Review of Correlation of Quantity Surveyors’ Education in Nigeria to Skill Requirements for Administration of Civil Engineering Projects

Whereas quantity surveyors are adequately engaged in engineering projects in Great Britain from where quantity surveying education in Nigeria derived its source and model, their involvement seems sub-optimum in Nigeria, attributably to perception of the correlation of quantity surveyors’ education to engineering projects’ requirements. This study examined the course curriculum and contents for quantity surveying at both the degree and higher diploma levels with the view to investigating the proportion of education and training of quantity surveyors in the Nigerian education system at undergraduate level that correlate to the skill requirements of the administration of civil engineering projects. The study identified the administration of civil engineering projects under 3 main headings viz: Design, Construction, and Cost appraisal. The study reveals a good correlation of the education and training of quantity surveyors to the skill requirement for providing services requiring measurement of civil engineering works as well as services requiring evaluation of civil engineering works and financial management. The study also revealed 51.2% and 52.2% proportion of the curriculum and course content of University and Polytechnic respectively as focusing directly on the requirement of cost appraisal and administration of the financial aspects of civil engineering and other engineering projects. Keywords: correlation, education, skill requirement, administration, and civil engineering, quantity surveyin

A Study on Cervical Cancer Screening Amongst Nurses in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria

Cancer of the cervix is the commonest genital tract malignancy in the female, and it has been ranked second to breast cancer. It has positive association with infection of human papillomavirus. Cervical cancer incidence and mortality have declined substantially in western countries following the introduction of screening programmes. This present study investigated the knowledge, attitude and practice of nurses in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) towards cervical cancer screening as they are important health personnel that are suppose to educate women on the need for cervical cancer screening. The study is a descriptive cross-sectional survey of the knowledge, attitude and practice of 200 nurses in LUTH towards cervical cancer screening. The results obtained showed that 99% of the respondents were aware of cervical cancer and that 92% of the respondents were also aware of the causative organism of cervical cancer (human papillomavirus). Their major sources of information were through electronic media (43.9%) and health professionals (37.4%). Furthermore, the respondents were quiet aware of Pap smear (91%) as one of the screening techniques of cervical cancer and had good attitudes (89%) towards Pap smear, but most of them had never done it before. The study further revealed that majority of the respondents did not know colposcopy as one of the screening techniques for cervical cancer. Finally, it has been made known from this study that nurses have good knowledge of cervical cancer but have limited understanding of the types of cervical cancer screening techniques and poor disposition towards undergoing cervical cancer screening. It may thus be recommended that institutions should periodically organise seminars and training for health personnel especially the nurses which form a group of professionals that should give health education to women about cervical cancer. This training may be done as part of the orientation programme to newly employed staff

Plant-soil interactions and stand decline in alfalfa: mechanisms and mitigation strategies

In agricultural systems, effects of plants on soil microbial communities have been demonstrated to feedback over time and impact plant growth and productivity through plant-soil feedback (PSF). When negative, PSF results in productivity decline, limiting alfalfa (Medicago sativa) production. Unlike negative PSF, positive PSF promotes plant growth and improves productivity. Despite this, we do not fully understand the mechanisms of PSF and are thus limited in our strategies to mitigate productivity decline. Using the plant-soil feedback framework, we collected vegetation and soil samples from alfalfa stands grown to mixture (alfalfa-grass) and monoculture at stand ages 1 to 6 years old, near Saskatoon, SK. These soils were used in a completely randomized experimental design to inoculate 4 alfalfa varieties, viz. 2010, Foothold, 3010, and Spyder, and 5 other forage species, viz. Onobrychis viciifolia, Trifolium pratense, Vicia americana, Elymus lanceolatus, and Agropyron cristatum, of which traits depicting root economic spectrum and symbiosis were sampled. Additionally, next-generation amplicon sequencing was used to identify amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of soil bacteria, oomycetes, and arbuscular mycorrhizal and other fungi in the inoculum associated with PSF. Field conditions including plant diversity, soil phosphorus, soil texture, weed abundance, and fiber content of focal crop mediated how plants condition soil microbial communities. These conditioning effects altered the relative composition of soil mutualists, plant-growth promoting microbes, saprotrophs and pathogens, all of which affected PSF. These PSFs, however, differed depending on the variety and crop species identity due to differences in how these plant types interacted with the soil microbiome. This allowed me to identify more than 30 soil microbial taxa that promoted positive or negative PSF, although the important taxa were rarely consistent among varieties or species. Root trait expressions for high resource conservative strategies and symbioses with mutualists lead to more positive PSF while the opposite traits (more resource acquisitive strategies and reduced symbioses) lead to more negative PSF. These root traits, however, varied among the species and to a smaller extent among the varieties, indicating that some crop species and cultivars can resist soil biotic stress under certain field conditions, and thus alleviate stand decline. This plant-soil feedback approach will be useful in trait-based selection during pasture rejuvenation and cultivar development for resistance to soil biotic stress. The resources provided in this study will therefore enhance sustainable management of productivity decline in agroecosystems

Framework for managing risk in privately financed market projects in Nigeria

Shortage of funds and the need to improve the living standards of the people are among the reasons advanced for the recent embrace of Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements in developing markets in Nigeria. Construction work generally, and especially projects procured using PPP arrangement are more risk prone than those procured using other forms. This is mainly due to the lengthy concession period and the multi-parties involved in the arrangement. It is therefore, an imperative to properly manage the multi-faceted risks associated with PPP market projects (MPs) in a developing economy like Nigeria. Review of the extant literature show that little has been done on risk management in PPP projects in Nigeria with no known effort on PPP MPs. This is due largely to the novelty of the PPP scheme in Nigeria. The main contribution of this research therefore, is better understanding of the risk management process in privately financed (PF) MPs in Nigeria. A holistic risk management framework is developed that identifies best practices in the risk management process with special emphasis on market projects. The structure specifies what should be done, who should do it and when it should be done throughout the whole life cycle of any PPP market project. Risks in (PF) MPs and their impacts were identified and assessed; allocation preferences of practitioners and mitigation measures to the risks were also assessed within the south-western part of the country Data for the study was collected through a mixed methods approach viz: quantitative and qualitative approaches. Questionnaires were administered to practitioners in the industry within the south-western zone of the country to gain general idea on risks that are likely to occur and affect PF MPs within the region. In-depth interviews were also conducted with stakeholders on three PF MPs in the region. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyse data for the study. The research identified inadequate knowledge of risk management concept in the Nigerian construction industry; especially in PPP projects, as being responsible for the poor performance of PPP projects using the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) - i.e. people, profit, and planet - as yardstick. It is believed that the framework will serve as a useful tool for rapidly learning about the risks involved in PPP market projects and for understanding viable options for their effective management

Managing Discipline Problems in the Contemporary Nigerian Civil Service for Sustainable National Development

The Nigerian Civil service has made tremendous contributions to nation building, yet the general impression today of this expensive core of the public sector is that of widespread moral degeneration. This is manifesting in diverse discipline problems of various typologies, nature and dimensions with devastating effects on governance and developmental process. It is in the light of the above, that this study is initiated as no meaningful national development can be facilitated by any bureaucracy that is pervaded with indiscipline. The objectives of the study are to conceptualize discipline; examine and critique the institutionalized Public Service Rules (PSR) on Discipline in Chapter Four of the manual, and offer suggestions on how to manage discipline problems in the contemporary Nigerian Civil Service for national development. The study made use of both primary and secondary sources of data collection. The study showed that in spite of the PSR for checks and disciplinary actions being taken against erring officers, indiscipline still remains a great challenge in the system. The study revealed that the image of the Nigerian Civil Service that emerged in the study is neither that of a saint nor an outright villain. The environment in which it operates dictate its character, and not by its own choice or design per se. The bitter truth also is that no Civil Service the world over is perfect, though degree of indiscipline may differ. The study suggested application of due process mechanism, legal compliance, humanistic and leadership impressionist approaches. Keywords: Discipline; Indiscipline; Nigerian Civil Service; Public Service Rules; National Development

The Knowledge and Attitude towards Childhood Immunization amongst Mothers Attending Antenatal Clinic in Lagos University Teaching Hospital

Immunization remains one of the most important public health interventions and a cost effective strategy to reduce both the morbidity and mortality associated with infectious diseases. Over two million deaths are delayed through immunization each year worldwide. Childhood immunization is an act of inducing immunity to a child by applying a vaccine that almost guarantees protection from many major diseases. This present study aims to assess the knowledge and attitude of mothers attending antenatal clinic in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) towards childhood immunization as the findings obtained may serve as the basis for effective intervention. This study is a descriptive cross-sectional survey of the knowledge and attitude of 274 mothers attending antenatal clinics in LUTH towards childhood immunization between April and June, 2009. The results showed that almost all the respondents were aware of immunization and that immunization could prevent childhood illness (93.8%; 98.1%) respectively. However, some of the respondents (28.8%) felt immunization will make their children brilliant. A large percentage of the respondents (45.5%) thought that polio vaccines ought to be given five (5) times while only 8.6% knew it should be given four (4) times. There were significant (P<0.05) relationships between age of respondents; ethnicity; level of education; occupation and attitude to immunization. However, there was no significant (P>0.05) relationship between religion and attitude to immunization. Although majority of the mothers were aware of immunization services, their knowledge of immunization schedule as well as of vaccine preventable diseases is poor. A better understanding of routine immunization schedule is important in the design and implementation of immunization programmes. Educating mothers about the vaccines and vaccine preventable diseases, and improving their performance are recommended

Medication adherence in type 2 diabetes patients: study of patients in Alimosho General Hospital, Igando, Lagos, Nigeria.

Background: Poor adherence is an obstacle in therapeutic control of diabetes. Despite the advances in the treatment of diabetes mellitus over the years, diabetes places an immense burden on the individuals living with the condition, their families and the overall health care system.Objective: Evaluation of the impact of medication adherence on the clinical outcomes of type 2 diabetes patients at Alimosho general hospital, Igando Lagos state.Method: The medication adherence study was both descriptive (retrospective) and prospective. The retrospective study assessed the prevalence of medication non-adherence leading to poor glycemic control. This involved the review of case notes of one-hundred and fifty two randomly selected patients. Prospective study was done by counselling and educating the patients on medication adherence and assessing their medication adherence and the impact of medication adherence on glycemic control.Results: The proportions of females/males with type 2 DM was found to be 69% and 31% respectively. 51.32% of these patients viewed their medications to be unaffordable. 56.6% of the patient population were 61 years and above in age. There was a significant relationship between patient age, gender and adherence to medication. There was however no significant P ≥ 0.05 association between educational level and adherence. Health education and counselling resulted in adherence rate and clinical parameters improvements.Conclusion: Non-adherence is a major factor that could lead to morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. The overall improvement in adherence rate of 86.8% was observed with a decline in non- adherence rate after interventions.Key words: Diabetes type 2, adherence, glycemic level, health education and counselling

Investigation into the causes of delay in land acquisition for PPP projects in developing countries

Purpose: The land is a critical resource for public-private partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure development. However, acquisition of land for PPP infrastructure projects implementation increasingly becomes problematic in developing countries. Yet, effort at investigating the factors causing a delay in land acquisition for PPP infrastructure projects through an empirical method in developing countries received scant attention. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify and critically assess the factors predisposing PPP projects implementation to land acquisition delay in Nigeria using an empirical approach. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted literature review and questionnaire survey. For instance, literature review was used to identify the factors causing delay in land acquisition for PPP projects in developing countries, which was used to design the questionnaire survey culminating in data analysis. In order to capture a broad perception, the questionnaires were administered to three different primary stakeholder groups comprised public sector authorities (i.e. ministries, department, agencies), concessionaires, and lenders/banks involved in PPP projects implementation in Nigeria. Data collected were analysed using mean score, Kruskal-Wallis test, and factor analysis. Findings: The study revealed the mean score ranking of 22 identified factors causing a delay in land acquisition for PPP projects in Nigeria. The result of factor analysis grouped the 22 identified factors into 4 principal factors namely, resettlement issues with political interference; non-availability of land with a higher cost of land transactions; weak planning institutions; and rehabilitation issues with extensive legal delays. Practical implication: These study findings have implications for both policymakers considering PPP projects and private investors seeking to finance a PPP project in developing countries. Also, the study findings would be useful for the governments in Nigeria and other developing countries to formulate clear policies framework that facilitates the smooth acquisition of land for PPP projects. Originality/value: The study will be beneficial to the potential local and foreign private investors, and governments by broadening their awareness on impediments in land acquisition for PPP projects in Nigeria and developing countries at large. These study findings are crucial as not many empirical studies have been conducted in Nigeria, and many other developing countries

Control of charge transports in semiconductor superlattices using an acoustic wave

In this work, we describe the electron dynamics in semiconductor superlattices (SLs) when driven by an acoustic wave. First, we discuss the physical features and structure of SLs. Then we describe semiclassical transport in periodic potential driven by a plane wave, and the dynamics of ultracold atoms in the periodic potentials. Secondly, we explore single electron dynamics in superlattices driven by an acoustic wave, then present and analyse the types of electron trajectories according to the strength of the acoustic wave amplitude. The two dynamical regimes obtained depend on the wave amplitude strength and the initial position of electrons in the acoustic wave. The frequency range of the oscillation produced can be as large as terahertz. Lastly, we discuss the effect of applying a static electric field to the acoustically driven SLs. When the acoustic wave and electric fields were applied together along the axis of SLs, we obtained a higher peak drift velocity than when the acoustic wave or electric fields were applied alone. We use the phase portrait to explain the electron trajectory and the path of the electrons. The global state associated with the drastic change in the drift velocity of the electrons depends on the varied parameters in the dynamical systems. We numerically calculate the electron trajectories while we varied the strength of electric field and wave amplitude to investigate the role of interactions in the system. When very high electric field and very high wave amplitude are applied together along the axis of SL, global catastrophe occurs. This is the discontinuous bifurcation in dynamical system