Causes of Bone Injuries and Patronage of Traditional Bone Setters in Maiduguri, Nigeria

The study as an opinion survey identified Road Traffic Accidents (RTA), falling from height and gunshots/matchets as the causes of bone injuries in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Injuries sustained include fracture and dislocation. Structured Interview Schedule (SIS) and Focused Group Discussion (FGD) were the instruments used to obtain data. Population of study comprised of those involved in bone injuries between January and December, 2008. The sample size of 700 respondents was selected using stratified random sampling technique. Frequency distribution and percentages were employed to analyze data. Findings of the study revealed parents/families, relatives and friends as some of the sources of decision to patronize Traditional Bone Setting (TBS) while culture, phobia for hospitalization, no amputation and less expensive were some of the reasons adduced for patronage. Based on the findings, enactment of stringent laws/bye-laws or re-enforcement of existing ones (if any), counselling and enlightenment were suggested/recommended. Keywords: Bone, Causes, Decision, Injury, Patronage, Reasons

Environmental pollution policy of small businesses in Nigeria and Ghana: extent and impact

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of firms’ operation and environmental protection polices in Nigeria and Ghana, where there has been a rising industrial growth amidst low regulatory and institutional frameworks. We analyze the extents to which firms’ adoption of environmental protection policies affect their performances. We use firm-level data of 842 firms (447 for Nigeria and 395 for Ghana) distributed across different regions of both countries for our descriptive and econometric estimations. We find, among other things, that firms’ adoption of internal policies on environmental protection is dismally low in both Nigeria (32%) and Ghana (17%), with policies focused on reducing solid (38%, Nigeria; and 35%, Ghana), gaseous (22%, Nigeria; and 44%, Ghana), and liquid (24%, Nigeria; and 14%, Ghana) pollution. Training appears to be an important intervention that can help improve firms’ adoption of such policies. We also found that firms’ adoption and implementation of environmental protection policies significantly improve their performance