THE IMPACT OF URBAN HOUSING ON NATION BUILDING: MINNA IN PERSPECTIVE

This study assessed the relationship between housing condition and the deterioration of urban physical environmental condition with physical planning variables in Minna town using three residential zones of varying Housing conditions and the intensity of Physical Planning. The data for this study was based on field survey and questionnaire designed to capture the physical environmental condition of housing reflected in density of occupancy, availability of water, sanitation facilities, vehicular accessibility etc, including other physical planning variables such as layout design of the settlements’ building subjected to approve plans and availability of infrastructures. A review of the operation of the Government agency responsible for physical planning and control also yielded significant information. The study indicates that the higher the housing density in the studied area, the lower the intensity of physical planning control and vice versa. Also, the higher the housing density, the higher the deterioration of the physical environment. The study concludes that there is a need for comprehensive research on the issue in order to establish an effective and sustainable intervention for nation-building

THE IMPACT OF URBANIZATION ON EDUCATIONAL LANDUSE IN SULEJA, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Urbanization has impacts on social change and modernization which are parts of a continuum rather than empirically separate issues. Suleja has been surrounded by growing settlements whose influence constantly threatens the infrastructural facilities. There has been difficulty monitoring the extent and rapidity of the changes occurring within the area. The research aimed to assess the changes in educational land use in Suleja between 2009 and 2019 and also to identify the magnitude of the change. 375 questionnaires were administered in a proportion of intervals of houses based on the arrangement in the study area to acquire the socio-economic characteristics of the area. Population data was also used to analyze growth pattern(s) in the area and a field survey was carried to ascertain the numbers of schools in the study area. It was discovered that 4708sqm of land was used for educational purposes as of 2000 and there was an increase to 8552sqm as of 2012 and 127431.8sqm in 2019. The study also noted that the majority of schools within the residential areas are privately owned.  It also noted that the majority of private own schools were within the residential areas. It was therefore recommended that a New Master Plan for Suleja should be developed because the only available one was developed in 1986

AN APPRAISAL OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN MINNA, NIGER STATE: POLICY AND PLANNING IMPLICATION TO NIGERIAN CITIES

Man’s environment is of immense importance and the management of the living environment has great health implications. The activities of man and his interaction with his environment result in the generation of different kinds of wastes. The most obvious is the Solid Wastes. A lot of areas in our cities have become an eyesore due to indiscriminate dumping and poor management of solid wastes. This has led to environmental degradation and pollution.  The management of solid wastes presents particular challenges to city authorities in Nigeria because the volume of wastes generated in different cities has been increasing over the years. This paper, therefore, examines the magnitude of solid waste problems in Nigeria and the challenges of managing these wastes, with a view of assessing the policy and Planning Implication to Nigeria cities

ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RISK OF MINING PONDS IN BUKURU, JOSSOUTH LGC OF PLATEAU STATE

These days there is increased environmental degradation resulting from mining is caused by inappropriate and inefficient work practices and poor measures of rehabilitation. The different stages of activities in mining have their tendencies to adversely affect the environment, the immediate society, the cultural heritage of the host community and health status of miners. This study is aimed at carrying out an assessment of the environmental risk of mining ponds in Bukuru, Jos-South LGC of Plateau State which was achieved through identification and mapping out of the major mining ponds in the study area in relation to land use activities around them and laboratory analysis of water and soil samples of major ponds

Evaluation of the Sensitivity and Specificity of three Rapid Test Kits Used in the Detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) in Public Hospital Niger State, Nigeria

Purpose: The assessment of HIV rapid test kits commonly used was evaluated for optimum performance on the suspected patient. This study aims to determine the sensitivity and specificity of rapid test kits used in public hospitals in Minna, Niger State. Methods: A total of 300 gold positive and gold negative samples were analyzed. Three rapid test kits (Determine, Stat-Pak, and Uni-Gold) were tested against gold standard serum using the method provided by the manufacturers of these kits. Results: Determine kit gave result sensitivity of (100%), specificity (96.5%), while Stat-Pak sensitivity was (99%), specificity (98%) and Uni-Gold sensitivity (100%), specificity (99%). In all Uni-Gold has the highest performance followed by Stat-Pak and lastly, Determine, but the differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: This evaluation provides evidence for reliable rapid test kits for HIV testing in Nigeria. However, the claim by the manufacturers that their kit was 100% sensitive and 100% specific remains doubtful which may be a market strategy. Therefore, it is pertinent on a routine basis to evaluate the rapid test kits in circulation to re-validate their performance before usage for accurate HIV testing

On Models of Tuberculosis with Exogenous Reinfection

A deterministic mathematical model by Feng et. al (2000) for the dynamics of tuberculosis with exogenous reinfection is modified. The old model and the modified model are studied qualitatively. The two models were analysed for existence and stability of disease-free states. It was found that a disease free state exists in each case, which is locally asymptotically stable, an indication that the disease is controllable. Numerical studies show that with treatment, the population of infected people is less in the modified model than the old model, this show that control of TB will be achieve faster with the modified model than with the old model. Keywords: Locally asymptotically stable, Treatment, Disease-free-equilibrium, Tuberculosi

Penetrating abdominal injuries in children: a study of 33 cases

Background: Trauma is gradually becoming a major cause of disability and it can be of any form, physical or emotional. For the surgeon the physical form is of major interest, especially its causes and incidence, which can be influenced by environmental or social factors.Aim: The aim of this work was to study the incidence, etiology, principles of management and outcome of children with penetrating abdominal injuries.Materials and methods: This was a 2-year prospective study of 33 children aged 0–15 years with penetrating abdominal injuries at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in northeast Nigeria. Information obtained included the following: the patient’s biodata, mechanism of injury, time of presentation to the Accident and Emergency Department after the injury, haemodynamic status at presentation, presence or absence of abdominal organ evisceration, presence or absence of associated injuries, the timing of surgery, intraoperative findings, the type of surgical procedure and outcome.Results: Thirty-three (31.4%) children [of whom 24 (i.e. 72.7%) were from the rural areas] of 105 children with trauma-related injuries had penetrating abdominal injuries. The male : female ratio was 3 : 1, and the mean age ± SD was 2.30± 0.81 years. There were 15 (45.4%) children with gunshot wounds, 11 (33.3%) with bomb blast wounds, three (9.1%) with impalement injuries and two (6.1%) with arrow injuries. Fourteen (42.4%) patients had abdominal organ evisceration; of them, nine were as a result of gunshot injuries. Routine exploratory laparotomy was carried out in all 33 patients. Seven (21.2%) were operated on with simultaneous resuscitation in the immediate laparotomy group, and 26 (78.8%) underwent delayed laparotomy. There was a negative laparotomy in four (12.1%) patients, two of whom had only omental evisceration with no other accompanying visceral injuries, and two without evisceration. Three (9.1%) patients died after developing enterocutaneous fistula, compartment syndrome and sepsis.Conclusion: There were more cases of penetrating abdominal injuries among boys and children from the rural areas than in those from urban areas.Keywords: evisceration, exploratory laparotomy, penetrating abdominal injur

Chromatographic and antiproliferative assessment of the aerial root of Ficus thonningii Blume (Moraceae)

Ficus thonningii (Blume) has long history of use for variety of ailments. The hot aqueous extract of Ficus thonningii aerial root (FT) was obtained by infusion. The antiproliferative activity of FT was evaluated using Sorghum bicolor seed radicle over a period of 24 h to 96 h. The mean radicle length (mm), percentage inhibition and percentage growth were calculated. Chemical characterization of FT was done using chromatographic techniques. Thin layer chromatography revealed the presence of β-sitosterol. High performance liquid chromatography showed ten peaks with gallic acid, tannins, caffeic acid, rutin, ferulic acid and morin eluting at 3.530, 3.928, 4.668, 6.706, 7.669 and 18.844 minutes respectively. Compared with negative control, FT at 1 mg/ml to 32 mg/ml significantly (p<0.0001) inhibited S. bicolor seed radicle growth over 24 h-96 h. At 96h, FT dose-dependently inhibited S. bicolor seed growth, giving a percentage inhibition of 20.31%, 24.30%, 31.71%, 53.23%, 78.74%, 95.37% at 1 mg/ml, 2 mg/ml, 4 mg/ml, 8 mg/ml, 16 mg/ml, 32 mg/ml, respectively. Methotrexate 50 µg/ml used as the positive control gave inhibition of 70.62% at 96h. The result revealed the potential of FT to inhibit rapid proliferating cells of S. bicolor seed radicle and by extension cancer cells. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.114365

Characteristics and Planning Challenges of Hilltop Settlements in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria

Jos Metropolis is witnessing rapid urban growth, which in turn puts pressure on development space. From a small mining town of less than 10,000 in 1920, it is now a buzzing state capital of over 1 million people. Hills and valleys that were earmarked in the 1975 and 2009 Master Plansas urban green, parks and conservation corridors are being swamped by low and medium income groups for housing developments resulting into unplanned spatial growth characterized of poor access and lack of basic infrastructure. Settlements on steep slopes and hilltops pose unique planning challenges arising from their topography, costs of construction and extension of social services and public facilities; poor drainage, irregular developments and propensity to environmental hazards. This paper analyzes physical and social characteristics of five sampled hilltop settlements in Jos metropolis. It is recommended that such settlements need special attention not only in terms of their planning but even more so in terms of their management, provision of basic services and infrastructure, integration with other parts of the city. Governments and the planning authorities should provide land for development for the urban poor at desirable locations at subsidized rate as a strategy of prohibiting housing developments on very steep slopes and difficult terrain