Cryptocurrencies in Nigeria

Purpose: The objective of this paper is to theoretically examine the place of the use of cryptocurrencies in entrepreneurship, accounting and taxation in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology used is library-based research through review of related extant literature which informed the position taken in this paper. From the critical review of literature, it can be inferred that despite the novelty and attraction these digital currencies promise, it is not without inherent limitations, but requires the needed legal and regulatory framework in order for it to enhance security of the value of money of the owners who may want to key into it usage. Findings: It is therefore recommended that the relevant national and international money market/financial regulators and authorities should take proactive steps in coming up with the needed framework to help eliminate any doubt that may be associated with the use of cryptocurrencies. Paper type: Research Paper

Operative Temperature Variance and Life Cycle Assessment Impacts of Wall Construction Materials

The overdependence on concrete in the construction industry in sub-Saharan African countries limits the potential use of sustainable materials in the construction of buildings. Hollow Concrete Block (HCB), the industry’s most widely used wall material, contributes to excessive carbon emissions and environmental degradation. Moreso, constructions that employ HCBs, specifically in Nigeria, severely threaten the indoor comfort levels in Naturally Ventilated Spaces NVSs. This study relies on quantitative data to analyse the impact of alternative wall materials in a case building in northern Nigeria. Mud bricks (MB) and Timber/brick (TB) were compared with the existing concrete (CW) case building. The study uses Meteonorm 8 and Climate Consultant 6.0 for EPW filegeneration. At the same time, dynamic thermal simulation and comparative experiments for thermal comfort and carbon emissions were conducted using DesignBuilder V6 and OneClick Lifecycle assessment tools, respectively. Modelled and simulated under NVS conditions using ASHRAE’s PMV model, the result of the study suggests that the MB alternative, although with an intermediate U-value of 0.318 W/m²k, accounts for the best indoor comfort temperature annually. While the CW building accounts for 41.31% of hours above the comfort temperature of 28⁰C, the TB and MB alternatives account for 29.99% and 27.37% of hours, respectively. Furthermore, the MB alternative is the most environmentally friendly material with 510 KgCO₂/m²emissions, a value 26% less than the CW building with an embodied carbon benchmark of 690 KgCO₂/m²during the building’s life cycle stages. The author suggests that mud construction’s thermal properties and Global Warming Impact (GWI) make it a better alternative to concrete and timber buildings in the tropics

Assessing Aflatoxin M1 levels among lactating mothers’ in Damaturu Yobe state, Nigeria

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a biomarker of aflatoxin B1 exposure in breast milk, a possible risk factor for infant early exposure to Aflatoxin. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a carcinogenic metabolite from Aspergillus fungus ingested from diet. One hundred (100) lactating mothers were sampled in General Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital Damaturu with infant’s in-patient wards. Samples of breast milk and urine were collected aseptically and transported to the laboratory for analysis. Structured questionnaire was used to identify the possible food consumed within 72hrs to suggest possible source of aflatoxin exposure. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of breast milk samples were carried out by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The occurrence of AFM1 showed 82% of the breast milk samples were positive to Aflatoxin M1. The occurrence of 93% of AFM1 excreted in their urine shows exposure to the toxin for a short time period. AFM1 excreted in urine of lactating mothers within 72hrs of acclaimed food consumption, showed 97.1% of mothers that took milk were exposed, meat: 100% , corn meal: 93.4% , also, date: 93%, ‘Brabisko/ Biski’: 30.6%, imported rice :77.7%, native rice: 93.4% occurrence taken( p< 0.05). Concentration of AFM1 among lactating mothers’ breast milk in relation to socio-demographic factors expressed the highest concentration among unemployed and age bracket 18-25 and 34-41 with 0.07µg/L which could be that the employed mothers were more careful with quality of food they consumed while the unemployed mothers may concentrate on the quantity of food they took. In the case of excretion in urine, 0.05µg/L AFM1 was detected among unemployed study participants with lower concentration among the age of 42 and above having 0.04 µg/L. The concentrations of AFM1 in all the breast milk samples were higher than the acceptable tolerance level of 0.05 µg/L as recommended by the Codex Alimentarius. This is a serious indication that lactating mothers ingest aflatoxin contaminated food which may be public health concern.Keywords: Aflatoxin, Limit, Contamination, Biski, Chromatography

Chemical, mineralogical and morphological investigation of coal fly ash obtained from Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Abstract: Background and Objective: Coal fly ash generated from the combustion of coal by thermal power plant stations are enormous and the disposal there of is a big problem. In the present study, the chemical, mineralogical and morphological characterization of coal fly ash samples (CFAs) obtained from Mpumalanga province, South Africa were investigated. Materials and Methods: The CFAs were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), high resolution transmission electron spectroscopy (HRTEM) and the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analytical technique. Result: Experimental results showed that the CFAs contain hematite, magnetite, calcite, lime, mullite and quartz. The CFAs are polycrystalline, could be categorized as class F fly ash and the particles are spherical in shape. Conclusion: The phase characterization suggested that CFA could be used for the synthesis of nanoparticles, as well as extraction of valuable metals, more so, the elemental composition of the CFAs suggested that the storage and disposal of CFAs could lead to the release of salts and toxic elements into the environment, thereby, contaminating surface and ground waters

Antibacterial activity of Nigerian medicinal plants as panacea for antibiotic resistance: A systematic review

Background & Aim: Antibiotic resistance is one of the global public health threats facing modern health care system. The development of new effective agents has been challenging. Thus, the interest in the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of bacterial infections has increased. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review Nigerian medicinal plants with antibacterial activity. Experimental: This study retrieved data from published articles on Nigerian medicinal plants with antibacterial activity. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were adopted. A systematic search of PUBMED CENTRAL was conducted. The included studies were those published in peer-reviewed English language journals between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2020 and reported on the key terms; Nigerian medicinal plants with antibacterial activity. Results: The database searches yielded a total of 817 results, and 765 articles were ineligible. After reviewing relevant titles and abstracts, a total of 52 articles on antibacterial were retrieved for full text review. After extensive review of each article, 13 articles were excluded and a total of 39 articles were retained. Furthermore, 4 articles were also removed due to lack of specific compounds stated. Finally, only 35 articles met the inclusion criteria for the assessment of antibacterial activity of Nigerian medicinal plants. The narrative synthesis of the included studies revealed different plants families with broad activities against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Among the bacterial isolates, Staphylococcus aureus was tested more, followed by Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the bacteria were subjected to 97 medicinal plants species for antibacterial activity. Recommended applications/industries: The results from this study reveal that many Nigerian medicinal plants contain bioactive compounds with potentials of antibacterial activity and suggest that they could be employed as alternative in the treatment of bacterial infections after safety profiles is appraised

Comparative analysis of wall materials toward improved thermal comfort, reduced emission, and construction cost in tropical buildings

Africa faces the greatest threat due to climate change. This research stems from the growing concerns for buildings in sub-Saharan Africa to respond to climate change issues by addressing the carbon emissions arising from using high embodied energy materials in building constructions. It investigates the use of timber and aerated brick as suitable replacements for concrete in the tropics for improved indoor comfort and reduced global warming impact (GWI). The investigation relies on Meteonorm and Climate Consultant for weather data collection, DesignBuilder for the case building simulations and One-Click LCA software for lifecycle assessment. The results show that the timber building has the least CO2 emissions but with a significant threat of being very expensive. The timber/brick alternative accounts for the most improved operative temperature, while the concrete building has the highest emissions during the building’s lifecycle but with the least impact in the maintenance and end-of-life stages

Climate resilience and energy performance of future buildings in Nigeria based on RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios

The predicted rise in global temperature by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC appeals for a review of the methods and materials used for building construction for reduced emissions and comfort in buildings. Buildings account for the most carbon emissions in the globe. This study presents the impact of temperature change across the 36 state capitals in Nigeria, and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, based on Representative Concentration Pathways, RCPs 4.5 for 2020 and 8.5 for 2090. A simple studio apartment with optimised alternatives for retrofits and new builds was simulated using EnergyPlus for both climate scenarios to determine the strategies for improving the energy performance of future buildings. The result of the study shows a significant increase in mean monthly outdoor temperature of about 5⁰c across the states, with potential heat stress affecting buildings in future climates. Moreover, about one-third of the locations experience a shift in climatic zones to hotter ones. The impact of this climate drift will be more severe in the Northcentral and Southwest regions of the country. The design strategies recommended to mitigate the effects of a changing climate focused on building envelope insulation, thermal mass, and solar shading. The performance of the optimised models under future scenarios accounts for up to 25% and 73% savings in cooling energy for retrofits and new builds, respectively. To protect existing buildings from the impact of future climates, developers must make massive investments in solar shading of buildings. In contrast, a combination of envelope insulation and solar shading strategies proves effective for new builds