How health-related messaging increase intentions to download and use mobile contact (COVID-19) tracing apps: Preliminary findings

This study contributes to current discussions regarding the use of digital solutions and especially (mobile) contact tracingcontact-tracing apps (MCTA) in COVID-19 containment. This study is timely because several countries around the world andworld, including African countriescountries, face an acute shortage of COVID-19 vaccines and as a result complimentary measures and innovative solutions like MCTA can be useful in the containment of COVID-19 disease pandemic. Towardsd this end, the current study integrates the health belief model (HBM) with the theory of reasoned action (TRA) to investigate MCTA acceptability based on data collected from online respondents in Nigeria. The results of the empirical analyses, using PLS-SEM, indicate that perceived disease vulnerability, perceived severity of the disease, but but not perceived barriers ofto taking action, are important determinants of attitude towardsd MCTA. The results further show that, while attitude is positively related to MCTA adoption intention, both perceived disease vulnerability and perceived severity of the disease indirectly contribute to MCTA adoption intention through attitude towardsd MCTA. Overall, the proposed research model explains about 58.8% variation in the intention to adopt MCTA and therefore shines a positive light on the topic that is critical for shaping COVID-19 messaging in different countries of the world and especially in African countries where COVID-19 testing and vaccination drive remain worryingly slow.IGA [IGA/FaME/2021/003]; RVO [MSMT-7778/2020

Petroleum subsidy withdrawal, fuel price hikes and the Nigerian Economy

The study investigated petroleum subsidy withdrawal, fuel price hikes and the Nigerian Economy. The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which the removals of petroleum subsidies stimulate hikes in fuel prices and increases in the prices of products of other sectors in the Nigerian economy. It employed input-output model to determine the value added per sector from the computed table of flow of goods. Subsequently, the impacts of reductions in petroleum subsidies (10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%) on the prices of products from the other sectors were computed. Results showed that reduction in petroleum subsidies stimulate increases in prices of petroleum products and such increases trigger increases in transport fares; increases in transport fares subsequently lead to increases in prices of other products owing to the degree of interdependency among the various sectors. The need for policy makers to be mindful of the economic implications of subsidy removal was suggested, among other

Electricity Consumption and Manufacturing Sector Performance: Evidence from Nigeria

Adequate supply of energy is important for sustainable growth in an economy. The rate of the growth of the Nigeria's electricity development is very slow and not effective compare to other emerging economies; this on the other hands has discouraged production, most especially in the manufacturing sector. In light of this, the study investigates the long-run impact of electricity consumption on manufacturing sector performance proxy by output, employment and capital using Canonical Cointegrating Regression. Evidence from the result in the output equation shows that electricity consumption and credit to manufacturing sector have a negative relationship with output. In the employment equation, consumption in electricity and interest rate have negative effects on employment. In the capital equation, electricity consumption is not statistically significant. In conclusion, effects of electricity consumption as input in the manufacturing sector have not improved the performance in the sector. To improve the situation, the study recommends among others the need to create a framework to promote energy efficiency by maximizing output from the power sector and minimize wastage. Keywords: Electricity consumption; Employment; Output; Capital JEL Classifications:  Q4; J2; O1; G1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.1139

A Time Series Forecast of COVID-19 Infections, Recoveries and Fatalities in Nigeria

The study investigated COVID-19 pandemic infections, recoveries, and fatalities in Nigeria to forecast future values of infections, recoveries, and fatalities and thus ascertain the extent to which the pandemic appeared to be converging with time. The prediction of COVID-19 infections, recoveries, and fatalities was necessitated by the impact that the pandemic had exerted in world economies since its outbreak in late 2019. The quantitative method was employed, and a longitudinal research design was applied. Data were obtained from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The least-squares test and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) tests were performed to forecast infections, recoveries, and fatalities. The results of the predicted infections for the last five months of the year (August–December 2020) shows that the cases of infections will narrow down within the period. The need for policymakers to implement complete unlocking of the economy for speedy economic recovery was suggested, among others

Stock prices reaction to oil price fluctuations: Empirical evidence from Nigeria.

The study investigated stock market reactions to oil price fluctuations in Nigeria. A longitudinal design consisting of data on the Nigerian Stock market index, crude oil prices, exchange rate, interest rate, inflation rate and GDP for the period 1984-2019 was employed. The data were subjected to stationarity and cointegration tests using ADF and Johansen’s techniques. Based on the results of the stationarity and cointegration tests, Vector error correction model was used to analyse the research data. The results indicate that crude oil prices have short-run and long-run effects on stock market returns. Exchange rate was found to have significant short-run effect on stock market returns

Perception of workload balance and employee job satisfaction in work organisations

The study investigated perception of workload balance and employee job satisfaction in work organisations. It sought to find out the extent to which employee perception of workload balance influences job satisfaction. Seven hundred and sixty-four (764) randomly selected employees from 8 multinational organizations and two private universities in Nigeria participated in the study. Structural equation modelling was employed. Results show that comparison of workload with those of colleagues and employees' role alliance with their competencies significantly influence their perception of workload balance and job satisfaction, organisation's staff strength influences perception of workload balance and employees' perception of workload balance significantly influences job satisfaction

Inegbedion, H.E. Adama, J. Agba, D., Obainoke, F. (2020). Ethical Dilemmas of Bank Marketers in Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

The purpose of dis paper is to investigate the nature of the inequalities in the usage of the internet and inequalities in the growth rate in the usage of the internet, and thus ascertain the possibility of convergence of the digital divide between the major regions of the world. The design was a longitudinal study of the usage of internet and growth rate in the usage of the internet in the different regions of the world for the period 2009–2019. The quantitative research method was used. Simple percentages and F-test were used in data analysis. The usage of internet in Asia and Europe is higher than the other regions in the world but there is no significant difference in usage between the other regions. The results further showed that some of the digitally disadvantaged regions had higher growth rates in the usage of the internet and these digitally disadvantage states are not disadvantaged in access to smartphones and the emerging 5G technology, thus suggesting the possibility of imminent convergence in access to the internet given the increasing usage of smartphones for the internet subscription. The focus on internet usage in the major regions of the world without recourse to the variability of the usage and growth rate of internet usage within the regions. The dearth of the empirical literature on quantitative research on the research problem was another constraint. Finally, restriction in available statistics on digital divide constrained the use of 2009–2019 as the periodic scope of the stud

Examining the effects of oil price long memory and exchange rate long memory on stock market behavior in Nigeria

The study examined the effect oil price long memory and exchange rate long memory on Nigeria’s stock. We have used ARMA estimating techniques to assess whether one or both variables exert impact on the stock market in Nigeria. Our result shows that long memory stock price is driven by a long memory of the exchange rate and long stock of the oil price. We therefore recommend that policymakers pursue policies aimed at stabilizing, on the one hand, the exchange rate regime and ensuring the economy has a position in net oil exportations. We also recommend the development of portfolio strategies by market practitioners so that long-term memory in exchange rates as well as in oil pricing are considered when making investment decisions