AN ASSESSMENT OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN THE LIBRARIES OF SOUTH-WESTERN, NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

The paper examines the extent of disaster preparedness in libraries of three South-western Nigerian universities. The survey research method was adopted, randomly administering on a ratio of 1:1:2:3, eighty (80) copies of the questionnaire to staff members of four university libraries. A 73% response rate was recorded and simple frequency tables, Likert Scale aided with summative indexing and Chi square test were used for analyzing the collated data. Four research questions were answered with three universities selected for the population study. There were fifty-eight respondents, made up of 30 males (51.7%) and 28 (48.3%) females.Disaster Likelihood Index (DLI) was used to measure propensity to disaster and of the seven indicators, water leakages (3.89) and faulty power supply (3.15) having the highest index scores, are the most probable sources of disaster. In addition, results reveal that the most available disaster management utilities are fire extinguishers, emergency exits and smoke detectors in the libraries with 90%, 75.9% and 72.4% respectively. The availability of smoke detectors however varies significantly across the libraries and is most available in the Kenneth Dike Library. The level of preparedness was also measured with three main indices, namely: maintenance (MI), adequacy (AdI) and awareness (AwI) of disaster management measures, each with its checklist of indicators. With the mean MI, AdW and AwI being 3.17, 3.03 and 2.82 respectively, awareness on disaster management measures is the lowest scoring index of preparedness, and knowledge of emergency numbers has the least AwI (2.31) among its indicators. The study recommends among others, the installation of utilities like smoke detector, emergency exit doors conspicuously indicated,awareness campaign as well as regular staff training on disaster management, to increase the level of preparedness in all the university libraries

EXPLORING LEARNING EXPERIENCES OF FIRST-GENERATION NIGERIAN GRADUATE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN: EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, TRANSITIONS, ADJUSTMENTS, AND ACCESS TO LEARNING SERVICES

This thesis suggested that success in a host institution’s work with international graduate students requires that university learning services intersect well with students’ peculiarities and needs. Numerous researchers have attempted to determine the weighty issues international students face (Andrade, 2006; Gu, Schweisfurth & Day, 2010; Hanassab, 2006; Leary, Hotchkiss & Robb, 2016; Sherry, Thomas & Chui, 2010). However, most have not considered the regional educational distinctions, particular institutional contexts, or students’ backgrounds from previous learning orientations or countries of origin. There has been limited work to solicit feedback and recommendations from students concerning how their most significant problems might have been solved in a manner to have adequately addressed the challenges they have faced. There is the assumption that institutional awareness of the needs of students enhances the design of befitting programs and services (Strange, 2010) and thus increase the universities’ capacities to retain international students through to the successful completion of their studies (Leary et al., 2016). Thus, this research investigated the learning experiences of first-generation Nigerian graduate students at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) and examined how learning services were perceived to match their needs. By qualitative methods, including interviews and focus groups with Nigerian students and student service personnel, the study established knowledge of the educational identity, transitions, and adjustment needs, and challenges of these students and those directly assigned to support them. The study affirmed the awareness of and access to the University’s learning services and assessed how these services matched the needs of these students. The researcher analyzed the findings of this study using theoretical frameworks in students’ success, students’ persistence, and principles and strategies of good practice in student services. Also, the researcher presented findings from this study along with implications for enhanced provision of student services, as well as to guide faculty in means to better know their students. The study presented implications for theory, practice, and policy, and concluded with the researcher’s suggestions for further research

Information and communication technology and educational services management at a Ugandan university

This thesis focuses explicitly on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a strategy for delivering effective management of educational services in a cross-section of educational institutions, inclusive of universities. University of Uganda (UNU)1 , in Uganda, is taken as a case study where ICT was introduced with the primary aim of improving effectiveness in the delivery of educational services. ICT has become a tool of great importance in today’s business in all spheres of life globally. From commerce to aeronautics, medicine to education, the daily use of ICT is vital to the success of the business. In the area of higher education management, ICT use is of central significance as universities of the contemporary world cannot afford to ignore the role of that ICT plays in the running of their institutions as a business and, as such, need to ensure they are not left behind by the developments. Therefore, as a matter of necessity, the universities are required to embrace ICT adoption in teaching/learning and administrative activities. This study discusses the concept of ICT, perceptions of stakeholders in the effectiveness of ICT adoption, educational services management and ICT and strategies for effective ICT use in educational services management.Educational Management and LeadershipD. Ed. (Education Management

Children's voices on the impacts of oil exploration activities: a case study on the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

Children are a unique and highly diverse group of people within society. However, engaging with children s voices has only recently become prominent in academic and international discourses. This thesis contributes to this engagement with children s voices by focusing on their experiences as shaped by oil extraction activities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. While there is a vast body of literature on the implications of oil exploration activities in the region, little attention has been paid to children's lives. To counterbalance this tendency, this study aims to explore children's perceptions, experiences, and coping strategies in relation to the challenging circumstances of oil exploration operations in their communities. Adopting a critical perspective that views children as social actors with basic rights, this study also examines children's access to basic needs within the context of these oil industry operations. This research has used a quantitative and multi-qualitative methodological approach to data collection. Although children s voices are the study's focal point, the perceptions of adult stakeholders such as parents/carers, community leaders and oil company representatives were also used to explore children s lives and synthesize the discussions in the study. The results reveal that, while the Nigerian government has adopted the vocabulary enshrined in the UNCRC to enhance children s access to basic rights, in reality, the actions of the federal government and oil companies appear to be inconsistent with the fundamental principles of children's rights. Specifically, findings reveal that the adverse impacts of oil extraction activities have severely hampered children s lives and that, as a result, children have adopted harmful coping strategies. Additionally, by presenting the voices of children and adults separately, results show that children's views differed significantly from adult's perceptions on matters concerning children. The findings of this study relate the research to some of the key debates in children's geographies about children and childhood, especially within the context of the global South. This thesis argues that children are an integral part of society and that any meaningful strategy for development in the Niger Delta region must take into account their roles as social actors. Moreover, it must fully acknowledge the specific impacts that oil exploration activities have had on the lives of children in the communities affected and examine how these might be addressed

Consumer Health Information Needs, Seeking and Searching Behavior By Rural Residents in the Kachia Grazing Reserve, with a Focus on Vector-borne Diseases

Information is considered the basic material for making decisions. People from all walks of life have information needs for business and personal use. Consumer Health Information (CHI) is an emerging form of information made accessible to the layperson. It is a simplified form of information from the types of information available to medical professionals. This study examines the health information behavior of the residents of one region in the Kachia Grazing Reserve (KGR) located in the North West of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. This dissertation explores the health information needs, seeking and searching behavior of the residents of selected communities that are affected by two vector-borne fly diseases in Nigeria. Insects such as flies are responsible for the transmission of diseases to humans, including trypanosomiasis, caused by the tsetse fly, and malaria, caused by mosquitos. These flies are commonly found in and affect mostly rural dwellers in Nigeria. This study investigates some of the broader contextual issues that may influence consumer health care needs as well as seeking-searching behavior. It asks participants whether they believe their health information needs are being met or not. The study applied a qualitative approach to sampling 50 adult participants. It relied on a triangulation data collection method using a questionnaire, interview instrument, and focus group discussion. NVivo version 12 was used in the data analysis to create a coding scheme following the stages of open, axial, and selective coding processes to develop a grounded theory of rural residents’ information behaviors. The findings of the research revealed various health information needs and seeking behavior the rural residents engaged in; it also revealed the factors that influenced their seeking and searching activities. Furthermore, the findings highlighted the information sources they used and the problems associated with the information-seeking and searching process. The model that was inductively derived from the grounded theory data analysis explains further in detail the strategies and processes members of the community use in their health information-seeking and health-searching behavior

Responsible AI in Africa

This open access book contributes to the discourse of Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) from an African perspective. It is a unique collection that brings together prominent AI scholars to discuss AI ethics from theoretical and practical African perspectives and makes a case for African values, interests, expectations and principles to underpin the design, development and deployment (DDD) of AI in Africa. The book is a first in that it pays attention to the socio-cultural contexts of Responsible AI that is sensitive to African cultures and societies. It makes an important contribution to the global AI ethics discourse that often neglects AI narratives from Africa despite growing evidence of DDD in many domains. Nine original contributions provide useful insights to advance the understanding and implementation of Responsible AI in Africa, including discussions on epistemic injustice of global AI ethics, opportunities and challenges, an examination of AI co-bots and chatbots in an African work space, gender and AI, a consideration of African philosophies such as Ubuntu in the application of AI, African AI policy, and a look towards a future of Responsible AI in Africa. This is an open access book

Industrial conflict in Nigerian universities : a case study of the disputes between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN)

ABSTRACT This thesis examines the prolonged industrial conflict between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN). This thesis provides a historical and sociological account of the origins, development, primary causes, and effects of this industrial conflict in Nigerian universities. Data was sourced from both primary and secondary (documentary) sources and analysed using comparative historical analysis, theoretical analysis and secondary analysis. The thesis concludes that the ongoing industrial conflict between ASUU and the FGN can be understood as having the features of a class dispute and that it entails both economic and political factors. Besides domestic factors directly affecting the disputes (e.g. low wages and conditions of service, poor and erratic funding, rising student population and weak institutional autonomy), this study revealed that external factors (particularly the effects of Nigeria’s macroeconomic policies) contributed to the intensity of the disputes. Moreover, it is argued that historical antecedents, especially the colonial legacies of ethnicity, regionalism, weak legitimacy, corruption and autocracy have helped to shape the growth and development of the higher education system in Nigeria, and therefore of these disputes. Regarding the effects of the crisis, findings reveal that the poor emolument of academic staff coupled with the deterioration in teaching and learning facilities have contributed to the ‘brain drain’ from Nigerian universities, that is, the migration of staff, students and other professionals from the country in search of better opportunities abroad. Consequently, this thesis concludes that the factors affecting the industrial disputes between the ASUU and the FGN have been largely propelled by historical, economic and political factors which have become institutionalised and embedded in the Nigerian polity so that the disputes will continue to be difficult to resolve

Strategies for Growing and Sustaining Successful Small Businesses

Small business manufacturing enterprises represent viable means of creating employment, stimulating economic growth, and accelerating development. Many newly formed small business enterprises do not continue beyond 5 years after formation. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by small business manufacturing leaders in Lagos, Nigeria to sustain their businesses, using general systems theory as the conceptual framework. The sample comprised 3 small business leaders who have sustained their business enterprises beyond 5 years after formation in Lagos, Nigeria. The data collections were through semistructured, in-person interviews and the review of business feasibility and planning documents, handbills and contract documents. The results from computer-aided qualitative data analysis, methodological triangulation of the data sources, and Rowley\u27s 4 step analysis led to the emergence of 10 major themes: minimizing debt and overhead expenses, proper record keeping, skills, and expertise are essential for small business success. Small business leader participants in the study achieved longer-term successes by engaging in research, strategic planning, and preparation before launching their business ideas. Applications of findings from this study might influence positive social change if future and current small business leaders\u27 implementation of the strategies identified leads to the longer-term success of their business enterprises. Successful business enterprises provide continued employment for the business leaders and their employees, better living standards for the community by offering goods and services, and enhanced quality of life for the community because the government can now provide improved social amenities with increased tax revenues

6th International Conference on Libraries (ICOL) 2017 “Towards Lean Libraries”

The International Conference on Libraries (ICOL2017) held in Penang, Malaysia on 2-3 August 2017, was the sixth international ICOL conference, a once-every-two-years opportunity that provides platform for participants and presenters to access the best information, discover new ideas and network with people in the profession. More than 20 abstracts submitted by interested authors, however, after being reviewed, only 18 papers have been accepted. Two accepted papers were withdrawn by their authors by the time of publishing. There were two speakers sponsored by the vendors who gave inputs on topics relevant to the conference but not included in this proceeding. A total of 14 full papers are included in this publication which covers the section of Managing Libraries; Creativity and Innovation; Right Tool at the Right Time and Improve while Reduce

Admission Crisis In Nigerian Universities : The Challenges Youth And Parents Face In Seeking Admission

The need for access to university education has recently become vital in Nigeria as a result of an increase in the college-age population and an awareness of the role of university education in the development of the individual as well as the nation. Recent admission policies of Nigerian universities have been dissatisfactory to the Nigerian public as many applicants and parents go through difficulties while seeking admission for limited available spaces in the universities. Universities take the task of admission of students into the academic system seriously, using the guidelines set by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The National Universities Commission (NUC), which regulates university education in terms of standards, has set policies based on merit, carrying capacity, catchment areas, and quota for educationally disadvantaged states as criteria for admission into all universities. It has been argued that rather than these policies enhancing access to university education, the criteria restrict access to higher education. Each year, thousands of applicants sit for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations and less than twenty percent (20%) on the average gain admission into the universities. This study reviews research on the historical overview of the Nigerian higher education system, organizational system of Nigerian universities, and scholarly views on the factors (such as inadequate number of universities/absorption capacity in Nigeria, lack of adequate facilities, and shortage of adequate manpower) and admission policies (such as carrying capacity, catchment areas, and quota for educationally disadvantaged states) that are responsible for the admission crisis in Nigeria and have a direct effect on parents and students regarding admission. The review concludes that the above factors and policies are the actual cause of the admission crisis in Nigeria, leading many parents and youth to face difficult challenges in seeking admission