Multiple Shoots Induction from Indigenous Nigerian Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.)

Aim: The aim of this study is to develop a protocol for in vitro regeneration of a Nigerian indigenous pumpkin (C. pepo L.) via seedling-derived cotelydon, cotyledonary node and hypocotyl explants. Study Design: A combination of 0.00, 1.00, 2.00 and 3.00 mgl-1 of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.00 or 0.05 mgl-1 of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) for each explant type were set up in three replicates making a total of 36 culture vessels in the entire experimental set up. Five explants were cultured per combination. Place and Duration of Study: The work was conducted in the Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory of the Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Technology, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, between January 2017 and July 2017. Methodology: Hypocotyl, cotyledonary node and cotyledon explants derived from 4-week ol

CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACTIVITIES OF A NIGERIAN CEMENT INDUSTRY ON THE ENVIRONMENT

The cement industry and its products are resources that have an impact on the landscape with dust and noise and disruption to biodiversity, sterilization of lakes and forests. There is also the reduction in populations of small invertebrates and decomposers, of agricultural yields, and extensive structural damage by corrosion from the factory. The industry may create employment and business opportunities in the area they are situated. The aim of the study is to identify the key issues of the environmental pollution and contaminants, the composition of the pollutants andcontaminants and hence their effect on living caused by this resource. This study was undertaken at the Lafarge Cement Factory at Ewekoro in South West Nigeria. Samples used in this study were collected at strategic points around the factory. The results from this study showed that the water samples of Ewekoro contained Pb, Zn, and Ni with values higher than the WHO standard values and as such we suggest that the water is not portable for drinking. It is suggested that trees must be planted around the factory to reduce the pollutants. Experimental values of Fe are below the WHO standard (0.300 mg/L) in plants and water samples (0.005 mg/L and 0.030 mg/L respectively) while the values are high in the rock(2.270 mg/L) and in soils (2.720 mg/L) samples. It has been suggested that Montmorillonite ore might be present in the study areas, so we believe that. Montmorillonite could probably be a contributor to the high iron content

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, CORPORATE STRATEGY AND CORPORATE PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS LISTED ON THE NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

The study aimed at proving that corporate governance structures should work in tandem with other stakeholders of the company to fashion a robust corporate strategy for effective corporate performance. Undoubtedly, in most situations board squabble, ineptitude, inconsistent tenure of office during which members engage in arbitrage opportunities and rent seeking activities constitute the bane of achievement of corporate prime objectives. The study availed itself of the secondary data from Nigerian Stock Exchange Fact book where thirty three (33) out of forty eight (48) financial institutions were selected, tabulated and analyzed using Ordinary Least Squared (OLS) rule. A multiple regression model was applied in the analysis of the data. The result provided sufficient evidence of relationship between corporate governance and firm performance. It concluded that a talented board is a corner stone of an effective corporate governance system. Key words: Corporate governance, corporate strategy, corporate performance, earnings management

INTELLIGENT ADVISORY SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING COMPUTER-BASED AUTHENTICATION USERS

Authentication is one of the cornerstones of computer security systems today, and most users of computers interact withthese mechanisms on a daily basis. However, human factor has often been described as one of the weakest part of computersecurity as users of authentication are often identified to be the weakest link in the security chain. In related development ithas been demanding to merge usability with security in the choice of authentication method by computer users. To addressthe serious problem, this paper presents an intelligent advisory system based on artificial neural network that can assist usersof authentication systems on making decision on the authentication method that best suits them.Keywords: Intelligent, Advisory system, Authentication, Human Factor

Corruption and globalization: The interconnections and impact on Nigerian economic development

Introduction: Corruption as well as globalization, has remained key issues of considerable academic and professional concerns owing to their influences on national economic outcomes. These phenomena remained complex concepts with many dimensions on nation’s ambition. In spite of growing recognition of the contributions of globalization to nation’s development, underdeveloped countries continue to benefit minimally due to the interaction with overwhelming levels of corruption. Purpose: This study examined the realism of the intertwined relationship between these phenomena with specific concern on the Nigerian economy. The study critically explored the interconnections between corruption and globalization with specific attention devoted to their overlapping roles in Nigeria’s economic development. Methodology: The paper adopted an exploratory and narrative methodology in which a critic of extant germane studies were done. Results: The study found out that globalization and corruption exerts negative influences on the economic development of Nigeria due to the levels of adoption. Conclusion: The combined impact of low level of adoption of globalization and high rate of corruption is detrimental on all dimensions of Nigeria’s economic prosperity.  Recommendation: Any significant economic growth will require a reversal of the trend, and this can be achieved through concerted efforts to embrace technology and to fight corruption, among others

“Charting the Future: Educational Planning, Leadership and Innovations in Business Education Programme in Nigeria”

The purpose of this paper was to examine the extent to which educational planners,leadership and innovation chart into the future of business education programme inNigeria through bringing up of new ideas, assisting in revisiting curriculum, trainingand retraining of business education lecturers, priorities strategies, evaluate risk inthe programme, etcetera. This paper provided a comprehensive literature review ofbusiness education in Nigeria in the past, present and future, as well as the conceptof educational planning, leadership and innovation. The main aim of this paper wasto give a better understanding on how effective leadership and proper planning canbe achieved by bringing new ideas in business education programme and achievingopportunities now and in the future. By conclusion, for Business Educationprogramme to chart into the future effectively, and to achieve the aim and objectiveto which the programme is designed for, the planners and leadership needs to assist the programme in involving business education expert to develop, review and designinnovative Curriculum content in which skill acquisition as well as practical courses,training and retraining of Business Education Educators, Educational Planners andLeadership should assist in promoting interdisciplinary learning and prioritizingstrategies, ecetera. It was recommended among others that Business educationprogramme should be run independently from other courses of study. Practicalcourses such as the students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) shouldbe fully funded and closely monitored by the expert who will enhance student toachieve practical skills and prepare them for advancement after schooling

Entrepreneurship Education as Panacea For Youth Unemployment: Implication Of Vocational Counselling For Sustainable National Development

One of the many pressing challenges facing Nigeria today is youth unemployment with the ripple effect of their resort to violent crimes. The concern of many educationists and the public in general is to encourage youths to engage in useful livelihood. This paper x-rayed the promotion of entrepreneurship education and vocational counselling in eradicating youth unemployment in the society. An attempt has been made to look at entrepreneurship education based on the goal of the newly introduced senior secondary education curriculum enriched with the aims and objectives of Vocational Counselling. It was concluded that guiding the young people to pursue the right type of entrepreneurship education through effective and continuous vocational counselling is a sure way of eradicating unemployment and will build a more prosperous and advanced country. Some recommendations towards improving entrepreneurship education were also made. Key words: Unemployment, Entrepreneurship Education, Vocational Counselling, Sustainable Developmen

Microbial evaluation and public health implications of urine as alternative therapy in clinical pediatric cases: health implication of urine therapy

BACKGROUND: Cultural means of pediatric treatment during ill health is a mainstay in Africa, and though urine has been known to contain enteric pathogens, urine therapy is still culturally applicable in some health conditions and also advocated as alternative therapy. The study therefore, is to evaluate the microbial contents and safety of urine

Application of Machine Learning Algorithms in Predicting the Toxicity of Chemical Compounds for Safer Pharmaceuticals

The development of safe pharmaceuticals requires accurate and efficient prediction of chemical toxicity to minimize adverse health risks and reduce reliance on costly and ethically challenging animal testing. This study investigates the application of three machine learning (ML) algorithms—Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Linear Regression (LR)—for predicting the toxicity of aromatic chemical compounds. A dataset of 11,001 compounds was curated, preprocessed, and analyzed using molecular descriptors such as molecular weight, lipophilicity, and polar surface area. Model performance was evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and specificity. Results showed that the Linear Regression model performed poorly, with accuracy around 52%, indicating limited suitability for toxicity classification. The SVM model achieved substantially better results, with an accuracy of 80%, demonstrating its effectiveness in capturing nonlinear structure–toxicity relationships. Notably, the Random Forest model outperformed both, achieving perfect classification accuracy (100%) across all metrics, with zero false positives and false negatives. Feature importance analysis revealed that descriptors such as Topological Polar Surface Area and Molecular Fractional Polar Surface Area were key contributors to toxicity prediction. The findings demonstrate that Random Forest is a robust and interpretable tool for early toxicity screening, offering both predictive accuracy and insight into molecular features driving toxicity. By integrating ML models into pharmaceutical research pipelines, drug discovery can be accelerated, costs reduced, and ethical imperatives met by minimizing animal testing. Future work should focus on external validation, hybrid model development, and explainable AI techniques to enhance generalizability and regulatory acceptance