Information Needs and Challenges of Agricultural Researchers and Extension Workers in Edo State, Nigeria

This study investigated information needs and challenges of agricultural researchers and extension workers in Edo State, Nigeria. Proportionate sampling technique was used to select 106 respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The majority (71.6 %) of respondents indicated their need for information with respect to climate change and adaptation measures (71.6 %). Extension workers communicated more with agricultural researchers monthly (77.5 %). Lack of office-wide internet connectivity (2.06±1.08), unstable power supply (2.05±1.07), and non-subscription to relevant online resources by employer (2.05±1.07) inhibited respondents from meeting their information needs. The study recommends that to enhance knowledge sharing among researchers and extension workers, there is need for research institutes and state government to develop electronic repositories for their research outputs as this will further help other agricultural stakeholders to access local contents immediately

The biology and population dynamics of Leucoptera spartifoliella (Hb.) on broom Sarothamnus scoparius

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From Reluctance to Resistance: Study of Internet Banking Services Adoption in the United Kingdom

The internet banking services is an innovative financial transaction channel that has assumed a new urgency and relevance in today’s world of business. The developed countries have embraced these services with little difficulty while the developing countries are beginning to see the benefits. The objective of this research hinged on the exploration of the supply and demand of internet banking services in the United Kingdom with special emphasis on three cities: London, Birmingham and Manchester. The study primarily probed into the extent to which the internet banking services has been adopted in the three major cities of the UK – London, Birmingham and Manchester. Secondly, it looked at the factors that are driving this adoption and thirdly, the reasons for non-usage by some segments of the selected regions. The consumer resistance theory by Ram and Sheth (1989) was therefore used as a framework of the study. As the focus is to ascertain the reasons for non-usage, and based on this framework, the following divisions were arrived at based on the non-users: 1) those that intends to use the services and 2) those that have no intention to use the services. The study data shows that there are significant differences based on the reluctant/resistance paradigm. The reluctant group falls into those that want to use but have not wholly made up their minds to do so while the resistance groups are those that have no intention of using the internet banking system at all. The study in a nutshell, provides financial managers and the academic community with a tool to engage these non-users through product designs and promotions

Technical Efficiency of Small-Holder Cocoyam Farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria: Implications for Agricultural Extension Policy

This study employed the Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier production function to measure the level of technical efficiency in small-holder cocoyam production in Anambra state, Nigeria. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 120 cocoyam farmers in the state in 2005 and from them input-output data were obtained using the cost-route approach. The parameters of the stochastic frontier production function were estimated using the maximum likelihood method. The result of the analysis shows that individual farm level technical efficiency was about 95%. The study found education and farming experience to be positively and significantly related to technical efficiency at 1% while practice index, fertilizer use and membership of cooperative societies also had a direct relationship with technical efficiency and were significant at 5% level. Age and farm size had an indirect relationship with technical efficiency and was significant at 1% and 5% level respectively. There were no significant relationship between technical efficiency and knowledge index, credit access and family size. Expected increases in agriculture require increase in agricultural productivity. In other words, agricultural productivity very much depends on the efficiency of the production process. Hence, policies designed to educate people through proper agricultural extension services will have a great impact in increasing the level of efficiency and hence agricultural productivity of these farmers.Technical Efficiency, Stochastic Frontier Production Function and Extension Service.

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS: A REVIEW FROM THE NIGERIAN PERSPECTIVE

As the world economy continues to become more globalized, foreign direct investment (FDI) continues to gain prominence as a form of international economic transactions and as an instrument of international economic integration. In recent years, developing countries like Nigeria with large home markets and some entrepreneurial skills have produced large numbers of rapidly growing and profitable multinational enterprises (MNEs). These MNEs are like their counterparts in other countrirs, looking for markets where they have comparative advantage to invest in. It is therefore important to create the conditions that would attract FDI from such MNEs. In this context, this study outlined the reasons why some Nigerian enterprises decide on outward FDI, their levels of success, and what other countries particularly in sub-­‐Saharan Africa must do to attract FDI from Nigeria. It also examines the flow of FDI to Africa since the 1970s and examined the determinants of FDI with a view to understanding whether the existing policy and operational framework are sufficient for attracting investments. It further discusses the factors that influence FDI, the role of FDI, FDI trends in Africa, sectorial allocation of FDI in Africa, why Africa has lagged behind in receiving FDI, and the various modes of entry. The study ends with clear recommendations for MNEs and policy maker

A Qualitative Study of the Problems and Prospects of Online Banking in Developing Economies – Case of Nigeria

The dawn of the new millennium brought with it a plethora of activities that has impacted strongly on the academic field especially consumers’ adoption of new technologies. This has continued to generate a great deal of interest in the academic arena and the business sector is not an exception. Researchers in these fields have been and are still formulating and extending various theories for online context. In an attempt to advance knowledge in these areas as well as build a concrete foundation which can serve as a spring board, various published literatures have been reviewed in different countries and at various times. The purpose of this paper is to qualitatively explore the problems and prospects of online banking in developing economies with Nigeria as a case study. The analysis of the data gathered produced various reasons for the non adoption of internet banking services in Nigeria. The findings provide a basis for financial managers to understand the reasons for non-adoption on this innovative services as well as paves ways to enhance the creation of awareness and promotion

STRATEGIC IMPACT OF INWARD FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS ON THE LABOUR MARKETS OF DEVELOPING ECONOMIES

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a key element in this rapidly evolving international economic integration, also referred to as globalization. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development - OECD (2008) FDI provides a means for creating direct, stable and long-lasting links between economies. Under the right policy environment, it can serve as an important vehicle for local enterprise development, and it may also help improve the competitive position of both the recipient (“host”) and the investing (“home”) economy. This paper presents an articulated review of results concerning the impact of foreign direct investments on labour productivity. The focus basically is on the labour productivity differences that exist between the foreign and domestic companies and on the way these differences evolves in the host countries. Findings show that national companies generally increase their labour productivity due to the technological and managerial competences that they borrow from the foreign companies established in their country and also because they have to protect themselves from the new competition as well as comply with the growing demand coming from the new investors. Due to their higher labour productivity, foreign firms offer higher wages to their employees. This also determines a growth in the salaries of national companies’ skilled workers. Therefore the wage inequalities and skill differences grow in countries that receive FDI. However the overall effect of a growing productivity is most often translated into job creation and regional development

An investigative analysis of factors influencing Ebusiness adoption and maintenance of commercial websites in Nigeria

The number of commercial organizations applying electronic commerce systems is on the rise when viewed globally. In the near future, this trend will become not only a tool to simply increase income, but without doubt will be considered an essential means for competition. Although Nigeria has the largest and fastest growing ICT marketplace in Sub-Saharan Africa, e-commerce activities have not progressed at a similar speed. In general, Nigerian retailers have not responded actively to the global growth of online retailing. Using a case study approach, various managers in six organisations from different states of the country were interviewed with a view to unravelling the factors influencing the adoption and maintenance of commercial websites in Nigeria. Analysis shows that consumer readiness is an influential factor for both developed and developing economies. Findings further revealed that most company websites are not maintained due mainly to absence of internal know-how by employees, time, and lack of continuous connectivity. This study contributes to a greater understanding of the factors that influence website adoption and maintenance within developing economies. And it provides insight to businesses contemplating setting up a website in developing economies on the successes and failures in the process of developing a commercial websit

In-vitro antibacterial activity of Lantana trifolia flower extracts on bacterial isolates from wounds

This study investigated the phytochemical constituents and antibacterial activities of Lantana trifolia flower extracts against bacterial isolates from surgical and diabetic wounds of patients. Phytochemical investigation was done by standard procedure, antimicrobial screening by agar well diffusion method and antibiotics susceptibility of isolates by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion test. Phytochemicals present include flavonoids, tannins, phenylethanoid glycosides, reducing sugars, terpenoids, saponins, anthraquinones alkaloids and steroids. Bacterial wound isolates were mainly gram +ve and include Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Corynebacterium sp., Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium sp. and Escherichia coli. Inhibition diameter was  concentration. The range of inhibition diameter was significantly (P<0.05) lower in the aqueous extract (15.2±1.5 to 35.5 ±0.9 mm) than the ethanolic (28.3± 3.4 to 49.1±8.9mm). Antibacterial activity occurred at very low concentrations (18.75mg/ml) for ethanolic extract only. The most L trifolia extract sensitive bacterial isolate was S. aureus (35.5±0.9mm and 49.1±8.9mm for aqueous and ethanolic extracts respectively at 300mg/ml), while the least sensitive were Corynebacterium sp. (15.2±1.5mm) and Mycobacterium sp. (28.3±3.4) at 300mg/ml for aqueous and ethanolic extracts respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration was lower for ethanolic extract, 18.75/ml to 37.5mg/ml than the aqueous extract (37.5 to 150mg/ml). The minimum bacterial concentration range from 37.5mg/ml to 150mg/ml for ethanolic extract and 75 to 300mg/ml for aqueous extract. S. aureus was the most antibiotic resistant strain (72%), while P. aeruginosa and Mycobacterium sp. were the least resistant (9.1%) strains. L. trifolia was more bacteriostatic than the most effective antibiotics, Ciprofloxacin, Rocephin, Nitrofurantoin, and deserves further investigation.Keywords: Phytochemical screening, Bacteriostatic activity, Lantana trifolia, Resistance, Wound