The Role of Ministry of Rural Development in the Promotion of Community Development in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Community development issue has taken centre stage in the developmental needs of rural communities in the third world countries especially in Africa. The establishment of community development association has made it easier for people to participate in the development of their communities. In Nigeria, and Akwa Ibom State in particular this need is not new as it has existed as far back as 1928 with the formation of Ibibio union before it was formalized in 1948. However, it was observed that at a certain point, the issue of community development was relegated to the background as people focus was shifted from that of the good of the community to themselves, waiting for government to provide the needed social and economic infrastructure. In 1999, the government of Akwa Ibom State saw the need to rekindle the spirit of community participation in development via Community Development Associations thus established Ministry of Rural Development. The study therefore examined the role of the Ministry of Rural Development in promoting community development in the State. The study adopted a historical as well as descriptive approach in data collection. The study therefore revealed that, community development has contributed tremendously to the developmental stride in the state. Also, that the ministry serves as a clearing house to these associations thereby instilling confidence in their members. The study further revealed that the ministry has not only streamlined these associations, but has also repositioned them for effective performance.  Based on these, the study recommended that any project embarked upon by these associations should impact positively on the entire community’s, economic and social wellbeing. Also, community’s development projects should be directed toward the development of individuals and groups of individuals for wealth creation and economic empowerment. Keywords: Rural Development, community development, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Sexual Dimorphism in Erpetoicthys calabaricus from a Mangrove Creek, Nigeria

Sexual dimorphism of E. calabaricus is presented based on the examination of external morphology of the fish. Females had very pointed anal fins which joined the caudal fin smoothly with fewer than 10 spikes. Males had broader anal fin clearly separated from the caudal fin with between 9 and 12 spikes on the fin. Colour dimorphism in males tended towards an olive green, whereas the females had a light yellow-brown colour. Paired t-test showed that active females were slightly heavier than similarly-sized males. Length frequency distribution showed the largest fish was 39.9 cm TL female, while the smallest fish (TLmin) was 21 cm TL male. Sex ratio was in favour of males giving a male: female ratio of 1: 0.79 which was different from the expected 1: 1 ratio (χ2 = 9.110, df = 1, p < 0.05). The smallest female and male were 21.7 cm and 21 cm TL, thus delineating minimum sizes in the population. Largest female and male fishes measured 39.9 cm and 39.7 cm TL. Median sizes were 28.0 cm (females) and 29.0 cm (males)

Modelling Calibration and Validation of Contributions to Stress in the STI Process Sequence

The mathematics and mechanics of the Shallow Trench Isolation process are described. The di#usionreaction problem is posed in terms of fundamental mass balance laws. Finite strain kinematics is invoked to model the large expansion of SiO 2 , dielectrics are modelled as viscoelastic solids and annealing-induced density relaxation of SiO 2 is incorporated as a historydependent process. A levelset framework is used to describe the moving Si/SiO 2 interface. Sophisticated finite element methods are employed to solve the mathematical equations posed for each phenomenon. Mechanical properties of viscoelastic solids are extracted directly from stress-strain data, following which, parameters for the di#usion-reaction problem are obtained. Comparison with micro-Raman spectroscopy provides validation of the model. Keywords: mathematical modelling, continuum mechanics, viscoelasticity, semiconductor processing, finite element methods. 1. INTRODUCTION Isolation structures are employed in IC tec..

Modifications, Surface Morphology, and Mineral Composition of Clay Obtained from Southern Nigeria

Communication in Physical Sciences, 2023, 10(1): 40-56 Authors: Ukeme O. Isaac, Ibanga O. Isaac*, Itoro E. Willie, Etiyene I. Essiet, Rasheed Babalola, and Udo J. Ibok Received: 18 March 2023/Accepted 25 September 2023 The concept of green chemistry has in recent times played a vital role in the processing of feedstocks from locally sourced materials for the production of vast industrial products. This has, to a greater extent, resulted in the sustainability of a greener environment and economy. This research aimed to evaluate the mineral composition, characterization, and modifications of clay obtained from southern Nigeria. The clay sample collected at Ikot Ekang, Etinan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, was leached with a mixture of concentrated tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid and trioxonitrate (V) acid (4:1 v/v) to obtain acid-leached clay (AC). The acid-treated clay was calcined at a high temperature of 1050 °C for 2 hours to obtain modified calcined clay (CC). The untreated clay was labeled OC. The surface characteristics, functional groups, minerals, oxides, and elemental compositions of OC, AC, and CC were evaluated using standard methods. The OC and AC show three absorption bands at 3623–3693.8 cm-1 regions. These peaks were absent in the CC sample. There was no significant difference at p ˂ 0.05 in the mineral composition among the OC, AC, and CC samples, and the p-value was 0.999958. The Pearson correlation coefficient shows that the minerals of sample CC were strongly positively correlated with those of OC (R = 0.774; R2 = 0.5991) and AC (R = 0.9436; R2 = 0.8904). The percentage of quartz, syn, muscovite, and orthoclase minerals in OC, AC, and CC varied between 31–56%, 8.1–23%, and 1.87–9.8%, respectively. The surface morphology of the OC sample was plate-like, while surface porosity increased from AC to CC. The clay sample from southern Nigeria is mainly kaolinite clay, and the modification of clay through leaching with acid and calcination improves the mineral composition and quality of the clay minerals