BIRTH ORDER AS A CORRELATE OF EDUCATION PERFORMANCE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN AKURE, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

This study examines the effect of birth order on a child’s educational performance. The main objective of the study was to examine the effect and relationship between birth order and students' academic performance. A survey design using random sampling technique was employed in administering 240 well structured questionnaires among secondary school students in Akure South Local Government Area in Akure, Ondo State. Data were analyzed with the aid of the SPSS 15.0. Statistical techniques used include percentage distribution, cross tabulation and regression analysis (ANOVA). In this study, it was observed that being first-born confers an important educational advantage that persists when considering earnings while on the other hand being last born confers none. The ANOVA regressions analysis show that perception of favoritism for education/schooling, sex, and average score in school performance are significant predictors of Birth order among secondary school students. The recommendation for this study is that parent should help by playing an important role in strengthening their education and take proper care of each and every birth order

Cybercrime Pervasiveness, Consequences, and Sustainable Counter Strategies

As our connectivity and dependency on technology increases, so does our vulnerability. Technology has provided not only new tools, but also new opportunities for criminals in the digital world. The abuse of new technologies has been threatening economic and Jinancial security and actually devastating the lives of affected indivicluals. In Nigeria, cybercrime has recorded mostly foregin-based individuals and organizations as victims thereby getting Nigeria ranked among the nations with notorious pemasiveness of high-tech crimes. Indeed, adequately formulating a strategy to contain the menace of cybercrime presents aformidable challenge to law enforcement. This paper x-rays noted instances of cybercrime pervasiveness, its devastating consequences, and up-to-date countermeasures in Nigeria It develops an enforceable/sustainable framework to determine how critical infrastructures are put at risk snd how law enforcement should react in responding to the threats

Socio-Economic and Cultural Determinants of Use of Modern Healthcare Facilities for Delivery by Mothers in Nigeria

This study examined the socio-economic and cultural determinants of use of modern healthcare facilities for delivery by mothers in Nigeria. The objectives of the study are to identify the socio-economic, demographic and cultural factors (referred to as background factors or variables), that are influencing mothers to deliver in modern healthcare facilities, and to identify those more direct factors (called proximate determinants) through which the background factors are operating to influence mothers’ delivery in modern healthcare facilities. The study used quantitative data from the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS). Data on 17,635 women aged 15-49 years who had a live birth within the five years preceding the survey were extracted from the 33,385 women sampled in the survey. Using STATA 12 computer software, data analyses were done and presented in three stages, that is, Univariate, Bivariate and Multivariate analyses. In the study, 36.6% of all the deliveries took place in modern healthcare facilities while the remaining 63.4% deliveries took place outside of healthcare facilities. Data analysis at the bivariate level showed that all the selected background variables were significantly related to healthcare facility delivery. The variables are current age, marital status, children ever born, educational attainment, occupation, wealth index, rural/urban residence, region, ethnic group and religion. At the multivariate level, some of the background variables (i.e., mothers’ education, children ever born, region, marital status, and wealth status of the woman) still maintained significant relationship with the outcome variable (i.e., delivery in healthcare facilities). Increase in mother’s level of education and wealth status corresponds to increased use of modern healthcare facilities for delivery. Also, there is significant variation in the use of modern healthcare facilities for delivery among mothers in different geopolitical zones of the country. More mothers in the Southern zones were delivering their babies in healthcare facilities than the mothers in the Northern zones. Five proximate determinants were proposed to be examined in the study but only two could be fully used due to limited data on the other three. The two used were antenatal clinic attendance and decision-making autonomy of the woman. The other three that could not be fully utilized were cost of service, accessibility to service and trust of healthcare system. The two proximate determinants used significantly helped to explain the indirect effects of the background variables on modern healthcare facility delivery. Mothers who had adequate antenatal clinic attendance delivered their babies in healthcare facilities more than those mothers who did not attend or whose attendance were inadequate. Also, mothers who had autonomy in decision-making on their use of healthcare services delivered in healthcare facilities more than those mothers who did not have such autonomy. We therefore conclude that antenatal clinic attendance and women’s decision-making autonomy are important proximate factors through which the socioeconomic, demographic and cultural factors influence mothers to deliver their babies in modern healthcare facilities. Hence, policies that are targeted to ensure adequate antenatal clinic attendance by pregnant women and those that also encourage women’s autonomy in decision-making on their healthcare services utilization would go a long way in increasing the level of utilization of healthcare facilities for delivery in Nigeria

Farmers’ involvement in capital markets investment as an alternative source of funding for agriculture in Ondo State, Nigeria

Farming in Nigeria largely takes place in peasant and small scale physical labour-fed farms where productivity diminishes with age. Given depleting productivity accounted for by loss of agility due to advancement in age and general insufficiency of capital, avenues capable of sufficiently salvaging this dearth must, therefore, be explored. The study examined farmers   involvement in the capital markets as an alternative funding source for agricultural activities in Ondo State of Nigeria. It specifically examined farmersf awareness of the capital markets as well as the influence of their socioeconomic characteristics on their involvement in the capital market. Using a random sampling technique, a well structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 90 farmers selected for the study. Descriptive statistics like frequency tables were used to present the results of the study while the chi square analysis was used to test the study hypothesis. Results revealed that majority of respondents were males (86.7%). Nearly all were married (96.6%) and above 40 years of age (84.4%). Majority (82.2%) had one form of formal education or the other. Those with farming  experience over 10years were 63.3%. Only thirty six percent of the farmers were aware of capital markets investment while only 8% actually had investment in the capital markets. The study also found that agricultural extension services had never disseminated any information on the capital market. A major constraint to respondentsf investment was lack of  adequate information. At p . 0.05, chi square analysis revealed that age of the farmers, their level of education, farming experience and awareness of capital markets investment were significantly associated with their  investment in the capital market. The study recommended that agriculturalextension agents should be mobilised to develop and disseminate information on the capital markets to farmers. Stock brokers should also visit farmer groups for enlightenment campaigns.Key words: Capital market, awareness, investment, fundin

The Role of Parents in Early Childhood Education: A case Study of Ikeja, Lagos State

This research aims at providing solutions to role of parents in early childhood education in Nigeria. It will serve as an eye opener to parents and the society in helping to modify or re-adjust their mode of parental involvement towards achieving a better future for themselves and their children notwithstanding their busy schedules and in some cases, inadequacy of resources. A survey approach was used through self- administered questionnaires, and analysis was done using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to test the hypotheses. Based on the findings of this work, parental involvement, that is emotional care and support has a very big influence on early childhood education, particularly the academic performance of the child. More so, it was observed that the extent of parental educational attainment has a significant influence on the age which the child is being sent to school. This implies that the extent or level of the parental educational attainment and exposure determines the age at which the child is being enrolled to school. It was also discovered that, the residential setting of the parents (respondents) has nothing to do with the educational performance of the child. On the whole, parental involvement is very essential in early childhood education and this helps to broaden the child’s horizon, enhance social relationships, and promote a sense of self-esteem and self-efficacy

Bilateral Orbito-Ocular Gunshot Injury in a Nigerian Male: Case Report and Review of Literature

Orbito-ocular injuries with retained intra-orbital foreign bodies affecting both orbits are uncommon in civilian practice. This case report aims to highlight an unusual presentation of bilateral orbito-ocular injury with retained intra-orbital foreign bodies following accidental explosion of a locally fabricated dane gun. A 30-year-old male presented with a five day history of bilateral orbito-ocular injury sustained following an explosion of a dane gun he was fabricating. There was immediate loss of vision in both eyes, and initial treatment was sought at a nearby private general medical clinic. Visual acuity at presentation was no perception of light and light perception with inaccurate projection in the right and left eye respectively, and he had an open wound over the left cheek with retained intra-orbital foreign bodies on plain radiographs. He subsequently underwent wound exploration and closure with removal of the foreign bodies. Vision however remained poor and he was lost to follow-up after being referred for vitreo-retinal consultation. The attendant socio-economic impact on the individual and family following severe bilateral orbito-ocular injury could be enormous when it results in bilateral loss of vision in a young adult. Measures should thus be put in place to regulate the handling of firearms so as to possibly reduce the resultant morbidity from such injuries

Energy potential of yam and plantain peels

    Peels are the wastes produced when yam and plantain are processed for human consumption.  This study evaluated the potential use of these wastes as energy feedstocks by conducting thermal decomposition studies in a thermogravimetric analyzer coupled to a Fourier Transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and in a differential scanning calorimeter.  The peels have ash contents of about 8%-9% hence a slightly lower energy contents in comparison to other biomass feedstocks.  The pyrolysis process for both yam and plantain peels was found to consist of two main stages - moisture loss at temperatures less than 150oC, and decomposition of the dry matter component that peaked at temperature of 300oC.  Both samples reached exothermic reactions that also peaked at 300oC.  Based on FTIR analysis, the major gases that evolved during pyrolysis were carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, acetic acid, methane, methyl isocyanate and ethanol.   Keywords: thermal decomposition, syngas, waste, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyze

Variability of maize yield and some soil properties in an exhaustively cultivated field in the School of Agriculture, Ikorodu

The variability of maize yield and some soil properties in an exhaustively cultivated field in the School of Agriculture, Ikorodu was examined using a coefficient of variation and stepwise multiple regression analysis for two years (1990 and 1991). The variability of individual soil properties and maize yield as indicated by cv values differed widely. Soil chemical properties (ex, Ca, Mg, Ex, Avail. P and zinc) varied more than the physical properties of the soil (sand and water holding capacity). Variability of some soil properties and maize yield were likely to have been markedly influenced by previous land use and other management practices around the exhaustively cultivated field. In 1990, 18 soil properties explained 92.51 % of the variation in the yield of maize on the exhaustively cultivated field. Compared to 87.29% in 1991, each of the soil properties exerted a different influence on the yield of maize. Soil properties which exerted stronger influences on the yield of maize within the cultivated field were available P, Exchangeable Potassium, organic matter, water holding capacity, Exchangeable calcium, sand and zinc. This study has highlighted the tremendous amount of soil and maize yield variability that may exist within a small exhaustively cultivated field. The approach used in this study seems reasonable for improving crap yield on the field. It would be useful for selecting different soil praperties for land and soil fertility evaluation studies

Epidemiology of African swine fever in Nigeria

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious transboundary viral infection of domestic pigs that has serious socio-economic implications on people’s livelihood, international trade and food security. It is still a major limitation to profitable pig production and presently, it is threatening the pig industry internationally with current outbreaks in the Russian federation and the Caucasus. Since 1996, the disease has made major incursions into the West African sub-region. In this study, a combination of classical epidemiologic (statistical), economic, laboratory (serological, virological and molecular) and evidence-based tools were used to determine the prevalence of ASF in Nigeria, map the temporal situation of the virus, estimate the economic implications of infection with justification of alternative control (biosecurity), compare and contrast the virulence genes (Thymidine kinase, TK) and finally evaluate the effectiveness of ethnoveterinary preparations used in the management of ASF. Nine percent (9%) of serum samples and 48% of tissue samples tested were positive for ASF virus antibody and genome, respectively. Areas with high pig-related activities (marketing, consumption and farming) have higher prevalences compared with areas with less pig activities. Farm-gate buyers, marketing systems and transport of untested pigs within the country appeared to assist with the circulation of the virus. Using the financial model of partial budgeting and benefit-cost analysis, ASF outbreak in a 122-sow unit may lead to a loss of up to ZAR7,475,867.27 (US$910,836.70) in a single year while the implementation of biosecurity and its effective monitoring can prevent these losses with certain other social benefits and give a benefit-cost ratio of approximately 29 in return, but the cost of its implementation may result in a 9.70% less annual profit. Since the identification of factors that supports infection on pig farms in the sub-region remains the key component in the development of a risk-based approach to control the disease, most plausible risk factors and biosecurity measures previously identified were analysed in this study with a univariable/multivariable conditional logistic regression analytic models. Presence of an abattoir in a pig farming community (OR = 8.20; P < 0.001) and the presence of an infected pig farm in the neighbourhood (OR = 3.26; P = 0.02) were significant risk factors. There was a marginally significant negative association (protective) between risk of ASF infection and sharing farm tools and equipment (OR = 0.35; P = 0.05). For the biosecurity measures evaluated, food and water control (OR = 0.14; P < 0.001), separation/isolation of sick pigs (OR = 0.14; P = 0.004) and washing and disinfection of farm equipment and tools (OR = 0.27; P = 0.02) were negatively associated (protective) with ASF infection. Consultation and visits by veterinarian/paraveterinarians when animals were sick (OR = 8.11; P = 0.002), and pest and rodent control were positively associated with ASF infection of Nigerian farms (OR = 4.94; P = 0.002). The leaf, root and stem portions of Ancistrocladus korupensis possessed some chemical compounds with antiviral potentials and extracts and fractions from the plant showed very good antiviral (virucidal) activities in-vitro against ASF virus (NIG/99). It also has certain cytotoxic principles and narrow therapeutic index. Further studies on the maximization of the ethnoveterinary potentials of the plant invivo and in-vitro while reducing its cytotoxic potentials will be needed. Using molecular characterization, similar unresolved topologies were observed within the European, South America, Caribbean and West African (ESAC-WA) genotype and the mean character distances on the coded data set revealed least possible loss of information that would have otherwise been ignored in pairwise- or complete- deletion distance analysis. The size of the coding ORF for the TK protein varies between isolates but the majority of isolates code for a protein of 196 amino acids. These isolates comprise of viruses from Europe, West, Central and Southern Africa. A smaller TK gene product of 185 and 194 amino acids, caused due to a frameshift mutation at nucleotide position 561 in many of the East African isolates resulting in stop codons immediately thereafter or further downstream (nucleotide position 571 in Malawi 3). Despite the smaller TK protein product size, certain nonsense insertions of differing length were responsible for some considerably larger TK-PCR products. This TK protein heterogeneity is unexpected in an enzyme with such an important function and these size differences may have an effect on virulence. It is concluded that strains from southern Africa may have a shared evolutionary history with strains of the ESAC-WA genotype but may differ from the evolutionary lineage from East Africa. It is also suggested that a link exist between the sylvatic cycle, domestic tick cycle and the truncated TK products. Finally, putting in place a comprehensive routine surveillance and testing system to rapidly eliminate all pigs in infected farms, reorganization of the market and transportation systems for pigs, implementation of carefully planned on-farm biosecurity protocols, and giving consideration to the option of compensation to encourage reporting of outbreaks will possibly achieve a significant reduction in high ASF prevalence in Nigeria. It will be desirable to eliminate certain risky farm-related practices and behaviours (e.g the removal of all pig abattoir from within the pig communities, isolation of infected neighbourhood farm) while entrenching farm-level biosecurity as these appear to be the key to controlling ASF within the subregion. In conclusion, the outcomes of this research can be used to plan long-term strategies for countries like Nigeria, and assist the ASF unaffected countries that are at risk of infection to organize and secure their animal (pig) resources, so that Africa can be free from the significant effects of ASF and explore options of international markets.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012.Zoology and EntomologyUnrestricte

Effects of Radio Drama on Women’s Usage of Modern Family Planning Methods in Ondo State

The study examined the effect of a radio drama programme on the use of family planning methods by women in Ondo state. A ratio 2:1 was used to select three local governments in the state on rural: urban basis respectively. Using a well structured interview schedule, data were gathered from a total of 90 women who were randomly selected. Descriptive statistics were used to present the findings of the study while the spearman rho rank correlation and the chi square analysis were used to test the hypotheses of the study. Data revealed majority (95.6%) were married in monogamous way (87.8%) with a mean of 37.4 years of age, educated beyond primary school level (83.4%) with trading as major occupation (67.8%). There was a high level of awareness of family planning methods in the study area (&gt;60% for all methods) with condom being the method mostly used (34.4%). Frequency of listenership of radio-drama significantly increased level of awareness of respondents on family planning methods (&thorn;= 0.22, p&lt; 0.05) and use of family planning methods (X2= 57.49, p&lt; 0.05). Level of education, marital status and type of marriage&nbsp; were significantly related to the use of family planning methods. &nbsp