151 research outputs found

    Analysis of Budget Policy on Agriculture under Different Governance Regimes

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    Towards resolving the role of governance in economic development, a model of factualcounterfactual analysis was formulated to determine the relative preference of two different regimes for agriculture in the public expenditure budget of developing countries. The poster is in eight main slides: Introduction (1); Model presentation (2, 3); Application to Nigeria (4,5); Empirical Results (6, 7); Conclusion (8). The results indicate that (a) the military showed greater preference for capital allocations to agriculture in the budget while the civil regime showed greater preference for recurrent allocation, which reflects the presence of strong opposition during the civilian regime that tends to over blow the size of civil service workforce engaged in agricultural policy administration together with the attendant recurrent commitments such as personal emoluments and general overhead; and (b) on the whole the civil regime reveals greater preference in terms of the total budget than the military regime, which suggests that the incremental recurrent expenditure during the civilian regime more than offsets the incremental capital expenditure during the military regime. Thus the scope for budget restructuring in favour agricultural growth through higher capital allocations in the public expenditure budget exists in the present dem ocratic dispensation to a larger extent than during the previous dictatorship under the military regime.budget policy, governance regimes, factual-counterfactual, preference for agriculture, capital allocation, recurrent allocation, total allocation, Agricultural and Food Policy, H5, H6,

    The effect of different nutrient sources on biomass production of Lepiota procera in submerged liquid cultures

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    The effect of various organic, inorganic and complex compounds on the biomass production (mycelial dry weight) of Lepiota procera, a Nigerian edible higher fungus was investigated. Among the seventeen carbon compounds tested, mannose enhanced the best biomass yield. This was followed in order by glucose, raffinose and fructose (P>0.01) while Myo-inositol, sucrose and dextrin were the least stimulatory. Of all the twenty-one nitrogen sources used, D-alanine was the most utilizable. Moderate biomass yield was also supported by yeast extract and peptone while the least biomass production was recorded with D-cysteine and sodium nitrate. The carbon/nitrogen ratio that sustained the best biomass yield was 4:1 while the least utilized ratios were 2:5 and 3:5 respectively. Magnesium and calcium were the best macronutrients. Likewise, trace elements (Mn and Zn) stimulated very good mycelial growt

    Enhancing the Access of Rural Households to Output Markets for Increased Farm Incomes

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    In spite of various agricultural development efforts by national and international agencies, which have brought about technological innovations such as improved crop varieties and animal breeds as well as better production techniques, the resultant increase in farm output has not necessarily translated to increased farm income for farmers in Nigeria. This is mostly due to lack of market access and other market related factors. Suffice it to say that the development efforts had hitherto concentrated on the upstream agriculture at the expense of the downstream. Thus the objective of this study is to determine the role of market factors in the translation of incremental agricultural outputs into incremental farm incomes of rural households. Data from 400 households, randomly selected from 100 villages spread across 10 Local Government Areas in the four Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) Zones of Kebbi state, Nigeria were used to model the effect of some market-specific factors on rural households' farm income using Tobit Regression analysis. The result of the analysis revealed that the distance of the farm to the market, cost of transportation, medium of sales of farm produce, fees paid for space to display farm produce in the market and lack of up-to-date market information, had significant impacts on the farm income accruable to rural farming households in the study area. In addition to these, cost of transportation contributed the highest to the transaction cost of marketing farm produce. Therefore, the policies for increasing farming households' income require an integrated approach to intervention in downstream agriculture to enhance the market access, particularly in the area of fees paid to display farm produce in the market and transportation.Farming households, output markets, farm incomes, Nigeria, Consumer/Household Economics,

    Bacteria associated with compost used for cultivation of Nigerian edible mushrooms Pleurotus tuber-regium (Fr.) Singer, and Lentinus squarrosulus (Berk.)

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    The bacteria involved in an outdoor single phase composting using sawdust and wheat bran as substrates for cultivation of Pleurotus tuber-regium (Fr.) Singer, and Lentinus squarrosulus (Berk.), two Nigerian edible mushrooms were identified. Composting was carried out for 2 weeks. The highest core and peripheral temperatures were 68 and 48ºC, respectively, while the lowest temperature was 32ºC. The highest number of bacteria in the core and peripheral compost were 1.46 x 106 and 6.90 x 105 cfu/ml, respectively. Bacteria isolated and characterized from the fermenting agricultural substrates include Bacillus polymyxa, Enterobacter aerogenes, Micrococcus roseus, Citrobacter freundii, Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus licheniformis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. The implication of the presence of these bacteria is discussed.Keywords: Lentinus squarrosulus, Pleurotus tuber-regium, bacteria mushrooms, compost, fermentatio

    Dynamic modelling of the socio-technical systems of household energy consumption and carbon emissions

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    There is a growing need to curtail the carbon emissions in the globe in order to achieve the climate stabilisation goals based on the climate change threat. And as such, different initiatives and schemes of Government have targeted a number of policies at reducing energy and carbon emissions targets with the housing sector of the economy not an exception. In order to explore the feasibility of achieving carbon emissions reduction targets within the housing sector of the UK, the research views the issue of household energy consumption and carbon emissions as complex sociotechnical problem involving the analysis of both the social and technical variables. This thesis therefore describes the development of the system dynamics based model to capture and solve the problem relating to the future profiles of household energy consumption and carbon emissions by providing a policy advice tool for use by the policy makers. In order to investigate the problem, the research adopts the pragmatist research strategy involving collection of both qualitative and quantitative data to develop the model. The developed model has six modules, which are: population/household, dwelling internal heat, occupants’ thermal comfort, climatic-economic-energy efficiency interaction, household energy consumption, and household CO2 emissions. In addition to the ‘baseline’ scenario, the developed model was used to develop four illustrative scenarios of household energy consumption and carbon emissions; which are: ‘efficiency’ scenario, ‘behavioural change’ scenario, ‘economic’ scenario, and ‘integrated’ scenario. The ‘efficiency’ scenario generally considers the effects of improvements in energy efficiency measures on household energy consumption and ultimately on household carbon emissions. Additionally, the ‘behavioural change’ scenario tries to model the effects of occupants’ change of energy consumption behaviour on household energy consumption and carbon emissions profile. The ‘economic’ scenario assumes a case of policy change by Government favouring energy prices reduction, thereby reducing the energy bills payable by the householders and its consequences on household energy consumption and carbon emissions. And the ‘integrated’ scenario combines the assumptions in the first three scenarios and then analyses its effects on household energy consumption and carbon emissions. The ‘baseline’ results indicate that about 49% savings in carbon emissions by the year 2050 below the base year of 1990 are possible. Additionally, the results of the developed model for all the illustrative scenarios indicate that carbon emissions savings of 46%, 55%, 58%, and 63% below the base year of 1990 are possible from the ‘economic’, ‘efficiency’, ‘behavioural change’, and ‘integrated’ scenarios respectively. The research concludes that it is unlikely for any of the scenarios by its own to meet the required legally binding reductions of 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050 unless this is vigorously pursued. The unique contribution of the research is the development of a model that incorporates socio-technical issues that can be used for decision making over time

    Funding Of Small-Scale Development Agencies In Nigeria: A Case Study Of Industrial Development Centres(IDCs)

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    This study assessed the adequacy of funding of Industrial Development Centres (IDCs) in Nigeria.The study was designed primarily to determine whether or not the IDCs were adequately funded to carry out   the roles assigned to them towards development of Small-Scale Businesses in Nigeria. The study indicated that each of the selected IDCs was not adequately funded to carry out the roles assigned to it towards the development of Small-Scale Businesses in the geographical areas it expected to offer its services. To overcome the problem of inadequate funding, it is recommended that IDCs should extend the sources of their funding. Keywords: Small-Scale Businesses, funding, Industrial Development Centres, Zones

    Factors Influencing Saudi Construction Design Management

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    This study evaluates factors influencing Saudi construction design management. Through the use of literature review, questionnaire and interview surveys, the study identified and assessed the factors influencing design management in Saudi Arabia and suggested ways of improving the Saudi construction design management. The sample for the study was carefully selected with the use of purposive sampling technique. A total of one hundred and fifty questionnaires were administered online and of this number, fifty three respondents returned completed questionnaires. In addition, nine carefully sampled seasoned professionals were interviewed. Through the use of mean item score and content analysis for the interviews, the identified factors were assessed. The results obtained from descriptive analysis indicate that respondents ranked ‘effectiveness of communication channels and methods’ as the most important factor influencing design management in the study area. This was closely followed by ‘cultural differences’ and ‘deficient project documentations’. On ways to improve the Saudi construction design management, the respondents gave divergent views on the issue. Among the views expressed is that the government should ensure that the local consultants are well trained. The study recommends that the government should provide support for small and medium sized Saudi-based companies to integrate and collaborate with large foreign ones in order to work round the problem accruing from only foreign ones. This would further increase new innovative collaborative working.Â

    Impact of Constructivist Model-Based Training Programmes on Pre-Service Teachers’ Knowledge, Creativity, Classroom Practice and Junior Secondary Schools Learning Outcomes in Mathematics

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    The dwindling performance of Junior Secondary School (JSS) students in Mathematics over the year needs urgent attention.  This trend has been attributed to poor Instructional strategies and teachers inabilities in providing, opportunities for creative thinking and ways of working mathematics.  Scholars had advocated the use of creativity which begins with curiosity and involves pupils in exploration and experimentation which they draw upon their imagination and originality.  This study therefore determined the use of constructionist method on pre-service teacher’s knowledge and creativity, and students imaginations on learning outcomes in mathematics.  Pre-test, post-test, control group, quazi-experimental design with 3 x 3 x 2 factorial matrix was adopted for the study.  Thirty six (36) pre-service service teachers were selected using stratified sampling techniques.  Eight hundred and thirty (830) students from six randomly selected secondary schools in southwestern Nigeria participated in the study.  The instruments used were interactive approach knowledge and creativity (IAKC) validated using KR20 (r=0.73) and problem-Based learning knowledge and creativity (PBLKC) validated using KR20 (r=0.74).  Questionnaire on classroom teachers practices and creativity were validated using inter-rater reliability index using Scott’s IT(r=0.72) Data collected were analysed using Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and Duncan pair-wise comparison test. Result showed that there were significant main effects of  training programme on presence teachers knowledge F(2,32)=11.23;p< 0.05  Creativity (F(2,32)= 18.32; P< 0.05). There were significant main effect of pre-service teachers knowledge and creativity on students achievement F(2,811)=110.66;P<0.05) and students creativity (F(2,811) = 3.39; P<0.05 towards mathematics. The CM pedagogy was more effective in improving classroom practices of pre-service teachers and it is the strategy that supports such outcomes which are clearly and vital importance to mathematics  and particularly significant for a curriculum area in which both the spoken and written languages of mathematics are key to understanding. Keywords: Constructivist, Pre-service, Creativity, Learning outcomes, Mathematic

    MICROBIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF OPENED SOFT DRINK BOTTLES FOR PATHOGENIC BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH DRINKING DIRECTLY FROM THE ORIFICE.

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    Four types of carbonated soft drinks encoded as A, B, C and D; and bottled and sealed water E (used as control) were bought from a student restaurant in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt Nigeria. The area of the orifice and neck of the bottles usually placed in the mouth while drinking directly from the bottles was analyzed in triplicates for the impinging bacterial species. Of the eighty-three morphologically identified aerobic isolates the percent frequency of occurrence was: Staphylococcus aureus (38.4%), Bacillus and other gram-positive rods (36.0 %), Enterococcus sp (12.0 %), Micrococcus spp (8.4% each), and Proteus and Pseudomonas spp (2.4% each). The Standard Plate Count expressed as the Colony Forming Units (CFU) indicated a range of 5.3 x 10 3 to 2.6.0 x 10 4 CFU ml-1 of the rinsate of the orifice and neck of the soft-drink bottles. The preponderance of the indicator organisms: Coagulase positive S. aureus and the Enterococci sp is used to infer the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria. The need for public health enlightenment on the packaging and safe conduits for the distribution of soft drinks was discussed

    Econometric Analysis of Fiscal Deficit Sustainability of Ghana

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    The paper examined the sustainability of fiscal policy in Ghana over the period of 1980-2010, to determine whether or not the economy has achieved the feat as a criterion required for membership in proposed West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ). Using error correction method of analysis, the study revealed that the variables have long run relationship which indicated sustainability, although weak, which shows an indication that the country might not qualify for membership in WAMZ. Also, the study reveals that only 29 percent of disequilibrium between government revenue and expenditure generated in the economy was restored yearly following shocks to the economy. The study therefore recommends that government should improve on her tax revenue generation and other source of income and ensure records of surplus budgeting. Keywords: sustainability, criterion, economy, fiscal deficit, error correction JEL H63 H10 F41 H62 C1
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