
• Babban riga: a long robe with wide sleeves, worn by men.
• Kaftan: a loose-fitting tunic worn by both men and women.
• Adire, Batik and Ankra: traditional textiles used to make clothing.
• Gele: a headscarf worn by women to cover their hair.
• Aso oke, Akwa Ocha, Akwete and other traditional handwoven cloths worn on special occasions.

These attires are worn on different occasions, such as traditional weddings, cultural events, and formal gatherings. Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage is reflected in its various traditional attires, which are worn with pride by its citizens.

The absence of a single national cloth for Nigerians can be attributed to the country’s history and the desire to respect and preserve the cultural identities of its various ethnic groups. 

Promoting a single national cloth for all Nigerians might be challenging because it might overlook or marginalize the rich cultural heritage of different ethnic groups. Nigeria’s government recognizes the importance of cultural diversity and has sought to celebrate and preserve the traditional attire of each ethnic group rather than imposing a single national attire.
That being said, sometimes Nigerians come together for national events, such as Independence Day celebrations, sports competitions, or official ceremonies, where a unified national dress code may be encouraged or adopted temporarily to foster a sense of unity and pride as Nigerians. The increasing number of intertribal marriages and cross-tribal children supports this phenomenon. More, especially when these intertribal children are growing up to form a critical mass called Naija children. Therefore, having a national attire called “Naija Cloth” does not replace or diminish the significance of the diverse traditional clothing styles that Nigerians proudly wear to identify with their respective ethnic heritage.