Challenges Facing Counsellors in Nigerian Public Primary Schools and Way Forward

This paper discussed the challenges facing Counsellors in Public Primary schools in Nigeria. The paper depends on primary and secondary data. The secondary data was sourced from print and online publication. The paper concludes that inadequate funding, lack of working tools, inadequate infrastructural facilities, insecurity problem, poor supervision, teaching of large classes, negatives attitude of students towards Counsellors, negative relationship between counselors and school administrators,poor motivation and poor capacity development of supervisors are the challenges facing Counsellors working in public primary schools in Nigeria. To address these challenges, the paper suggested the following: increase in the funding of guidance and counseling programme, provision of more working tools, provision of adequate infrastructural facilities, provision of adequate security in public primary schools, improvement of supervision of guidance and counseling programme, employment of more trained counsellors, increment in the salaries of Counselors and ensure constant training and retraining programme for counselors

Monitoring and evaluation of education in Nigeria: challenges and ways forwards

The article discusses the challenges preventing effective monitoring and evaluation of education in Nigeria. Secondary data was used to support the points raised in the article. The secondary data were sourced from print material and online publication by recognized institutions and individual author. There are many challenges militating against effective monitoring and evaluation of educational programme in Nigeria. Some of the challenges include; inadequate funding of monitoring and evaluation programmme, inadequate professional monitoring and evaluating officers, poor capacity development of monitoring and evaluating officers, corruptions, insecurity, inadequate monitoring and evaluation tools, political instability and lack of political support. To solve this challenges, this article recommends the following:  the government should provide: adequate funding for monitoring and evaluation programmme, employment of more professional evaluator and monitors, constant capacity development programme for  monitoring and evaluating officers, fight all institution corruption, provide security for Monitoring and Evaluating officers, provide adequate monitoring and evaluation tools, ensure political stability and the political officeholders should support the activities of monitoring and evaluation in the country

Oral drug delivery: Gastrointestinal tract adaptations, barriers and strategies for delivery enhancement - a review

The mouth is a vital route of drug administration with over 84 % of all medicines reportedly administered through it. The gastrointestinal system is equally imbued with a lot of adaptive features that make the oral route even more conducive for systemic drug delivery. The usefulness of the oral route is, however challenged by the existence of numerous absorption barriers which limit the effective absorption and delivery of drugs to their target sites in the body systems. Understanding these adaptive attributes, systemic barriers and available strategies for overcoming such barriers will not only be helpful in drug development and design but also useful to the formulation scientists desirous of optimizing drug delivery. The objective of this work was to review the gastrointestinal route of drug administration with respect to some biochemical and physio-anatomic features that impede or enhance drug absorption and to highlight current strategies that have been deployed to achieve optimum per oral drug delivery. The current review reveals the emerging roles of nanocarriers in oral drug delivery. Polymeric nanocarriers enhance the solubility, targeting and safety profiles of many important pharmacological agents. Novel systems that offer protection against gastro enzymes and as such, promote oral administration of biologicals are being widely investigated. Mechanical, magnetic, and acoustic energy – induced membrane perturbation are other delivery options receiving research attentions. It may be concluded that, with the avalanche of research efforts in the area, the oral route will maintain its prominence among other routes of drug administration. &nbsp

Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage. Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition to usual care. If bleeding continued after 30 min, or stopped and restarted within 24 h of the first dose, a second dose of 1 g of tranexamic acid or placebo could be given. Patients were assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight numbered packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Participants, care givers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. We originally planned to enrol 15 000 women with a composite primary endpoint of death from all-causes or hysterectomy within 42 days of giving birth. However, during the trial it became apparent that the decision to conduct a hysterectomy was often made at the same time as randomisation. Although tranexamic acid could influence the risk of death in these cases, it could not affect the risk of hysterectomy. We therefore increased the sample size from 15 000 to 20 000 women in order to estimate the effect of tranexamic acid on the risk of death from post-partum haemorrhage. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ISRCTN76912190 (Dec 8, 2008); ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00872469; and PACTR201007000192283. Findings Between March, 2010, and April, 2016, 20 060 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (n=10 051) or placebo (n=10 009), of whom 10 036 and 9985, respectively, were included in the analysis. Death due to bleeding was significantly reduced in women given tranexamic acid (155 [1·5%] of 10 036 patients vs 191 [1·9%] of 9985 in the placebo group, risk ratio [RR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·65–1·00; p=0·045), especially in women given treatment within 3 h of giving birth (89 [1·2%] in the tranexamic acid group vs 127 [1·7%] in the placebo group, RR 0·69, 95% CI 0·52–0·91; p=0·008). All other causes of death did not differ significantly by group. Hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (358 [3·6%] patients in the tranexamic acid group vs 351 [3·5%] in the placebo group, RR 1·02, 95% CI 0·88–1·07; p=0·84). The composite primary endpoint of death from all causes or hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (534 [5·3%] deaths or hysterectomies in the tranexamic acid group vs 546 [5·5%] in the placebo group, RR 0·97, 95% CI 0·87-1·09; p=0·65). Adverse events (including thromboembolic events) did not differ significantly in the tranexamic acid versus placebo group. Interpretation Tranexamic acid reduces death due to bleeding in women with post-partum haemorrhage with no adverse effects. When used as a treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, tranexamic acid should be given as soon as possible after bleeding onset. Funding London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Pfizer, UK Department of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

AN INVESTIGATION INTO PROBLEMS FACING PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS IN FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA, NIGERIA

This paper investigated the problems facing the public secondary school administrators in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This research work employed the survey method with the use of questionnaire. The target population of this study comprised of all school administrators of public senior secondary schools in the six area councils in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The sample size of 300 was chosen from five public secondary schools by a simple random sampling technique. Ten school administrators which include principals, Vice principals and head of departments totaling ten. Thirty public secondary school was sampled. Five from each area council in the Federal capital Territory, Abuja. Three hundred respondents were chosen from all the sample public secondary schools by a stratified sampling technique using class as strata. The research instrument used for this study was a self-developed questionnaire titled: “An Investigation into Problems facing Public Secondary School Administrators in FCT Questionnaire” (AIPFPSSAQ). The researchers employed internal consistency reliability to establish the instruments with reliability index of 0.88. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as Mean, Standard Deviation and percentage. The findings of this study revealed that inadequate funding, inadequate infrastructural facilities, shortage of professional teachers, inadequate instructional materials and overpopulation are the problems public secondary school administrators are facing in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. Based on these findings, it was recommended amongst others, that the government should allocate more funds to educational sector to tackle the problems of inadequacies in the area of fund, infrastructural facilities and government should employ more professional teachers and deploy them to public secondary school according to schools’ request

The Political Economy of Hydrocarbon Pollution: Assessing Socio-Ecological Sustainability of Nigeria’s Niger Delta Region

The Niger Delta region, which is the hydrocarbon basket of Nigeria, appears to be sitting on an environmental time bomb due to degradation from widespread hydrocarbon pollution. The major sources of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta are oil spillage, gas flaring and improper disposal of wastes from oil drilling operations. Presently, it is estimated that there are over 5,000 massively polluted sites in the Niger Delta. Drawing data from secondary sources, this paper finds that despite the enormity of environmental pollution and its deleterious effects on the socio-economic wellbeing of the Niger Delta region, there is no implementable blueprint or policy for remediation. The paper links the economic cost of environmental pollution to the pervasive poverty and other socio-ecological crises that envelope the region in a smoke of underdevelopment. The paper therefore advocates a clear national remediation policy to sustainably deal with the degraded environment of the region

Geospatial Techniques in Water Distribution Network Mapping and Modelling in Warri Port Complex (Nigeria) (7663) Geospatial Techniques in Water Distribution Network Mapping and Modelling in Warri Port Complex (Nigeria)

SUMMARY A well planned and adequately mapped water distribution network plays an immense role in the provision of potable water supply. A good water distribution system is fundamental to environmentally sustainable development in any country and is also important in the control of water borne diseases. In this study, the use of Global Positioning System (GPS), Total Station Instrument in combination with Remote Sensing imagery in developing Warri port complex water supply network is discussed. In order to carry out the acquisition of geospatial data for the water infrastructure development, control points were established within the port complex by the method of Differential GPS survey. These control points were used in running secondary total station traverses through the proposed water distribution pipeline routes. The total station survey was carried out at millimetre (mm) level accuracy to capture break in slopes while support levels were run between the total station traverse routes. The processed geospatial data were input into Microsoft Excel software, and script files were created. The script files were exported into 3D Civil CAD from where vector models were generated. The distribution layout vector plan was exported into the topographical model generated from the satellite imagery. The geospatial database was exported into Haestad Water CAD environment for the water distribution network analysis and design. The output of the study was the water distribution network with the position of air valves, sluice valves, wash out, end caps, fire hydrants etc. located. The interpretation of the geospatial database with analytical tools allowed the water distribution network to be planned more economically and effectively

Motivational Strategies and Teachers’ job Performance in Post-Basic Education and Career Development (PBECD), Nigeria

This paper discussed motivational strategies and teachers’ job performance in Post-Basic Education and Career Development (PBECD) in Nigeria. Secondary data was adopted for the paper and the secondary data were sourced from print and online publications. The paper identified decision making, payment of salaries and allowance, provision of conducive environment, provision of instructional resources, promotion and award, appreciation, praise, commendations as motivational strategies for improving the job performance of teachers in Post-Basic Education and Career Development (PBECD). Based on this findings, the suggested the following: that government should organize training for school administrators of Post-Basic Education and Career Development (PBECD) on monetary and non-monetary motivational strategies and on how they can use them effectively to motivate teachers working on them. School administrators of Post-Basic Education and Career Development (PBECD) should ensure they use more of non-monetary motivational strategies in the schools because studies showed that teachers love when their boss appreciate their efforts by thanking them praising them, giving them awards, commendation letters and promotions. School administrator should ensure staff are promoted as of when due