Medicinal Herbs and Biodiversity Resources in Nigeria: An Ethnographic Analysis of their Governance Mechanisms and Implications for Sustainable and Economic Development

This article examines the present systems for regulating biodiversity resource use, with a specific focus on Osun State, Nigeria. The study undertakes an exploratory research design due to the novelty of the subject matter. For data collection, qualitative research methodologies, specifically in-depth interviews (IDIs) and key informant interviews (KIIs), were purposefully adopted. Herbal medicine sellers were key participants in the in-depth interviews, while key informant interviewees included a diverse group of leaders of herb sellers' associations, traditional healthcare providers, government officials responsible for Forestry Resources Management, practicing ethnobotanists, and knowledgeable academics with expertise relevant to the subject matter. The study further unfolds a comprehensive analysis of the threats to biodiversity, delving into the underlying causes and far-reaching consequences of biodiversity depletion in Nigeria. The study's findings further shed a discerning light on the regulatory mechanisms governing biodiversity utilisation in Nigeria. Despite the existence of these mechanisms, they have struggled to realise the anticipated positive outcomes. This predicament is largely attributable to a lack of strong political will on the part of the government to ensure compliance among users of Nigeria's rich biodiversity. A critical observation is that the legal and policy frameworks that oversee biodiversity in Nigeria have not undergone periodic reviews, rendering them out of touch with current societal dynamics. Consequently, traditional medicine practitioners and vendors of medicinal herbs, among other biodiversity users, have exploited this policy vacuum to exploit plant, tree, and other biodiversity resources unabated. Of notable concern is the unregulated exploitation of plants for medicinal purposes, particularly the trade in herbs, which has emerged as a significant threat to public health and well-being. This unchecked practice undermines the prospects of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3), which prioritises health and well-being. In light of these findings, the study strongly advocates for a two-fold approach to address this pressing issue. First, it underscores the critical importance of fostering robust political will to enforce existing regulations and institute much-needed reforms. Secondly, constant monitoring and oversight of medicinal herb utilisation and other biodiversity resources in Nigeria by government agencies are deemed imperative to safeguard the nation's natural wealth and the health of its citizens. Keywords: Biodiversity, Mechanisms, Medicinal Herbs, Ethnobotanist, SDGs JEL CLASSIFICATION: I30; I38; J18; J38; Q0

SUSTAINABILITY ACCOUNTING AND INTEGRATED REPORTING IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

: Circular economy is a priority for the European Commission and European Parliament. Recently, the European Commission adopted the new circular economy action plan, in order to reduce pressure to natural resources and to provide the necessary conditions for the sustainable economy.  Sustainability accounting has attracted the attention of professional accountants, private organizations, public institutions and governments all over the world, in order to implement new methods to the circular economy and to measure the circular economy disclosure. Sustainability accounting and integrating reporting in the circular economy are catalysts for circular business models, very useful to redefine values, measuring the impact and risks in waste management and recycling. Thus, the circular economy is a good opportunity to make European economy more competitive and innovative, associated with financing and accounting for circular business. Contributing to the global economy, sustainability accounting provides opportunities for investors to transform their businesses and increase business profitability

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN SOUTH AFRICA:: FROM ITS IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY TO THE REBUILDING STRATEGY

The conventional understanding is that the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) has challenged the development of the economies at all levels – global, regional and domestic. The need to assess its damage to the South African economy became imperative if the economy has to be resuscitated in an informed and targeted way.  The study therefore aimed at assessing the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic in South Africa, assessing the effectiveness of the South African government response to Covid-19 and outlining government strategies that have been employed in an effort to rebuild the South African economy. The study utilised the qualitative research approach in which semi-structured interviews were used to collect information on a purposive sample of 12 participants. Through the use of thematic analysis as the data analysis method, the study discovered that the Covid-19 pandemic has both long-term and short-term impacts on the South African economy such as loss of employment, contracting GDP, depressed growth below pre-pandemic projections and lack of organisational performance. In response to Covid-19, the government introduced supporting programmes to businesses, regulations aimed at allowing credit facilities and partnership with various stakeholders. Strategies such as expansionary monetary strategies and the introduction of specific programmes targeting the resuscitation of key economic sectors have been implemented to rebuild the economy. The study, therefore, recommends that the government needs to build a buffer of resources in preparation of devastating pandemics such as Civid-19, such that when the country is hit by the pandemic, there are avenues that can be explored to resuscitate the economy. There is also need to ensure that there is a platform where business organisations can flourish as they can access capital and resources

AI NLP-GPT MODELS: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS IN BUSINESS DECISION REALMS

This paper represents a natural progression in the ongoing investigation into the potentials and challenges associated with the application of AI NLP GPT models for decision support. Building upon the foundation laid by the prior study titled "Conceptual Analysis and Potential Applications of DL NN Transformer and GPT Artificial Intelligence Models for the Transformation and Enhancement of Enterprise Management, EIS/ESS, and Decision Support Integrated Information Systems," the current work serves as a valuable continuum, providing further insights and validation of previous research findings. The study not only reaffirms the robustness of AI models in structured environments but also ventures into exploring their limitations when confronted with unstructured and non-pretrained scenarios inherent in real-world business decision-making. Through an in-depth conceptual analysis, the paper sheds light on the intricacies and potential shortcomings of deploying AI models in such dynamic and complex decision-making contexts. This iterative approach contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the capabilities and constraints of contemporary AI systems, providing valuable guidance for their practical implementation in diverse business scenarios. In essence, this work extends beyond a mere sequel, serving as a critical checkpoint in the continuous evolution of research in this domain. It accentuates the adaptability and real-world relevance of AI models while critically examining their applicability in less controlled decision-making environments

Export-Growth Nexus in Nigeria: Does Capital Inflow Matters?

This study examined how capital inflow influence export-growth nexus in Nigeria from 1980 to 2022. The study employed ADF and PP unit root test to determine the stationarity of each variable and the result reveals that there is mixed level of stationarity among the variables as gross capital formation is stationary at level while other variables such as export, capital inflow, inflation rate, and government expenditure are stationary at first difference.  Consequently, the study is conducted using the ARDL estimation approach. The study found that inflation rate, gross capital creation, and trade openness had negative impacts on Nigeria's economic growth, whereas capital inflow, government expenditure, the interaction of  export and capital inflow, and trade openness all had positive impact on the economic growth. Consequently, the study recommends that government should create an enabling environment to attract more capital inflow into the country also government should review its trade policies so that export could starting stimulating economic growth in Nigeria

ANALYSIS OF THE PROCESSES RELATED TO GLOBALIZATION OF ENTERPRISES IN BULGARIA

People have been interacting with each other for a long period, through their businesses. Enterprises are the structure of the social economy. Due to the successive economic and social crises in Bulgaria, many companies are on the verge of survival. Through them, society's expectations for the employment of the population are characterised, which is the main objective of every enterprise. The main objective of this paper is to characterize and analyse the process of increasing economic, social, technical and political interconnections between individuals, countries and organizations.The current context impose a need to develop a system of indicators for the analysis and assessment of the globalization processes that is affecting the whole economy of the country. There is also a need for targeted management actions and the development and implementation of effective strategies that are appropriate to the dynamic changes in the competitive environment

Teleworking and Employees’ Brand Ambassador; Using Academic Staff of Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa, Ogun State as a Study.

The study examined teleworking and employee’s brand ambassador using academic staff of Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa as a focus.  The research population was 136, and the sample size was 102 staff of the total population which consisted of both senior and junior staff. Multistage sampling technique was adopted in this study; which was stratified and simple random sampling techniques. A total of 102 copies of the questionnaire were administered while a total of 98 copies of the questionnaire were received from respondents and 95 copies were valid for data analysis.  The 10-items measuring instruments were tested using test-retest reliability by administering the test once and then administering the same test again three weeks after the first administration.  The hypotheses formulated for the study were analysed using Pearson Correlation Analysis. The findings revealed that teleworking had significant positive relationship with employee’s brand ambassador (r –statistics 0.611), P – values (0.000). The study recommended that managers should encourage teleworking among their employee so as to improve the organisation’s brand. Keywords: Employee’s Brand Ambassador, Employee’s Engagement, Teleworking. JEL CODE: M1

VALUE CHAIN AND RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE 4IR: ANALYSIS FROM THE AGRO-ALLIED SECTOR

Scholars and professionals have recently called for the need to look at how value chains affect risk management in the agro-allied industry. Therefore, in response to this call for empiricism, the present study is conducted. In achieving this, the descriptive survey method was applied, inculcating Five (5) randomly selected Agro-allied firms in Enugu State, Nigeria as its study respondents. They include - Enugu San Carlos Farms Limited; Link-Chris Global & Agro Resource Nigeria Limited; Veggie-fresh Farms Enterprise; San Savannah Oil Limited; and Tropical Veterinary Consult Limited. The criteria in selecting the firms were on the basis which included their economic contributions to the state, number of years in service delivery, and product/produce viability. These criteria permit a valid generalization of the research findings. The Regression statistical tools of the statistical package for social sciences used in testing the hypotheses yielded the following results: r = 0.767; F = 62.720; t = 7.920; p = 0.05. These show that the agro-allied enterprises under study had more effective and substantial risk management as a result of the value chain network that was put in place. Thus the conclusion emphasizes that the value chain promotes and supports the risk management of agro-allied businesses as well as the region in which they operate economically

A critical Analysis of Collective Bargaining Extension Mechanisms in the Public Sector in Botswana: A critical Analysis of Collective Bargaining Extension Mechanisms in the Public Sector in Botswana

The widespread emphasis on democratic governance makes it relevant for social partners to view collective bargaining as a significant means for joint work regulation. Collective bargaining promotes workers’ voice and creates symbiotic relations between employers and trade unions. The study focused on the aspect of collective bargaining extension mechanisms. The study encompasses group of workers covered and those excluded from collective agreements (not necessarily unionised workers), parties involved, extension of collective agreements, workers with the right and without the rights bargaining. The study was qualitative in nature, with a sample size of 15 participants from the public service. Participants were selected using purposive sampling method. The findings of the current study revealed that when a decision is made, government, as the employer, takes a holistic approach and extends the benefits to all government employees, including those who are unionised and non-unionised, as well as management and disciplined forces. It has become apparent that though extension mechanisms are not documented nor provided for in the law, there is a default erga omnes effect of collective bargaining agreements in the public sector

CARBON ACCOUNTING IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Carbon accounting in the circular economy became a priority for the professional organisations because climate changes are an important issue on  international level and carbon emissions are increasing across the globe. Research on carbon accounting is a new area, but public or private entities must quantify their greenhouse gas emissions in order to reduce operational costs, and to improve operational efficiency. Carbon accounting and professional organisations can provide leadership and explain what needs to change within organisations in order to achieve carbon emission reductions at the pace and scale that is required. IASB (International Accounting Standards Board) is actively seeking to embed carbon accounting into current accounting practice and to develop standards for reporting on carbon emissions. Professional accountants will play a central role in helping managers to integrate climate and other environmental and social value into traditional reporting. The governments and professional organisations are working together in preparing for and delivering carbon reduction and net zero targets. The European Union has already set targets to reduse greenhouse gas emissions by 2050