Challenges and Prospects of Indigenous Shipowners’ Participation in Oil Shipment In Nigeria

If Nigeria's  economy  is  essentially  import  based,  then  the  issue  and  fact that her  infrastructure  for  industrial  development   and  export  are  grossly underdeveloped,   when  the  nation   is   having   abundant   national  mineral resources  to  improve  on  her  foreign   earning,  being  a  maritime  and  oil producing nation, Nigeria  is  not gaining enough from this natural  resources due to  the  poor  position   of policy   guiding  the  shipping   trade  and  oil business. In this research work emphasis was laid on indigenous shipping operations in the areas of cargo oil shipment (importation   and exporting) with the necessary policy guiding the operation   in the business i.e.  the National Shipping Policy Act of April, 1987 and the United Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNTAD) code of conduct on conference   lines and the role of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in area of oil shipment as defined by the NNPC policy on oil transportation by sea. Emphasis on the demerits of foreign shipping lines, continued domination of the shipping   trade particularly   in area  of oil  cargo;  the  challenges, prospect and the need of indigenous participation in oil shipment  business, that Nigeria  can use at the benefit of balance of payment  was researched. While, the foreign shipping lines and operators continue to dominate the oil shipment trade in Nigeria even at the turn of the 21st century, Nigeria's corporate   policy   on   shipping   especially   as   it affects her   indigenous operations remains hazy and at best epileptic. This research work in addition unraveled some of the policy and action that have kept Nigerian   Indigenous   Shipping Companies   in a perpetual state of near paralysis and how such avoidable trends could be reversed in favour of growth and development of the Nation in general. DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/77-04 Publication date:July 31st 202

The Dynamics of Ports Reforms in Nigeria: Implications for Sustainable Ports Operations

Over the time Nigeria economy is largely public sector driven, in which the seaports were not left out: managed by Nigerian Port Authority (NP A). With the seaports under the autonomous of NPA were faced with strangulating problems ranging from inefficiency of it services rendered, insecurity of ships and cargo, lack of modern infrastructures, inefficiency of the NPA staff and excess bureaucracy and sharp practice (corporate) these factors make port tariff on import and export higher than they need to be, couple with the technology trend in maritime transport which required huge capital fund. The government call for ports reforms; a reform that will liberalized and deregulate the seaport by the use of concession contract, this mandate the NPA to transfer terminals operators while NPA concentrates to play the role of landlord oversight functions. The government went further to reform the import guidelines procedures and documentation requirement, changing it form Pre-shipment Inspection (PSI) to Destination Inspection (DI). The Seaport reforms which government introduced in 1996 eliminated the crippling delays in the clearance of import goods in the ports. This research study will examine the dynamics of port operations, the contribution of private operator in seaport operations, and services; technological development: considering the variable attached to seaport operations. Furthermore, this research analyze private sector capital investment in port and maintenance of infrastructures, superstructures and the contract of concession with other practicing nations, while from drawn questionnaire and secondary data the research will examine how and if Nigeria will benefit in the area of capacity building, physical development and if at all there is competition among the terminal operators considering there role in the concession regime. Finally, emphasis and comparison will be laid on cargo throughout, ship tum around, clearing procedures and port charges with the involvement of private participation. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/11-7-01 Publication date:August 31st 202

Les intermédiaires en développement en Afrique subsaharienne : analyse comparative de Cotonou et de Lomé

La présente thèse porte sur les acteurs au sein des organisations non gouvernementales locales (ONG) qui, dans la configuration actuelle de l’aide internationale au développement, jouent un rôle de relais ou d’intermédiaires entre donateurs internationaux et populations bénéficiaires en Afrique subsaharienne. En analysant les trajectoires professionnelles de 32 femmes et hommes « leaders » dans des ONG de Cotonou (Bénin) et de Lomé (Togo), la thèse se propose d’appréhender les processus sociaux à travers lesquels ces individus deviennent intermédiaires dans les activités de développement. La recherche s’inscrit dans une approche théorique construite à la rencontre entre la perspective orientée vers l’acteur en socioanthropologie du développement, la sociologie de l’individuation et le paradigme des parcours de vie. La thèse prend également une posture comparative en contrastant, d’une part, les trajectoires professionnelles des intermédiaires du Bénin et du Togo, deux pays ayant connu entre les années 1990 et début 2000 des « destinées » opposées en ce qui a trait à leurs rapports avec les bailleurs de fonds étrangers. D’autre part, l’analyse compare deux générations d’intermédiaires et contraste l’expérience des intermédiaires féminins et masculins. L’analyse montre qu’en premier lieu, les conférences nationales en 1990 au Bénin et en 1991 au Togo ont constitué un tournant important dans les trajectoires professionnelles des intermédiaires dans les deux pays, créant subséquemment, d’un côté, un contexte favorable aux intermédiaires du Bénin, et de l’autre, un environnement délétère pour ceux du Togo. Toutefois, au cours des dix dernières années, ces différences de conditions de travail se sont beaucoup atténuées et les défis relevés par les intermédiaires dans les deux pays sont à nouveau similaires; les contextes actuels sont caractérisés par un soutien étatique au minima, un champ d’activités très concurrentiel et politisé, une professionnalisation du champ, et une forte dépendance vis-à-vis des bailleurs de fonds extérieurs. En second lieu, l’analyse des récits de vie a permis de ressortir quatre types de profils des intermédiaires au moment où ils intègrent le champ des ONG : les « reconvertis », les « nouveaux diplômés des années 1990 », les « carriéristes », et les « activistes ». La comparaison générationnelle suggère en outre que les deux premiers types décrivent mieux les intermédiaires ayant commencé leurs activités avant les années 2000, alors que les « carriéristes » sont pour l’essentiel des intermédiaires de la jeune génération qui intègre le domaine de l’intermédiation après 2000. Aussi, la recherche montre que pour entrer, mais surtout « durer », dans le champ des ONG ces individus utilisent divers réseaux politiques et associatifs et savent « manœuvrer », notamment en choisissant une « thématique porteuse », en veillant à maintenir une constante « visibilité » ou en ayant recours à des formations continues pour acquérir ou consolider des compétences recherchées par les bailleurs de fonds. Par ailleurs, l’analyse des trajectoires professionnelles féminines a révélé qu’alors que le poids des responsabilités familiales a fait que les « pionnières » de l’intermédiation sont entrées de façon tardive dans une profession dominée par les hommes, et se sont toutes focalisées sur des thématiques liées directement aux droits des femmes, les parcours de leurs cadettes sont bien différents. Ces dernières ne travaillent pas dans le traditionnel domaine du « genre », et même si elles reconnaissent aussi leurs difficultés à concilier responsabilités professionnelles et devoir familial, elles ne sont pas prêtes à mettre de côté leur carrière et ont une perception très différente de leurs aînées des rôles genrés au sein de la famille.This dissertation focuses on individuals in local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who, in the current configuration of international development, act as relays or intermediaries between international donors and recipient populations in sub-Saharan Africa. By analyzing the careers of 32 female and male "leaders" in NGOs in Cotonou (Benin) and Lomé (Togo), the dissertation aims to understand the social processes through which these individuals become intermediaries in the development arena. The research mobilizes a theoretical approach that combines the actor-oriented perspective in socio-anthropology of development, the sociology of individuation and the life course paradigm. This thesis also takes a comparative approach, first, by contrasting the careers of development intermediaries from Benin with those from Togo, two countries that experienced in the 1990s and early 2000s opposite fates in terms of their relations with international donors. Also, the analysis compares two generations of intermediaries and contrast the experiences of male and female intermediaries. The analysis shows that, first, the Benin National conference of 1990 and the one in Togo in 1991 were turning points in the careers of intermediaries in both countries, by creating a supportive working environment for intermediaries in Benin, and, on the opposite, a deleterious context for those in Togo. However, over the past decade, these differences in working conditions have dwindled, and the challenges faced by intermediaries in both countries are once again similar; the current contexts are characterized by a limited state support, a very competitive and politicized working environment, a professionalization of the field, and a strong dependence toward external donors. Second, four types of intermediaries’ profiles at the time they enter the NGO sector emerged from the life history analysis: the "converted", the "new graduates of the 1990s," the "careerists" and the "activists". Generational comparison shows that the first two types best describe the intermediaries that started their activities before 2000, while "careerists" are mostly intermediaries from the younger post-2000 generation. The research also shows that in order to enter, and more importantly to "last", in the NGO sector these individuals use various political and associative networks and develop various strategies such as choosing a “fashionable” field of interest, remaining “visible”, and constantly seeking trainings in order to acquire “marketable” expertise. In addition, the analysis of women's professional trajectories revealed that while “pioneers” female intermediaries entered the male dominated NGO sector late in their life due to their familial obligations and all worked in the area of women's rights, the experience of their younger counterparts are quite different. The latter work outside the traditional “gender” arena; and, although they also have difficulties reconciling work and family duties, they are not ready to give up their career, and they have very different perceptions of gender roles within the family than their older counterparts

Rights-Based Collaborative Approaches for Gender-Responsive Financial Inclusion in the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for Sustainable Development

At its 18th Ordinary Session in 2012, the African Union adopted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) among 54 Member States (approximately 1.3bn people), allowing free movement of people, goods and services and removing tariffs by up to 90% on goods over a 10 year period for the least developed countries. Designed to leverage collaborative policies, economize production, infrastructure development, information sharing and financial and market integration, if successful, AfCFTA will achieve a GDP of ca. US$3.4bn. In June 2022, the World Bank projected that women’s wages would rise by 11.2$450bn in the next decade - void of neocolonial interference – and realize the goal of lifting 30 million Africans out of extreme poverty, prioritizing women’s access to local, regional and bilateral development finance; as well as what measures could be taken to manage the cultural and language barriers to trade across Lusophone, Francophone and Anglophone Africa

Active transmission of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense Dutton, 1902 sleeping sickness in Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria

Active surveillance of Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness was undertaken in 3 agrarian villages in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Card Agglutination Trypanosomiasis Test (CATT) was used qualitatively for mass screening with undiluted fresh whole blood (WB) and quantitatively for diagnosis in serum dilution tests. Thereafter, palpation for enlarged cervical lymph gland (ECLG) was followed by parasitological examination of aspirate using wet film, haematocrit centrifugation technique (HCT) and mini-anion exchange centrifugation technique (mAECT). Only one confirmed case of sleeping sickness was diagnosed out of the 491 samples screened. The results showed 43 (9.8%) serological positive cases in WB/ CATT test. 12 (27.9%) suspected cases that reacted at &lt1/4 titre in serum dilution test were highly suspected serological positive but parasitological negative cases. The study indicates that there is ongoing active transmission of Gambian type sleeping sickness in Abraka focus of Nigeria. The highly suspected cases will be followed up. Many cases might have gone undetected and more villages within the same focus were not covered. Moreover, a large-scale multi-disciplinary disease surveillance, vector and animal reservoir studies are required to determine the true situation of HAT in this focus. KEY-WORDS: Transmission, Gambian Trypanosomiasis, Screening, Blood, Serum, Diagnosis

Impact of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum on haematological parameters of pregnant women at first antenatal visit in South-western Nigeria

Background: Pregnant women in malaria-endemic areas are at high risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection and its complications. This study investigated the impact of asymptomatic P. falciparum on haematological parameters of pregnant women at first antenatal visit in south-western Nigeria.Methods: Hospital-based cross-sectional evaluation of 130 asymptomatic pregnant women was conducted. Plasmodium infection was diagnosed using Giemsa-stained blood smear microscopy and rapid diagnostic test, while haemoglobin levels (Hb), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), white blood cells (WBC) count, red blood cell (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were determined using semi-automated haematology analyser.Results: Multigravid pregnant women presented more during their second trimester. Overall malaria prevalence in the sampled population was 14.6%. Prevalence of malaria parasitaemia was highest (68.4%) in the second trimester. P. falciparum infected pregnant women had significantly lower mean values of packed cell volume (PCV), haematocrit (Hb), and total white blood cell (WBC) compared to non-infected  individuals  (t = -4.07, p= 0.001; t = 3.30, p = <0.001; t = -2.77, p <0.001).Conclusion: There is asymptomatic P. falciparum infection in the study area and this may form a reservoir for transmission. Pregnant women infected with malaria parasites exhibited important changes in haematocrit level, haemoglobin concentration, and total white blood cells. Use of anti-malaria therapy and insecticide-treated bed net would result in greater haematological benefits

Obstetric analgesia for vaginal birth in contemporary obstetrics: a survey of the practice of obstetricians in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Contemporary obstetrics in sub-Saharan Africa is yet to meet the analgesic needs of most women during child birth for a satisfactory birth experience and expectedly, obstetricians have a major role to play in achieving this. METHODS: This was a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study of 151 obstetricians and gynecologists that attended the 46th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON) held in Abakaliki, southeast Nigeria in November, 2012. SOGON is the umbrella body that oversees the obstetric and gynecological practice in Nigeria. Data was collated and analyzed with Epi-info statistical software, and conclusions were drawn by means of simple percentages and inferential statistics using Odds Ratio, with P-value < 0.05 at 95% Confidence Interval (CI) taken to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the 151 participants, males predominated; 110 (72.9%) practiced in government-owned tertiary hospitals in urban locations. Only 74 (49%) offered obstetric analgesia. Among users, only 20 (13.3%) offered obstetric analgesia routinely to parturients, 44 (29.1%) sometimes and 10 (6.6%) on patients’ requests. The commonest analgesia was opioids (41.1%). Among non-users, the commonest reasons adduced were fear of respiratory distress (31.1%), cost (24.7%) and late presentation in labour (15.6%). CONCLUSION: The routine prescription and utilization of obstetric analgesia by obstetricians in Nigeria is still low. Obstetricians are encouraged to step up its use to make childbirth a more fulfilling experience for parturients

Occurrence of Similar Periods in Geomagnetic Field Variations and Solar Activity

The periodicities associated with some geomagnetic field parameters under quiet and disturbed solar conditions have been examined using a set of data spanning through five years obtained courtesy of INTERMAGNET network. Hourly values of the Horizontal component of the geomagnetic field simultaneously obtained at seven INTERMAGNET stations were engaged in the study. The stations were well distributed across the latitudes, viz: Bangui, 4.4°N; Kourou, 5.1°N; Alibag, 18.6°N; San Juan18.1°N; Crozet, 46.4°S; Barrow, 71.3°N; Scott &nbsp;Base, 77.9°S). Solar quiet daily variation Sq, Superposed Magnetic field SPMF and Solar disturbance daily variation SD in the horizontal magnetic field component were evaluated and studied for their spectral characteristics. The spectral analysis revealed the periods of 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and 16 months in the geomagnetic field variations. The observed periodicities were explained in terms of associated solar terrestrial processes. This clearly shows the influence of an extra terrestrial source (the Sun) on terrestrial processes. Sun is the undisputable driver of space weathe