Sexual offences in a Muslim world: a socio-ethical reflection on Zamfara State (Nigeria) v. Bariya I. Mugazu.

On Friday morning, 29 January 2001, Bariya Ibrahima Mugazu was given 100 lashes. Zamfara state of Nigeria tried and punished this young woman for having had sex unlawfully in the previous year. Until this case between Zamfara state of Nigeria and unmarried Bariya Mugazu, controversies surrounding the full adoption of Islamic law (Shari'ah) in northern Nigeria seemed to have remained only a local issue. Section 10 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria bars any of its federating units from adopting a "state religion". These states are, however, at liberty to adopt any suitable legal regime. So in 1999, when 12 states in the north of the federation opted for theocracy by adopting Shari'ah as state law, the predominantly Muslim public of the region claimed to be acting within the confines of the municipal law in embracing religiously based regimes. As such, the relationship between this religious and legal order and Nigeria's human-rights-friendly constitution remains controversial. Fornication or adultery may well not constitute an offence deserving criminal prosecution in the non-Muslim secular world. As shall be made apparent in this study, however, individuals' sex lives are highly regulated within the world of Islam. Since Islamic regimes strongly condemn fornication and adultery, this paper is concerned with reviewing Zamfara v. Bariya in order to establish whether the case succeeded in reflecting an Islamic concept of justice. If so, to what extent was the administration of justice by Shari'ah court(s) of law in Zamfara consistent with the ideals and teaching of Islam

Comparative Assessment of Some Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) Kits for Malaria Diagnosis in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background:  Deployment of sound diagnostic deliverables remains a crucial component of malaria control and prevention programme in Africa. This study aims to make a comparative assessment of the efficacy of three famous brands of rapid diagnostic kits (RDT) available in Nigerian market, with the traditional Giemsa staining (microscopic) method, in testing for malaria in endemic zones, also to provide relevant information and guidance to individuals, health care service providers, test kit manufacturers as well as health corporate organizations. Methods: Giemsa microscopy along with RDT kits (Acon, Paracheck and SD Bioline) were carried out on 525 patient samples presumed to present with acute uncomplicated malaria by clinical diagnosis. In addition, the total WBC count and haematocrit were conducted on the blood samples. Results: Out of the 525 samples recruited, three hundred (300) 57.1% were found positive by Giemsa microscopy. SD Bioline had a positivity rate of 260 (49.5%) while Acon and Paracheck trailed behind with 200 (38.1%) and 150 (28.6%) samples respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and efficiency of the three RDT kits were as follows: SD Bioline (86.3%, 99.6%, 92%); Paracheck (50%, 97.7%, 70.4%) and Acon (66.7%, 100%, 80.9%) respectively. Children within the age bracket 0-10 years had the highest malaria positivity rate (F=5.29; p< 0.05). 115 (38.3%) of children in this age group were positive for malaria with Mean PCV of 30.65 ± 0.52 compare to non-malaria control. The dominant malaria species was P. falciparum with 280 (93.3%) cases. However, an appreciable cases of P. falciparum & P. vivax 15 (5.0%) along with P. falciparum & P. malariae 5 (1.7%) co-infections were confirmed. It was also observed that the haematocrit value for individuals correlated inversely with the parasite density (r = -0.78; p< 0.05). Conclusion and Recommendation: Giemsa microscopy method still remains the gold standard for malaria diagnosis in limited resources endemic zones and recommends that imported RDT kits for malaria should be validated before use in developing countries. Keywords: Giemsa Microscopy; Rapid Diagnostic Kits; Parasite Density; Co-Infection; Malaria Contro

Patterns of User-Initiated Transformation of Dwelling Units in Selected Public Housing Estates in Lagos, Nigeria

This study examined User-Initiated Transformation (UIT) in selected low-income public housing estates in Lagos, Nigeria with a view to providing information that could assist policy makers in more effective housing delivery. It employed a systematic sampling method to select 315 housing units out of 8938 units from 3 purposively selected estates for questionnaire administration, namely: Abesan (156 units), Isolo (128 units) and Iponri estates (31 units). The findings showed that 79.0% (233 out of 295 retrieved questionnaires) of respondents have transformed their houses one way or the other. The majority of residents (78.40%) engaged in transformation by slight adjustment, such as: painting, re-tiling, and installation of shading devices, burglar proof to openings, and fixtures and fittings. It was also observed that 5.28% transformed by addition of more spaces, 1.42 % by addition of doors and windows, 13.21% by addition of services, and 1.68% by total conversion; but there was no indication of transformation by total reconstruction. The study found that 48.3% and 76.0 % of the respondents were not satisfied with the original plan and level of adequacy of spaces of their houses respectively. These findings implied that the predominant patterns of UIT of dwelling units in the study area were due mainly to residents’ dissatisfaction with the level of adequacy of spaces, and with the original plan. The study concluded that greater attention needs to be given to users’ preferences through their participation in the decision-making process relating to the design and delivery of public housing. Keywords: dwelling units, physical transformation, user-initiated transformation (UIT), public housing, Lagos

Resources, Process and Challenges of User-Initiated Transformation of Public Housing Units in Lagos, Nigeria

The literature on user-initiated transformation (UIT) of housing suggests the actuality of the phenomenon as an apparent trend in public housing estates in developing countries, despite the legal and planning implications, and the often negative official attitude towards it. Studies also highlight the significance of economic motivation in UIT. This paper therefore examines the resources for UIT in terms of the sources of finance, cost, and duration, as well as the process and challenges encountered. Systematic sampling method was employed to select 315 housing units from 8938 units in 3 purposively selected low-income estates (the largest) for questionnaire administration. Findings revealed that the main sources of finance for UIT were individual savings (36.8%) and Cooperative societies’ loans (35.8%); while 49.5% of respondents expended N400,000-600,000 to transform to their housing. There was also a significant relationship between cost of UIT and income level. More than 64% of the transformations were completed within 1 year and 34% within the second year. Much of the UIT (65.3%) was by direct labour and 32.3% using contractors. Respondents’ perception of desired spaces not provided emphasized the need for shops, storage, guest room and visitor’s toilet. Insufficient finances and unavailable materials were the key challenges encountered in the transformation process. The study concluded on the need to review the legal, planning, policy and financial frameworks for public housing, to encourage users’ participation and incorporate design guidelines that are sensitive to residents’ socio-economic realities and aspirations as reflected in UIT, through a more acceptable and coordinated approach. Keywords: challenges, process, public housing, resources, user-initiated transformatio

Evaluation of the effect of border closure on COVID-19 incidence rates across nine African countries: an interrupted time series study

Background: Border closure is one of the policy changes implemented to mitigate against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We evaluated the effect of border closure on the incidence rate of COVID-19 across nine African countries. Methods: An interrupted time series analysis was used to assess COVID-19 incidence rates in Egypt, Tunisia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa (SA). Data were collected between 14 February and 19 July 2020 from online data repositories. The linear trend and magnitude of change were evaluated using the itsa function with ordinary least-squares regression in Stata with a 7-d deferred interruption point, which allows a period of diffusion post-border closure. Results: Overall, the countries recorded an increase in the incidence rate of COVID-19 after border closure. However, when compared with matched control groups, SA, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt and Kenya showed a higher incidence rate trend. In contrast, Ethiopia, DRC and Tunisia showed a lower trend compared with their controls. Conclusions: The implementation of border closures within African countries had minimal effect on the incidence of COVID-19. The inclusion of other control measures such as enhanced testing capacity and improved surveillance activities will reveal the effectiveness of border closure measures

Term quadruplet pregnancy: a case report

Higher order multiple pregnancies are rare and often associated with complications. Term delivery is uncommon. This is a report of a 22 years old G3 p2 + 0 (1 alive) teacher who had quadruplet pregnancy following ovulation induction is presented. She had elective caesarean section at term with the delivery of two live male and two live female infants with birth weights ranging between 1750gram and 2850grams. Term delivery in quadruplet pregnancy is possible as demonstrated in this case, and has the advantage of improved perinatal outcome. Bed rest early detection and management of antenatal complications, and planned elective delivery are probably the keys to a successful outcome

Mitigating Turbulence-Induced Fading in Coherent FSO Links: An Adaptive Space-Time Code Approach

Free space optical communication systems have witnessed a significant rise in attention over the last half a decade owing largely to their enormous bandwidth and relative ease of deployment. Generally, free space optical communication systems differ in their detection mechanism as various detection mechanisms are being reported, including intensity modulation/direct detection FSO, differential FSO and coherent FSO. In this chapter, we explore the prospect of obtaining an optimally performing FSO system by harnessing the cutting-edge features of coherent FSO systems and the coding gain and diversity advantage offered by a four-state space-time trellis code (STTC) in order to combat turbulence-induced fading which has thus far beleaguered the performance of FSO systems. The initial outcomes of this technique are promising as a model for various visible light communication applications

Determinants of cocoa farmer’s participation in the innovation platform of the humidtropics programme in Southwestern Nigeria

Open Access JournalIn an effort to determine factors influencing cocoa farmer’s participation in innovation platform (IP) activities of the Humidtropics programme, data was collected from purposively selected 177 farmers using multistage technique sampling technique and was gathered through the use of structured interview schedule. Data were collected and analyzed with percentage, frequency counts, mean, standard deviation and factor analysis. The study shows the mean age of the cocoa farmers in the IP to be 51.16±12.64 with about 52% aged above 50 years, female were only (23.73%), with more than 75th percentile literacy level and only about 31% of respondents generate annual income from farming above ₦50,000 while about 70% made below ₦40,000 extra income from other occupation. The mean farm size was 16.87 ±16.04 acre, farming experience 25.42±10.48 years and household size was 9.78±5.52. The six significant determinants of cocoa farmer’s participation in IP arranged in order of magnitude are psychological factor (λ = 3.158), experience factor (λ = 2.164), community related factor (λ = 1.697) educational factor (λ = 1.854), economic factor (λ =1.438) and internal factor (λ = 1.113). The summative effect of the identified factors accounted for 76.17 % variation observed in cocoa farmer’s participation in the IP

Variations in modern contraceptive uptake and its correlates in South West and North East Nigeria: a comparative analysis

Background: Family planning programs are implemented specifically to address the sexual and reproductive health challenges of women of childbearing age but these interventions are yet to address regional differences in modern contraceptive usage in Nigeria. Hence, this study aimed to examine correlates of modern contraceptive uptake in South West and North Eastern, Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional survey data for women aged 15-49 years was extracted from Nigeria demographic and health surveys 2018 (NDHS). Data analyses were based on a weighted sample of 10,907 (North East= 5406 and South West = 5501) women of reproductive age. The outcome variable was modern contraceptive use. The main explanatory variables were age, employment status, religion, Number of living children, education, and marital status. Frequency distribution, Chi-square test, and binary logistic regression were used for data analysis (α=0.05).Results: The result showed the mean age of women of reproductive age in South West and North East to be 32years and 30 years respectively. More women in South West used modern contraceptive than women in North East. About 91.5% and 75.8% of women in North East and South West respectively did not used any modern method. The result showed that, in the South West, number of living children (OR:4.06, CI: 2.794-5.921), education (OR:1.35, CI: 1.045-1.754) and wealth index (OR:1.77, CI: 1.053-2.973) increased the odds of contraceptive uptake, while maternal age (OR:0.52, CI: 0.282-0.965), religion (OR:0.25, CI: 0.184-0.347) and place of residence (OR:0.68, CI: 0.504-0.916) significantly reduced the odds of modern contraceptive uptake in North East.Conclusions: This study concludes that there are regional variations in uptake and predictors of modern contraceptives use in Nigeria. Therefore, sexual and reproductive health interventions that considers the study’s significant variables should be put in place to increase uptake