Seasonal distribution of major diseases among sheep and goats in selected sub humid areas in Nigeria

This study into the diseases responsible for the uneven distribution of goat and sheep in the sub humid areas in Nigeria as one of the major hinderances in sheep and goat production despite the potentiality of this region to sustain small ruminants. A survey of the types and causes of major diseases of small ruminants was carried out in Edo State of Nigeria which presents variants of climatic conditions that cut across the humid areas of Nigeria and Africa. The study covered a period of five years (1997‐2002) in three local government areas of the state. A total of 316 small ruminants’ cases of major diseases made up of 25 cases in sheep and 291 cases in goats were recorded. Pneumonia contacted by the ruminants was 17%, helminthosis was 10% and was 6% as the most predominated diseases that occurred during the wet seasons than the period of dry season. Mange was high during the dry seasons and seemed to be confined almost exclusively to goats. Statistical analysis using a three‐factor analysis of variance revealed that seasonal distribution of diseases was a significant factor (p<0.05), diseases and the type of the small ruminant that contacted the diseases were significant factor (p<0.05). Most of the major diseases were frequently contracted during the wet seasons. In the Humid areas, there is need to sensitize farmers about ruminants’ health care management programmes especially intensive feeding method during wet season and deworming during onset or immediately after the wet season against gastro intestinal parasites as well as the improvement of indigenous breed through semi intensive management system by the farmers.Key words: Diarrhoea related diseases, symptoms, seasons, sheep and goats, sub humid, veterinary records, Nigeri

65The Nexus Between Talent Management and Organizational Commitment: An Empirical Evidence of a Private University in Southwest Nigeria

Sustainability of organizational activities depends largely on the commitment of the talented workforce involved. Talented employee’s organizational commitment lies on talent management practices embraced by the management of such an organization. This empirical study seeks to establish the relationship between talent management practices (talent attraction, talent development and talent retention) and organizational commitment (affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment). Six (6) point Likert scale questionnaires were administered to the members of faculty of the University identified for the study. The data gathered were analyzed and results revealed positive significant relationships between talent management practices and organizational commitment. Talent development was identified by Friedman Rank correlation as the most predicting factor of faculty’s organizational commitment. It was thus recommended in the study, that management of organizations should create enabling environment through various strategies such as wage increase, good working condition and incentives etc., in order to combat the high rate of turnover confronting educational sector of the economy. Areas for further studies were also suggested

Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Diversity Management in Nigeria Breweries in Oyo State, Nigeria

Cases of ethnic bias and other forms of discrimination still take places in organizations during hiring, promotion and other employer-employee relation practices. Hence, managements are faced with the big challenge of managing its diverse workforce and emotional intelligence of their employees. This study investigated the impact of emotional intelligence on diversity management in Nigeria Breweries Oyo State. A total of 100 staff in Nigeria Breweries Oyo State in which 55 (55.0%) were male while 45 (45.0%) were female. The study was a survey which employed Descriptive research design and questionnaire was used to obtain the relevant data. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson rho Correlation and Regression Analysis with the application of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. The results showed that that there is joint significant relationship between emotional intelligence on diversity management It was recommended that emotional intelligence concept would integrate the development programs and job-related training provided to employees to improve their skills, providing a foundation for practicable knowledge

Transactional Leadership Style and Employee Job Satisfaction among Universities' Guest Houses in South-West Nigeria

This article seeks to establish the relationship that exists between the dimension of transactional leadership style and job satisfaction among employees in Universities’ guesthouses in the hospitality sector of the economy. Quantitative cross sectional research design was adopted for the study. The correlation result reveals that contingent reward of transactional leadership style have weak positive relationship on the employee job satisfaction with 0.267 at Pvalue less than 0.05 level of significance, thus prompting the acceptance of alternative hypothesis

CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE FADAMA II PROJECT TO AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

The National Fadama Development Project (FADAMA II) was an idea conceived by the World Bank, Africa Development Bank and Federal Government with active involvements of the State and Local governments as quick and sustainable agriculture and rural development strategy targeted at dry sea- son farming activities and related agro–processing and marketing. This study was carried out to as- sess the contributions of Fadama II project to aquaculture development in Ogun State, Nigeria. 120 fish farmers were selected using multi-stage sampling techniques and structured, pre-tested and vali- dated interview guides to elicit information from fish farmers. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that majority of the respondents were male (60.8%), married (84.2%), cultured Clarias spp. only (62.5%) and also had large household sizes (63.3%), secondary education (44.2%), source of aquaculture messages was mainly from telephone (GSM-66.7%) and extension guides/bulletins (75.8%), and generated large annual fisheries’ income from Fadama aquaculture (65.8%). Fadama II project had contributed positively to acquisition of pro- ductive asset, poverty reduction, increased income, rural infrastructure, provision of input supports, project management, reduced fish culture period, increase in overall fish yield, expansion of fishery business, improvement in livelihood, and demand-responsive advisory services. The results also showed that majority of the fish farmers considered both lack of finance and high cost/lack of construc- 2 tion equipment as serious factors affecting their fish farming. The results of Chi-square analysis (X ) revealed that there was a significant relationship between the Fadama II project and aquaculture de- velopment in provision of Pilot Assets Acquisition Support (X2 = 52.050; P<0.05). Based on the find- ings, it was recommended that more Fadama facilitators should be employed to provide technical knowledge to fish farmers on how to use some equipment and on how to improve their fish farming business and productivity

Screening African rice (Oryza glaberrima) for tolerance to abiotic stresses: I. Fe toxicity

AbstractIron (Fe) toxicity is recognized as one of the most widely spread soil constraints for rice production especially in West Africa. Oryza glaberrima the cultivated rice species that originated from West Africa is well-adapted to its growing ecologies. The aim of this study was to identify the promising O. glaberrima accessions tolerant to Fe toxicity from the 2106 accessions held at the AfricaRice gene bank. The screenings were conducted over a four-year period and involved evaluating the entries under Fe-toxic field conditions in West Africa, selecting good yielding accessions and repeating the testing with newly selected lines. Three accessions (TOG 7206, TOG 6218-B and TOG 7250-A) were higher yielding than O. sativa checks under stress but with similar yields under control conditions. These accessions yielded over 300g/m2 under both Fe toxicity and control conditions. In conclusion, these materials could be used as donors in breeding programs for developing high yielding rice varieties suited to Fe toxicity affected areas in West Africa

THERMAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL EVALUATIONS OF NEWLY SYNTHESIZED HYBRID URETHANES FROM THEVETIA PERUVIANA SEED OIL

The thermal and antimicrobial properties of air drying polyesteramide-urethanes (hybrid) synthesized from Thevetia peruviana (a tropical and underutilized ornamental shrub) seed oil (TPSO) were evaluated. Physico-chemical characterizations (such as hydroxyl value, iodine value, saponification value, refractive index, inherent viscosity) of the resins were carried out using standard procedures. The polyesteramide was synthesized by reacting N, N'- bis(2- hydroxyethyl) Thevetia peruviana (I-IETA) [a product of aminolysis of TPSO] with Isophoronediisocyanate (IPDI). FTIR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopic methods were used in structural .elucidation of the air dried hybrid urethanes. Antimicrobial activities as well as thermal stability (using TGA and DSC) of the coating films were evaluated. The SEM micrograph of the hybrid film and corrosion inhibitive test was also exa.rilined

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL EVALUATION OF POLYESTERAMIDE RESIN FROM MORINGA OLEIFERA SEED OIL (MOSO) FOR SURFACE COATING APPLICATION

This paper describes the antimicrobial and corrosion inhibitive properties of synthesized polyesteramide resin from Moringa oleifera seed oil (MOSO). N,N'-bis (2-hydroxyethyl) Moringa oleifera oil fatty amide (HEMA) was synthesized via aminolysis from MOSO. The fatty amide obtained from aminolysis (HEMA) undergoes polycondensation reaction with adipic acid to form polyesteramide (MOPEA). The synthesized polyesteramide resin was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), Carbon 13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) spectroscopic analyses and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Selected physico-chemical parameters of MOSO, HEMA and MOPEA were examined. Coating performance, thermal stability and antimicrobial properties of the cured resin (MOPEA) were evaluated

Sorghum head-bugs and grain molds in West and Central Africa: II. Relationships between weather, head-bug and mold damage on sorghum grains

A regional Sorghum Head-Bug and Grain Mold Trial was conducted in 1996 and 1997 by WCASRN in, respectively, 15 and 13 research stations in ten west and central African countries. Empirical relationships between weather factors and head-bug damage on the one hand, and between weather factors and grain mold damage on the other hand, were examined using the “Window” computer program. No significant correlation was found between head-bug damage and those weather factors examined. In the case of grain mold, high relative humidity (RH) during early plant growth (5–40 days after sowing, DAS) on the one hand, and between end of flowering and harvest (65–125 DAS) on the other hand, were the most strongly correlated with mold incidence. The relationships between maximum RH and grain mold scores in the scatter diagrams were clearly non-linear, showing a marked increase in grain mold scores when the RH exceeded a threshold of about 95%. These results are discussed and future research directions are propose

Research partnership and technology exchange

Sorghum is cultivated over wide geographic areas in the Americas, Africa and Asia. Though ICRISAT’s research centers are located at Patancheru in Asia and Bulawayo, Nairobi, Bamako and Niamey in Africa, and there are several special programs at Cali, Colombia in Latin America and with ASARECA to cater to Eastern and Central Africa, it is difficult to serve several areas that need specific agroecological zonal adaptations to varying agroclimates and cropping systems. Research collaborations and partnerships among national, regional and international programs are the best means of meeting developmental needs. Research partnerships are crucial to successful technology exchange. Partnerships could be formal or informal and involve scientists, extension staff and farmers in public institutions, private sector organizations and NGOs. Collaboration and partnership among stakeholders avoid duplication of efforts and bring together comparative advantages to address and solve priority production constraints at relatively low cost. Such associations encourage interaction and exchange of information, knowledge and technologies. This chapter documents ICRISAT’s partnership with public sector institutions, private sector organizations, NGOs and other stakeholders