HOW TO GET USAID FUNDING

Do you know USAID can fund your projects. You can get USAID funding as they have announced their 2016 PEER Funding Opportunities for Local Scientists. Read more below.

1. USAID's Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program supports local researchers in USAID priority countries who partner with U.S. government-funded scientists. PEER awards foster international collaboration, leverage U.S. government research funds, help build research capacity, and advance science diplomacy.

2. The PEER program is implemented by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Since 2011, the program has supported over 250 research partnerships in 50 different countries. Eligible developing country scientists can partner with scientists at nine federal science agencies including: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Smithsonian Institution, US Forest Service (USFS), Agriculture Research Service (ARS), and US Geological Survey (USGS). PEER also works with select private sector partners to leverage additional resources for scientists working on specific topics. PEER not only catalyzes collaborative research and emphasizes the importance of science and technology to further USAID's development objectives, but also encourages the use of research in enabling policy change and strengthening the links between science and diplomacy. PEER helps to establish cross-disciplinary research relationships which often last beyond the life of the award and in turn strengthen the research ecosystem in developing countries

3.    (U) PEER is pleased to announce the following new 2016 funding opportunities for local scientists:

*   Environmental Contaminants (open to all countries)

*   Digital Development for Feed the Future (multiple countries)

Application and Award
4.    (U) PEER awards will directly support in-country investigators, working in partnership with a current U.S. government funded researcher.  The maximum individual award amount is $80,000 a year for up to three years. For multi-institutional research consortia, the maximum award amount is $100,000 a year for up to three years.  Applicants should confirm eligibility by visiting: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/PEER/PGA_147214#<http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/PEER/PGA_147214>

5.    The deadline for submissions of a brief pre-proposal is January 13, 2017. More information on the solicitation and how to apply can be found at http://www.nationalacademies.org/peer<http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/peer/index.htm>.

6.    Action Request: Embassy and Mission staff are asked to inform eligible local universities and research institutions about the 2016 PEER Funding Opportunities. Additionally, Embassy and Mission staff may want to share notice of these funding opportunities with government ministries of agriculture, environment, health, higher and/or science and technology as relevant. Eligibility criteria differ by funding opportunity and country. Embassy and Mission staff are strongly encouraged to determine country specific eligibility before reaching out to local institutions or host country ministries. Please see the general talking points on the PEER program and the 2016 funding opportunities included below.   For additional information and promotional materials, Embassy and mission officers who are interested in participating can contact USAID PEER/Washington staff at: usaidpeer@usaid.gov<mailto:usaidpeer@usaid.gov>.

*         We wish to inform you of a funding opportunity available to scientists in your country under the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program.

*         PEER is a highly competitive, peer-reviewed awards program administered by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. PEER funding goes directly to the institution in your country for researchers working in partnership with a US researcher. We hope you will distribute information on this program broadly and encourage your scientists, engineers, and social scientists to apply.

*         The PEER program provides an extraordinary opportunity to promote research cooperation between your country and a U.S. researchers based at nine US federal science agencies including: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Smithsonian Institution, US Forest Service (USFS), Agriculture Research Service (ARS), and US Geological Survey (USGS).

*         The PEER program is designed to support research projects in USAID countries which address local and global development challenges.

*         The 2016 PEER Funding Opportunities include:

o    Environmental Contaminants (open to all countries)

o    Digital Development for Feed the Future (multiple countries)

o    Indonesia - Multiple Research Fields

o    Madagascar - Biodiversity Friendly, Climate Resilient Human Development

o    South Africa - Multiple Research Fields

o    Rapid Assessment of Tuna Fish Stocks in the South China and Sulu-Sulawesi Seas (multiple countries)

o    Assessment of Fish Natural History in the Lower Mekong Basin (multiple countries)

o    Bangladesh - Climate Change

o    Haiti<http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/PEER/PGA_174858> -Education

o    Iraq- Water Resources and Environmental Impact

*         The application deadline to submit a brief pre-proposal to the PEER program is January 13, 2017.  For additional info, Applicants are encouraged to consult http://www.nationalacademies.org/peer

HOW TO GET SEPLAT SCHOLARSHIP

SEPLAT, one of the leading oil firms in the country is giving out scholarship to Nigerians. This is part of their corporate social responsibility.
Please follow the details below to register.

Seplat Joint Venture (Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Ltd (NPDC) and Seplat petroleum Development Company Plc) has announced the commencement of its 2016/17 Undergraduate Scholarship Programme. The scholarship award is open to deserving undergraduate students of Federal and State Universities in Nigeria. The NPDC/SEPLAT scholarship Scheme is one of SEPLAT’s educational Corporate Social Responsibility programmes and it is designed to promote educational development and human capacity building.

Eligibility Criteria:

Applicants must be in second year of study or above.
Applicants must have at least 5 O’ level credit passes (English and Mathematics inclusive) at one sitting.
Applicants must not hold any other scholarship award

Only students studying any of the following courses should apply for the scholarship

Accountancy
Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural Science
Architecture
Business Administration
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Computer Science
Economics
Electrical / Electronic Engineering
Geology
Geophysics
Human Medicine
Journalism
Law
Mass Communication
Mechanical Engineering
Metallurgical Engineering
Petroleum Engineering

How to apply Apply For SEPLAT/NPDC Scholarship:

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: CLICK BELOW TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP NOW!!!

Eligible students must complete and submit an online application form
All applicants are expected to have a valid personal email account for ease of communication.
Only the shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Applications are subject to NPDC/SEPLAT Scholarship Award Terms and Conditions.

Application deadline:

Two (2) weeks from the date of announcement or publication of advert.

http://seplatscholarship.com/apply

THE PRICE OF POLITICAL POWER IN NIGERIA

Unbelievable yet true but this is a powerful piece by a former insider in Aso Villa. He called it "Rituals, blood and death: The spiritual side of Aso Villa"

People tend to be alarmed when the Nigerian Presidency takes certain decisions. They don’t think the decision makes sense. Sometimes, they wonder if something has not gone wrong with the thinking process at that highest level of the country. I have heard people insist that there is some form of witchcraft at work in the country’s seat of government. I am ordinarily not a superstitious person, but working in the Villa, I eventually became convinced that there must be something supernatural about power and closeness to it. I’ll start with a personal testimony. I was given an apartment to live in inside the Villa. It was furnished and equipped. But when my son, Michael arrived, one of my brothers came with a pastor who was supposed to stay in the apartment. But the man refused claiming that the Villa was full of evil spirits and that there would soon be a fire accident in the apartment. He complained about too much human sacrifice around the Villa and advised that my family must never sleep overnight inside the Villa.
I thought the man was talking nonsense and he wanted the luxury of a hotel accommodation. But he turned out to be right. The day I hosted family friends in that apartment and they slept overnight, there was indeed a fire accident. The guests escaped and they were so thankful. Not long after, the President’s physician living two compounds away had a fire accident in his home. He and his children could have died. He escaped with bruises. Around the Villa while I was there, someone always died or their relations died. I can confirm that every principal officer suffered one tragedy or the other; it was as if you needed to sacrifice something to remain on duty inside that environment. Even some of the women became merchants of dildo because they had suffered a special kind of death in their homes (I am sorry to reveal this) and many of the men complained about something that had died below their waists too. The ones who did not have such misfortune had one ailment or the other that they had to nurse. From cancer to brain and prostate surgery and whatever, the Villa was a hospital full of agonizing patients.

I recall the example of one particular man, an asset to the Jonathan Presidency who practically ran away from the Villa. He said he needed to save his life. He was quite certain that if he continued to hang around, he would die. I can’t talk about colleagues who lost daughters and sons, brothers and uncles, mothers and fathers, and the many obituaries that we issued. Even the President was multiply bereaved. His wife, Mama Peace was in and out of hospital at a point, undergoing many surgeries. You may have forgotten but after her husband lost the election and he conceded victory, all her ailments vanished, all scheduled surgeries were found to be no longer necessary and since then she has been hale and hearty. By the same token, all those our colleagues who used to come to work to complain about a certain death beneath their waists and who relied on videos and other instruments to entertain wives (take it easy boys, I don’t mean nay harm, I am writing!), have all experienced a re-awakening.
Everyone who went under the blade has received miraculous healing, and we are happy to be out of that place. But others were not so lucky. They died. There were days when convoys ran into ditches and lives were lost. In Norway, our helicopter almost crashed into a mountain. That was the first time I saw the President panicking. The weather was all so hazy and he just kept saying it would not be nice for the President of a country to die in a helicopter crash due to pilot miscalculations. The President went into a prayer mode. We survived. In Kenya once, we had a bird strike. The plane had to be recalled and we were already airborne with the plane acting like it would crash. During the 2015 election campaigns, our aircraft refused to start on more than one occasion. The aircraft just went dead. On some other occasions, we were stoned and directly targeted for evil. I really don’t envy the people who work in Aso Villa, the seat of Nigeria’s Presidency. For about six months, I couldn’t even breathe properly. For another two months, I was on crutches. But I considered myself far luckier than the others who were either nursing a terminal disease or who could not get it up.
When Presidents make mistakes, they are probably victims of a force higher than what we can imagine. Every student of Aso Villa politics would readily admit that when people get in there, they actually become something else. They act like they are under a spell. When you issue a well- crafted statement, the public accepts it wrongly. When the President makes a speech and he truly means well, the speech is interpreted wrongly by the public. When a policy is introduced, somehow, something just goes wrong. In our days, a lot of people used to complain that the APC people were fighting us spiritually and that there was a witchcraft dimension to the governance process in Nigeria. But the APC folks now in power are dealing with the same demons. Since Buhari government assumed office, it has been one mistake after another. Those mistakes don’t look normal, the same way they didn’t look normal under President Jonathan. I am therefore convinced that there is an evil spell enveloping this country. We need to rescue Nigeria from the forces of darkness. Aso Villa should be converted into a spiritual museum, and abandoned.

Should I become President of Nigeria tomorrow, I will build a new Presidential Villa: a Villa that will be dedicated to the all-conquering Almighty, and where powers and principalities cannot hold sway. But it is not about buildings and space, not so? It is about the people who go to the highest levels in Nigeria. I really don’t quite believe in superstitions, but I am tempted to suggest that this is indeed a country in need of prayers. We should pray before people pack their things into Aso Villa. We should ask God to guide us before we appoint ministers. We should, to put it in technocratic language, advise that the people should be very vigilant. We have all failed so far, that crucial test of vigilance. We should have a Presidential Villa where a President can afford to be human and free. In the White House, in the United States, Presidents live like normal human beings. In Aso Villa, that is impossible. They’d have to surround themselves with cooks from their villages, bodyguards from their mother’s clans and friends they can trust. It should be possible to be President of Nigeria without having to look behind one’s shoulders. But we are not yet there. So, how do we run a Presidency where the man in the saddle can only drink water served by his kinsman? No. How can we possibly run a Presidency where every President proclaims faith in Nigeria but they are better off in the company of relatives and kinsmen. No. We need as Presidents men and women who are willing to be Nigerians. No Nigerian President should be in spiritual bondage because he belongs to all of us and to nobody.

Now let me go back to the spiritual dimension. A colleague once told me that I was the most naïve person around the place. I thought I was a bright, smart, professional doing my bit and enjoying the President’s confidence. I spelled it out. But what I got in response was that I was coming to the villa using Lux soap, but that most people around the place always bathed in the morning with blood. Goat blood. Ram blood. Whatever animal blood. I argued. He said there were persons in the Villa walking upside down, head to the ground. I screamed. Everybody looked normal to me. But I soon began to suspect that I was in a strange environment indeed. Every position change was an opportunity for warfare. Civil servants are very nice people; they obey orders, but they are not very nice when they fight over personal interests.
The President is most affected by the atmosphere around him. He can make wrong decisions based on the cloud of evil around him. Even when he means well and he has taken time to address all possible outcomes, he could get on the wrong side of the public. A colleague called me one day and told me a story about how a decision had been taken in the spiritual realm about the Nigerian government. He talked about the spirit of error, and how every step taken by the administration would appear to the public like an error. He didn’t resign on that basis but his words proved prophetic. I see the same story being re-enacted. Aso Villa is in urgent need of redemption. I never slept in the apartment they gave me in that Villa for an hour.
[Courtesy: Reuben Abati]

UNGUARDED MATERIAL DESIRE

You may be amazed to know what goes on in our world today in the quest to all our needs have met. That simple desire is the reason behind corruption, murders, robberies, ritual killings and human trafficking. Sometimes, we are even shocked to know learn that people who often engage in these evils already have so much.

Covetousness is the desire for more, whether we need it or not. And many times, covetousness comes with its price; it would require us to do things that we would ordinarily not do, just to get more than we need. Maybe today, you are where you are because you wanted a little more than you needed. Maybe the same people who applauded you and encouraged you along that path have now abandoned you, because things did not work out. They left you stranded, and you have no idea of where to begin again. Not so with God. In Hebrews 13, the word of God says “Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly say ‘God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?

This day that God has made, I understand that you may not have all that you want, but God has promised to supply all your need I urge you to find contentment with whatever it is that God has blessed you with, because he will never leave you or forsake you. Don’t let covetousness make you do evil; the same God who gave manna to two million people in the wilderness is able to supply, and he will not leave you stranded.
[Source: Ben & Kay Akhigbe II]

WISDOM FOR THE TOP

The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far, you make more enemies than you defeat.

Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning.  Set a goal, and when you reach it, stop.
Have an Uncommon day Ahead.....

[Source: Unknown]

ON OPEN LETTER TO PARENTS

Dear Parents,

There are things that parents do that makes me wonder if they know the implications. In my teaching career, I've come to realize that children who are well brought up produce better results.

What I see these days is training the "butty"(aje butter) way which gets me scared of what will happen in the next 10-15years.

I see eight year olds who don't bother to lay their beds.
I see 10year olds served by the maid or "caring mum"  on the table and they either don't pack the table or they just dump the plates in the kitchen for the maid or "caring mum".
Drivers carry the bags of children above 5years and the children call them "my driver".
Manual cloth washing is gradually been replaced by washing machines yet the maid or "caring mum" will be the one to do the laundry.
Children wake up and go straight to the TV and sleep late watching TV with mum & dad but mum & dad don't allow them read late. They'll say "go and sleep".

I see parents play game for hours on their phones yet wonder why their children don't read and why their results are poor despite investment in expensive schools.

I see tweenagers and teenagers who can't cook common white rice because there's maid, nanny, cook, "caring mum" etc.

I see  children who are addicted to cheating in exams, assignments, class work and the parents aren't taking conscious steps to correct it instead some will bribe teachers to make their children first or teach them during external exams.

I see children who talk to their parents and other adults disrespectfully and all parents say is "children of now a days are outspoken".

Your children's wardrobe is full but they don't have a bible.

You buy them lots of toys but you buy them books.
They go to Church yet they don't know about tithe, rapture etc.

I can go on and on.

See, when next you tell your child not to do house chores, study hard etc have it at the back of your mind that what you're saying is "don't take responsibility for your life".
[Source: Lifematics]

FINDING TRUE PEACE AS A MAN

God chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before Him in love, and predestined us to be accepted in His presence. It’s part of what His righteousness in our spirits has produced for us; we can boldly stand in the presence of God without guilt, inferiority or condemnation.

No matter where you’ve been, what you’ve done, how deep in the thraldom or valley of sin you’ve been, you’re accepted in Christ Jesus. You don’t have to run from God, because of your sins. Imagine His gracious invitation in Isaiah 1:18; He said, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." He’s not mad at you. Submit to His righteousness. Embrace His love. Trust Him with your life, and He’ll make your life glorious.

Now that you’re born again, you’re in Christ; He’s already accepted you; you’re in Him. You dwell in His presence. In His presence, you’re at liberty; you don’t have to be afraid; you’re free to express yourself and be yourself. You’re at liberty to function for Him and live for Him.

Some people are still living their lives in hope that God will accept them based on their good works. But that’s not going to work! The Bible says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Furthermore, Galatians 2:16 says, "...by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified"; that means accepted and declared righteous before God!
You don’t have to feel insecure or uncertain about your standing with God. Be bold, confident, assured and glad that you belong to Him; that He brought you into oneness with Himself.
[Source: Chris Oyakhilome]

CAN YOU BEAT THIS? - The Origin of the Song

The song "It Is Well With My Soul" was written by a successful Christian lawyer Heratio Spafford. His only son died at age 4 in 1871. In 1872, the great Chicago fire wiped out his vast estate, made from a successful legal career. In 1873 he sent his wife & 4 daughters over to Europe on a summer trip on the ill fated SS Ville du Havre. Since he had a lot of work to do, he planned to follow them later. The Ship sank and he lost his 4 daughters with the wife being the only survivor. She sent him a famous telegram which simply read, "SAVED ALONE...."  On his return home, his Law firm was burned down and the insurance company refused to pay him. They said "It's an Act of God".  He had no money to pay for his house and no work, he also lost his house.  Then while sitting and thinking what's happening to him, being a spiritual person, he wrote a song - "Whatever, my Lord, You have taught me to say - It is well, it is well with my soul".  My dear friend, a good attitude will determine your altitude.  When you look at your life, career, job or family life, what do you say?  Do you praise God? Do you blame the devil?  A good attitude towards God makes Him move on your behalf.  Just sit down and say, "Today, God, it is well with my soul, I am thankful I had a peaceful sleep, I am thankful I am alive with possibilities, I am thankful I have a roof over me, I am thankful I have a job, I am thankful that I have Family and Friends.  Above all, I am thankful that I have God on my side."  Be blessed and don't be envious or shocked when others are prospering because you don't know what they have been through to get there (test, trials and tribulation) so thank God for what you have.  "Little is much when God is in it. It Is Well With My Soul!". If God is for us, who can be against us?
[Source: Unknown]

HOW YOU CAN IMPRESS GOD

It is easy to impress God. Just do something right. Follow His instructions. Those instructions may come through His Word, the inner voice of The Holy Spirit, or through men of God in your life. Attend church faithfully. Tithe consistently. Pray daily. Read the Bible habitually. Witness to someone about Jesus. Those little golden hinges swing huge doors to miracles. Get started...NOW. Humble yourself. Reach. You will succeed.

YOU CAN BE REPAIRED!

When you receive a product you have ordered through the mail, it may arrive damaged. You have to return it to the manufacturer for repair. Your life is the same way. Sometimes the painful experiences have left us damaged. Only God can truly repair us. Don't be afraid of God. Dare to reach for Him. He loves you far more than you will ever know.
[Source: Mike Murdock]

LOCATED FOR A PURPOSE

You are geographically designed. This means that your nationality, your race, sex and even where you were born were decided by God. You are geographically assigned. This means there is a place, a city, a location where God wants you. There...is where you will flourish and succeed. Elijah was sent to the brook. There he was reassigned to the widow of Zarephath. Each Instruction From God Is Linked To Your Assignment. Your financial provision is waiting for you at the place where God has assigned you.

[Source: Mike Murdock]

THE PATHWAY OF FOCUS TO UP YOUR LIFE

When you pursue everything, you gain nothing but when you chase one thing, it attracts everything. Many of us want to be everywhere doing everything for reasons we don't even know and in the process lose the little we had. I have been a victim too. You miss out from the beauty of your life when you always follow the "feel good" factor.

Stay in your primary life assignment where your gift/talent/skill find optimum expression and work it. All you seek for lyes in your ability to stay consistent & focused. You don't find the most precious stones refined on the ground, you work their beauty & their value is appreciated. If you are sure of your life's goal, don't quit, work it! It's value will satisfy even your generations unborn.

No one can determine the greatness & value of your worth like you would. #WorkingYourTalent is one sure way to #WinAgain

I believe you can, you will and you MUST #WinToday!

Impossible is Nothing!

[ Source: Unusual Teajay]

THE KEY TO YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE

When God created you, He gave you certain gifts and talents to accomplish something He wanted you to do. We call that an "Assignment." The Problem That Infuriates You The Most Is Often The Problem God Has Assigned You To Solve. Everything God creates is a solution to something. You are a life-jacket to someone drowning. Find them. Those Who Unlock Your Compassion Are Those To Whom You Have Been Assigned.
[Source: Mike Murdock]