Library Materials and Human Health: Vulnerability and Preservative Measures

This manuscript documents a study on the materials and users of selected libraries in Nigeria, with a view to providing vital information on the effects of library-associated organisms on the library materials, and the health of people in its proximity. The study evaluated the modes of action of library-associated biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors, stated the impacts of the activities of the organism(s) on library materials and users, and investigated the prevalent environmental factors necessary for the well-being of the organisms. The modes of action of the non-living degradation agents were also analyzed and preventive measures were implemented accordingly. Nonbiodegradable library materials made from synthetic or inorganic sources might be a degradationfree option but on the other hand manufacturing of synthetic products would aggravate environmental pollution challenges. Organisms in the library depend on the ambient conditions to thrive, therefore strategic regulation of the library environment is important. Safety of library users and library materials can be guaranteed by the recommended precautions which were based on the study of the organisms

Deregulation of Foreign Exchange Market and the effect on Industrial Produce in Nigeria

The problem of the effect of high regulation in the foreig n exchange market which in advertently have a determining factor on the performance of business organizations most especially industries in Nigeria. This paper deals with the effect of exchange rate deregulation on industrial produce/manufacturing outpu t in the Nigerian economy. This study also uses the econometric approach in estimating the effect and to be specific it uses the co - integration and error correction mechanism. The paper started by laying a background for the work. Section 1 dwells on the statement of the problem, objectives, statement of hypotheses, significance of the study, research questions and scope of the study. Section 2 is mainly on the review of similar literatures relating to foreign exchange policies per time, the trend, manage ment and other matters relating to foreign exchange.Setion 3 focuses on the research methodology while Section 4 is the presentation, analysis and interpretation of the regression result. Section 5 is the final and the concluding part of the subject matter which simply try to give conclusion and recommendation on the entire work, as well as further readings for other researchers. The paper concluded that the major determinant of manufacturing output in the Nigerian economy is labour, capital and exchange ra te

Microfinance (Mf) and Poverty Alleviation In Southwest Nigeria: Empirical Evidence

By inspection, observation and government records there are too many poor in Southwest Nigeria who require micro/small financial services such as credit, insurance, money transfer etcetera in order to engage actively in productive activities and improve their standard of living. Paradoxically, governments across the world, particularly in Nigeria over the years, have not been able to adequately help the poor in spite of all the rhetorics and several failed povertyalleviation projects. The objective study examines the roles of microfinance towards the dispersion of credit among the working poor and also helped to improve the standard of living in Nigeria. The study draws from the data collected from the field survey and these were reported using tables, frequency counts and cross-tabulations to draw inferences. In addition, a loan demand model was specified and estimated using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) econometric technique.The study used cross-sectional data collected from selected respondents in selected areas of both the Lagos and Ogun States of Nigeria respectively. The study confirmed that most of the Microfinance banks in Nigeria are tailored after the Grameen Bank which focuses on the poor and people with basic, little or no education and that loan demand is interest rate insensitive to loan demand. The study recommended that MFIs should design appropriate products that are flexible enough to meet the different needs of the poor for both production and consumption purposes. Government should urgently tackle the infrastructural gaps such as electricity, water and efficient transportation system which impact greatly on the standard of living of the people. JEL Classification: G21, G3

Deregulation of Foreign Exchange Market and its Effect on Industrial Produce in Nigeria

The problem of the effect of high regulation in the foreign exchange market which in advertently have a determining factor on the performance of business organizations is an issue of concern most especially in industries in Nigeria. Data on variables which are relevant to this study like industrial produce, exchange rate, and inflation rate, labour force per time, capital stock and political regulations/ instability were gathered from secondary source like the Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin. The data were analyzed using the ordinary least square econometric technique and the result showed that while both labour and capital are positively significant in explaining industrial produce, inflation was negatively significant in explaining it. This paper thus recommended amongst others that the educational sector should be prioritized by the government in order to have a strong labour force, and also long term funds should be provided for the growth of the manufacturing sector

Does Financial Deregulation Spurs Economic Development in Nigeria?

The problem of low investment caused by mismanagement of the financial deregulation process is a worrisome issue that needs to be addressed. Data spanning 46 years from 1970 to 2016 and which are relevant to variables of study like gross fixed capital formation, etc were gathered from secondary sources and analyzed using the Auto-Regressive Distribution Lag model. The result showed that both financial deregulation and investment growth have a long-term but negative significant impact on economic development. The paper recommends amongst others that the deregulation process needs to be properly sequenced into the financial syste

Corporate Governance and Financial Sustainability of Microfinance Institutions in Nigeria

Financial sustainability is critical to the growth of Microfinance institutions and therefore deserves proper attention by relevant stakeholders. This study investigates the impact of corporate governance on financial sustainability of Microfinance Institutions in Nigeria during the period, 2011 to 2015. We model financial sustainability measurement through the use of Return on Assets (ROA) and Operating Self Sufficiency (OSS). Board independence (BRDIND), board size (BRDSIZE) and gender diversity (GENDIV) were adopted as corporate governance attributes or proxies. The main findings reveal that the regression model is not significant at 1 per cent level with the adjusted RSquared of 28% and 48% for the respective models. The result of regression coefficient shows that BRDIND (-0.144 and -0.7211) and GENDIV (-0.032 and -0.9119) are not statistically significant with the exception of BRDSIZE (0.245 and 0.278) which shows a significant positive impact on financial sustainability. Our findings reveal that there is no significant relationship between corporate governance mechanisms (board independence, gender diversity) and financial sustainability. Only board size shows a positive relationship with financial sustainability. This paper recommends that microfinance banks should adopt gender friendly policies thereby encouraging more women to the membership of microfinance banks’ Boards to take advantage of their expected benefits. Also, this study recommends that the regulatory authorities should ensure that Microfinance banks in Nigeria comply strictly with corporate governance code and sanctions should be meted to erring bank

PUBLIC EXPENDITURE AND NIGERIAN ECONOMIC GROWTH

This study assesses the impact of government expenditures on the economy (GDP) based on secondary data from 1970 to 2012. Variables considered relevant indicators of economic growth and public expenditure from literatures were used. The data were subjected to the instrumental variables two-stage least squares regression. The result showed that both capital expenditure and lagged-two capital expenditure positively and significantly impacts GDP. For the second equation, only internal debt positively impact GDP. The study thus recommends among others more budgetary allocations to public expenditures while the Public Private Partnership model was encouraged for capital projects in order to minimize corruptio

Exchange Rate Management and Sectoral Output Performance

The goal of every economy is to have a stable exchange rate with the countries it trades with; therefore exchange rate is very vital to the economy of every country. Nigeria has adopted both fixed and fluctuating exchange rate regimes in order to achieve the goal of a realistic exchange rate but this has proven futile as the economy has continued to perform poorly over the years. This study is therefore aimed at examining the effect exchange rate management has on the output performance of both the agricultural sector and the manufacturing sector. Secondary data from 1981 2015 were analyzed using the Ordinary Least Square technique. The results showed that exchange rate has a positive and significant effect on only the agriculture sector. The study recommends amongst others that efforts should be made to increase the exportation of agricultural products in order to boost exchange rate

The Assesment of the Contribution of Primary Mortage Institutions to Housing Finance in Nigeria: A Case Study of Union Homes Savings and Loans PLC

The problem of housing affordability and the provision of quality services by the mortgage industry which includes financing have always being a major concern to the public as a whole. This research is therefore aimed at discovering the activities, achievements and limitations of the mortgage industry especially in the primary mortgage institutions using mrion homes and loans as a case study. The study is focused on the operations of mrion homes savings and loans PLC because it is one of the most prominent PJ'v:li's in Nigeria. The study involves the distribution of questionnaires to the staff ofmrion homes. It was discovered that Union homes has contributed a great deal to housing finance sector in Nigeria as a result of frmding several housing estate and granting of both social and commercial loans to individuals for housing pwposes. The study also looks into the problems affecting PJ'v:li's and problems associated with mortgage sector in Nigeria. It was fwther discovered that most PJ'v:li frmded loans do not take > 3 week before they are approved and this is preferred by the mortgagors not minding the high interest rate and mortgages loans granted are given on short term basis. It was therefore recommended that low interest rates on the PJ'v:li frmded loans should be introduced by PJ'v:li's and PMI's should be encouraged to improve their capital base in order to empower them for greater effectiveness in financing housing. This will give them wider coverage and enable them access greater pools of funds

Fraud, Unemployment and Cashless System: A paradox or Reality in Nigeria

The challenges envisaged in a cashless economy in Nigeria are fraud, indiscriminate deductions from accounts, unemployment, high rate of illiteracy and epileptic power supply. Various researchers identified negative public perception, high e-banking charges, payment infrastructure gap, unbanked majority and absence of legal framework to corroborate international policy as imminent challenges of the cashless policy. The objective of this study is to investigate if cashless economy will reduce fraud and unemployment in Nigeria. The methodology employed for testing the hypotheses is a statistical parametric test called Pair Sample t-test through the use of SPSS statistical package. The study rejects the null hypotheses which mean that cashless economy would increase the rate of fraud and unemployment in Nigeria. The study recommends immediate job financial empowerment for those that will suffer job loss as a result of cashless policy. There should also be adequate legislation on all aspects of the operations of the cashless system so that both the operators of the system and the public can be adequately protected for internet, physical, and other related security issue