Land administration and regulation model for improved formal delivery and accessibility of urban lands in Nigeria.

Acquiring developable land for property development in suitable locations especially in urban areas is considered as a global problem, and is no exception in Nigeria. Some of the reasons responsible for this phenomenon are uncontrolled urbanisation, increasing demographic growth, complex bureaucracies, unskilled technocracy, corruption and weak institutional machineries, among others. All these had hampered smooth and efficient delivery processes and finally had decreased delivery and accessibility of urban lands in Nigeria. Therefore, this study was conducted, essentially to simplify the processes for land administrators while discharging their responsibilities, by examining and resolving those underlying factors that are affecting the optimal performance of formal land administration and regulation systems. This study adopted quantitative approach, with the use of both probabilistic and non-probabilistic sampling techniques. The respondents participated in this study were relevant government agencies and committees that are directly involved in the supply of urban land; low, medium and high density land users in eighteen (18) formal land development schemes, from two cities in each of six states of the Southwestern Nigeria. These schemes were found in Isheri and Ikorodu in Lagos State; Abeokuta and Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State; Ibadan and Ogbomoso in Oyo State; Osogbo and Ile-Ife in Osun State; Akure and Ondo in Ondo State; and Ado-Ekiti and Ijero-Ekiti in Ekiti State. Furthermore, the independent land consultants and shelter or land mandated non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were considered as the intermediate component of the land delivery and accessibility equation; so as to have balanced results that are sufficient to address these challenges. By using the Analysis of Moments of Structures Software Package (AMOS), via Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), the results show that merely nine percent (9%) of causal relationship exists between the duo of formal land administration and regulation system (FLARS) and policy development and compliance engineering (PDCE), as determining agents of formal land delivery and accessibility in Nigeria. Furthermore, these are due to the stand-alone structure of the lands regulo-administrative machineries, leading to their insignificant contribution of nine percent (9%) towards formal land delivery and accessibility. As a conclusion, close to 70% of these challenges were caused by ill-structuration, corruption, lack of collaboration and policy summersault, and thus will remain unsolved if this trend continues. Among the suggestions is that, there should be improvement to land administration operations which can be achieved through SLADECOM Model applications, where restructuring of departments and land administration regulation systems, as well as policy frameworks will be made to improve the efficiency and performances of land administration and regulation systems in Nigeria

Training interventions for improving telephone consultation skills in clinicians

The objectives are as follows: To assess the effectiveness of training interventions on clinician telephone skills

Assessing the Effects of ‘Stand-alone’ Structuration of Land Administration System on Urban Land Delivery and Accessibility in Nigeria

Известно, что производительность и эффективность системы управления земельными ресурсами зависит от очень многих факторов, возможно, главным из которых, является степень взаимности, согласованности и би-направленности взаимосвязи, которая существует между различными субъектами, обремененными собственными регуляторно-административными механизмами, которые ставят ряд задач. Несомненно, это простое ведение дел приводит к формальному распределению земельных участков и, следовательно, повышает доступность городских земель для нескольких категорий пользователей в Нигерии, так как этом случае делается во всем мире. Тем не менее, эти взаимосвязи отсутствуют в управлении земельными ресурсами и системе регулирования в Нигерии. Таким образом, данное исследование намерено оценить прямые и возможные косвенные последствия, которые эти взаимосвязи оказывают на формальную передачу и доступность городских земель в Нигерии.Во-первых, это было сделано, формулируя вопросы, связанные с данной проблемой и калибруя их в концепции, а затем оценивая их с помощью следующих оценочных карт, а именно: миопизм, неизобретательность, ущерб, эко-финансовые потери, недоверие, травмы, антирост, смерть, искажение рынка и процветающая неформализация в Юго-Западной Нигерии. Из общего числа 586 лиц, рассматриваемых в качестве среднестатистического населения для выбранного для опроса района, 120 респондентам были предложены структурированные опросники для регуляторов земельных вопросов, земельных администраторов, независимых земельных консультантов и непосредственных пользователей земельных участков для того, чтобы сформировать честное и широкое представление о вопросах, связанных с дилеммой доступности земли. Было получено 93 анкеты, из которых 87 были признаны действительными, и, таким образом, легли в основу сделанного анализа, с акцентом на 5-бальной шкале Лайкерта с помощью умозаключений и описательных статистических инструментов. Результаты исследования показали, среди прочего, что трения в отношениях привели к необоснованному отбрасыванию ролей, что негативно влияет на темпы доставки, и одновременно приводит к перекосам на пути к формальному доступу к городским землям для различных категорий землепользователей. Среди рекомендаций следующие: государственные формальные земельные органы должны быть перенастроены для создания синергии, которая порождает положительную взаимосвязь и синхронизацию ролей в направлении улучшения формальной передачи земли и ее доступности в Нигерии.The efficiency and effectiveness of land administration system had been acknowledged to be premised on so many factors, arguably the chief of which, is the degree of mutuality, frictionlessness and bi-directionality in the interrelationship that exist amongst the various factors that are discharging arrays of tasks that these formal lands regulo-administrative machineries are saddled with. Undoubtedly, this simple conduct of affairs resultantly drives the formal lands delivery, hence it increases accessibility to urban lands by several categories of users in Nigeria, as thus the case globally. However, these interrelationships are absent among land administration and regulation systems in Nigeria. Hence, this study intends to assess the direct and possible indirect impacts that these interrelationships fallouts have on the formal delivery and accessibility of urban lands in Nigeria, Firstly, this was done by articulating the issues involved and calibrating them into constructs, then measuring them via the following score-cards, thus: myopism, non-ingenuity, disservice, eco-financial loss, distrust, trauma, anti-growth, death, market distortion and thriving informalisation focussing on the South Western Nigeria. Out of the total 586 individuals considered as the total population for the sample space, 120 individual qualified for the sample frame, upon which the structured questionnaires were distributed among land regulators, land administrators, independent land consultants and ultimate land users, essentially to have a fair and broad view of the issues inherent in this lands accessibility dilemma. 93 questionnaires were retrieved, out of which 87 questionnaires were valid, thus formed the basis upon which analyses were done, with emphasis on the 5 point Likert scale measurement usage, via both inferential and descriptive statistical tools. The results showed amongst other things, that unbridled relationship frictions had led to unwarranted role jettisoning and this impacts adversely on the delivery pace which concomitantly warps formal pathway to accessing urban lands by various categories of land users. Among the recommendations are that government formal land agencies should be re-configured to build synergy that engenders positive interrelationship and role synchronisation towards improved formal land delivery and accessibility in Nigeria

Determinants of economic growth in Nigeria

This paper investigates the role of Frazer Economic Freedom Index on FDI-growth relationship over the period spanning 1980 through 2010 using annual time series data. A Multivariate Regression approach was employed to estimate augmented growth models. Quite intriguingly, the impact of disaggregated economic freedom over aggregated composite index was found profoundly revealing. Emanated results show that the same set of variables like labour, life expectancy, degree of openness and economic freedom are factors affecting the level of economic growth in both but at different levels of significance. However, the estimates of disaggregated components of economic freedom data show that the size of government (negative effects) and freedom to trade internationally (positive effects) appears as significant out of five variables making the composite (aggregated) index. The following are therefore suggested for policy applications: curbing unfettered liberalization in the degree of openness, improving and strengthening of the components of economic freedom index, specifically, through reduction in excessive government intervention and that more budgetary allocations should be channeled towards health delivery schemes and education promoting activities since the likelihood of elongating life expectancy is in tandem with such exercises

Finite element failure analysis of wires for civil engineering applications with various crack-like laminations

This paper presents the finite element (FE) failure predictions and analyses of a typical wire for civil engineering applications with various crack-like lamination types (Single and double), geometries (straight-end and inclined-end) and orientations (longitudinal, lateral and transverse). FE prediction and analysis of the failure of notched pre-cracked wires with a surface across-the-thickness crack-like lamination validated with experimental results are also presented. The FE predicted fracture shape for the notched pre-cracked wires that consists of a cup and cone fracture shape below the bottom tip of the surface across-the-thickness crack-like lamination agrees with the experimental fracture shape. Wires with the double straight-end and double inclined-end crack-like/line-type laminations exhibit a “slant-middle W” and a “zigzag” fractures respectively. Above and below the lateral mid-width across-the-thickness lamination, the wires with the lateral mid-width across-the-thickness lamination exhibit a combination of a transverse mid-thickness flat fracture that is perpendicular to the lateral mid-width across-the-thickness lamination and negatively inclined slant fractures on each side of the mid-thickness flat fracture at the remaining outer edges of the wire's thickness. On both the front and back sides of the transverse mid-thickness across-the-width lamination, the wires with the transverse mid-thickness across-the-width lamination exhibit a combination of transverse flat fractures parallel to the transverse mid-thickness across-the-width lamination and positively inclined slant fractures at the outer edges of the wire's thickness. FE failure analysis reveals that fracture initiations do not always begin at the termini of every longitudinal crack-like/line-type lamination as reported in a published fractographic failure analysis report of wires with longitudinal crack-like laminations. Fracture initiation only begins at the termini/tip of longitudinal inclined-end crack-like laminations and at the termini/tip of transverse and lateral laminations. FE failure analysis also reveals that wires with single straight-end, double straight-end and double inclined-end longitudinal crack-like/line-type laminations do not exhibit cup and cone fractures as reported. This work further demonstrates the need to employ FE failure analysis as a complimentary or alternative failure analysis approach where the destruction/alteration of the fracture markings by corrosion could affect the accuracy of fractographic failure analysis.Fil: Adewole, Kazeem Kayode. University Of Newcastle; Reino Unido. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Modelado e Innovación Tecnológica. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Modelado e Innovación Tecnologica; ArgentinaFil: Bull, Steve J.. University Of Newcastle; Reino Unid

The Effect of Merger on Deposit Money Banks Performance in the Nigerian Banking Industry

The study objective gives an insight into the effectiveness of economic policy reforms in the Nigerian banking industry. This study examines the impacts of merger on deposit money banks performance in Nigeria between 2000 and 2009. The period was characterized by financial deregulation, the Global economic crisis, and bank restructuring programs. The panel data ordinary least squares approach is the methodology employed to investigate if there is any significant effect on the performance of banks from the pre to the post merger periods, in order to detect whether bank mergers produce any performance gains in the Nigerian banking industry. The evidence shows that merger created synergy as indicated by the statistically significant increasing post-merger financial performances although banks should not jump at any merging opportunity that offers itself because the exercise is not an opportunistic one. We therefore recommend that merger being a relatively new phenomenon in the Nigerian banking environment should be given more encouragement by the regulatory authorities

Effect of isothermal heat treatment on hardness of X7475 aluminium alloys

The heterogeneous nature of microstructure in most as-cast alloys has created the unique properties for an ally before heat treatments. The scanty nature of scholarly articles on the effect of heat treatments on the hardness of new alloys produced from recycled aluminium alloys prompts this investigation. In this work, we upgraded from 3 series to 7 series alloys to form a new material. Previous attempts were also silent on the Alcao Green Letter specifications of the 7 series alloys, hence producing a 7475 alloy that may not be within the Alcao specifications. This paper presents the result of preliminary studies on new experimental X7475 Al-alloy that was produced per Alcoa Green Letter specifications, with variations of Zn (4.0 - 5.0 wt.%), Mg (1.00 - 1.50 wt.%) and Mn (0.025 - 0.075 wt.%), then subjected to microhardness probe under a load of 490.3mN (0.05Hv) and 10sec duration after isothermal and isochronous “O”, T4 and T6 heat treatments. Heating and cooling rates were controlled during heat treatment processes to investigate the effects on the formation of the MgZn2 and other precipitates on the mechanical properties of the alloy. Peak obtainable hardness value of 140.45 Hv and 134.32 Hv are attained within the T6 and T4 conditions in an alloy of 4% and 5% Zn respectively. The increase in wt.% of Zn favours mechanical properties while reverse is the case for Manganese. This result is an indication of the load bearing capacity of our alloy. It has also demonstrated the success in upgrading the 3 series to 7 series alloys from secondary materials. However, the result could be improved on after composition, heat treatments and production route optimization

AN EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT IN HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF MICROFINANCE BANKS (MFB) IN NIGERIA

In view of collapse of the Nigeria educational system, weak leadership and negative cultural values and mass illiteracy levels; more specifically inadequate skilled human capital within the financial services industry and poor infrastructure, this study aims at evaluating investment in human capital development costs (wages, training cost and other costs) on the performance of microfinance banks in Nigeria. Investment by firms in human resources by acquisition and training will lead to anticipating a future generation of profits and services that will be produced by these assets. The study adopted a purposive sample and Sixteen (16) Micro finance banks out of the thirty four (34) existing in Ogun state was investigated. Random sampling technique was used to select respondents in each Micro Finance Banks cutting across directors, employees and shareholders of the Micro Finance Banks. A total of 320 collected questionnaires were used for data analysis. The data were analyzed using appropriate (parametric and non-parametric techniques) descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. A total of 313 of the sample representing (98.4% of the sample) agreed that the efficiency and effectiveness of management is a major determinant of the performance of Micro Finance Banks in Nigeria. The study also finds that human capital development has positive impact on overall performance of Microfinance banks. The study recommends that training and retraining of employees should be given top priority for the sustainability micro finance banks in Nigeria

A glass house trial to investigate the impact of water treatment sludge and green waste compost to enhance the revegetation of contaminated sites

This study investigated the use of waste amendments (green waste compost and water treatment sludge cake) in improving the nutrient and revegetation status of contaminated soil obtained from a former industrial site that has heavy metal and hydrocarbon contamination. The waste amendments were mixed with the contaminated soil at application rates equivalent to 90 and 180 t ha−1 (wet weight) and placed in plastic pots. The unamended soil serves as the control. Reed canary grass and white mustard were allowed to grow on the amended and unamended contaminated soil in the glass house. After a 30 day growth period, soil nutrients status were observed and found higher in the amended contaminated soil than the control. In the amended soil, organic matter, total nitrogen, total potassium and soil nitrate were highest in contaminated soil amended with green waste compost at 180 t ha−1 and lowest in contaminated soil amended with water treatment sludge cake at 90 t ha−1. Above ground dry mass of reed canary grass and white mustard grown on amended contaminated soil increased by 120 - 222 % and 130 - 337% respectively as compared to the control showing that improved fertility of contaminated soils thereafter, enhanced revegetation