Manipulative Use of Short Messaging Service (SMS) Text Messages by Nigerian Telecommunications Companies

This paper is an application of Relevance Theory for the interpretation of short messaging service (SMS) text messages emanating from Nigerian telecommunications companies to their subscribers. The aim of the research was to identify and describe the manipulative strategies employed by Nigerian telecommunications companies to induce subscribers to part with their money through sales promotion lotteries. 100 SMS texts were purposively extracted from the cell phones of randomly selected residents of Lagos Nigeria who had received promotional SMS text messages from three major Nigerian telecommunications companies. Using Sperber and Wilson's Relevance Theory (1995) as its theoretical framework, the paper described the manipulative use of SMS by Nigerian telecommunications companies. The analysis revealed that SMS text messages were encoded to achieve maximization of relevance through explicature and implicature; contextual implication and strengthening; and the reduction of processing effort through violating the maxim of truthfulness and the creative use of graphology. The paper concludes that SMS text-messages were used manipulatively by Nigerian telecommunications companies to earn indirect income from sales promotion lottery

The 'War' of Appropriate Pricing of Petroleum Products: The Discourse of Nigeria's Reform Agenda

This study focuses on the newspaper coverage of the debate on the pricing of petroleum products (petroleum, diesel, kerosene, etc.) in Nigeria. It seeks to examine, specifically, the discursive constructions of economic development with particular concern for the reform agenda in the country's petroleum sector. In doing this, the paper tries to analyze and characterize the debate on the increase in the prices of petroleum products in the country between 1999 and 2004; following on the heels of World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF)-driven reforms. It further situates the analysis of the debate within the history and politics of oil and development in the country with particular concern for the 'angles of telling' of the participants. Using the framework of critical discourse analysis (CDA), the paper attempts to show the ideological elements in the discourse of socio-political development in Nigeria as constructed by the different sociopolitical groups and concludes that the different angles of telling result from different underlying issues of identity and power

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

Mother Tongue Eclipsing in the Linguistic Repertoire of Yoruba/English Bilingual Children in Nigeria

This paper examines a trend in Nigeria whereby children of Yoruba-speaking parents acquire English as their First Language and Yoruba as their second language. It assesses the socio-cultural implications of this practice on the country’s socio-political development. Forty school children and their parents were purposively selected and administered questionnaires aimed at eliciting their language preferences in different domains. The results showed that English was the preferred language used by the children in eight out of the twelve domains of language use. The paper concluded by recommending that indigenous languages be used for legislation, administration, and education in Nigeri

Proximate and chemical composition of three species of snails in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

This trial was conducted to determine the proximate and chemical composition of three common species of snails in Nigeria. The species were Archachatina marginata (T1), Achatina achatina (T2), and Achatina fulica (T3). The three species constituted the three treatments and thirty-six adult snails were used for this trial (twelve snails in each treatment). They were randomly allotted to individual treatment and placed on a ration with 24% crude protein and 2600 kcal/kg M. E. for four weeks, for physiological stability and to minimize source effect. The outcome of the proximate and chemical analysis revealed no significant variation (p>0.05) in the proximate and chemical analysis parameters in the three species of snails (p>0.05), such as Dry matter, Crude protein, Crude fibre, Ether extract, Ash and Nitrogen free extract. Likewise mineral salts like Calcium, Iron and Phosphorus. The Sodium content of the foot and shell were significantly different from each other (

Effect Of Different Protein Levels on The Performance Of Growing Snails

One hundred and eighty (180) snails were used for the feeding trial that lasted for fourteen weeks. Four dietary treatments were used: the diets had the same energy (2500kcal/kg M. E.) and only varied in their levels of protein (10%, 15%, 18% and 20%). Feed intake was highest in T4 ( 20% crude protein ,14.79g), followed by T3 (18% C. P with 11.40g). Feed intake in T4 was significantly (

Utilization Of Cassava and Pawpaw Diets By Growing Snails

Two hundred and twenty five (225) growing snails of an average weight of 70g were used for the feeding trial, with five dietary treatments. The trial lasted fourteen weeks. The diets were isonitrogenous (18.30% crude protein) and Isocaloric (2500kcal/kg M. E). The treatments were T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5. The rations had 10% inclusion of pawpaw leaf (T2) Unripe Pawpaw fruit (T3), Cassava peel (T4) cassava leaf (T5). The treatment without the inclusion of pawpaw and cassava meal served as the control treatment (T1). Snails in (T2), had the best performance in terms of daily weight gain (3.65g), efficiency of feed utilization (0.49) and feed to gain ratio (2.02), closely followed by T4 (ration with 10% cassava peel meal); T5, T3 and T1 (control treatment). Feed intake in all the treatments was not depressed. Feed intake was generously enhanced in T4 and T5, revealing that the inclusion of cassava peel and leaf enhanced feed intake. The high feed intake in T4 and T5 affected the feed to gain ratio and efficiency of feed utilization. Feed to gain ratio values of 4.18, 2.02, 1.85, 6.13 and 6.29 for (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5) showed that T2 and T3 were the best, this also reflected in the efficiency of feed utilization, which showed that T2 and T T3 were the most efficient. It could be concluded that the inclusion of parts of cassava and pawpaw in the rations of growing snails, had positive impact on the growth and performance indices. In terms of rating, pawpaw leaf and cassava peel inclusion were ahead of pawpaw fruit and cassava leaf. All the plant parts were valuable, because all the treatments were better than the control. Snail farmers are encouraged to adopt the utilization of pawpaw and cassava parts in snail feeding, because of their availability and affordability. Key words: Cassava, pawpaw, growing snails Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences Vol.2(2) 2004: 84-8

Utilization Of Cassava and Pawpaw Diets By Growing Snails

Two hundred and twenty five (225) growing snails of an average weight of 70g were used for the feeding trial, with five dietary treatments. The trial lasted fourteen weeks. The diets were isonitrogenous (18.30% crude protein) and Isocaloric (2500kcal/kg M. E). The treatments were T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5. The rations had 10% inclusion of pawpaw leaf (T2) Unripe Pawpaw fruit (T3), Cassava peel (T4) cassava leaf (T5). The treatment without the inclusion of pawpaw and cassava meal served as the control treatment (T1). Snails in (T2), had the best performance in terms of daily weight gain (3.65g), efficiency of feed utilization (0.49) and feed to gain ratio (2.02), closely followed by T4 (ration with 10% cassava peel meal); T5, T3 and T1 (control treatment). Feed intake in all the treatments was not depressed. Feed intake was generously enhanced in T4 and T5, revealing that the inclusion of cassava peel and leaf enhanced feed intake. The high feed intake in T4 and T5 affected the feed to gain ratio and efficiency of feed utilization. Feed to gain ratio values of 4.18, 2.02, 1.85, 6.13 and 6.29 for (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5) showed that T2 and T3 were the best, this also reflected in the efficiency of feed utilization, which showed that T2 and T T3 were the most efficient. It could be concluded that the inclusion of parts of cassava and pawpaw in the rations of growing snails, had positive impact on the growth and performance indices. In terms of rating, pawpaw leaf and cassava peel inclusion were ahead of pawpaw fruit and cassava leaf. All the plant parts were valuable, because all the treatments were better than the control. Snail farmers are encouraged to adopt the utilization of pawpaw and cassava parts in snail feeding, because of their availability and affordability. Key words: Cassava, pawpaw, growing snails Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences Vol.2(2) 2004: 84-8