The politics of ‘hope’ and ‘despair’: Generational dimensions to Igbo nationalism in post-civil war Nigeria

This paper examines the concept of “generations” as one of the key features of contemporary Igbo nationalism, and as one that has received relatively less or no attention in the literature on post-civil war Igbo nationalism in Nigeria. Drawing on the activities of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo- the apex socio-political group in Igboland- and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) - a second-generation Igbo nationalist movement this article examines the dynamics of generational tensions between youth-led and elite-led Igbo groups in Igboland. On the one hand, the political agency of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo is traced genealogically to the imperatives of the patrimonial politics of the Nigerian state, the need to play the “politics of the centre” and re-integrate the Igbo into mainstream politics in the postcivil war era. On the other hand, the MASSOB project is rooted in the aborted secessionist war for Igbo self-determination between 1967 and 1970. It rejects a state-led process, seeks the realignment of the generational balance of power, and ultimately, an exit of the Igbo ethnic group into an alternative political and administrative arrangement. These generational differences and tensions offer insights into the transformation of local politics and the changing configurations of power and authority in present day Igboland, one that pits an emergent youth movement against an enduring Igbo establishment within the broader context of ethnic identity politics in Nigeria.Key Words: Nationalism, Igbo, War, patrimonial politics, Biafra, Nigeria, Generational differencesRésumé:Cet article examine le concept de «générations» comme l’une des principales caractéristiques du nationalisme contemporain Igbo, et que celui qui a reçu relativement peu ou pas d’attention dans la littérature est l’après-guerre civile Igbo nationalisme au Nigeria. S’appuyant sur les activités de Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo- le groupe socio-politique sommet dans Igboland- et le Mouvement pour la réalisation de l’État souverain du Biafra (MASSOB) - une deuxième génération du mouvement nationaliste Igbo, cet article examine la dynamique des tensions générationnelles entre les groupes Igbo dirigés par des jeunes et de l’élite dirigée dans Igbo. D’une part, l’agence politique de Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo est tracée généalogique aux impératifs de la politique patrimoniale de l’Etat nigérian, le besoin de jouer la «politique du centre» et ré-intégrer les Igbo dans les grands courants politiques dans le post-tant civil époque de la guerre. D’autre part, le projet MASSOB est enracinée dans la Guerre de sécession avortée pour Igbo autodétermination entre 1967 et 1970 Il rejette un processus dirigé par l’État, vise la réorganisation de l’équilibre des générations du pouvoir, et, finalement, une sortie de l’ethnie Igbo dans un arrangement politique et administrative de remplacement. Ces différences générationnelles des tensions et offrir un aperçu de la transformation de la politique locale et l’évolution des configurations de pouvoir et d’autorité dans nos jours Igbo, qui oppose un mouvement de jeunesse émergente contre un établissement durable Igbo dans le contexte plus large de la politique de l’identité ethnique au Nigeria.Mots clés: nationalisme, Igbo, la guerre, la politique patrimoniale, Biafra, au Nigeria, les différences entre génération

Shareholder Engagement and Chevron’s Policy 520 on Human Rights: The Role Played by the United States Jesuit Conference’s “National Jesuit Committee on Investment Responsibility”

Purpose To demonstrate how the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in the United States through the “National Jesuit Committee on Investment Responsibility” played a significant role as a socially conscious institutional and religious investor in influencing Chevron’s Human Rights Policy 520 and to analyze the factors that contributed to a successful shareholder engagement with the company. Methodology/approach Case study based on firsthand information. Findings Our conclusion offers support for Allen et al.’s (2012) conclusion of legitimacy (credibility) being the dominant force in a successful engagement. We found that coalition-building is a significant moderating variable in increasing shareholder salience. This finding contradicts the study by Gifford (2010). Originality/value of chapter The chapter is based on the actual process of shareholder engagement with Chevron Corporation that led to the human rights policy and is written mainly based on firsthand information

Sustainability of black nera laying birds on pig dung meal based diets.

The study was undertaken on utilization of farm animal organic waste as feeds for livestock and poultry. Increasing feed costs and international concern for the conservation of resources have focused attention on the nutrients in animal wastes that have in the past been used largely as fertilizer or as a major source of fuel for villagers in a number of countries. Animal wastes represent a vast reservoir of cheap nutrients, particularly for ruminants. The limitation in using animal waste as feed is that it needs processing. Dehydration, ensiling, chemical and physical treatments can be used to maintain the nutrient composition and increase the palatability and feeding values of the waste. Animal waste can potentially be used not only to maintain animals in the dry time but also to encourage performance quite satisfactorily. Feeding cattle manure in poultry and pigs promotes meat and egg productivity respectively. Pig waste, when processed and properly balanced with other ingredients, may become a potential feed substitute for cattle at levels up to 30%. No differences in the quality of meat from animals fed waste have been detected, nor has there been a problem of consumer acceptance in animal products.Keywords: Black Nera Laying Birds, Pig Dung Meal, Diets, Feed Cost, Organic Waste

Assessment of the Teleconnection Between El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and West African Rainfall

In this study, rainfall variability over Nigeria was analysed in relation to ocean-atmospheric interaction due to ENSO event. Monthly rainfall data were collected from Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) from six (6) synoptic stations selected across three (3) geographical regions in Nigeria for a period of 26 years (1988 - 2013). Cluster analysis grouped the rainfall data into three clusters namely Coastal South, Middle belt and Sahel North, while Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) data from 1988 to 2013 was retrieved from National Ocean Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as updated by the National Centre for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). Rainfall Analysis Index (RAI) was computed for each of the three sub-regions and respective anomalies revealed in a time series. Additionally, linear correlation analysis between the RAI and SOI were computed at lag three months to determine any relationship between ENSO and Nigerian rainfall. The result shows that correlation between RAI and SOI were not uniformly significant, with Region 1 having a positive correlation and a negative correlation recorded for regions 2 and 3. Likewise, simple matrix confirm for region 1 the positive rainfall anomalies occurring during warm ENSO phase. How forecast will be improved if ENSO indices are included as precursor variables in rainfall forecast for the region will be of interest.Key Words: El Nino Southern Oscillation, Nigerian rainfall, Southern Oscillation Index (SOI

Sustentabilidad de gallinas ponedoras alimentadas con harina a base de alimento de cerdo

The study was undertaken on the utilization of farm animal organic waste as feeds for livestock and poultry. Increasing feed costs and international concern for the conservation of resources have focused attention on the nutrients in animal wastes that have in the past been used largely as fertilizer or as a major source of fuel for villagers in a number of countries. Animal wastes represent a vast reservoir of cheap nutrients, particularly for ruminants. The limitation in using animal waste as feed is that it needs processing. Dehydration, ensiling, chemical and physical treatments can be used to maintain the nutrient composition and increase the palatability and feeding values of the waste. Animal waste can potentially be used not only to maintain animals in the dry time but also to encourage performance quite satisfactorily. Feeding cattle manure in poultry and pigs promotes meat and egg productivity respectively. Pig waste, when processed and properly balanced with other ingredients, may become a potential feed substitute for cattle at levels up to 30%. No differences in the quality of meat from animals fed waste have been detected, nor has there been a problem of consumer acceptance in animal productsEl estudio se realizó sobre la utilización de desechos orgánicos de animales de granja como alimento para ganado y aves de corral. El aumento de los costos de los piensos y la preocupación internacional por la conservación de los recursos han centrado la atención en los nutrientes en los desechos animales que en el pasado se utilizaron principalmente como fertilizantes o como una importante fuente de combustible para los aldeanos en varios países. Los desechos animales representan una gran reserva de nutrientes baratos, especialmente para los rumiantes. La limitación en el uso de desechos animales como alimento es que necesita procesamiento. Los tratamientos de deshidratación, ensilado, químicos y físicos se pueden utilizar para mantener la composición de nutrientes y aumentar la palatabilidad y los valores de alimentación de los desechos. El desperdicio de animales puede ser utilizado no solo para mantener a los animales en el tiempo seco sino también para alentar el rendimiento de manera bastante satisfactoria. Alimentar el estiércol del ganado en las aves de corral y los cerdos promueve la productividad de la carne y el huevo, respectivamente. Los desperdicios de cerdo, cuando se procesan y equilibran adecuadamente con otros ingredientes, pueden convertirse en un posible sustituto de la alimentación del ganado en niveles de hasta el 30%. No se han detectado diferencias en la calidad de la carne de animales alimentados con desechos, ni ha habido un problema de aceptación del consumidor en productos de origen anima

Generation of a neutralizing antibody against RD114-pseudotyped viral vectors

The feline endogenous RD114 glycoprotein has proved to be an attractive envelope to pseudotype both retroviral and lentiviral vectors. As a surface protein, its detection on packaging cells as well as viral particles would be useful in different fields of its use. To address this, we generated a monoclonal antibody against RD114 by immunization of rats, termed 22F10. Once seroconversion was confirmed, purified 22F10 was cloned into murine Fc and characterized with a binding affinity of 10nM. The antibody was used to detect RD114 and its variant envelopes on different stable viral packaging cell lines (FLYRD18 and WinPac-RD). 22F10 was also shown to prevent the infections of different strains of RD-pseudotyped vectors but not related envelope glycoproteins by blocking cell surface receptor binding. We are the first to report the neutralization of viral particles by a monoclonal αRD114 antibody

Green and Sustainable Commercial Property Demand in Malaysia and Nigeria

Green building is redefining real estate practices and commercial properties are attracting greater attention of the paradigm shift. Nevertheless, in many countries including Malaysia and Nigeria, green building investment is still beset with uncertainties about the anticipated returns and benefits. The aim of this study is to identify the predictive factors and variables that motivate decisions to demand and invest in green commercial properties, and to apply discriminant analysis technique to assess if there are significant differences in perception between the real estate development team in Malaysia and Nigeria based on the identified variables. The result showed a significant discriminant function separating the two countries based on their perception of the variables. The green building motivation attributes favoured Malaysia. The Wilks’ Lambda’s F test and the standardized discriminant function coefficients, indicated that there are significant differences in perception between the real estate development team  in Malaysia and Nigeria as measured by personal and altruistic environmental motivations, corporate conscience responsibility motivations and economic and financial motivations. However, economic and financial motivation variables were found to have showed the most predictive power in accounting for the differences in perception. Keywords: green building, real estate investment, sustainability, motivations, perceptions

Knowledge Levels, Attitude and Beliefs of Men towards the Digital Rectal Examinations (DRE): A study in Trinidad

Background: Trinidad and Tobago have been ranked as having one of the highest cancer mortality rates in the Caribbean. Prostate cancer was identified as the most common cancer in men, with a higher mortality than any other cancer. At least 1 in 9 men in Trinidad and Tobago will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine knowledge levels, attitudes, and beliefs of men aged 40 years and over regarding digital rectal examination (DRE). The investigators considered this crucial following the scourge of prostate cancer in Trinidad and Tobago and an apparent lack of the use of the DRE, a noted method of screening for the condition for early detection. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken using 216 men who were at least 40 years old and who gave their informed consent; these men were attending a central mall in Trinidad in the month of April 2018 when the data was collected. Data was collected using the researchers’ designed, self-administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 20. Result: Results indicate that most men (95.8%) are knowledgeable/very knowledgeable about DRE. Similarly, most (64.6%) of the men have favourable/very favourable attitudes towards DRE while 59.3% of them indicated that their beliefs have little or major influence regarding their participation in DRE. It also showed that the men’s beliefs are associated with their ethnicity (pDiscussion/Recommendation/Conclusion: The findings suggest that perhaps the attitudes and beliefs of men aged 40 years and over attending this mall are better predictors of intentions than their knowledge. This needs to be explored further given the need to curb the prevalence of prostate cancer amongst men in Trinidad and Tobago

Census politics in deeply divided societies

Population censuses in societies that are deeply divided along ethnic, religious or linguistic lines can be sensitive affairs – particularly where political settlements seek to maintain peace through the proportional sharing of power between groups. This brief sets out some key findings from a research project investigating the relationship between census politics and the design of political institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya, Lebanon and Northern Ireland

Optimised Method for the Production and Titration of Lentiviral Vectors Pseudotyped with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike

The use of recombinant lentivirus pseudotyped with the coronavirus Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 would circumvent the requirement of biosafety-level 3 (BSL-3) containment facilities for the handling of SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Herein, we describe a fast and reliable protocol for the transient production of lentiviruses pseudotyped with SARS-CoV-2 Spike (CoV-2 S) proteins and green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporters. The virus titer is determined by the GFP reporter (fluorescent) expression with a flow cytometer. High titers (>1.00 E+06 infectious units/ml) are produced using codon-optimized CoV-2 S, harbouring the prevalent D614G mutation and lacking its ER retention signal. Enhanced and consistent cell entry is achieved by using permissive HEK293T/17 cells that were genetically engineered to stably express the SARS-CoV-2 human receptor ACE2 along with the cell surface protease TMPRSS2 required for efficient fusion. For the widespread use of this protocol, its reagents have been made publicly available. Graphic abstract: Production and quantification of lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein