Metrics of Education and Politics are Important Correlates of Gender Gap: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

The issue of gender inequality and the gender gap has been a longstanding concern globally. Numerous studies have examined various factors contributing to these disparities, including economic (UN, 2020), educational (UN, 2020; Dabla-Norris et al., 2015), health (Artiga et al., 2020), and political aspects (UN, 2020; Dabla-Norris et al., 2015). In the specific context of Sub-Saharan Africa, where gender inequality remains a significant challenge, understanding the correlates of the gender gap is crucial for developing effective policies and interventions

Suitability of gas flare locations for minigas-to-liquid technology deployment in Nigeria

Site suitability analysis for Mini Gas-to-liquid (MiniGTL) deployment was carried out for gas flaring (GF) sites, inorder to determine prospective utilisation of the natural resource. Results show that most of the GF sites have very low gas yield (81%);only 14have gas yield suitable for onshore MiniGTL deployment. One of the sites has a potential for supplying fuel to a nearby power plant, three can deliver power to the grid via cables and 6 can support local energy and allied industry development. The gas gathering from 7 hubs could capture about 81% of the total gas flared. This study identified viable economic options which could provide a sustainable approach to monetisation and management of associated gas. The findings provide information to support policy making initiatives that can solve the GF problem in the country. It is recommended that further analysis should be carried out to examine alternative scenarios and the economics of such deployment.Keywords: Associated gas, Gas flaring; MiniGTL, Spatial assessment, Suitability analysis, Sustainable Resource Managemen

Exploration of hydro-geomorphological indices for coastal floodplain characterization in Rivers State, Nigeria

Flood is a reoccurring natural hazard in many parts of Nigeria, and is likely to increase in severity and frequency. Characterization of recently flooded areas was carried out using hydro-morphological indices to identify flood prone areas. In flood risk quantification and identification, hydrodynamic models require vast amounts of data, while contour delineation fails to account for the upstream contribution and accumulation at downstream locations. Data on recently flooded areas and elevation data were collated. Hydro-geomorphometric indices were computed and compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Across the indices, the terrain roughness indices – vertical roughness measure (VRM) and topographic roughness index (TRI) were found to be significant but weakly correlated (r = 0.455, P<0.05). There was a significantly positive but moderate correlation between topographic wetness index (TWI) and VRM (r=-0.673) and TWI vs TRI (r=0.572). Topographic position index (TPI) displayed a weak but significant relation to VRM, TWI and TRI. Of these four indices, TWI and TRI have standardized test statistics of -6.11 and 10.00 respectively and a significant test value < 0.05. Results show that flooded and non-flooded areas can be distinguished for the study area using these indices. It is recommended that hydro-geomorphometric indices should be used, adding another layer of confidence in the identification of flood prone areas for disaster risk management in data poor environments

Investigation of relationship between sediment characteristics and heavy metals across seasons in the Lower Focardos River, Nigeria

The presence and concentration of heavy metals in water bodies may be influenced by human activities. Sediments are the final sink of heavy metals in the water body. This study examined the concentration of heavy metals in the sediments across the outlet of the Forcados. This was intended to examine the relationship between sediment characteristics and heavy metal concentration across the seasons. Samples were taken across two seasons and tested for heavy metals. Correlation analysis was used to test association between sediment characteristics and heavy metal concentration, while Mann-Whitney U test was adopted to test the difference across seasons. Results show that Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and the particle size distribution have a significant relationship (P<0.05) with correlation coefficient -0.272 and 0.335 for sand and silt respectively. TOC was also found to be positively and significantly correlation with all the heavy metal tested, while V, Ni, Cr, Pb, Cu displayed significant correlation with particle size distribution. Across these seasons, significant difference (P<0.05) was recorded for oil/grease (OGRS), Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH), TOC, Sand, Clay, Cr, Fe, As, Ba and Zn. Association between particle size and OGRS gives an indication that, while oil spill in a sandy environment may seep in deeper, the depth of permeation of oil spill in fine particle sediment could be limited. It was concluded there are marked variations in heavy metals across seasons and there is an association between these concentration and the characteristics of the sediment. This understanding is important for prioritization of remediation.Keywords: Sediments, Pollution, Forcados River, Heavy Metals, TOC, TP

Combining Remote Sensing and Space-Time Analysis for Desertification Monitoring in the Semiarid Dryland of Nigeria

Desertification has been identified as the resultant effect of dryland loss. Desertification is catalysed by anthropogenic modifications and variations in environmental/climatic conditions. The situation in Nigeria is further exacerbated by the growing demand for land by the population. To this effect, this study performed a space-time analysis of vegetative cover between 2001 and 2020 to unravel patterns and trends across the semiarid region of the dryland system in Nigeria. The dynamics during the rainy season (May and September) were examined using the Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) dataset subjected to space-time analysis. Generalised Difference Vegetation Index (GDVI) was computed to the power of 2 to quantify vegetative cover across the study area. The results showed that the average of the GDVI ranges between -0.40 and 0.94, with a standard deviation of 0.11. Time series cluster analysis revealed that there are two temporal clusters: (1) no statistically significant trend (Statistics= 1.33, p-value = 0.18) and (2) statistically significant downtrend (Statistics = -2.37, p=0.02), with cluster 1 covering 95% of the areas examined. The most dominant (97% of the area) emerging space-time pattern was cold-spots (persistent, diminishing, sporadic, oscillating, and historical types). In conclusion, most of the areas showed no definite temporal pattern of vegetation pattern during the period, while more than 90% of the areas have witnessed a decline in vegetative cover. There is a need for a more coordinated approach to desertification control, constant monitoring is pertinent while new approaches to restoring degraded land are recommended

Exploration of Benefits of NDDC Road Projects on Household Income in Rivers State

Development projects that support and improve the socio-economic conditions are essential because they motivate innovations, which in turn create jobs, improve quality of life and sustainable development. This belief prompted the need to evaluate the impact of rural roads on household income. This study proceeded to determine the socio-economic circumstances of the beneficiary and non-beneficiary communities of the road projects. A multistage random sampling was used to select 3007 respondents from the study area. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and propensity score matching technique. The study revealed that households in NDDC road project communities experienced increased income of about N 5,768.437. Based on this, the study recommended that Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) should sustain the infrastructural development particularly road projects by increasing the annual budget provisions. Research efforts need to be carried out in other states of Niger Delta Region to ascertain the benefits of rural development projects.  It is therefore important to further ascertain the influences of other development projects on socio-economic conditions in Rivers State. The study provides an empirical analysis of the benefits of rural road projects such as that of NDDC projects across Rivers State on the income of households. It also raised the questions what is a sustainable level of impact on average household income? Could the impact have been higher if adequate needs analysis has been carried out prior to the road construction? Keywords: Propensity Score Matching, Socio-economic Conditions, Rural Road Projects, NDDC, Incom

Health behavioural theories and their application to women's participation in mammography screening

The most effective method of detecting breast cancer amongst asymptomatic women is by mammography screening. Although, most countries have this preventive measure in place for women within their society; most of these programmes still struggle with women’s attendance. This article discusses four health behavioural theories and models, in relation to mammography screening, including the health belief model, theory of planned behaviour, trans-theoretical model, and the theory of care seeking behaviour that may explain the factors affecting women's participation in mammography screening. In summary, analysis of these theories indicates that the theory of care seeking behaviour has value for exploring the factors affecting women's participation in mammography screening. This is because of its sensitivity to socioeconomic differences that exists amongst women in the society, and that it has a broader construct (such as habit and external factors) compared to the other health behavioural theories

Monitoring of specific activities of long-lived radioactive elements along the Mini- Okoro/Oginigba Creek, Port Harcourt

Presence and concentrations of radionuclides could be as a result of natural and human activities. This  study examined the associations and differences  among soil, sediment and water specific activities of long-lived radioactive element (LLRE). Gamma spectroscopy was used to measure the concentration of  the LLRE along the Mini Okoro/Oginigba Creek, Port Harcourt. Specific activities of three selected LLRE were derived. Correlation analysis was carried out to  examine associations among the specific activities across different substrates. A strong and a significant negative correlation exists between the specific  activities of Water 40K and Soil 232Th (r =-0.721, p<0.05); Water 238U and Soil 238U (r = -0.717, p<0.05) and Water 40K and Sediment 238U (r=-0.69,  p<0.05). Comparison using Mann-Whitney U test shows that, soil and sediment are similar in their specific activities with Z values of -0.408, -1.209 and  -1.021 (p > 0.05) for 40K, 232Th and 238U respectively. The concentration of solid samples (soil and sediment) is different from the liquid (water) samples. These associations can be attributed to some specific underlying factors. And in other to understand them there is need for more studies. © JASEMKeywords: Radionuclide; environmental monitoring; Niger Delta; Gamma spectroscopy; Environmental managemen

Monitoring dynamics of urban landscape using spatial morphological indices: a case study of Thames Gateway area

Land use changes are results of interaction (over time and space) between humans and their physical environment. Cities and urban landscapes reflect the social, economic, political, environmental as well as technological processes in their changes as evident in their pattern and structures. This study tests the use of morphological indices for monitoring landscapes in a heavily modified landscape (urban). The study analyses the spatial and temporal changes in land use and land cover pattern in the area adjoining the Thames Gateway and selected parts of Greater London, UK. The investigation focuses on an examination of the temporal changes of various land use types as well as their structural properties and distribution over this period

Modelling social vulnerability in sub-Saharan West Africa using a geographical information system

In recent times, disasters and risk management have gained significant attention, especially with increasing awareness of the risks and increasing impact of natural and other hazards especially in the developing world. Vulnerability, the potential for loss of life or property from disaster, has biophysical or social dimensions. Social vulnerability relates to societal attributes which has negative impacts on disaster outcomes. This study sought to develop a spatially explicit index of social vulnerability, thus addressing the dearth of research in this area in sub-Saharan Africa. Nineteen variables were identified covering various aspects. Descriptive analysis of these variables revealed high heterogeneity across the South West region of Nigeria for both the state and the local government areas (LGAs). Feature identification using correlation analysis identified six important variables. Factor analysis identified two dimensions, namely accessibility and socioeconomic conditions, from this subset. A social vulnerability index (SoVI) showed that Ondo and Ekiti have more vulnerable LGAs than other states in the region. About 50% of the LGAs in Osun and Ogun have a relatively low social vulnerability. Distribution of the SoVI shows that there are great differences within states as well as across regions. Scores of population density, disability and poverty have a high margin of error in relation to mean state scores. The study showed that with a geographical information system there are opportunities to model social vulnerability and monitor its evolution and dynamics across the continent