Rural Small-Scale Women Farmers and Preference for Family Size in South-East Nigeria

Among other things, fertility control in Nigeria may not be feasible without recourse to socioeconomic issues such as micro-occupation classification and dominant family cultural traditions facing women and their relationship to fertility behaviour. Rural small-scale women farmers are a relatively closed group with some uniqueness for the understanding of the value of children (VOC) in socioeconomic and cultural contexts and its relationship with fertility behaviour in developing nations. This study, guided by the VOC model, focuses on determining factors for preference for family size (0-4 children) among rural small-scale women farmers in Eha-Amufun in Enugu state. 200 married women (mean age = 33.9; mean age at marriage = 24.5) from 20 agricultural co-operative societies were selected for the study. The study adopted a survey and quantitative research design. Besides the sociodemographic information of the study participants, the study elicited from the respondents information on their choice of family size, the connection of family size with their occupation and the circumstances surrounding son preference and son adoption in the family and rural contexts. The collected data were analysed using the ordinal logistic regression model. The findings show that economic independence, son preference and male child adoption negates limiting family sizes to 0-4 (p<.05) however, age, formal education, children as source of labour and economic independence were positively correlated with the desire for a family size of 4 children and above. In view of the limitations of the study and the ability of the VOC model to unveil spurious factors for fertility behaviour among women, there is a need for comparative studies of rural closed groups in developing nations and their fertility behaviour.Among other things, fertility control in Nigeria may not be feasible without recourse to socioeconomic issues such as micro-occupation classification and dominant family cultural traditions facing women and their relationship to fertility behaviour. Rural small-scale women farmers are a relatively closed group with some uniqueness for the understanding of the value of children (VOC) in socioeconomic and cultural contexts and its relationship with fertility behaviour in developing nations. This study, guided by the VOC model, focuses on determining factors for preference for family size (0-4 children) among rural small-scale women farmers in Eha-Amufun in Enugu state. 200 married women (mean age = 33.9; mean age at marriage = 24.5) from 20 agricultural co-operative societies were selected for the study. The study adopted a survey and quantitative research design. Besides the sociodemographic information of the study participants, the study elicited from the respondents information on their choice of family size, the connection of family size with their occupation and the circumstances surrounding son preference and son adoption in the family and rural contexts. The collected data were analysed using the ordinal logistic regression model. The findings show that economic independence, son preference and male child adoption negates limiting family sizes to 0-4 (p<.05) however, age, formal education, children as source of labour and economic independence were positively correlated with the desire for a family size of 4 children and above. In view of the limitations of the study and the ability of the VOC model to unveil spurious factors for fertility behaviour among women, there is a need for comparative studies of rural closed groups in developing nations and their fertility behaviour. &nbsp

Availability of and barriers to the utilization of harm reduction services in Enugu, south-eastern Nigeria: Service providers’ perspective

The study aimed to determine the availability and barriers to the utilization of three Harm Reduction Strategies (HRS) in Nigeria from service providers’ perspective. This study was a descriptive survey using questions adapted from the harm reduction questionnaire. Eight institutions involved in the drug treatment services in Enugu, South-Eastern Nigeria participated. Only 25% of the agencies did not practice HRS in any form. The commonest internal and external barriers were lack of funding and community resistance, respectively. The heads of the agencies rated themselves and the community unfavorable to accepting HRS generally. However, with regards to specific HRS, they were more favorable to methadone replacement therapy, controlled drinking and condom sharing. The findings of this study enriched our understanding of the various impediments to the utilization of HRS in Enugu, Nigeria. Keywords: Availability; barriers; utilization; harm reduction; services; service providers, Nigeri

Non-Monetary Motivation Strategies and Growth of Selected Deposit Money Banks in Ogun State, Nigeria

The challenge facing managers in the banking sector is how to get employees committed to their work and put in their best towards the accomplishment of banks’ goals and objectives. There was gradual and consistent decline in the performance of banks due to low level of motivation within and outside the banking organizations. It is therefore imperative for managers in the banking sector to design and implement strategies and policies that will adequately address issues relating to employees’ welfare so that it will help in achieving industrial peace which is a panacea to organizational growth. The general objective of this study was to establish the effect of non-monetary motivational strategies on the growth of selected deposit money banks in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study adopted cross-sectional survey and target population was 800 staff of the selected commercial banks in Ogun State and sample of 481 employees was used in this study. A stratified sampling technique method was used and data was collected through the use of questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted to pretest the validity and reliability of instruments for data collection. The data was analyzed by use of quantitative method with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. The study established that work environment, leadership style, training and career advancement have positive and significant effect on the growth of selected deposit money banks in Ogun State, Nigeria. The regression analysis showed that work environment plays the most significant role on the growth of selected deposit money banks in Ogun State at 5% level of significance. Based on these findings, the study recommended that management of selected deposit money banks in Ogun State should plan very well when considering motivational strategies aimed at increasing overall productivity of the workers so as to achieve growth. Keywords: Motivation strategies, Leadership style, Training, Work environment, Growt

EXAMINING THE EFFECT OF NETWORKING ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY: EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIA

This study was on the networking and organisational performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria. The purpose was to determine how networking capability influences organisational performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria. The design of the study was a survey and the population was 2,413 low, medium, and senior-level managers of five selected deposit money banks in Nigeria licensed by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for commercial banking. The sample was 463 determined using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) formula in addition to an attrition rate of 40%. The study used the stratified proportionate random sampling technique. Primary data were collected using the structured validated questionnaire from the specified units of measurement with instruments assessed for reliability using the Cronbach alpha coefficient. Results demonstrated all constructs to be highly reliable, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the constructs ranged from 0.783 to 0.842. The response rate was 86.9%. Data collected were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis. The finding revealed that networking through ATMs, branches, phones, and the Internet as introduced by Nigerian deposit money banks improved organisational performance (β = 0.139, t = 3.281, p < 0.05). The study recommended that It is also recommended that executive management should spend more on current technology and financial innovation. This will improve bank efficiency and cut expenses. Through financial innovations, the bank may expand its products and services, improving sales and bank performance.  Article visualizations

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS’ SMART PHONE USE PATTERN AT THE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, ABIA STATE UNIVERSITY, UTURU, NIGERIA

The study is on the assessment of students’ smart phone use pattern at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Abia State University. The study is set on five objectives and research questions. The survey research design was adopted in carrying out the study with the questionnaire as the sole instrument for data collection. The questionnaire was administered on the accessible population of 634 respondents, out of which 616 copies were duly filled and returned. This is a return rate of 97 which was used for data collection. The researcher adopted the frequency-percentage counts and tables in data presentation, analysis and discussion. Findings of the study revealed that though the use of smart phones appeal to all students, it appeals more to female students; smart phones have a good number of features that attract students patronage and utilization; students do not use smart phones for academic activities, but mainly for social activities and leisure; they are not satisfied with their use of smart phones because of some defects; and their use of smart phones do have some adverse effects on students life on campus. Predicated on the above findings recommendations were proffered. As the study observed that students do not majorly apply their use of smart phones to academic activities, but on private communication, social activities and leisure, as well as having some adverse effects on them, it concludes that once the students are able to re-adjust and adopt holistically to the recommendations proffered the side effects of their pattern of use of smart phones would be curbed

The Influence of Biostimulator in the Remediation of Petroleum Sludge Polluted Clay Soil: The Concept of Moringa Application

The Bioremediation of Petroleum Sludge (PS) in a clay soil environment of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria using Moringa Seed oil extract (MO) as a Biostimulator (BS) has been investigated, with a view to studying the mitigation impact on the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) content of the petroleum sludge. Two Bioreactors labeled R1 (with MO treatment) and R2 (control: No treatment) containing 3.0kg of clay soils were polluted with 300ml of petroleum sludge. 50ml of MO was added to R1 as a biostimulator. R2 received no form of treatment. Bioremediation extent monitoring was carried out bi-weekly by sampling of the bioreactors contents and analyzing for the individual petroleum hydrocarbon using a gas chromatography (GC). Analysis of the samples at two weeks intervals for a period of 12 weeks reveals that bioremediation occurred in the treatment reactor and the control reactor to which no biostimulator was added. Most of the Hydrocarbon degradation occurred within the first four weeks of the experiment. It was found that moringa seed oil extract was very effective and suitable for remediation of petroleum sludge polluted clay soils due to the high degradation rates of the individual hydrocarbons recorded in the biostimulated reactor against the low degradation rates of those of the control reactor with no form of bio-treatment