Sustainability and Construction: A Study of the Transition to Sustainable Construction Practices in Nigeria

Sustainability is one of the most important challenges of our time. In the 21st century, it has become a central issue for debate about development at local, national and international levels. The concept of sustainability is now seen as an integral part of policy reforms in many countries because of the potential for detrimental impacts of certain practices on the environment and society. Within the construction sector, there is a growing interest in the ethos of sustainable development. However, it is unclear if most countries in western Africa share the same inclination, owing to the particular development needs and the challenges that these countries face. This present research explores the extent to which the construction companies in Nigeria takes into account and apply sustainability principles in project management activity, with the view to developing a strategy for change to improve sustainability practices. The present research was conducted through case studies to increase our understanding of the current situation. Nine projects from three multinational construction companies were selected for study in four main geopolitical zones in Nigeria to ensure the diverse social-cultural and geographical demographic areas were represented. Data was collected through a combination of survey, interviews and documents to acquire comprehensive evidence for the research. This research was conducted in two stages; first, a survey was conducted to gain broad insight into the current practices and the ambition of the participating company to improve sustainability performance. A total of 204 questionnaires were studied using descriptive statistical analytical techniques. The outcome of the survey, guided the series of semi-structured interviews with 31 representatives of the middle and senior-management team from three different stakeholders groups – the clients, contractors and regulatory institutions. The interviews were designed to get an in-depth insight into the rationale for the current practices, as well as the barriers and opportunities for promoting a sustainable construction approach. Interview data were coded and analysed using Nvivo 10 data management software. The research findings illustrate the complexity of sustainable construction in Nigeria, and the data reveal that performance of socio-environmental sustainability is low in the practices of many companies. Low sustainability performance is attributed to low levels of commitment by key stakeholders in the construction sector, such as the clients, construction companies and the regulatory agencies to sustainable principles; rather, they focus on quality and timely delivery. Stakeholders’ behaviour is intrinsically connected to their values, the nature of the construction system and their understanding of sustainable construction and this perception drives the operations and governance of construction activities in the industry. Furthermore, the inability of supporting institutions to develop and effectively implement sustainability regulations, coupled with political instability and security were also identified as barriers to sustainable practices in the industry. In view of the complexities of the Nigerian construction system, change towards sustainable practices will require a systemic solution. This study identifies the various leverage points to improve sustainability practices in the construction industry. It utilizes dynamic multi-level system modelling for sustainability transition to create a methodology for a transition in construction practices in Nigeria, to migrate them the traditional ones towards a more sustainable approach. Another point of leverage is the quality movement in the industry. The current quality management processes which have potential for more-coherent socio-environmental performance are limited at present because of the traditional focus on economic values. To explore this potential for improvement, the research findings were used to model a transition strategy by which the traditional, economic-led perspective of quality management can be broadened into one that is more environmentally and socially inclined. It describes how companies can adjust traditional quality management processes focused on economic values to become more-inclusive of social-environmental values. By adjusting the present economic-led quality management processes to embrace the latent socio-environmental values contained within it, the attainment of sustainable construction practices can be positively improved. This study argues that the most significant point for change that would spread across the entire construction system is to renew the thinking upon which the present system is based. More thought and attention is needed to improve awareness and education of sustainable construction by focusing on the benefits of sustainable practices. This would result in a ‘value shift’ that would serve as a catalyst for change that would affect the entire construction system. Activities that will aid the shift include education, training, information on dangers of non-sustainable practices and the benefits of sustainability in construction, effective implementation of regulations, leadership commitment and development of capacity to support sustainable construction

Therapeutic Uses of Amino Acids

Amino acids, which are the building blocks of peptides and proteins, are indispensable chemicals needed by the body for optimal metabolism and proper body functioning. Classified as essential, nonessential and conditionally essential, amino acids play vital roles in the body such as in protein synthesis and as precursors in the production of secondary metabolism molecules. Amino acid oxygenases also play vital metabolic roles such as in prevention of diseases; as a result, amino acids and their oxygenases isolated from various organisms are potent candidates in treatment of diseases which include cancers, inflammations, as well as antibacterial agents

Knowledge, Acceptance and Practice of Zinc Therapy in Acute Diarrhoea Among Paediatric Doctors in Nigeria

Background: WHO and UNICEF recommend zinc therapy in children with acute diarrhoea, however adherence to the recommendation varies from country to country. Objective: To determine the knowledge, acceptance and practice of zinc use in childhood diarrhoea among paediatric doctors in Nigeria. Methods: Every third sitting part icipant during the 42 Paediatric Association of Nigeria Conference was requested to complete a questionnaire if they were either a paediatric resident doctor or consultant working in Nigeria. Results: Of the 153 questionnaires distributed, 93 (60.8%) were returned and 85 met the study criteria. Over half (57.6%) of the respondents were consultant paediatricians and 84.7% (49 of 85) practise in tertiary or teaching hospitals, mostly in the southern part of Nigeria (70.8%). About half (44.3%) of the respondents managed more than 10 diarrhoeal cases every month. All except one respondent (84 of 85) agreed with the WHO / UNICEF recommendation and 86.9% (73 of 85) reported prescribing zinc for acute diarrhoea in the past year; 67.1% (49 out of 73) prescribed it always for acute diarrhoea. Knowledge of the effects of zinc on acute diarrhoea was high. There was no significant difference between the paediatric residents and the consultants in both knowledge and practice of zinc therapy. Conclusion: The use of zinc as an adjunct in the management of acute diarrhoea is acceptable and practised by most paediatric residents and consultants in Nigeria.Key Words: acute diarrhoea, knowledge, practice,WHO,zin

Systolic blood pressure of Nigerian children with sickle cell disease

Background: Blood pressure readings of adult Nigerians with sickle cell disease (SCD) are reported to be lower than that of the general population but similar studies in children are unavailable.Objectives: To determine the systolic blood pressure (SBP) of children with SCD and compare it with that of healthy controls. Also, to correlate the SBP of children with SCD with age, gender, height and weight.Methods: Children with SCD were recruited from the Paediatric Haematology Clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Data collected included bio-demographic details, social classification, height and weight measurements and present clinical status. SBP was measured using a Doppler (VASCUTRACK 120®) and a mercury sphygmomanometer. Similar data were obtained from age and sex matched apparently healthy children.Results: One hundred and twenty three children with SCD and 62 apparently healthy controls were studied; 62% were females. The mean age of the children with SCD was 8.93±3.91years (range 1-17years) and was similar to the controls. SBP was similar in both groups of children (90.9±12.7 versus 92.2±15.2 mmHg; p=0.53) and increased with age. In 91 (74%) children with SCD the SBP was below the 50th centile for the general population. Multiple linear regressions involving sex, age, height and weight found no independent factor to be a significant predictor of the SBP in children with SCD.Conclusion: The SBP of children with SCD is similar to that of age and sex-matched controls. The sex, age, weight and height did not significantly predict SBP in multiple linear regression

Anthropometric measurements of HIV-infected children aged one to five years in a tertiary hospital in Lagos Nigeria

Objectives: To determine the association between HIV infection and anthropometric measures (weight, height, midupper arm circumference and head circumference) of children aged one to five years.Method: A cross sectional descriptive study using structured questionnaire and measurement of weight, height, head and midupper arm circumference of 846 infected children and matched controls.Results: The mean weights of the controls were significantly higher than those of the infected children at all age groups (p<0.005) while, the controls were significantly taller than the infected children after 49months (p=0.019). The controls had bigger arm than the infected (p=<0.029) while the head circumference was also significantly higher in the controls (p=<0.033) with the difference being more in the children aged less than 3 years.Conclusion: HIV infection has a profound association with growth being earliest on the head size, followed by weight and then height.Keywords: HIV, children, weight, height, MUAC, head circumferenc

Epidermiology of Hand Injuries Seen at Two Teaching Hospitals in Sothern Nigeria

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Child adoption amongst women attending infertility clinic in a tertiary hospital in south –south Nigeria.

Worldwide, child adoption is one of the main options for infertile couples that help in alleviating the psychological and social consequences of childlessness. The study set out to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice to adoption in a rural community in Esan central Local government area of Edo state, Nigeria. The cross sectional study was carried out in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. Two hundred and sixty six women attending the Infertility clinic in October, 2013, were recruited consecutively, and interviewed using structured pre-tested questionnaires. Data was analysed using Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 16, and presented as charts, tables and associations tested with Chi-square. Slightly above half of respondents had good knowledge. Attitude towards adoption was poor and less than 10% practiced adoption. Knowledge was significantly associated with practice. Health education should target identified groups, and aim to clear gaps in knowledge of adoption.Key words: Adoption, Infertility, Attitude, Health educatio

Non-performing Loans and Deposit Money Banks’ Financial Performance: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria

Nigeria’s deposit money banks (DMBs) are financial institutions licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to mobilize demand and saving deposits from the surplus economic units for on-lending to the deficit economic units for investment and consumption   purposes. In carrying out this intermediation function, DMBs are exposed to several risks including credit risk, market risk, interest rate risk, exchange rate risk, and others. Of these risks, the credit risk seems the most harmful to DMBs’ financial performance as its occurrence can easily and quickly send a bank into distress or outright liquidation. For over a decade now, DMBs in the country have been experiencing continuously increasing nonperforming loans portfolios. This type of scenario had led to poor financial performance among the Banks. It is for this reason that the present study seeks to verify empirically the impact of certain financial and macroeconomic variables on DMBs’ financial performance for the period 2001 to 2021, that is, 21 years. In doing this, we dissected financial performance into return on assets and return on equity. Hence, two separate models were specified in the study with return on asset and   return on equity serving as the dependent variables in each of the models, while non-performing loans, loan-loss provisions, lending rate, bank size, monetary policy rate and inflation rate represented the independent variables. The longitudinal research design was adopted since   the study’s data covered a specific timeframe. The fully modified ordinary least squares and the panel data regression techniques were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed, among others, that non-performing loans exerted a negative impact on the financial performance of the DMBs in terms of return on assets and return on equity. It was, therefore, recommended that provisions for loan losses, even though appeared with positive impact on return assets and return on equity, should to be scaled up as the variable is frequently used as a strategic and effective means for mitigating loans losses and, invariably, the financial performance of the DMBs

The burden of erectile dysfunction in hypertensive men attending a general out patient unit in a rural Nigerian hospital

Background: Hypertension is often cited as a cause of erectile dysfuntion (ED) which is currently known to be a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Both ED and CAD lower the quality of life of affected men.Objectives: To study the characteristics of men with hypertension-associated ED and to determine the ED burden in hypertension in this rural community.Design: Questionnaire based cohort study.Setting: The General Out Patient unit of Irrua Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.Subjects: Men attending the General Out Patient Unit during the study period for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension and who consented to the study.Outcome Measure: The burden of ED in hypertensive men and the characteristics of such men.Result: Two hundred and forty two respondents correctly filled and submitted the questionnaire. Fifty four (22.41%) were newly diagnosed, un treated while 188(77.59%) had been on treatment. In the untreated group, 40(74.07%) and in the treated group, 166(86.20%) had some degree of ED compared to 57.4% in the general population. Age(p=0.000), BMI(P=0.010)in the newly diagnosed group and age(p=0.001), duration of treatment(p=0.009) and co-morbidities(p=0.010) in the treated group were risk factors for ED. Majority of the men(80.30%) were on combination therapy.Conclusion: ED is common among hypertensive men, treated or untreated. Considering the socio-economic and clinical effects of CAD for which ED is a fore runner, physicians should endeavour to obtain a sexual history when evaluating these men as a preventive measure against feature cardiovascular event

Reliability of bedside blood glucose estimating methods in detecting hypoglycaemia in the children’s emergency room

Background: Hypoglycaemia occurs in many disease states common in the tropics. Facilities and skilled manpower required for laboratory blood glucose measurement are not always available in health facilities in developing countries. Objective: The study was carried out to determine the validity of bedside methods of blood glucose measurement in detecting hypoglycaemia.Methods: Blood glucose was determined by two bedside methods (Accuchek Active® and Betachek Visual®) in 430 patients aged between one month and 10years and simultaneously sent for laboratory spectrophotometric analysis at a wavelength of 500nm using the hexose kinase method. Hypoglycaemia was defined as plasma glucose < 2.5mmol/L.Results: The prevalence of hypoglycaemia was 5.6%.There was a higher correlation (r =0.84, p< 0.05) between Accuchek Active® results and laboratory values than was obtained with Betachek Visual ® (r = 0.48, p=0.000).In detection of hypoglycaemia, both bedside glucose monitors were found to have a high specificity and high predictive values of a negative test (99.8% and 98.5% for Accuchek Active® and 89.4% and 97.8% for Betachek Visual® respectively) with moderate sensitivity (75.0% and 66.7% respectively). However, the Accuchek Active® monitor has a much higher predictive value of a positive test (94.1%) compared to the Betachek Visual® (27.1%).Conclusion: The bedside glucose monitors are valid bedside tools for detecting or ruling out hypoglycemia.Keywords: hypoglycaemia, children, bedside investigation, glucose estimation, blood glucose