The effects of government construction projects abandonment: stakeholders' perspective

The construction industry of every country drives economic growth as it serves as the foundation for other sectors’ growth and as such, the need to manage projects in this sector cannot be overemphasised. However, in developing countries, some of these projects fail through abandonment but researchers have not paid attention to the effects that these abandoned construction projects have on stakeholders associated with such projects. This study, therefore, investigates the effects of abandonment on key stakeholders associated with such projects. Using sequential data collection approach through focused group discussions, questionnaire and an in-depth semi-structured interview, twenty-six (26) effects of construction projects abandonment on stakeholders are identified. The top ten most important effects are: unemployment, bad image for the government, government sector underdevelopment, slow economic growth, financial institutions lose confidence in the state, discourages investment, loss of revenue by state, pollution, loss of properties and loss of revenue by the citizens. The effects were grouped into four main themes and the most important effects are the economic, social, political and psychological respectively. The findings also suggest that some of these effects are direct whilst others are indirect; and they are cyclical in nature

Development of a framework in minimising errors in construction documents in Nigeria

Many of the causes of poor project performance which result in cost and time overruns, and poor quality can be traced to some types of errors during the design process. It is discovered that design errors add 5.9% of the contract value and rework, which is a corrective work, has been estimated to be as high as 20% of the design consultant’s fee for a given project. These errors should be eliminated to allow sound project performance. The aim of this research is to develop a framework supported with guidelines for the minimisation of errors in construction documents in Nigeria. The study was carried out by means of literature survey, questionnaire survey and semi structured interviews. Literature survey was used to discover the various definitions of errors and the general types, causes and effects of errors in construction documents. Semi structured interviews were made use of, to elicit the definitions of document error from the respondents. Questionnaires were distributed to construction professionals in south western states and the federal capital territory of Nigeria to determine the types and causes of errors specific to Nigeria and also the effects of document errors on construction cost, time, quality and building occupants. Content analysis, relative importance index, kendall’s coefficient of concordance, severity index, and percentages were used to analyse the data collected. The study showed the causes of errors in construction documents to be: non – availability of information, poor communication, inadequate project brief, poor salaries of professionals, non – identification of project risks, inadequate consultant professional education, inadequate consultant professional experience, inadequate project manager experience, time scheduled pressure, inadequate project planning, complexity of project, concurrent documentation, heavy work load of consultant, poor consultancy fees, inadequate document preparation time and inadequate document manager experience. The study also identified the various types of error in construction documents specific to Nigeria which are: unnecessary additions, non – conformance to client requirement, non – conformance to design code/ SMM, absence of specifications, dimensional error, miscalculation, scanty specification, wrong specification, omission of necessary item and incorrect details. Documentation error added 20.39% to the original contract sum and 11.07% to the original contract period and within seven years in Nigeria 411 people lost their lives as a result of building collapse initiated by documentation error. The developed construction documentation error minimisation framework was captioned by a flow chart

Genitalia morphometry and testicular characteristics of male white Japanese quails at three different age groups

An experiment was designed to evaluate genitalia morphometry of the male white Japanese quails at three different age groups. Fifty-four male Japanese quails were allotted to 3 treatment groups (Pubertal, Mature and Adult) in a completely randomized design. Pubertal (7-10 weeks), mature (15-20 weeks) and the adults (≥ 24 weeks). The initial weight of the quails was taken. All the animals were sacrificed and organs were carefully excised. The total length of reproductive tract and sections of the tract of male quails was taken. Total weight of reproductive tracts, right and left testicular weight, right and left epididymis, right and left testicular diameter and circumference were determined. The weight of the male genitalia tract of white Japanese quails was similar across different age groups. The length of the genitalia tract was significantly higher in the pubertal group than the adult and mature groups. Testicular circumference and diameter of white Japanese quails at puberty was significantly (P<0.05) higher than at adulthood. It was concluded that the male pubertal quail have well developed reproductive tracts and thus could have potential for high reproductive ability similar to later physiological ages. Farmers can do more breeding activity when the birds are at the pubertal age.Keywords: Reproductive tract, White quails, Testicular characteristics, Quail epididymi

The impact of acne and facial post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation on quality of life and self-esteem of newly admitted Nigerian undergraduates

Adeolu Oladayo Akinboro,1 Ogochukwu Ifeanyi Ezejiofor,2 Fatai Olatunde Olanrewaju,3 Mufutau Muphy Oripelaye,3 Olatunde Peter Olabode,4 Olugbenga Edward Ayodele,4 Emmanuel Olaniyi Onayemi3 1Dermatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria; 2Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi, Nigeria; 3Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Obafemi Awolowo University and OAUTHC, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria Background: Acne and facial post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation are relatively common clinical conditions among adolescents and young adults, and inflict psychosocial injuries on sufferers.Objective: To document the psychosocial and self-esteem implications of acne and facial hyperpigmentation on newly admitted undergraduates.Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200 undergraduates. Demographics and clinical characteristics were obtained and acne was graded using the US Food and Drug Administration 5-category global system of acne classification. Participants completed the Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES), and data were analyzed using SPSS 20.Results: Mean age of acne onset was 16.24 ± 3.32 years. There were 168 (84.0%) cases categorized as almost clear, 24 (12.0%) as mild acne, 4 (2.0%) as moderate acne and 4 (2.0%) as severe acne. Acne with facial hyperpigmentation, compared to acne without hyperpigmentation, was associated with significant level of anxiety in 30 participants (26.5% vs 10.3%, p=0.004) and emotional distress in 40 (35.4% vs 10.3%, p<0.001). Acne severity correlated with total CADI score but not with total RSES score. Quality of life (QoL) was significantly reduced among acne patients with facial hyperpigmentation (1.77±1.62, vs 1.07±1.02, p<0.001) compared to those without hyperpigmentation. Acne and facial hyperpigmentation was associated with social life interference, avoidance of public facilities, poor body image and self-esteem and perception of worse disease. There was no association between gender and QoL but acne was related to a reduction of self-worth. Low self-esteem was present in 1.5%, and severe acne was associated with an occasional feeling of uselessness in the male gender. Conclusion: Acne with facial hyperpigmentation induces poorer QoL and self-esteem is impaired only in severe acne. Beyond the medical treatment of acne, dermatologists should routinely assess the QoL and give attention to treatment of facial post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation among people of color. Keywords: acne, quality of life, self-esteem, facial hyperpigmentation, undergraduate

Empirical Framework for Tackling Recurring Project Management Challenges Using Knowledge Management Mechanisms

The construction industry is termed as a highly risky industry, considering the alarming rate of recurring challenges and its negative impact on the economy, man, and his environment. This study aimed to develop a framework using knowledge management in tackling recurring problems in the Nigerian construction industry. The data instrument was a well-designed questionnaire directed at construction professionals. Out of the 80 questionnaires distributed, the study used 78 (97.5%) questionnaires for analysis. The study identified corruption, inadequate planning measures, and reduced government policies as the main factors influencing recurring project management challenges in the Nigerian construction industry. The study revealed significant knowledge management strategies used by Nigerian construction professionals, which include the use of emails, face-to-face interactions, and brainstorming sessions. The knowledge management strategies are further classified into data mining based, traditional based, and mobile technology-based knowledge management strategies in the construction sector. The primary benefits associated with knowledge management mechanisms in the construction industry include high growth performance, aid decision making, and innovation in the construction sector. Further classification showed that these benefits are mainly performancebased and collaboration and learning-based benefits. The study proposed a knowledge management framework for tackling recurring challenges in the Nigerian construction industry. Some recommendations drawn from the findings and conclusions can be found in this study

Study of the proximate and mineral composition of different Nigerian yam chips, flakes and flours

Yam (Discorea spp.) is an essential tuber crop for the hundreds of millions of people in many African, Asian and South American countries; considering in particular Southwest Nigeria, chips, flakes and flours are between the most common shelf-stable traditionally processed yam products. This paper reports a systematic study on the proximate (moisture, protein, carbohydrate, fibre, fat, ash and gross energy) and mineral composition of these three food commodities sold in Nigerian markets. Results showed no significant differences (p>0.05) in the moisture, crude protein and fibre content of all samples. Gross energy was also comparable for all yam derived food items, contradicting the common belief that yam flakes have lower nutritional value. As for the mineral composition, Ca, Mg, P and K were the predominant macronutrients. Micronutrients such as Zn, Co, Mn and Cu were also detected. Significant differences (p<0.05) existed between samples and various markets of source. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed a direct correlation between the ash content of the samples and the macronutrients assessed, irrespective of the market or seller of the commodities. This study confirmed that yam derived food stuff have an adequate nutritional composition, irrespective of their form and/or origin