DEARTH OF FACILITIES: A HINDRANCE TO WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN NIGERIA

The bedrock of technological development in any country lies in the effective implementation of technical and vocational education programme. The desire to produce competent graduates of technical and vocational education can be achieved when the facilities in the workshops are relevant and adequate for the programmes as demanded by the curriculum. This study has shown that inadequate facilities have grave consequences on women participation in technical and vocational education. Nigerian cannot afford to be left out of the great benefits in technical and vocational education. It then becomes pertinent to provide the necessary equipment and facilities in the different institutions to attract women into the programme.  Article visualizations

Efficacy of Biorational and Synthetic Insecticides on Busseola fusca (Fuller, 1901) on Maize in Nigeria\u27s Southern Guinea Agro-Ecological Zone

In 2021 and 2022, two field studies were carried out to determine the effects of botanicals and synthetic pesticides on maize stemborer, Busseola fusca (Fuller, 1901). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The botanical extract (Azadirachta indica A. Juss., Moringa oleifera Lam., and Citrus × sinensis (L.) Osbeck) was formulated using water as a solvent. Phytochemical analysis was carried out on the extract with the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, steroids, triterpenoids, anthraquinones, and saponins. In the 2021 planting season the experiment recorded high efficacy of A. indica extract on larvae of B. fusca population of 4.33 and untreated plots having the highest number of infestations of 10.00. Among the botanicals, M. oleifera extract underperformed compared to A. indica in the two-planting seasons. The yield output of A. indica outperformed the two botanicals in the two-planting season with 4.70 t ha-1 and 4.53 t ha-1 in 2021 and 2022 planting seasons respectively, while M. oleifera had the lowest yield with the untreated plot with 3.22 and 3.01 t ha-1 therein with a lowest yield. These findings indicate that botanical formulations of various plant components may be useful for the control of stem borer populations on maize

TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: A SOLUTION TO PRECARIOUS YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA

Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing Nigeria like many other countries in the world. Nigeria is becoming a predominantly youth society with high rate of unemployment. The development of youth is critical to economic survival and vibrancy of any nation. In order for a country to achieve her development aspiration, the youths need to have access to education that will enable them to enhance their standard of living and gain competitive skills that will be in high demand in the labour market. Young people that lack skills that are valued in global and local economies face limited job opportunities and income growth. The changing nature of work today is placing increased pressure on the youths to acquire technical and vocational education skills. With the youths among the big losers of the recent economic crisis, technical and vocational education is often seen as the silver bullet to the problem of youth joblessness.  Article visualizations

Using mid-level cadres as substitutes for internationally mobile health professionals in Africa. A desk review

BACKGROUND: Substitute health workers are cadres who take on some of the functions and roles normally reserved for internationally recognized health professionals such as doctors, pharmacists and nurses but who usually receive shorter pre-service training and possess lower qualifications. METHODS: A desk review is conducted on the education, regulation, scopes of practice, specialization, nomenclature, retention and cost-effectiveness of substitute health workers in terms of their utilization in countries such as Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Ghana etc., using curricula, evaluations and key-informant questionnaires. RESULTS: The cost-effectiveness of using substitutes and their relative retention within countries and in rural communities underlies their advantages to African health systems. Some studies comparing clinical officers and doctors show minimal differences in outcomes to patients. Specialized substitutes provide services in disciplines such as surgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, radiology, dermatology, anesthesiology and dentistry, demonstrating a general bias of use for clinical services. CONCLUSIONS: The findings raise interest in expanding the use of substitute cadres, as the demands of expanding access to services such as antiretroviral treatment requires substantial human resources capacity. Understanding the roles and conditions under which such cadres best function, and managing the skepticism and professional turf protection that restricts their potential, will assist in effective utilization of substitutes

Classification, Potential Routes and Risk of Emerging Pollutants/Contaminant

Emerging contaminants (ECs), encompass both natural and synthetic chemicals that are present or transformed to new chemical compounds in water bodies across the globe. They are presently not checked in the environment but poses a serious health threat to human and ecosystem as well as environmental damage. ECs are released into environment during the anthropogenic activities such as water treatments, fumigation, farming etc. More than 1036 ECs and their biotransformation have been identified by the NORMAN project, established in 2005 by the European Commission. They were further classified into different categorizes/classes including disinfection by-products, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, nanomaterials, benzotriazoles, benzothiazoles among others. The potential sources, path route and their health implication on human were also discussed. The presence of ECs in our environments is global issue that requires urgent attention

Two Strategies for the Delivery of IPTc in an Area of Seasonal Malaria Transmission in The Gambia: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Bojang and colleagues report a randomized trial showing that delivery of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in children by village health workers is more effective than delivery by reproductive and child health trekking clinics

Which babies get blood in Jos, Nigeria?

Documentation of the transfusion needs of neonatal units is required to guide blood banks in meeting demands. A prospective observational study of newborn transfusions over 35 weeks was conducted. Eighty-four transfusions were conducted in 62 of 377 (16.45%) admitted infants in 35 weeks. Neonatal jaundice (57.2%) and anemia (38.1%) were main indications. In 85.7% cases, blood transfused wa