Communication Technology and Governance: The Case of Nigeria

Considering its level of sophistication and complexity communication can be understood as a fundamental characteristic of humankind. Since early times humanity has continued to devise novel techniques and tools to enhance the process of communication and governance procedures. This study explores and analyses developments in internet and communication technology (ICT) in relation to governance procedures in Nigeria. It looks at the rapid expansion of ICT and examines levels of assimilation by the population. This study includes an investigation of the challenges and impediments encountered in the process of the integration of ICT into the fabric of Nigeria’s governance. The data and information gained about ICT is then employed towards the development of a theoretical framework to identify and assess good governance. A mixed method and hermeneutical approach were used in the collection and analysis of data. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 100 selected professionals with varied backgrounds as users or experts regarding communication. Those chosen to receive questionnaires were members of the public and individuals from professional and stakeholder groups in the communication industry. Survey questions addressed the frequency of use of ICT in Nigeria in commonly-cited activities as well as areas of success where future improvement may be identified. The questionnaires provided an overview of the benefits of ICT regarding the developments and challenges confronting the communication industry and governance. This overview formed the basis for semi-structured interview questions and focus group sessions. This thesis demonstrates the interconnectivity between communication and governance and how triangulation and hermeneutics were combined to study ICT use in the context of Nigeria. The results also indicated that in certain population groups and in some economic sectors of government ICT use is rapidly growing. However, the study and theoretical framework illustrate that many opportunities and challenges remain for optimal use of ICT for Nigerian governance procedures

Liveability Considerations: Towards Designing Sustainable Public Housing in Niger State, Nigeria

This study investigates liveability in the context of sustainable public housing in Niger State, Nigeria, where existing housing efforts have fallen short of residents' satisfaction. Recognizing the critical link between liveability indicators and environmental sustainability, this research aims to identify key liveability variables that could be integrated into the design and construction of sustainable public housing. Employing a mixed-method approach, the study involved cluster sampling for selecting housing estates and units, followed by the administration of 910 questionnaires containing 102 questions on liveability variables. Analytical techniques, including Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, Factor Analysis, and Multiple Regression Analysis, were used to group, refine, and validate the liveability variables. The results revealed 21 significant variables that collectively could achieve a 92.9% satisfaction rate among residents if incorporated into public housing design. These findings underline the potential of addressing liveability in the pursuit of sustainable housing solutions, offering insights for urban planners, architects, and policymakers. By focusing on the residents' perspectives, the study contributes to a more user-centred approach in public housing development, promoting long-term satisfaction and reducing the need for post-occupancy alterations

Karayolu taşımacılığının Nijerya ekonomisine etkisi üzerine bir araştırma

This review includes the literature on road transport infrastructure and how it affects economic growth. The main aim is to evaluate the scope and importance of transport infrastructure for economic and social growth. Research has shown that in Nigeria, the construction of road infrastructure is often chosen to meet the practical need of moving people and goods from one point to the other. The article covers a short history of the Nigerian national road network, its emergence and the expansion of Nigerian roads, and the influence of road infrastructure on agriculture and rural development. In addition, healthcare, general social change, and poverty are inclusive as the main components of this review. While this article focuses primarily on road infrastructure, there are few citations to back up points about other forms or modes of transportation. Conclusively, the research indicates a functional link between road infrastructure and economic developmentBu derleme, karayolu ulaşım altyapısı ve bunun ekonomik büyümeyi nasıl etkilediği ile ilgili literatürü içermektedir. Temel amaç, ekonomik ve sosyal büyüme için ulaşım altyapısının kapsamını ve önemini değerlendirmektir. Araştırmalar, Nijerya'da karayolu altyapısının inşasının genellikle insanları ve malları bir noktadan diğerine taşımanın pratik ihtiyacını karşılamak için seçildiğini göstermiştir. Makale kısa bir tarihçeyi, Nijerya ulusal karayolu ağı, Nijerya yollarının ortaya çıkışı ve genişlemesi, karayolu altyapısının tarım ve kırsal kalkınma üzerindeki etkisi hakkında kısa bir bilgi içermektedir. Ayrıca sağlık, genel sosyal değişim ve yoksulluk bu derlemenin ana bileşenleri olarak kapsayıcıdır. Bu makale öncelikle karayolu altyapısına odaklanırken, diğer ulaşım biçimlerine veya modlarına destek noktalarına çok az atıfta bulunulmaktadır. Sonuç olarak, araştırma karayolu altyapısı ile ekonomik kalkınma arasında işlevsel bir bağlantı olduğunu göstermektedir

Assessment of the contribution of TEX air pollutants from Nigeria’s petroleum refineries to the ambient air quality: Part II

Environmental hazards associated with release of emission from petroleum refineries have caused serious concerns for the host communities. The study focused on the assessment of the contribution of Nigerian refineries to the ambient air quality. Total emission of toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (TEX) from Nigerian twenty-six (four existing and twenty-two proposed) refineries were estimated using emission factor approach, under no-control measure (worst case scenario) option. Results showed that the four existing refineries emit 2.90 × 1013 tons of toluene, 1.93 × 1013 tons ethyl benzene and 1.06 × 1013 tons per year while the twenty-two proposed refineries have the capacity of releasing annually 9.17 × 1013 tons of toluene, 6.69 × 1013 tons of ethyl benzene and .95 x 1013 tons of xylene. If operated at full capacity, the total estimated TEX emission from the existing refineries stood at 5.89 × 1013 tons/year while the proposed refineries have the potential of adding additional 2.01 × 1014 tons/year. These concentrations were considered as environmental menace that could have adverse health challenge of the residents of the host communities. Some technologically driven measures to control and subsequently reduce TEX emission from these refineries were suggested

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. Findings: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. Interpretation: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Adaptation of the Wound Healing Questionnaire universal-reporter outcome measure for use in global surgery trials (TALON-1 study): mixed-methods study and Rasch analysis

BackgroundThe Bluebelle Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) is a universal-reporter outcome measure developed in the UK for remote detection of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to explore cross-cultural equivalence, acceptability, and content validity of the WHQ for use across low- and middle-income countries, and to make recommendations for its adaptation.MethodsThis was a mixed-methods study within a trial (SWAT) embedded in an international randomized trial, conducted according to best practice guidelines, and co-produced with community and patient partners (TALON-1). Structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data regarding cross-cultural, cross-contextual equivalence of the individual items and scale, and conduct a translatability assessment. Translation was completed into five languages in accordance with Mapi recommendations. Next, data from a prospective cohort (SWAT) were interpreted using Rasch analysis to explore scaling and measurement properties of the WHQ. Finally, qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated using a modified, exploratory, instrumental design model.ResultsIn the qualitative phase, 10 structured interviews and six focus groups took place with a total of 47 investigators across six countries. Themes related to comprehension, response mapping, retrieval, and judgement were identified with rich cross-cultural insights. In the quantitative phase, an exploratory Rasch model was fitted to data from 537 patients (369 excluding extremes). Owing to the number of extreme (floor) values, the overall level of power was low. The single WHQ scale satisfied tests of unidimensionality, indicating validity of the ordinal total WHQ score. There was significant overall model misfit of five items (5, 9, 14, 15, 16) and local dependency in 11 item pairs. The person separation index was estimated as 0.48 suggesting weak discrimination between classes, whereas Cronbach's α was high at 0.86. Triangulation of qualitative data with the Rasch analysis supported recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ items 1 (redness), 3 (clear fluid), 7 (deep wound opening), 10 (pain), 11 (fever), 15 (antibiotics), 16 (debridement), 18 (drainage), and 19 (reoperation). Changes to three item response categories (1, not at all; 2, a little; 3, a lot) were adopted for symptom items 1 to 10, and two categories (0, no; 1, yes) for item 11 (fever).ConclusionThis study made recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ for use in global surgical research and practice, using co-produced mixed-methods data from three continents. Translations are now available for implementation into remote wound assessment pathways