The Role of Arbitration Clauses in Resolving Disputes in Carriage of Goods Across International Borders

For the past decade or so, the uniformity of the law of international carriage of goods by sea has increasingly been undermined by the promulgation of hybrid carriage regimes by several maritime jurisdictions which depart from the established international uniform rules.  This is one of the exemplifications of the increasing disregard for international maritime law propelled by accelerating domestic unilateralism. The aim of this article is to bring to the fore the role of arbitration in resolving disputes between parties in the international carriage of goods in juxtaposition with litigation, and why it is favoured among other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. This paper argues that in the absence of a uniform set of laws regulating commercial disputes at sea, the inclusion of arbitration clauses in international carriage of goods is the most effective means of resolving disputes among parties. Not only does arbitration save time and cost, but also awards can be enforced on multiple jurisdictions. Keywords: Arbitration, Arbitration Clauses, Dispute solving, International trade DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/83-04 Publication date:March 31st 201

Law and Judicial Application of Digital Forensic Evidence in Nigeria

The development of information & communication technology has left the Nigerian polity to the application of technology infrastructure to daily activities. In essence, disputes arising from these activities may ordinarily not be effectively settled without applying electronic evidence in proceedings before the courts. The skills and knowledge of electronic evidence require the ingenuity of forensic experts or examiners for the purpose of bridging the gap that may arise in the mind of the courts. Does the Nigerian Law accept forensic expert evidence? Is every evidence expert evidence? Are there set down conditions before the courts for forensic expert evidence to be accepted or applied to proceedings before the courts? What nature of cases requires forensic evidence? This paper  will  demonstrate how  information and communication technology has resulted in the application of digital devices by Nigerians and the nature of the impact it  has . Keywords: Digital Forensics Evidence, Forensics Examiners, Digital Forensics Experts, Law, Judicial application DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/96-08 Publication date: April 30th 202

Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination of Crude Oil impacted Sites in Mangrove Ecosystem of Degema Local Government Area, Rivers State

The study assessed the heavy mental contents of crude oil impacted sites in selected mangrove ecosystem of Degema Local Government area, Rivers State. The study adopted the true-experimental design on twelve (12) sampling points out of which eight (8) soil samples were from the Crude Oil Exploration Sites (COES), two (2) soil samples from Artisanal Refining Site (ARS), and two (2) soil samples as the Control were randomly collected in triplicates and composited. The data collected were analyzed using Mean and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The study revealed that: Cadmium (Cd) concentration (2.80 mg/L) at Bukuma community was significantly higher than all other sampling points. Also, Pb, Cd, Fe, and Cu concentrations of 0.49 mg/L, 1.34 mg/L, 21.75 mg/L, and44.64 mg/L respectively at the artisanal refining site are significantly higher than the control (0.07 mg/L), WHO (2017) limit of 3.0, 0.01, 0.003, and 0.003 for Pb, Cd, Fe, and Cu respectively in soil. Hence, the result concluded that Crude oil extraction increases the concentration of harmful heavy metals in mangroves, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to reduce pollution and human health effects. The study recommended that The Nigeria Environmental Society should collaborate with governments to monitor companies' compliance with operating standards to reduce the discharge of untreated effluents containing heavy metals that harm mangroves, biodiversity, and contaminate food and water sources as well as harm human health. Keywords: Heavy Metal, Mangrove, Crude Oil, Ecosystem, Degema

COST EFFECTIVENESS OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN A REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAME CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

The main purpose of this research is to determine cost effectiveness of implementing and maintaining quality management system using existing data from information filled in nonconformity report over a period of 4 years (2011 to 2014). The research uses a single case study research design to fulfill the objectives of the study. The data extracted from the annual account of the reinforced concrete frame construction company were analysed. The findings suggest that the company under study has implemented a quality management system within their organisation. The findings show that the cost of quality conformance increases from 2011 to 2014 except for 2013 which is lower than that of 2011 due reduced working months of the quality manager in that year. For the cost of quality non-conformance, the findings show that about 77% of the total value are not recovered by the company in 2012, while this is reduced to about 18% in 2014 due quality management system put in place by the company. It was also shown that the ratio of profit before tax (PBT) to turnover declined by 2.86% in 2012 and by 17.14% by 2013 while it declined by 10% in 2014 when compared to 2011.  The study concluded that commitment of the company to quality management system has rubbed off the company of some revenues in the form of profit that would have accrued into the cover of the company. However, the implementation of the quality management system is paying off on its own right. The study recommended that one of the areas that researchers need to give proper attention is to conduct more studies on a number construction companies in order to create an industry norm

An Artificial Neural Network Approach to Predicting Most Applicable Post-Contract Cost Controlling Techniques in Construction Projects

The post-contract phase of the construction process remains critical to cost management. Several techniques have been used to facilitate effective cost management in this phase. However, the deployment of these techniques has not caused a reduction in the incidence of cost overruns hence casting doubts on their utility. The seeming underwhelming performance posted by these post-contract cost control techniques (PCCTs), has been traced to improper deployment by construction project managers (CPM) and quantity surveyors (QS). Utilizing the perspectives of CPM and QS professionals, as elicited through a survey, produced 135 samples. The instrumentality of the artificial neural networks (ANN) in this study enabled the development of a structured decision-support methodology for analysing the most appropriate PCCTs to be deployed to different construction process phases. Besides showcasing the utility of the emergent ANN-based decision support methodology, the study’s theoretical findings indicate that CPM and QS professionals influence decisions pertaining to PCCTs choice in distinct phases of the construction process. Whereas QS professionals were particularly responsible for the choice of PCCTs during the initial and mid-level phases, CPM professionals assumed responsibility for PCCTs selection during the construction process close-out phase. In construction cost management practice, the crucial PCCTs identifies more with the application of historical data and all cost monitoring approaches

The World Health Organization targets for cervical cancer control by 2030: a baseline assessment in six African countries—part I

Aim: We present and analyse the findings of a survey of the readiness of the healthcare systems in Eswatini, Guinea, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia, to implement the necessary measures for attaining the targets for cervical cancer control, set by The World Health Organization (WHO), by the year 2030. Methods: A questionnaire with 129 questions with preset answer options was completed in 2020, by ministries of health programme coordinators for non-communicable diseases, cancer control and/or reproductive health, and by WHO country offices, in the six countries selected. Results: The findings on demographics, burden of disease, governance and management, laboratory services, equipment, supplies and medicines, as well as on personnel and training are presented here. The burden of cervical cancer in the countries studied is considerable, according to The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimations. The incidence of the disease is augmented by the high prevalence of HIV infection, in most of the countries surveyed. Most of the population live in rural areas, where access to the health services is far from ideal. Facilities for screening with human papilloma virus tests and for histopathology are limited. One pathologist covers the diagnostic needs of between 0.5 and 4 million inhabitants. Most other categories of health professionals are under-represented, and the capacity to train them is inadequate. Conclusions: Strong country commitment and leadership, innovative solutions and extensive international cooperation would be needed to attain the targets of cervical cancer control set by WHO, in these countries

World health Organization's guidance for tracking non-communicable diseases towards sustainable development goals 3.4: an initiative for facility-based monitoring

BackgroundNon-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for over 60% of annual global deaths, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries. This trend undermines progress toward Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4, which seeks to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030. Despite the availability of effective and relatively affordable interventions, addressing NCDs requires sustained, coordinated efforts and robust monitoring systems. Facility-based monitoring offers a dynamic alternative to static surveys, enabling continuous assessment of healthcare quality and utilization.MethodsThis study followed a systematic approach to develop standardized global and national NCD monitoring indicators, using the Donabedian model as a conceptual framework. It focused on four major NCD categories: hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancers. The methodology included systematic scoping reviews from inception up to November 2021 and a multi-round Delphi process involving global experts to assess the validity and feasibility of proposed indicators. This study was funded internally by WHO. There were no payments to participants.FindingsThe final output consisted of 81 validated indicators-22 core and 59 optional. These indicators demonstrated high feasibility and relevance for facility-based monitoring of NCD service delivery. They provide actionable metrics for assessing and improving the quality of care across diverse health system settings.InterpretationThis study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive, context-sensitive NCD monitoring frameworks. The proposed set of indicators offers a validated foundation for improving NCD care delivery and aligns with efforts to achieve SDG target 3.4. Ongoing updates and local adaptations will be essential to ensure continued relevance and effectiveness.FundingThis study was funded internally by WHO

World health Organization's guidance for tracking non-communicable diseases towards sustainable development goals 3.4:an initiative for facility-based monitoring

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for over 60% of annual global deaths, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries. This trend undermines progress toward Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4, which seeks to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030. Despite the availability of effective and relatively affordable interventions, addressing NCDs requires sustained, coordinated efforts and robust monitoring systems. Facility-based monitoring offers a dynamic alternative to static surveys, enabling continuous assessment of healthcare quality and utilization. Methods: This study followed a systematic approach to develop standardized global and national NCD monitoring indicators, using the Donabedian model as a conceptual framework. It focused on four major NCD categories: hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancers. The methodology included systematic scoping reviews from inception up to November 2021 and a multi-round Delphi process involving global experts to assess the validity and feasibility of proposed indicators. This study was funded internally by WHO. There were no payments to participants. Findings: The final output consisted of 81 validated indicators—22 core and 59 optional. These indicators demonstrated high feasibility and relevance for facility-based monitoring of NCD service delivery. They provide actionable metrics for assessing and improving the quality of care across diverse health system settings. Interpretation: This study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive, context-sensitive NCD monitoring frameworks. The proposed set of indicators offers a validated foundation for improving NCD care delivery and aligns with efforts to achieve SDG target 3.4. Ongoing updates and local adaptations will be essential to ensure continued relevance and effectiveness. Funding: This study was funded internally by WHO.</p

Priorities to reduce the burden of hypertension in Africa through ACHIEVE

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