Path Modelling of Interest in Entrepreneurship Programme, Intention to Start New Business and Employability skills among University Students

The problem that was addressed in this study was how the NUC entrepreneurship curriculum impacted student knowledge to become successful entrepreneurs after graduation to enhance economic growth in Nigeria. Cross-sectional research design was used for this study, and undergraduate students were the unit of analysis. Students that had participated in entrepreneurship programme organized by the university constituted the target population. This study was designed to assess whether entrepreneurship education enhances graduate employability. In other to test the hypotheses raised, the study used a sample of 145 undergraduates students drawn from fourteen (14) departments in three faculties of Samuel Adegboyega University, Nigeria. Data obtained was analyzed using path modelling to test the hypothesized model. Findings from the structural model assessment indicate that Students interest in entrepreneurship positively and directly affects their intention to start new business. Thus, a positive and significant relationship between interest in entrepreneurship programme and intention to start a new business among the sampled students. This implies that every time a student show interest in entrepreneurship training, it increases the students’ intention of starting a new business by 29%. Furthermore, the structural assessment further revealed that showing interest in entrepreneurship programme by the students enhances their employability skills. Consequently, the two hypotheses tested in this study were accepted

Bolstering Worship Behavior of Nigerians through the Engagement of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Pre and Post Covid-19 Pandemic

This study investigates the role of Information Communication Technology in worship behaviour, spiritual connectivity and development pre and post Covid-19 Lockdown. The study examined the opinion of 568 Nigerian respondents, using a questionnaire. Whilst noting through results that most religious people had to depend on the use of several Information Communication Technology devices and available applications to engage in worship of their God, this new art of worship, during the Covid-19 lockdown, has made the art of worshipping their God not only more convenient but provides a new and interesting way of engaging in religious activities. Consequently, respondents strongly believe that Information Communication Technology has helped improve their spirituality and provided understanding that their God can be presented anywhere, as worshippers only need to be connected with their hearts. The result emphasized the irrelevance of hypocrisy and the need for creativity in the use of Information Communication Technology

Incidence of Bacillus Cereus Strain in Food Consumed by School Children in Illorin Metropolis

Foodborne diseases are caused by eating contaminated food. Bacillus cereus is a versatile enterotoxigenic agent of foodborne disease. This study investigated the incidence of Bacillus cereus in food sold within some school premises within Ilorin metropolis and their hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP). Isolation of Bacillus cereus was carried out using food samples collected from some selected school within Ilorin metropolis using Bacara agar. The isolated bacteria were characterized and identified following microbiological techniques. Molecular identification of isolates was done using 16S rRNA sequencing method. Effect of physiochemical parameters (such as incubation period, temperature, pH, UV-light, salt concentration and monosodium glutamate concentration used in cooking) on the growth of the isolates was carried out. Identification of possible points of contamination was assessed from the points of production and sale of foods using well structured questionnaire. Total Bacillus count in food samples sold in all the sampled points within the Local Government Areas was significantly different from each other. Cooked Rice and spaghetti were found to have the highest count (4.42 ± 0.72 to 4.75 ± 0.89 and 4.00 ± 0.99 to 4.17 ± 1.03). All the isolates were confirmed to be Bacillus cereus with accession number OQ235070, OQ235071, OQ235072, OQ235073, OQ235075 and OQ235076 except one confirmed to be B. thuringiensis OQ235074. The isolates were found to have optimum growth between 30 – 35 degree Celcius, pH 3 - 7, incubation period of 12 - 24 hours and hours and maximum growth at 1.0 % monosodium glutamate concentration. Hazard analysis critical control point reveals poor storage system, illiteracy and poor hygienic practices among the handlers. In conclusion, food items sold to school children examined were found to be contaminated with Bacillus cereus

Developing Entrepreneurship among Hearing Impaired People with Technical and Vocational Skills in Rivers State, Nigeria

In Nigeria, hearing impaired people face immense socio-economic difficulties. Due to communication barriers, employers find hiring even those who have completed their education difficult. In light of this, most of them undergo vocational training to acquire vocational skills, hoping they will be meaningfully engaged in job activities to enhance their economic lives. Many hearing-impaired people who possess vocational skills hardly gain employment, and those who have started a business venture or enterprise hardly thrive. The present study investigated entrepreneurship development among hearing impaired people in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study, guided by three research questions, adopted a case study, using interviews and focus group discussions to collect data. The study participants comprised 38 persons. The study's findings showed that communication, building relationships, skillfulness, technology usage, and the ability of relatives to provide support were vital for success in self-employment. It was found that very little has been done by way of activities conducted to develop entrepreneurship for self-employment among hearing impaired students. Furthermore, educational level, medium of vocational training, gender, and family background in entrepreneurship contributed to developing entrepreneurship competencies among the study group. Government intervention, among others, was recommended.                &nbsp

Assessment of the knowledge and uptake of Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine among Pregnant Women in Nguru Town, Nigeria

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and uptake of the tetanus toxoid vaccine among pregnant women in General Hospital, Nguru town. A stratified random sampling technique was adopted to cover 152 pregnant women of different categories. A well-structured questionnaire was used to collect data and the test-retest method was used to check the questionnaire's consistency. The obtained data were statistically analysed and the formulated hypothesis was tested using Chi-square. The results show that Hausa/Fulani (50.7%) and the age bracket 21-25 years (46%) constituted the majority. Also, about 97% of the respondents have an awareness of TT and 76.32 % knew that the TT vaccine is for prevention. Though 91.45% of the respondents have ever received the vaccine in their lifetime, only 13.8% could ascertain when to receive it. About 57% were willing to receive the complete 5 doses, 71.2% were willing to receive at least 2 doses during pregnancy and 52.6% are willing to continue the TT regimen after delivery.Also, the study shows a significant association (P value = 0.022) exists between respondents’ awareness and TT vaccine uptake; hence the null hypothesis is rejected. However, there is no significant association between the level of knowledge and TT vaccine update (p = 0.99). It can be concluded that many respondents have awareness and are willing to take TT vaccine. However, knowledge of when to take the vaccine is inadequate. Hence, to increase TT vaccine uptake level in the area more awareness is recommended

Personality Traits and Social Support as Predictors of Entrepreneurial Preference among Students in a Higher Institution in Ibadan, Oyo State

Graduates unemployment has remained a sticking issue among the Nigerian youths as many universities turned out thousands of graduates every year. Studies have examined several predictors of entrepreneurial preferences with varying results. Therefore, this study investigated personality traits and social support as predictors of entrepreneurial preference among students of a tertiary institution in Ibadan. The study adopted cross-sectional survey design while purposive sampling technique was used to select the Federal College of Agriculture, Moor Plantation, Ibadan. Data were collected from 206 participants using validated questionnaires. Data were analysed using t-test for independent samples and multiple regression analysis while the tested were accepted at a p < 0.05 level of significance. The result indicated that personality traits of extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness to experience and social support jointly predicted entrepreneurial preference among study participants (R2 = 0.32, F (6,198) = 15.58, p < 0.05). Also, the results revealed that extraversion (β = 0.43, t =5.91, p < 0.05) and agreeableness (β = 0.17, t = 2.33, p < 0.05) independently predicted entrepreneurial preference among study participants. Finally, the result showed that social support significantly influenced entrepreneurial preferences (t (203) = 6.25, p < 0.05) among study participants. The study concluded that personality traits and social support are strong predictors of entrepreneurial preference among study participants. It is recommended that the government and various shareholders should profile students while in school and provide social support to encourage them to go into self-employment after graduation

Entrepreneurship Education, Environmental Support and Entrepreneurial Intention: Do Innovativeness and Pro-activeness matter?

Despite the introduction of Entrepreneurship Education in Nigerian Universities system still the country experience low level of entrepreneurial intention and high unemployment among youth graduate. It is in view of these and quests for understanding of the causes underlying Entrepreneurial Intention formation, this study investigate the relationship between Entrepreneurship Education and Environmental support and how they interact with Innovativeness as well as Pro-activeness to form Entrepreneurial Intention. The study randomly selects 284 final year university students to serve as respondent in collecting the primary data.  The study is anchored on Aldrich Howard (1990) Ecological Approach theory to understand the students’ awareness of Entrepreneurship Education, Environmental Support and Entrepreneurial Intention and how the relationship is mediated by Innovativeness and Pro-activeness. The study further employed the use of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Partial Least Square (PLS) version 3, to analyze the data. The results showed that Innovativeness and Pro-activeness simplify how Entrepreneurship Education forms Entrepreneurial Intention. However the result revealed that Environmental support is not directly or indirectly through Innovativeness as well as Pro-activeness related to Entrepreneurial Intention. Based on these result the study recommended that other researchers should employ this proposition with other antecedent of entrepreneurial intention for further proof. The study is further recommend Educators and key members of the society including friends and family should encourage the advancement of an entrepreneurially helpful culture that permits cooperation and exchange of ideas

Development of Academic Warehouse Inventory Management System for Educational Institutions

Inventory control and management are a core in assessing operational efficiencies of organisations. Reasons being that, understocking, overstocking, out-of-stock, material theft, and delivery delays hampers operations of organizations like educational institutions. In developing economies, there is still slow and little adoption of advanced technologies in the services rendered by warehouses of organization including quantity of items held, monitored, recorded and tracked, which are performed manually causing large delays in processing inventory, inaccuracies and inconsistencies of stock records, duplication of stock requests, slow or delays in processing inventories. These renewed the calls among researchers as to the need to properly and securely maintain and control inflows and outflows of items, materials and equipment necessary for effective learning and experiences of the learners. To this end, this paper developed an academic warehouse inventory management system for effective services delivery and prompt responses to needs of the educational institutions. The prototype system was developed using HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL database web programming tools. This offers better speed, accuracy, and security of inventory control and management when compared to manual approach currently in use

Public Procurement Act and Project Time Outcomes in Nigeria

The Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 established the Bureau of Public Procurement to regulate and monitor the public procurement process  to successfully deliver projects in Nigeria. The enactment of the Act has not produced the desired intentions due to a number of factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the operation of the PPA with a view to enhance project outcomes in the Nigerian construction sector. The specific objectives were to find out the level of awareness and compliance with the Act in Nigeria; and to establish the relationship between PPA and the time outcome of construction projects. Descriptive survey research was adopted to carry out this study. The population of the study comprised construction professionals in Lagos, Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to 150 construction professionals selected by purposive sampling technique in the study area. Frequency, percentage, mean score (MS) and standard deviation (STD) were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed moderate awareness and compliance with the Act in Lagos State. The study concludes that although there is moderate awareness and compliance with the PPA, the goals of enactment of the PPA have not been fully realized due to poor project outcomes in terms of time. The implication is that the Act should be revisited to ensure that the provisions and means of enforcement are adequate to realize the goals. It is recommended that continuous awareness of the PPA should still be encouraged to enhance project outcomes. This can be done by adequate publicity of the Act among professionals. Additionally, the government should enforce compliance of the Act in organizations that do not comply. This can be done by scrutinizing contractors’ tender documents to ensure the inclusion of the provisions of the PPA

Vulnerability of Energy Infrastructure to Climate Change in East Africa

The vulnerability of energy infrastructure to climate change in East Africa presents significant challenges and risks that require urgent attention. With the region heavily reliant on hydropower, the impacts of climate variability, such as fluctuating precipitation patternsand extreme weather events, pose a threat to electricity generation and energy security. The 2016 El Niño event in Uganda serves as a poignant example, highlighting how reduced water levels in Lake Victoria led to decreased output from major hydropower plants likethe Owen Falls Dam. Effective policy and regulatory frameworks play a crucial role in enhancing the resilience of energy infrastructure by incentivizing investments in climateresilient technologies, promoting energy efficiency measures, and integrating climate riskassessments into infrastructure planning and operation. International agreements like the Paris Agreement provide a framework for collaboration and coordination among East African countries to address climate change impacts on energy infrastructure and mitigate associated risks. Urgent action is needed to build adaptive capacity and ensure the sustainable development of energy systems in East Africa amidst a changing climate