131 research outputs found
Consumer Preference for Rice Consumption in Nigeria
Rice consumption is of interest to the Nigerian economy because of the huge amount of foreign exchange being spent on its importation and the consequent depletion of scarce resources on which the level of economic activities and productivity are based. This study was aimed at identifying the quality of rice preferred by Nigerians for rice food recipes and consequently efforts made to improve the quality of locally produced rice to the taste of Nigerians. A total of 23 rice varieties were acquired from experimental fields of National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan and Badegi Rice Breeding Centre in Bida. Consumer preference survey of boiled rice and ‘Tuwo’ foods were carried out in 6 major commercial and traditional cities of Nigeria to determine the quality of rice preferred for boiled rice and ‘Tuwo’ rice foods. The survey was in questionnaire format and was carried out in Bida (Niger State), Zaria (Kaduna State), Maiduguri (Borno State), Benin (Edo State), Port-Harcourt (Rivers state) and Ibadan (Oyo State). Consumers preferred parboiled over unparboiled rice and moderate to flaky rice quality over to soft and sticky rice foods. The rating by taste panelists in Bida, Zaria and Maiduguri metropolis indicated IRAT 112, FARO 15, ITA 117 and ITA 123 were most preferred for ‘Tuwo’ foods, while the least-preferred varieties were ITA 132 and TOX 1768. Consumers also preferred high amylose rice for ‘Tuwo’ to low amylose, sticky rice quality. Also the rating of 6 rice varieties with respect to boiled rice indicated that ITA 117, IART 112 and FARO 15 were most preferred for boiled rice, while TOX 1768 and ITA 132 were the least-preferred in Rivers, Edo, and Oyo States perhaps as a result of people’s preference for flaky rice quality for most of their rice recipes. The results indicated that most Nigerians prefer rice with moderate to high flaky rice quality suggesting that in any rice improvement programme in Nigeria these characteristics should be given a premium.  
DOES QUALITY OF BANK SERVICES LEAD TO CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN THE NIGERIAN BANKING SECTOR?
This study examined a critical question from customers’ perspective: Does quality of bank services lead to customer satisfaction in the Nigerian banking sector? The study is conducted using questionnaire survey administered in Nigeria using customers of some selected banks as sample. The paper uses primary data collected through scientifically developed questionnaires, which were administered on 174 bank customers selected on a convenient basis. The results, based on factor and regression analysis, identified four factors that impact customers’ assessment of the quality of banking services including responsiveness, reliability, tangibility and empathy respectively. The implication of the finding is to enhance the understanding of bank managers and other relevant stakeholders of customers’ perception of the quality of banking services and consequently reveal the path to developing strategies for improving their satisfaction. The study therefore, recommends that the Nigerian banks should make products and services available that best suits the peculiarity of each category of customers and improve the confidence Nigerians have in the banking sector.
 
Predicting Bank Failure in Nigeria using Principal Component Analysis and D-Score Model
In this study, we coupled principal component analysis with discriminant model to predict the probability of bank failure in Nigeria. Our empirical analysis reveals that the warning signal so developed produces a robust result with high prediction accuracy. This is a very promising result as it indicates its invaluable usefulness for regulators in assessing the health status of banks of interest. The analysis of the regression model indicates that the measures of profitability, liquidity, credit risk and capital adequacy are the key predictive financial ratios. In other words, differences in profitability, liquidity, credit risk (asset quality) and capital adequacy (sustenance) are found to be the major distinguishing characteristics between the non-failed (healthy) and failed banks. However, variables for management quality and other bank characteristics like economic conditions and staff productivity are potentially not important predictors of financial problems in Nigerian banks but might make a difference for the group of banks that are facing difficulties. The research methodology employed in this study could be applied to other financial and non-financial sectors of the economy. Keywords: Bank failure prediction, D-score model, principal component analysis, early warning signal, Nigerian banking crisi
EFFECT OF PARBOILING AND COOKING PROCESSES ON THE QUALITY OF NIGERIAN MILLED RICE
This study aimed at identifying factors affecting the cooking quality of rice preferred by Nigerians and consequently to improve the locally produced rice to the taste of Nigerians. A total of 23 rice varieties were acquired from experimental fields of National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan and Badegi Rice Breeding Centre in Bida. Three (3kg) of each sample was parboiled, dried and milled. Cooking tests were done on both parboiled and unparboiled samples to determine water up-take, volume of expansion, gell consistency and solid residue ratio. Parboiled samples took a longer time to cook, had lower water absorption and decreased percentage solid residue. Texture of parboiled cooked rice was fluffy and less moist, cooked separate when compared to unparboiled rice samples
Magnetic properties of submicron Co islands and their use as artificial pinning centers
We report on the magnetic properties of elongated submicron magnetic islands
and their influence on a superconducting film. The magnetic properties were
studied by magnetization hysteresis loop measurements and scanning-force
microscopy. In the as-grown state, the islands have a magnetic structure
consisting of two antiparallel domains. This stable domain configuration has
been directly visualized as a 2x2-checkerboard pattern by magnetic-force
microscopy. In the remanent state, after magnetic saturation along the easy
axis, all islands have a single-domain structure with the magnetic moment
oriented along the magnetizing field direction. Periodic lattices of these Co
islands act as efficient artificial pinning arrays for the flux lines in a
superconducting Pb film deposited on top of the Co islands. The influence of
the magnetic state of the dots on their pinning efficiency is investigated in
these films, before and after the Co dots are magnetized.Comment: 6 pages including figure
Solidarity and Social Behaviour: how did this help communities to manage COVID-19 pandemic?
Purpose – During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns, stay at home or work from home, many have argued that the westernised non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) do not provide remedial in low-income countries like Nigeria, where informal job seekers, street traders, informal labourers and artisans depend mainly on the informal economy. By applying social solidarity (SS) and community-based approach (CBA), the authors evaluate individual acts (trust, altruism and reciprocity) during the lockdown and how these practices evolve from individual approaches to collective actions.
Design/methodology/approach – This study reflects on pragmatism research paradigm that enables researchers to maintain both subjectivity in their reflections and objectivity in data collection and analysis. The authors adopt a qualitative method through purposeful and convenience sampling procedure. Data were analysed thematically to identify elements of SS, individual acts, collective or community actions and perceptions.
Findings – The findings reveal that COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact (lack of food and a fall in daily income) on workers, informal job seekers, informal businesses operators and the poor households. As such, the study developed a reflective model of solidarity exhibited by individual acts and collective acts (practices of resource pooling, information sharing, women empowerment, distribution of palliatives and donations) within trusted circles that helped people cope with the lockdown experiences.
Practical implications – Solidarity represents beliefs, practices of values and norms. The SS exhibited by people through NPI would have implications on planning and monitoring the effectiveness of public health programmes during a pandemic in the future.
Social implications – The findings of citizens and community actions have implications related to the process of building communities – coming together – and solidarity that enhances social development with implications on community health policy agenda during disasters, emergencies and health pandemic.
Originality/value – This is one of the first studies to analyse the relationship between trust, altruism, reciprocity, SS and CBA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, it seems reasonable to clarify the concept of SS given the lack of clarity about the definitions from previous studies
A hysteresis model with dipole interaction: one more devil-staircase
Magnetic properties of 2D systems of magnetic nanoobjects (2D regular
lattices of the magnetic nanoparticles or magnetic nanostripes) are considered.
The analytical calculation of the hysteresis curve of the system with
interaction between nanoobjects is provided. It is shown that during the
magnetization reversal system passes through a number of metastable states. The
kinetic problem of the magnetization reversal was solved for three models. The
following results have been obtained. 1) For 1D system (T=0) with the
long-range interaction with the energy proportional to , the
staircase-like shape of the magnetization curve has self-similar character. The
nature of the steps is determined by interplay of the interparticle interaction
and coercivity of the single nanoparticle. 2) The influence of the thermal
fluctuations on the kinetic process was examined in the framework of the
nearest-neighbor interaction model. The thermal fluctuations lead to the
additional splitting of the steps on the magnetization curve. 3) The
magnetization curve for system with interaction and coercivity dispersion was
calculated in mean field approximation. The simple method to experimentally
distinguish the influence of interaction and coercivity dispersion on the
magnetization curve is suggested.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure
Consumers’ Knowledge and Use of Nutritional Labelling Information in Lagos, Nigeria
Nutrition labelling is a topical issue, being a vital aid that shapes consumers’ food choices
and could be an efficient tool for the prevention of consumer vulnerability to diet-related diseases
such as cancer, high blood pressure, hypertension, and obesity. However, data on the public use
of nutritional labels as an information source on nutritional properties of foods and health claims,
especially as it relates to Nigeria, are not popular in the literature. This study seeks to examine
consumers’ use of labelling information: knowledge; attitude, and practice. A cross-sectional study
with the aid of a survey elicited information from 374 randomly selected shoppers in five shopping
malls in Lagos State. Data were analysed using the T-test method. Findings show that while the
majority of the respondents (70.6%) read the nutritional information, only 64.9% understand the
information presented on food labels. The study also reveals that the majority of the respondents
(57.5%) do not know that information on food labels should be presented in the English language
before any other language as recommended by the National Agency Food and Drug Administration
and Control (NAFDAC). While 57.9% of consumers have a positive attitude towards using food
labels, 58% of the respondents’ buying decisions are influenced by food labels. The study concludes
that consequent upon the importance of nutritional knowledge and wellbeing, consumers of Fast
Moving Goods in Nigeria are beginning to consciously pay attention to nutritional labels. The study
recommends that producers of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) products in Nigeria should
adopt the total disclosure of ingredients and nutritional content of their products. Also, regulatory
bodies in charge of pre-packaged food products in Nigeria (NAFDAC) should go the whole way and
make nutritional labelling mandatory
Prevalence and factors associated with hypertension among rural community dwellers in a local government area, South West Nigeria
Background: Many African countries including Nigeria are said to be at
various stages of an epidemiological transition from communicable to
non-communicable diseases (NCD). Objective: This study determined the
current pattern and correlates of hypertension among adults in some
rural communities in South West Nigeria. Methods: It was a descriptive
cross-sectional study of 1012 individuals across 16 rural communities.
The respondents\u2019 blood pressure, weight, height and waist
circumference were measured. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were
done. Results: Among the participants, 461 (45.6%) had hypertension out
of whom 217 (47.1%) and 244 (52.9%) had stage 1 and stage 2
hypertension respectively. The systolic, diastolic and mean arterial
blood pressures increased with age. The significant predictors of
hypertension were; increasing age (p<0.001), higher waist
circumference (p = 0.01) and overweight / obesity (p = 0.03). While
systolic blood pressure (SBP) had the strongest correlation with age,
waist circumference (WC) was the strongest correlate of diastolic blood
pressure (DBP). Conclusion: Despite being a rural population, there was
a high prevalence of hypertension in the study area
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