All About Nigerian Dwarf Goats.

This Small Goat Breed is Lovable and Gentle, and Produces a Surprising Amount of Milk for Its Size.

The Nigerian Dwarf goat is a miniature goat of West African origin. Nigerian Dwarf goats are enjoying a rise in popularity due to their small size and colorful markings. Their small stature means they do not require as much space as larger dairy goat breeds, and their gentle and friendly personalities make them good companion pets. They are easy to handle; even small children can be at ease with these little goats. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also approved the Nigerian Dwarf goat as a livestock dairy goat, which makes them eligible for youth 4H and FFA projects.

Nigerian Dwarf goats are easy to handle; even small children can be at ease with these little goats. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also approved the Nigerian Dwarf goat as a livestock dairy goat, which makes them eligible for youth 4H and FFA projects.
The Nigerian Dwarf is a Miniature Dairy Goat

A healthy Nigerian Dwarf doe can produce a surprising amount of sweet milk for her small size – up to two quarts per day. The Nigerian Dwarf goat milk benefit is that it is higher in butterfat (6-10%) than most dairy goat breeds. However, many Nigerian Dwarf owners do not raise their goats for milk but for the pleasure and companionship, these little caprines bring to their lives.
Nigerian Dwarf Goat Conformation

A Nigerian Dwarf goat’s conformation is similar to that of the larger dairy goat breeds. The parts of the body are in balanced proportion. The nose is straight, although there may be a small break or stop at the level of the eyes. The ears are upright. The coat is soft with short to medium hair. Any color or combination of colors is acceptable, although the silver agouti pattern and color are a moderate fault (Pygmy goat-specific markings).

The ideal height of Nigerian Dwarf goats is 17″ to 19″ for does with does up to 21″ allowed in the breed standard. Ideal height for bucks is 19″ to 21″ with bucks up to 23″ allowed in the breed standard. Ideal weight is suggested to be about 75 lbs. Animals are disqualified from the show ring for being oversized for the breed standard and/or for other faults: having a curly coat, roman nose, pendulous ears, or evidence of myotonia (a breed characteristic of fainting goats).

Nigerian Dwarf Goat Temperament

Dwarf goats are gentle, lovable, and playful. Their calm, even temperament, and engaging personalities make them suitable companions for all, including children, the disabled, and the elderly. Even breeding bucks are handled easily. They make wonderful pets and great animal projects for young children in 4H or FFA. Breeders of other types of goats find their Dwarfs blend in with the rest of their herd and do not need special quarters; just adequate fencing to contain them because of their small size. Many Nigerian Dwarf goats share pastures peacefully with other livestock such as cattle, horses, llamas, and donkeys. In fact, they will often improve a pasture by removing brambles, undergrowth (including weeds), and ivy (even poison ivy) that other livestock won’t eat.


https://backyardgoats.iamcountryside.com/goat-breeds/all-about-nigerian-dwarf-goats/

BACKLINE:Backline strong, straight and horizontal.

FOREQUARTERS:Fine withers, blending firmly into shoulders, wide and deep in bucks with medium width and depth in does.

BODY(barrel):Triple dairy wedge with good spring of rib (which are backward sloping with clean flat bone) and proportional length to height.

HINDQUARTERS:Gradual fall (gentle downward slope) from hips to tail, good width between hips flaring out to thurls, rump level across thurls.

LEGS(hooves):Straight, strong, parallel with flat bone, with pasterns short and strong (nearly upright/vertical). Hooves sound and well-shaped with good heel depth.

UDDER:Broad attachment high at rear and well forward in front (at least as far forward as the front of the hip bones) and no pocket, not pendulous or unduly divided, side well attached to inner thighs, strong medial ligament, soft textured and showing good capacity. Skin tan to black.

TEATS:Set in the centre and lowest point of each udder half, to be a reasonable size to enable hand milking or ease of cup placement.

TESTICLES:Two testicles in a well attached scrotum which is relatively even (in summer may have the appearance of being pendulous).

RUDIMENTARY TEATS:Two good size teats set slightly to the fore and side of the scrotum, milking bucks will have doe sized teats.

SIZE:Does – maximum 57cm (22.5″), minimum 43cm (17″). Bucks – max 60cm (23.5″), minimum 43cm (17″). Measurement to be taken after reaching 4 years of age.

COAT:Soft, hair is short to medium in length.

COLOUR:Any colour and pattern. Skin tan to black.

DIFFERING FROM IDEAL(found and recognised): Horned. Uneven tassels.

FAULTS:Roman nose. Roach or sway back. Dip behind the wither. Shallow body. Narrow chest. Steep rump. Flat rump (no gradual fall from hips to tail). Width decreasing from hips to thurls. Toe in or out. Cow or bow hocked. Dropped, weak or long pasterns. Postiness. Dew claws different sizes. Splayed feet. Fleshy, pendulous or unduly divided udder. Pocket in udder. Undefined medial ligament/flat sole. Pink skin. Teats: different sized teats, bulbous, extremely small/thick, sideways pointing. Bucks: unduly pendulous, divided testicles. Under recommended minimum height.

DISQUALIFICATIONS:Wry face. Double or supernumerary teats. Double orifices. Blind teats. Spurs/sprigs on teats. Pendulous ears, LaMancha ears. Undescended testicles in bucks, or one testicle only. Obviously undershot or overshot jaw (side profile). Over breed standard recommended maximum height or under the breed standard minimum height when measured at 4 years of age (or older) disqualifies animals from registration in Purebred Section.
https://dairygoats.org.au/dairy-goat-breeds/nigerian-dwarf/

Nigerian Dwarf
History

Small goats from West Africa (the West African Dwarf) and/or the Southern Sudan were the origins of the Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goat. These little goats were used as a feed source for the large cats which were shipped to zoos in the USA. Those that survived became zoo attractions themselves, breeding and increasing their numbers until some were sold to private collectors/breeders. Eventually these animals developed into two distinct types one being cobby, the Pygmy, and the other a dairy styled goat, the Nigerian Dwarf. The Nigerian Dwarf breeders continued to refine and develop the breed to become miniatures in conformation of a standard height Dairy Goat.

The American Goat Society opened the Herd Book to Nigerian Dwarfs in 1984 and in 2002 they were accepted into the American Dairy Goat Association’s Herd Book. Upon importation the Dairy Goat Society of Australia in May 2016 recognised the Nigerian Dwarf breed by providing for them a standard and a register in their Herd Book.

The first genetic material imported into Australia was by Michael and Ulrike Garwood (First Fleet) who imported embryos and semen in early 2014 and Paul Hamilton (Semtech Animal Breeding Service) who imported semen in 2015. The Garwood’s first semen imports were of Dav-Lyn Appalossa, Highpoints Arnoth and Pecan Knoll Bob the Builder. Mr Hamilton imported Castle Rock Guy Noir, Lost Valley TB Cairo and Beaujest W Julian Gitchi.

The Nigerian Dwarf produces an average of 1.8 litres of milk at their peak with the maximum being 4 litres for exceptional does.

Their butterfat percentage ranges from, on average, 6%-10% with the protein content being correspondingly higher than that of standard height does. Cheese produced from their milk has a very smooth and silky texture making the Nigerian Dwarf a very popular dairy goat for artisan cheese makers.
Breed Standard

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Robust, dairy type with triple dairy wedge, feminine does, masculine bucks, well blended, no tendency to coarseness, well proportioned.

HEAD (skull, eyes, ears, mouth, nostrils):Medium length. Facial line – dished or straight. Ears medium sized and pricked. Well-developed muzzle. Polled or disbudded, eyes large and bright and set well apart, can be either brown/gold or blue with no preference given to either colour, no coarseness.

NECK:Blending smoothly into the shoulders with no coarseness, with or without tassels. Does, long and feminine. Bucks, masculine and strong.

https://dairygoats.org.au/dairy-goat-breeds/nigerian-dwarf/

American Goat Society (AGS)

The American Goat Society has been registering Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats since 1983.

The Nigerian Dwarf is a miniature breed of dairy goat originating from West Africa and developed in the United States. The balanced proportions of the Nigerian Dwarf give it an appearance similar to the larger, Swiss breeds of dairy goats. Shorter height is the primary breed characteristic of the Nigerian Dwarf, with does measuring no more than 22 1/2" at the withers, and bucks measuring no more than 23 1/2" at the withers. They are known for their high-quality milk, often with exceptionally high butterfat content. Nigerian Dwarves are gregarious, friendly, hardy animals that thrive in almost any climate. The medium-length ears are erect and alert. The face is either straight or slightly dished. The coat is of medium length, and straight. The Nigerian Dwarf is the only dairy breed known to occasionally have blue eyes. Both brown & blue eyed animals are encountered, with no preference being given to either eye color. Any pattern, color, or combination of colors is acceptable.
https://www.andda.org/breed-standards

The original closing date for the herdbook was set on December 31, 1987. A change in the standard that year, however, would allow animals that previously were ineligible, and the date was extended to December 31, 1990. In 1990, with fewer than 400 Nigerian Dwarves registered, the AGS Board voted to extend the deadline until December 31, 1992, to allow for a sufficient genetic base of foundation stock. The certification process did end in 1992, and all animals registered through this point, whether by ancestry or committee approval, carry an "F" suffix to their registration number to indicate that they are considered a foundation animal. Unfortunately, accurate records were not kept as to exactly how many animals were admitted via certification, but by the end of 1992, a total of approximately 2000 Nigerian Dwarves had been registered with the American Goat Society.

There was still some concern that the breed needed a broader genetic base, and a progeny program was put into place until December 31, 1997. An unregistered animal would still be considered for registration if, when bred to several different AGS registered Nigerian Dwarves (3 for does, 4 for bucks), the animal and all surviving offspring met breed standard and received unanimous approval of the Nigerian Dwarf committee. Again, accurate records were not kept, but one committee member recalls very few of these coming through the committee. In keeping with AGS philosophy of closed, purebred herdbooks, since January 1, 1998, the only way to be registered as a purebred Nigerian Dwarf is to be the offspring of two registered purebred Nigerian Dwarves. While undoubtedly there have been animals of varied background admitted to the herdbook, essentially since 1992 we have had a closed herdbook All breeds begin somewhere, and what is more important than what we started with, is where we are going. Using the wide genetic base created through the open herdbook, breeders are now molding the breed into a superior milk-producing animal of unmistakable dairy goat type that also happens to be small. While the Nigerian Dwarf and the Pygmy share a common ancestry, they have become two, distinct breeds through the efforts of breeders of both of the breeds.

The popularity of the breed has continued to grow, in part because of AGS sanctioned shows being held across the country. The first show that offered a separate sanction for the breed was the 1985 AGS National Show held in Graham, Texas. Only two exhibitors of Nigerian Dwarves were present (Shaula Parker and Kathleen Claps), and the breed was' official, but there has been no looking back since.

Pine Cone Valley Black Satin, a doe that is listed as an original import, owned by Ms. Claps, had the distinction of being crowned the first AGS National Champion Nigerian Dwarf. While the popularity of shows skyrocketed after this, another AGS National Show wouldn't be held until 1996. Through the hard work of Nigerian Dwarf breeders, an AGS sanctioned National Show has been held every year since. Interestingly, the 4 does win the national after Black Satin all trace back to her many times.

From the first show in 1985 with a few animals, it is now not uncommon for a show of Nigerian Dwarves only to approach 200 animals. AGS sanctioned shows are being held in almost every part of the country, and Nigerian Dwarf breeders are traveling thousands of miles a year to promote the breed and their herds.

In 2002, the Nigerian Dwarf was also accepted into the American Dairy Goat Association herdbook. The first ADGA National with a Nigerian show will be held in 2010.

Looking back at the breeders that have made this all happen, we need to start with Mrs. Abrahamson. It was her vision that the breed is classified separately from what was known as the Pygmy. Due to her failing health, Mrs. Abrahamson was forced to sell her herd in 1981, and Robert Johnson, the owner of IDGR, purchased her herd. Her Bullfrog Alley herd can be found in many of today's Nigerian Dwarves, either directly, or more commonly through Mr. Johnson's Pine Cone Valley herd.

Of course, Mr. Wood, working primarily with the brown line, was quite influential, and Highland Woods animals are evident in many pedigrees. Mr. Wood worked closely with Mr. Wright of Wrights Acres, and those animals appear in many pedigrees as well. Ms. Freeman's Braco herd, primarily through the popularity of one buck, can be found in many pedigrees. Of these early breeders, unfortunately, many are no longer alive or no longer active. Ms. Freeman still breeds goats, but her herd is known more for its Pygmies.

Moving a bit forward, we find three other prominent herds that have heavily influenced the Nigerian Dwarf breed. Mrs. Sandra Mason, now of Medina, Ohio, but previously from Texas and then Washington, owns the Brush Creek herd. Much of her original herd traced to the San Antonio zoo that reportedly had direct imports. Mrs. Mason has been breeding Nigerian Dwarves since 1982, was an AGS Nigerian Dwarf committee chairperson and an ANDDA Director.

Also beginning in 1982 was Mrs. Shaula Parker of Willow Park, Texas. Breeding under the herd name of Willows or Willow Creek, Mrs. Parker's animals can be found in pedigrees throughout the country. Additionally, Mrs. Parker was the breeder of the 1996 National Best of Breed doe. Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Mason formed a very close relationship, and animals from each herd could be found in the other. Also, these two ladies co-edited the first breed publication, Footnotes*.

The last herd to be mentioned is that of Ms. Kathleen Claps, of Dripping Springs, Texas. Her Goodwood animals have stamped a very distinctive type across the breed. The achievement of Goodwood animals is nothing less than remarkable. The first Master Champions bear the Goodwood name, the 1997 National Best of Breed doe was a Goodwood doe, the first animals on the test were owned by Goodwood. Ms. Claps was also the founder of one of the original breed organizations for the breed, and following the decision to stop publishing Footnotes*, Ms. Claps began the breed magazine, Ruminations, and was its editor for many years. These three ladies have done more than most of us will ever know in the formation of the breed to what it has become today.

https://www.andda.org/breed-standards

Breed History of the Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goat

Like many breeds of domesticated livestock, the complete history of the Nigerian Dwarf is incomplete. Through the years and stages of development, records were not always kept, or if they were, they are sketchy at best. Developing the history of the breed is much like putting a jigsaw puzzle together that is missing many of its pieces. To reach the present-day Nigerian Dwarf, one has to use a combination of documented facts, speculation, deductive reasoning, and a little imagination. In the 1980's the Nigerian Dwarf was considered "rare" by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. In 2013 the breed was removed from its listing and is now thriving.

What is known is that throughout tropical Western Africa, there is a type of goat referred to as the West African Dwarf (WAD). These goats are used as a food source, both meat, and milk, for the local population. Due to economic hardships, keeping "pets" was not an option. It appears that little thought is used in breeding and it is truly a survival of the fittest phenomenon taking place. In the writings about Albert Schweitzer and his work at his hospital in Lambrene in the country now known as Gabone, the local goat is oftentimes referred to, and in fact, is credited with supplying the milk for the hospital. The imported breeds typically known as dairy breeds weren't able to withstand the Tse-Tse fly and therefore were not productive. The WAD goats continued to survive and thrive. Throughout books on Dr. Schweitzer, pictures of goats similar in type to what is referred to as Nigerian Dwarves in the U.S. can be found.​

Exactly how the WAD goats came to American soil is one of the missing pieces in the puzzle. One theory is that as the big cats were shipped to zoos, goats were loaded on to the vessels as a food source for the cats while in transit. The goats that weren't consumed went on to the zoos. As early as 1918, Joseph Crepin reported in the second edition of la Chevre that WAD goats had been imported to the United States. Additionally, there were several documented importations from the 1930s to the 1960s.

The beginning of the breed in this country lies in zoos. The first miniature goats to appear in this country were part of zoo exhibits, and occasionally research institutions. As the population began to grow, it became necessary to reduce the number of animals and individuals had their first opportunity to own these unique goats. Originally, all small goats of WAD origin were indiscriminately referred to as pygmies. In the beginning, pygmy was used more to describe the size of a goat rather than a specific breed, much like Swiss is oftentimes used to refer to the various erect eared breeds hailing from Europe.

As time went on, breeders began to notice differences in type within what had become the Pygmy breed. It became apparent that there were two distinct types: the shorter-legged, heavier bodied, round bone animals more typical of what is known today as a Pygmy, and the more refined, angular animal that has become today's Nigerian Dwarf. As breeders began to communicate, they discovered there were others in the United States and Canada that had similar observances. Mrs. Bonnie Abrahamson of North Ogden, Utah, while working in a zoo in California was one of the first to notice the distinctive difference.

Mrs. Abrahamson brought several black and white animals that she referred to as Nigerian Dwarves to an AGS Pygmy certification committee. Despite their more refined type and dairy appearance, these animals were accepted into the AGS Pygmy herdbook. At about the same time, Mr. Heabert Woods of Alexandria, Indiana, had animals similar in type to Mrs. Abrahamsons, but brown in color, refused entry into the National Pygmy Goat Associations herdbooks because of their color.

These two breeders petitioned the International Dairy Goat Registry (IDGR) to open a herdbook for Nigerian Dwarves. IDGR opened a separate herdbook for the breed, complete with a standard emphasizing dairy characteristics, and on July 24, 1981, Mr. Robert Johnson's Bullfrog Alleys Johnny Jump-Up #2, a buck bred by Mrs. Abrahamson, became the first Nigerian Dwarf registered by any registry. By January 1987, there were 384 animals registered in the herdbooks of IDGR as Nigerian Dwarves, with 93 of those registered the previous year alone. In part, largely because IDGR does not sanction shows, the popularity of the registry has waned over the years.

The early Nigerian Dwarves were seen most often in three distinct color lines, all of the similar types, even though many of the early breeders attempted to keep each color line separate from the others. A majority of these early animals were brown, black or gold, all with or without random white markings. Possibly because of the limited number of representatives of the breed, breeders did begin to mix the color lines fairly early on, although references to specific color lines could still be found as late as 1988.

In 1984, the American Goat Society (AGS) opened a herdbook for Nigerian Dwarves, and by September of the following year, 82 animals, representing breeders from 8 states and Canada had been registered. The first AGS registered Nigerian Dwarf distinction goes to Wrights Pansy, AGS # D-1f, owned by Francis Wright of Indiana. Mr. Woods was instrumental in getting a separate herdbook for the breed with AGS and was made the chairman of the Nigerian Dwarf committee. Mr. Wright and Pat Freeman of Dutton, Ontario completed the original Nigerian Dwarf committee for AGS.

To form the foundation of the breed, applications were submitted to the committee, along with a clear photograph of the animal and a measurement of the animal at the withers. If the committee unanimously agreed that the animal, which had to be at least one year of age, met the breed standard, the animal was then eligible to be registered as a purebred Nigerian Dwarf. Animals that were accepted for registration using this process are oftentimes referred to as a committee animal. Some of the animals submitted, such as Mrs. Abrahamson's, were previously registered as Pygmies. It also would include animals with unknown backgrounds that showed true Nigerian Dwarf characteristics, and as time went on, animals that were of registered ancestry but which did not have the paperwork kept up. Many times, it was easier to submit the animal for certification than to retrace paperwork for several generations.

​

Capra hircus

The Nigerian dwarf is a miniature goat from West Africa. It has been domesticated as a dairy goat and can be found throughout the world. Goats are herbivores.

Nigerian goat behavior and facts

Goats are browsers, eating tips of woody shrubs and trees. They often improve a pasture by removing blackberry, weedy undergrowth and ivy (even poison ivy and poison oak) that other livestock won't eat.
A doe can produce up to two quarts per day of milk that is higher in butterfat (6 to 10 percent) and protein than milk from most dairy goat breeds.
Nigerian dwarf goats are raised for milk production but also as pets. They are gregarious, friendly and hardy and can thrive in almost any climate. Their gentle, calm and playful nature makes them good companion pets for children and disabled and elderly people.
Their small size means they do not require as much space or feed as larger dairy goat breeds.
Color is one factor that makes these goats popular: black, gold, chocolate, Dalmatian-spotted, pint-patterned and other combinations are possible.

From birth to death

Breed: year round
Gestation: 145 to 153 days
Kids: 3 to 4, each 2 pounds at birth
Sexual maturity: 3 months for males; 7 to 8 months for females
Lifespan: 15 years

Vital statistics

Females: 22.5 inches at the withers; males: 23.5 inches at the withers
Ideal weight: 75 pounds

Status

Nigerian goats are considered rare by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the Nigerian dwarf goat as a livestock dairy goat, which makes the breed eligible for youth 4H and FFA projects.
Nigerian goats, the Oregon Zoo and you

The zoo's goats live at the Family Farm.

https://www.oregonzoo.org/discover/animals/nigerian-dwarf-goat

The Nigerian Dwarf is small but well-proportioned; its conformation resembles that of larger dairy goats.[4]: 399  It may be horned or naturally hornless.[2] The coat is fine and fairly short, and may be of any color, or multicolored;[2] common colors are gold, chocolate and black, frequently with white markings. The facial profile may be concave or straight; the ears are upright.[4]: 399  The average weight is approximately 35 kg (75 lb), while maximum height is about 60 cm (24 in) for males and slightly less for females;[4]: 399  stock bred for dairy performance may be rather larger than show or companion animals.[2]

It is a precocious breed – young stock may be bred from an early age: males from about three months, females from seven or eight months.[7] The gestation period is in the range 145–153 days;[7] the twinning rate is high, and triplet and quadruplet births are not uncommon.[4]: 399 [2] Life expectancy is from 8–12 years.[7]
he Nigerian Dwarf was originally bred for show and as a companion animal. It was later also bred for dairy use.[2] Average milk yield of dairy stock is 340 kg (750 lb) per year;[8]: 284  a yield of 993 kg (2190 lb) in a lactation of 305 days was recorded in 2018.[9]: 3  Lactation usually lasts for about ten months.[2] The milk is high in butterfat and protein, averaging 6.5% and 3.9% respectively,[8]: 284  and is suitable for making cheese and butter.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Dwarf_goat

Let me welcome myself back to the thread having survived 2 bans within 72 hours. So a little introduction here. I am Quaint Soknown, a nurse of great repute. I love farming in all its ramifications. I started the thread to spread information on what we have always known as ours but could not put a name to it.
I grew up in the village, so I know West African dwarf goats and pigmy goats but I never knew there is a Nigerian dwarf goat. I have a friend here in the UK, her Grandma has a farm, she was telling me about the animals on the farm which include some Nigerian dwarf goat. I was surprised about the name so I did a little search on the internet.
This breed has been all over the world, it has breeding information, standards, and association in the US, Canada, Uk, and Australia. I wanted to document this breed on Nairaland, giving as much information as I could lay my hands on. Hope you will enjoy the thread and possibly learn a few things.
Lastly, farmers within Nigeria should start thinking about documenting their experiences, liaise with universities and research institutions on improving the different types of animals within the country. Also forming associations to inform breeding standards across the board.
Now let me continue before Antispam bots ban me again.

Shell’s Turritella vessel sets the record for the world’s deepest FPSO, reaching to impressive depths of 2,900 metres. Located in Stone’s Field in the US Gulf of Mexico, this FPSO copes with extreme weather conditions in an area known for severe storms and hurricanes. Purpose-built for Stone’s Field, the vessel boasts the world’s largest disconnectable buoy, allowing it to quickly sail away in the event of hurricanes and later re-connect to resume operation. In yet another record breaker, it the first vessel to combine a disconnectable buoy with steel ‘lazy wave’ risers – an innovation which absorbs the impact of large waves, steadying the vessel and enhancing production performance at extreme depths.

https://www.brunel.net/en-au/blog/oil-and-gas/record-breaking-fpsos

Grandfather of all FPSOs, the Arco Ardjuna vessel was built in 1973 and is yet to retire, making it the longest serving FPSO in the world. Operated by Pertamina, the 48-year-old vessel is moored at the Ardjuna Oil Field in the Java Sea, approximately 95km from Jakarta. At the time of its construction, the 53,734 tonne FPSO was one of the largest vessels in the world.

https://www.brunel.net/en-au/blog/oil-and-gas/record-breaking-fpsos

Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels certainly have the wow factor: their sheer size, processing power and capability of operating for decades without pause make them impressive facilities - and invaluable to the oil and gas industry. We take a look at the largest, oldest and deepest FPSO vessels in the world.

FPSOs have become the primary operating systems for many offshore oil and gas producing regions across the globe. These ship-shaped vessels are quite the structural engineering feat: designed to suit a variety of environmental conditions and water depths, they are capable of staying on location for continuous operations upwards of 20 years. FPSOs collect fluids from subsea reservoirs through risers (rigid or flexible pipes). These fluids are then separated into crude oil, natural gas, water and impurities within production facilities onboard. Crude oil is stored in internal tanks before being offloaded onto shuttle tankers for distribution. Currently, there are approximately 183 operating FPSOs: here we take a look at the largest, the oldest and the deepest in the world.

Weighing in at 220,000 tonnes with a storage capacity of 2.3 million barrels, the Egina FPSO is the largest in the world, by capacity. Operated by TotalEnergies, the $3 billion vessel is 330 metres long, 61 metres wide and 34 metres tall, and is currently moored at the Egina oil field, 200km off the coast of Nigeria. Connected to 44 subsea wells, this immense facility can produce up to 208,000 barrels of oil per day and is responsible for almost 10% of Nigeria’s total oil production.

https://www.brunel.net/en-au/blog/oil-and-gas/record-breaking-fpsos

So the major difference between a FPSO and FSO is that one can produce, store, and off load crude while the other can only store and off load. The two of them are floaring on the water, bouyed into positions by strong anchors.

Some platforms can process oil and gas but can not store, so these ones are the production platforms, that need FSO to complete cycle of storing and offloading. At the extreme end of this spectrum are FDPSO - Floating drilling production storage and offloading vessels.

In the liquefied gas sector, there are FSRU - Floating storage and regasification unit.

The first oil FPSO was built in 1977 on the Shell Castellon field, located in the Spanish Mediterranean.[7] Today, over 270 vessels are deployed worldwide as oil FPSOs.[8]

On July 29, 2009, Shell and Samsung announced an agreement to build up to 10 LNG FPSOs,[9] at the same Samsung Yard. Flex LNG appeared to construct smaller units.[10]

One of the world's largest FPSO is the Kizomba A, with a storage capacity of 2.2 million barrels (350,000 m3). Built at a cost of over US$ 800 million by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, Korea, it is operated by Esso Exploration Angola (ExxonMobil). Located in 1200 meters (3,940 ft) of water at Deep water block 200 statute miles (320 km) offshore from Angola, Central Africa in the Atlantic Ocean, it weighs 81,000 tonnes and is 285 meters long, 63 meters wide, and 32 meters high (935 ft by 207 ft by 105 ft).[22]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_production_storage_and_offloading

Let us make some definitions,

FPSO, FSO, PP.

FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) and FSO (Floating Storage and Offloading) systems today have become the primary method for many offshore oil and gas producing regions around the world.

An FPSO is a floating production system that receives fluids (crude oil, water and a host of other things) from a subsea reservoir through risers, which then separate fluids into crude oil, natural gas, water and impurities within the topsides production facilities onboard. Crude oil stored in the storage tanks of the FPSO is offloaded onto shuttle tankers to go to market or for further refining onshore.

Most FPSOs/FSOs are ship-shaped and can be secured to the seabed via a variety of mooring systems, the choice of which is determined by the specific environment. They are suitable for a wide range of water depth, environmental conditions and can be designed with the capability of staying on location for continuous operations for 20 years or longer.

https://www.modec.com/business/floater/fpso/

Bonga without the topside

https://www.ship-technology.com/projects/bonga-fpso/

Going back to Bonga FPSO, even its carcass is a mountain on the sea

Important attributes of the WAD goat include its excellent adaptation to its native habitat, high fertility, and prolificacy. However, their most important attributes are their resistance to the important insect-borne disease, trypanosomosis (trypanotolerance), and to GI nematodes (see below). These attributes have enabled the predominantly small-scale rural goat keepers in the area to successfully rear, and continue to derive their sustenance from these animals without recourse to the use of trypanocides and anthelmintics, which are neither affordable nor available to most of them. Other breeds do not survive long in the humid zones of Nigeria, because they succumb rapidly to trypanosomosis.

It has also been suggested that the ability of goats to control challenge infections following a primary infection is weaker than that of sheep and that immunological memory following anthelmintic abbreviation of a primary infection and challenge does not last as long as in sheep [27]. Furthermore, although goats show evidence of immune regulation of GI nematodes, it is believed that they do not develop full immunological responsiveness until 12 months of age compared with 6 months for sheep [21, 28]. Importantly, WAD goats are different to other breeds in this respect, as shown by Ayeni [29] who found that WAD goat kids were able to mount strong immune responses to chicken red blood cells, comparable to adult goats, from three months of age. This suggests that WAD goats, which are usually fully sexually mature at 6-7 months of age [30], attain immunological maturity much earlier than most other goat breeds. In most caprine studies little attention has been given to possible differences between and within goat genotypes from different geo-climatic zones of the world in their responses to their core parasites and yet different breeds have adapted to radically different ecosystems, goat husbandry, production systems and parasite strains typically encountered under local conditions. It is unlikely that all breeds, as also all individuals within specific breeds, will respond identically to GI nematodes, nor indeed to any other infectious organisms. Some diversity in response to their native strains of parasites would be expected.

Chiejina, S.N., Behnke, J.M. The unique resistance and resilience of the Nigerian West African Dwarf goat to gastrointestinal nematode infections. Parasites Vectors 4, 12 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-4-12

https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-3305-4-12

Curiouscity:

This is someone's academic research article. You copied it here as if it is yours. PLAGIARISM!
Please include the author'(s) names or include the link to the original article.

Thank you for your observation. If you observe the thread very well, you will notice that there is a post that was hidden by BOTs. The concluding part of the article and the link were posted in that hidden thread. I was banned by Antispam BOTS. I sent mails to the moderators in the Agriculture section to lift the ban but i got no response and the ban was not lifted till this morning.
Now that the ban is lifted, i will continue the thread, including reposting the hidden post. Thanks again.

So I continued to be the medic on board our darling Surfer 1822. Soon, August came and it was time for me to go for my annual leave, so the company sent my reliever, another nurse. He came for orientation so that he can be acquainted with the structure and operations of the boat with me before he could be the sole medic.
I told him not to eat on his resumption date, possibly he forgot. He ate before he left home. He was very unlucky because the Sea was rough. He was sick all through the shift he brought out all the stomach content, at some point, there was nothing to bring out again except bilious content. He was so relieved when we got back to Niger dock in the evening. Immediately we touched the ground, he became better. He called his wife to prepare pap for him. The wife was so worried thinking what could make the husband want to eat pap in the evening.

One particular day, we were seabound as usual and many miles into the waters, we noticed a huge round object on the horizon. We knew something was amiss so we sped towards it. Some minutes later we got to the object, it was taller than our boat and half the length of the boat. The Captain said it must have drifted off a ship at the harbor. So we sent the diver to dive underneath it and attach a towing rope to it. The object was a big fender, A ship fender. We towed it to our location. Around mid-day, we were approached by two canoes. They were the search party for the fender. They narrated how they have been looking for the fender since daybreak. They showed us the picture of when the fender was in position by the ship's side. The Captain was convinced and we released the fender to them, they rewarded with some naira. The two canoes were not able to tow it so we told them, that we will bring it to the harbor on our way back to the land which we did but we wish we did not make that promise because the weight slowed us down.
October of the same year, It was time for me to step up on the ladder, I was redeployed to provide relief duty for the guys on the rig. CRI guys that were on the different Exxon rigs and platforms were the big guns then. When it is time for them to go on leave, a relief nurse will be raised from the pool.

FPSO of Bonga field

Shell decided on an FPSO development solution. The field has around 16 subsea oil-producing and water injection wells tied to the FPSO.

AMEC secured a £300m ($463m) offshore contract for the engineering design, fabrication, integration and commissioning of the 17,000t topside production facilities in 2001.

These were necessary to produce approximately 200,000 barrels of oil and 150 million standard cubic feet of natural gas a day.

The newly built hull arrived in the UK during the third quarter of 2002, following its construction in the Far East under a separate contract. The topsides were installed onto the hull to create the 300,000t FPSO.

The vessel achieved production of more than 800 million barrels of crude oil in 2018. It is amongst the largest FPSOs in the world.
Gas and oil export

Gas from the Bonga is connected to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) plant at Bonny, where a third processing train was constructed.

LNG is exported to Atlantic and European markets via tankers. The oil is stored on-board the production facilities prior to direct offloading.

It can produce 200,000 barrels of oil per day and 150 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. The cost of the full field development was $3.6bn.
Contractors involved in the deep-water project

ABB won the $180m order for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of all of the subsea equipment. This also included production-control umbilicals and gas-lift risers.

ABB supplied 29 conventional subsea trees and associated hardware under the deal in order to facilitate oil production from, and water injection into, the reservoir.
“After acquiring and processing 3D seismic data in 1993-94, the first Bonga discovery well was drilled between September 1995 and January 1996.”

The deliveries of equipment continued until mid-2009.

The work included project management, the engineering and supply of manifolds, trees, wellheads, controls, connection systems, intervention equipment, integration testing and installation support.

Stolt Offshore signed an approximately $200m turnkey subsea construction contract to support the project.

The deal covered the design, engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning of the gas-export pipeline, production flowlines, water-injection lines and steel catenary risers.

Stolt Offshore began the design engineering and procurement work immediately.

The risers were fabricated in the second half of 2002 at the Stolt Offshore Nigerdock pipe reeling facility in Nigeria.

Installation works included rigid steel flowlines, together with steel catenary oil and gas-production risers.

Seaway Polaris installed 36km of 10in-diameter production flowlines and all the project’s steel catenary risers using the J Lay method.

Samsung Heavy Industries was awarded a contract to build the FPSO.

Additionally, Seaway Polaris handled the installation of the 92km-long, 16in-diameter gas-export pipeline that connected the Bonga FPSO to the Shell EA riser platform.

Seaway Kestrel installed 25km of 12in-diameter water-injection flowlines. Surveying and tie-in work was undertaken by Seaway Legend.

ClampOn delivered a topside system of sand sensors in February 2003.

An extension to the field, Bonga Northwest field, is situated in OML 118. It lies at a water depth in the range of 2,953ft-3,937ft.

This field will be developed by 12 subsea wells tied back to Bonga’s FPSO.
https://www.offshore-technology.com/projects/bonga/

Bonga is the first deep-water project for the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) and for Nigeria.

The discovery well is located in oil prospecting license (OPL) 212, which was awarded during Nigeria’s first round of deep-water frontier acreage awards in 1993.

SNEPCO operates the field on behalf of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its partners under a production sharing contract. The partners in the field include Shell (55%), Esso (20%), Total (12.5%) and Agip (12.5%).

Crude oil production from the field started in November 2005 and the first shipment from the field was made in February 2006.

The field underwent its fourth turnaround maintenance (TAM) in 2017 and delivered 819 million barrels of oil by the end of 2018.
Bonga exploration

Bonga lies 120km south-west of the Niger Delta, in a water depth of over 1,000m.

The real extent of the Bonga field is approximately 60km². After acquiring and processing 3D seismic data in 1993-94, the first Bonga discovery well was drilled between September 1995 and January 1996.

Shell drilled an exploration well on Bonga Southwest located 10km south-west of the Bonga field in May 2001. Bonga Southwest was drilled in a water depth of 1,245m.

The well reached its final depth of 4,160m and was subsequently logged and suspended. It encountered a substantial amount of net oil sand.

An initial evaluation of the well indicated that the recoverable reserves discovered with Bonga Southwest were large enough to form the basis for new deep-water development in OML118.

Deep-water milestones
he visual shows the ocean with 16 offshore oil & gas assets on the surface. It also shows the seabed with different depths on the left with a depth meter ranging from 200 to 3,000 metres deep, in steps of 200 metres.

Following assets are shown from left to right with the year and the depth at which the asset drills:

Cognac: on-stream 1978, depth 300 metres
Bullwinkle: on-stream 1988, depth 400 metres
Malikai: on-stream 2016, depth 500 metres
Bijupirá & Salema: on-stream 2003, depth 800 metres
Auger: on-stream 1993, depth 830 metres
Mars: on-stream 1996, depth 900 metres
Olympus: on-stream 2014, depth 900 metres
Brutus: on-stream 2001, depth 900 metres
Ram-Powell: on-stream 1997, depth 1,000 metres
Bonga: on-stream 2005, depth 1,000 metres
Ursa: on-stream 1999, depth 1,200 metres
Gumusut-Kakap: on-stream 2014, depth 1,200 metres
Vito: in progress, depth 1,200 metres
Parque das Conchas: on-stream 2010, depth 1,800 metres
Na Kika: on-stream 2003, depth 1,800-2,400 metres
Appomattox: on-stream 2019, depth 2,200 metres
Perdido: on-stream 2010, depth 2,300-2,800 metres
Stones: on-stream 2016, depth 2,900 metres
https://www.shell.com/about-us/major-projects/bonga-north-west/bonga-north-west-overview.html

Project development

On August 5, 2014, SNEPCo started oil production from the first well at the Bonga North West deep-water development off the Nigerian coast. Since then, all the remaining five wells (three oil producers and two water injectors) have been completed and are now on stream, with the last well commissioned on January 18, 2015.

Oil from the Bonga North West subsea facilities is transported by a new undersea pipeline to the existing Bonga floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) export facility, from where oil is loaded onto tankers for shipping around the world.

The Bonga FPSO has been upgraded to handle the additional oil flow from Bonga North West which, at peak production, is now contributing around 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, helping to maintain the facility’s overall output.
Technology

The project included upgrading the Bonga FPSO to add new chemical injection systems to prevent corrosion and freezing in the new pipelines. The 300-metre long FPSO is one of the largest of its kind in the world, held in place by 500-tonne anchors linked by 20km of mooring lines. It receives crude from production wells on the seabed. The oil is processed on board, stored and then sent to a single point mooring buoy anchored nearby from where it is loaded onto tankers for export.

Below the surface a new production module was tied into the existing infrastructure.
Environment and society

The Bonga North West project is part of Shell’s long-standing commitment to developing deep-water engineering skills in Nigeria. The investments made by SNEPCo and its other project partners in the Bonga North West project include upgrades of local contractors’ facilities and providing specialised training for Nigerians to work in the energy industry.

More than 90% of the people who designed and built the Bonga North West project were Nigerian. SNEPCo awarded all five of the major engineering and construction contracts for Bonga North West to companies that were either indigenous, have local staff, or invest in the country.

The project made use of existing infrastructure, limiting its environmental impact.

Information about Bonga;



Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd (SNEPCo) is producing oil from the Bonga North West field, which lies at a depth of more than 1,000 metres (3,300 feet). SNEPCo is adding production to the existing Bonga facility with this new development, in which it holds a 55% interest.
Key facts

Location: Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria

Depth: More than 1,000 metres

Interests: SNEPCo 55% (operator), Esso Exploration & Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited (20%), Total E&P Nigeria Limited (12.5%) and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited (12.5%) under a production sharing contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation

Fields: Bonga North West

Peak annual production: 40 kboe/d

Key contractors: Aker Solutions, FMC Technologies, Invensys/Sidler, SAIPEM, Weltek

My first experience in a deep-sea facility was about Mid May 2007. I have started working with the Surfer 1822 that I have introduced earlier in the thread, my darling boat. Well, the Surfer boat is the transport of choice when the weather is too grim, to use a mild word. Between May and August, the deep sea experience torrential rain more than what you experience on land, and with this rain comes strong wind and poor visibility that even navigational aids do falter. I witnessed one heavy rain on Erha, it was so heavy and windy that as the chopper lifted and tried to exit the landing pad the draft brought it back almost swiping it against the side of the pad, many untold stories of grim experiences. Well back to the main story, it was mid-May, the weather was too bad for Choppers to access the offshore facility. Flights were delayed for two days. Being delayed in the deep sea because of weather is one of the most brutal experiences one could have. If offshore platforms were military bases, there would have been many mutinies, many OIMs and supervisors would be thrown overboard by angry borders that were delayed from going out.
This is the way it works, each person has a back-to-back, that is another personnel that does exactly what you do so that as you go on time off, your back to back to back reliever comes in on the same flight that will take you out. So if my back-to-back is delayed for any reason, I will not be able to go out.
After delaying the flight for a few days, the list was building up to the extent that it will take several daily flights to clear off the backlog. So the next best option was to use a surfer boat to convey as many as possible. A surfer 1800 series can convey twice the passenger of a Sikorsky s76.
A day was arranged for the trip, I restocked on the necessary medications and tools. The Captain worked on the engine and stocked on spares. We all had good rest on the night before the trip. We assembled on the jetty, refueled, and came to the main jetty. The kitchen has supplied freshly roasted chickens, fried chickens, Fresh bread, sandwiches, Milk, and honey. We stocked the food away safely and we took delivery of the pax.
It was a sunny day on land the generally was a bright, joyful aura all around. We played the Surfer orientation clip for the pax, we demonstrated the safety evacuation procedure and we answered the few questions that were asked. We said our goodbye to the Reps, Bon Voyage we set sail.
We always move slowly while in the channel so that the ripples we generated will not disturb the wooden canoes. I asked if anyone will need anti-sickness tablets, I brought them out of the bag anyways. They all said they are seasoned seamen, Ok. I retreated to the stern to watch the activities on the creek. From the tin can, we passed AP muller terminal, then Ladol, then Taqwa Bay before we exited the channel into the Atlantic. It was at this point that the men made a huge mistake in their life. They were taking pictures and making a phone call before now but as we pressed into the sea, the signal went off. So one person opened the cooler of food and requested to eat. I told them to hold on a little till we are in the deep sea to see if they adapt well before they eat since they did not take the anti-sickness. One man answered me, ‘young man na today, we don dey fly boat since we dey small o, no dey scare us’. I said, yes Sir.
I sat down at the back with the Seaman and the diver. I watched as they ate and made merry, there was no alcohol but we had energy drinks and soda.
About 15 minutes into our trip, the rain started and it changed the dynamics within and without the vessel. When the rain started, It became darker outside, visibility dropped, our speed reduced. The tide changed direction, the pitch became higher. So we were being tossed up and down literally. Now the smell of fried Chicken became irritating, coupled with the tossing up and down, the stomach muscles started their work, it took one man to throw up and it had a domino effect on all of them. I offered the tablet again but it was too late, the ship is docked already. All of them threw up till there was nothing left in them. I pity the seaman and the diver as they were cleaning up every time. I tried to manage nausea and vomiting as much as I could but to be honest there was little I could do. It took about 2 hours for all of them to settle, they feel horrified, dejected, and looking like a chicken beaten by rain in their chair. I knew this could have been prevented if they had listened but I dare not rub it in as a professional. They chose as adults, even though I consider it an unwise decision, still it was their decision to make.
As were approaching Bonga, we were noticing clusters of unmanned platforms so the pax faces started lightening up, Ordinarily, the trip should take 3 hours or thereabout but it took about 8 hours. We got to Bonga at last. We asked for clearance to enter the 500m exclusive zone. We got the clearance to approach but when we approach the boat landing, the heave was too high, so safe transfer is not possible. We cannot do basket transfer with a crane also because of the heave. The pax became dejected again when they realized that they will not be able to disembark for another 3 hours. It was complete silence for the next 3 hours. I believe they were reflecting on what just happened and the likelihood of worse things happening humbled them, eventually they disembarked at about 2200hr. There was no darkness because of the flare. The light from the flare tower illuminate at least a 3-kilometer radius on the sea and the heat was something else even for us that we were on the sea level.

Background
West African Dwarf (WAD) goats serve an important role in the rural village economy of West Africa, especially among small-holder livestock owners. They have been shown to be trypanotolerant and to resist infections with Haemonchus contortus more effectively than any other known breed of goat.

Methods
In this paper we review what is known about the origins of this goat breed, explain its economic importance in rural West Africa and review the current status of our knowledge about its ability to resist parasitic infections.

Conclusions
We suggest that its unique capacity to show both trypanotolerance and resistance to gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections is immunologically based and genetically endowed, and that knowledge of the underlying genes could be exploited to improve the capacity of more productive wool and milk producing, but GI nematode susceptible, breeds of goats to resist infection, without recourse to anthelmintics. Either conventional breeding allowing introgression of resistance alleles into susceptible breeds, or transgenesis could be exploited for this purpose. Appropriate legal protection of the resistance alleles of WAD goats might provide a much needed source of revenue for the countries in West Africa where the WAD goats exist and where currently living standards among rural populations are among the lowest in the world.

Background
The major contributor of the modern domestic goat, Capra hircus, is believed to be the wild Bezoar goat, Capra aegagrus distributed from the mountains of Asia Minor [1], across the Middle East. There are ten primary goat breeds to which other modern breeds worldwide are traceable, namely Alpine, Angora, Boer, Cashmere, Le Mancha, Nubian, Oberhasli, Pigmy, Saanen and Toggenburg.

The present day dwarf goats of West and Central Africa correspond to the so-called pigmy goat but the recognised name for the breed in the region is the West African Dwarf (WAD) goat (Figure 1). However, other names such as Cameroonian, Nigerian, Guinean and Fouta Djallon are sometimes used to describe WAD goats found in particular countries in the region.
These may be considered as varieties or ecological types (ecotypes) of WAD goat, which have adapted to the different ecosystems in the region. They are found, predominantly in the humid and sub-humid, and also in the drier, savanna climates, below latitude 14° north. One popular belief, based on few documented facts, is that all dwarf goats found in West and Central Africa, England, Sweden, Germany and North America originated from the Cameroonian Dwarf goat [2],
although, based on their morphology in relation to other dwarf goat breeds, it has been suggested that the Nigerian WAD goats may have a different, but as yet unknown, origin [3, 4].

However, genetic and archaeological evidence of the precise origins of WAD goats are still lacking.

Nevertheless, recent work has shown that Nigerian WAD goats are endowed with the capacity to resist trypanosome and intestinal nematode infections more effectively than any other known breed of goat. Since there is no easily accessible, systematic review of published information on controlled experimental GI nematode infections of these animals, in this article we first explain the importance of WAD goats to the local livestock owning communities of West Africa, then review the available information on their capacity to resist parasitic infections, suggest possible explanations for these unique traits and indicate how they may be exploited in the broader context to improve the resilience of goats, and hence their health and productivity worldwide.

The importance of the WAD goat industry in West Africa.

Goats account for about 30% of Africa's ruminant livestock and produce about 17% and 12% of its meat and milk respectively [5]. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounts for over 60% of the total goat population in Africa, with an estimated 147 million goats representing about 80 indigenous breeds distributed across all agro-ecological zones and ruminant livestock production systems [6]. The WAD goat is the commonest and most important indigenous goat breed in the 18 countries of West and Central Africa [7], most of which (except Mali, Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic) have an Atlantic coastline namely, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Upper Volta, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon Congo and Zaire) [8].
Nigeria hosts the largest WAD goat population with approximately 11 million in the humid zone of Eastern Nigeria. There are two major ecotypes: the humid zone and the savanna WAD goats, (Figure 1) and these differ in several respects, notably their body weight, the latter being about 2-3 kg heavier on average at 12 months of age [9]. It is estimated that at least 90% of these animals are owned by small-holder rural goat keepers, for whom goats represent an important asset [10].

Women and children play a pivotal role in WAD goat husbandry. Children normally herd goats, while their day-to-day management and the care of young stock usually fall to women. They are generally kept in small herds on mixed farms and provide their owners with a broad range of products and socio-economic services such as cash income (meat), security (milk), gifts (skin), and manure for the crops. Left-overs from the domestic kitchen, which are provided by the womenfolk, and cut-and-carry fodder/foliage, which are the responsibility of children and the men folk, are important ingredients in the husbandry of goats in rural areas.
Therefore, goats not only play a vital role in ensuring food security of a household (often being the only asset possessed by a poor household), but when needed and in time of trouble (e.g. crop failure or family illness, school fees) goats may be sold to provide an important source of cash [11]. Any intervention aiming to improve goat productivity will therefore have an immediate socio-economic impact on rural communities, especially the poorest of these for whom goats represent the only livestock they can afford to raise. The socio-economic importance of WAD goats in the area is best illustrated by the terms: 'cow of the poor' and 'bank on the hoof', which are commonly used to describe them.

Hi, OP.
These are the things that will help you;
1. CT head and Thorax, if NAD then MRI Head.
2. A neurologist consult and or a Cardiologist consult.
3. A Clinical Psychologist consult.
Hope you find the necessary help that you need and on time.

God bless the memory of Sound Sultan, He said ' Ajo o dabi ile' . I will return

I hope they were able to rescue the workers, this is disheartening.

Please Nairalanders, Someone i barely know is introducing me to ''Alliance in Motion Global'' AIM. He is telling me it's a job, i will be employed and get paid, But he is Refusing to tell me the details of the job

Please anyone with an Ideal about this so call 'AIM' Company?

From someone who has participated in Goldlink 1999-2000, Holidays and Cash 2006-2007, Avenues to wealth 2008-2009, GNLD, can't remember the year specifically, Finally AIM Global, ( La-Buena Vida).
Forget the marketing jargon, it is a ponzi. A pyramid scheme. Find something else valuable to do with your MONEY and TIME. Peace.