Back-to-back defeats have been the nemesis of the Gunners. With fellow contestants Tottenham and Newcastle getting the better of the North London side, Arterta’s men are plunging deeper, falling away from the UEFA Champions League (UCL) prospects and the graces of Europe’s elite competition

The Gunners who were on a three game losing streak were able to upturn their fate, pulling on the strings as they withstood Chelsea, United and Westham. However, they failed to follow up with their improving form as they succumbed to The Lily whites and the richest club in England.

Rewind to three matchdays ago, post-Westham victory, the Gunners looked like potential competitors in next season’s UCL. With 63 points harnessed already, the 13-time league winners were seemingly out of harm’s way and well on course to making a return to the grandest stage, one they exited in a humiliating manner back in 2017 (a 10-2 defeat at the hands of a ruthless Bayern Munich). When compared to Tottenham’s 61, it was a bit of logical to say that the latter were in the driving seat for the race to the last undecided spot of the league.

However, a lot has happened to Arterta’s side since then. After defeating Leeds, the Gunners have started to fall behind in the race to make it to the UCL. Matchday 36 saw a painful 3-0 defeat to the North London neighbours and fellow top four contestants. As if that wasn’t enough, Newcastle who have nothing to compete for this season stabbed the hearts of the Gunners, players and supporters with a 2-0 upset on Matchday 37 to seemingly seal the fate of Emirates residents. Gradually, the fairly tale and story of possibilities has now turned to a near-impossible and illogical feat to achieve, a tale of sloths outrunning cheetahs.

With one match remaining in the league, it is almost definite that Arsenal have missed out on their dream competition. Considering the criterion for leapfrogging Conte’s men, Arsenal race for the top four is infact a Penelope’s web. Tottenham sit two points ahead of the red and white outfit. They have a relatively large goal difference of 24 compared to Arsenal’s somewhat miniature 9. Should Tottenham draw, Arsenal must find the back of the net at least 15 or 16 times, an extensive taking to the cleaners and a task that can be compared to herding cats. Tottenham must lose to Norwich while Arterta and co conquer Everton in a classic matchday 38 battle

The opponents make it a little difficult for Arsenal to turn this around. On head to head statistics, the Merseyside Blue team fare better than the North London side. In total matches played, they have 17 more wins than Arsenal i.e 84 when compared to Arsenal’s 67. The past three games between Arsenal and Everton ended in three wins for Everton. This statistics are not an uphill to climb as residents of Emirates are capable of coming out on top in this contest. However, if Arsenal are to make it to Tuesday nights, two things have to happen which makes it more difficult.

They have to beat Everton and simultaneously watch Tottenham lose to Norwich. They can’t win and let Tottenham win neither can they lose alongside Spurs. Rather, they must win and watch Spurs lose too. The stats prove this to be a backbreaking task as Norwich last defeated Tottenham in an EPL match in 2014. Surely, Arterta and all Gunners have a very steep hill to climb if it’s at all climbable.

It’s not anymore news that digitization has come to stay in the global community, and would likely dominate the entire workplace in no distant time.

Little wonder many concerned personnel have constantly and consistently harped on the inevitable role of the tool in mankind’s day-to-day activity, in every facet of human endeavour.

Penultimate month, a group of experts called on various workers and business owners to up-skill and enhance their relevance in the digital era.

They spoke at a three-day 2022 International Work Festival themed, ‘the future of work in a technology-driven world (Work-Humans)’, organized by Human Resources Expo Africa (HREA).

The Founder of HREA, Erefa Coker stated that it was important to solve digitization challenges to improve productivity in the workplace and allied places.

She said, “Instead of taking workers out of job, it is important that employers help their employees to up-skill. There are many courses online that the employee can explore. You cannot stop learning.

“Employers of labour must learn new ways and see what they can take back to their workplace to help them design solutions that will enable their workers to be happier.” she stressed.

She further noted that, because it was humans that drive technology, there was a compelling need for workers to empower themselves digitally to be able to use the technology.

“Nigeria is fast becoming a technology hub. We have Nigerians who work for different companies in America. We are going to become India at some point, once we get a lot of things right in the country.

“Once the government puts the infrastructure in place, we will have young population talent. The education system is fixed so that people get quality education and our education system reflects what is happening in the world so that it is not until I come out of a university that I know how to use a computer.”

On his part, the Chief Executive of Willway Paradime, Dolapo Agbede, opined that persons with disabilities (PWDs) also had talents and deserved an opportunity in the workplace.

Agbede, therefore, implored organizations to be disability-inclusive and to up-skill their employees living with disabilities to help them earn an income with dignity.

“In our organization, Willway Paradime, we can connect people who want to learn from people who are ready to teach. And then with the connection between those two, when they have now learnt, we can also connect them to where they can work.

“So we serve as a bridge; we say that we are NEXUS of social engineering because we are ensuring that we are changing the way people see persons with disabilities, technology because that is the way we are going to work in the future.

He stated that the firm ensures disability inclusion in all facets, because the disabled persons were part of the social cycle. Hence, they create the social part of interacting and being productive with persons with disabilities.

It’s only a dummy that’s yet to comprehend that virtually all mankind’s activities are currently being controlled by digitization. It suffices to assert that the digital age is fast taking over almost everything done by humans.

This is the reason every individual or entity, be it entrepreneur, student, political leader, public servant or what have you, needs to step up action in leveraging the numerous positive impacts of the digital age.

The various schools across Nigeria and beyond, from primary to tertiary level, must therefore ensure their wards or students key into the digital aspect of learning, so when they eventually graduate, they can compete favourably with their likes anywhere in the world.

The truth is that, digitization has obviously come to stay, hence must be embraced fully by everyone irrespective of their occupation or affiliation.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) of Nigeria, on Wednesday 13th April 2022, graciously approved N1.4 billion for purchase of additional equipment by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The gesture by the government was reportedly part of efforts to improve power supply across the shores of the country.

The approval came less than one week after the country experienced the fifth grid collapse just within three months.

The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu made the disclosure while addressing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said, “I presented two memos from the Ministry of Power for the Transmission Company of Nigeria.”

According to him, the first one was a variation of the sum of a contract for 132/33 KV substation at Kafanchan, Kaduna State, with a KV line base extension at Jos substation, in Plateau State. This, based on the minister’s report, was in the sum of N132.7 million.

The second approval he got was for the supply of handling equipment and operational vehicles for the TCN at the cost of N1.3 billion.

“The second memo was for the supply of handling equipment, haulage and operational vehicles for the TCN at N1, 338, 159, 080. 88. They are heavy lifting equipment that the TCN requires for doing its work in the store and on the field, while changing equipment and moving transformers and the council graciously approved it.” he stated.

In a related development, the FEC equally ordered the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) to begin negotiations with Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to establish the new Okpai 11 power plant on the grid.

It’s noteworthy the government had entered an agreement with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Gas and Power Investment Company Limited (NGPIC); a subsidiary of the NNPC on the Okoloma gas processing plant to restore the full capacity of the 650MW Alom VI combined cycle power plant.

The government said the recurring collapse happened as a result of vandalism, poor management system and gas supply issues.

Nigerian society is indeed really confusing. The government wouldn’t hesitate to approve any requested fund without taking the most paramount measure, needed by the affected system, seriously.

Overtime, countless funds had been reportedly approved and consequently released by the governments at all levels across the federation, yet in the long run, none was accounted for. This could be observed in all facets of the Nigeria’s economic state.

The power sector alone, has consumed trillions of naira, in a purported move of fixing the country’s lingered electricity quagmire. These released funds weren’t apparently expended on the projects they were meant for, or were rather siphoned into private purses.

As the above report read, Nigerians were informed that the equipment collapse was as a result of vandalism, gas supply issues and poor management. One might want to know the actual measure taken by the government to eradicate any form of vandalism witnessed in the power sector.

Talking about poor management, which has been a seemingly acceptable practice in Nigeria, what approach was deployed by the government to ensure it becomes a thing of the past? Lack of maintenance is one of the main reasons the public sector is not working in any part of Nigeria, hence should have been handled by the government seriously prior to approving the needed funds to purchase another  set of equipment.

Funnily enough, gas supply was mentioned as part of the power supply quagmire in a country that’s reckoned to be one of the greatest producers of natural gas across the globe. Doesn’t it sound ridiculous?

If the paramount barriers aren’t addressed headlong, the approved funds will still end up being misused or looted, as has been the case in the country. This signifies that the country’s problems are self-inflicted.

In a nutshell, what Nigeria’s power sector truly requires is total overhaul.