Potentials for Generating Alternative Fuels from Empty Palm Fruit Bunches by Pyrolysis

The threat that the disposal of empty palm fruit bunches constitute to communities in oil palm processing areas in Nigeria coupled with the current global focus on alternative energy is the trigger for this work. An existing pyrolytic reactor consisting of a reactor unit, condensate receiver, copper pipe connectors and gas receiver was modified and adapted for converting empty palm fruit bunches to alternative fuels. The average char yield was 44.9%, and the percentage of feedstock converted into pyrogas and tar oil was 55.1%. The char yield decreased gradually as temperature was increased from 300-700°C. Char yield was highest (39.78%) when the temperature was 300°C and the lowest char yield was 25.05% at 700°C The calorific values of char ranged between 21.12 and 23.76 MJ/kg. Apart from the potential of generating energy from pyrolysed EFB, it abates the disposal problem that EFB constitutes in the oil palm industry

THE EFFECT OF PROBIOTICS SUPPLEMENTATION ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF TWO STRAINS OF COCKERELS

In a 2 × 3 factorial design, two hundred and seven 3 weeks old black (Bovan Nera) and white (Gold line) cockerels were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments. The basal diet was based on maize, soybean meal, groundnut cake and wheat offal. Probiotics replaced the wheat offal in Diets I, II and III in proportion of 0, 0.05 and 0.1%. Probiotics contained Lactobacillus acidophilus, Saccharomyces cerevisae and Saccharomyces boulardii. Each diet was offered to 3 pens of 12 black cockerels each or 3 pens of 11 white cockerels each. Starting chicken of both strains responded non-significantly to increasing probiotics concentration in feed intake, body weight gain, and feed/gain ratio. A nonsignificant interaction occurred between strain and dietary probiotics concentration for all response criteria. The slope of regression of body weight changes depending on age was higher for white than black

ROLE OF STRATEGIC HR IN ENHANCING GOOD GOVERNANCE AND EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT FOR IN NIGERIA

Good government and effective public sector management by means of strategic and critical official human resources and practices are major requirements for overcoming economic recession and relighting sustainable national development. The study examined the role strategic human resource management could play in the actualization of good governance and .. public management: especially under economic recession in Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive and theoretical approach by reviewing studies and propositions in comparative 0 ° 0 public administration and management across· nation -states. The· study showed· that good · ·. governance and public management, overcoming recession and running with sustainable national development correlate the strong institutionalization of strategic human resource practices in the Nigerian federal,.stat'e and local go~ernmental systems and processes. That is, for the achievement of optimum public service delivery, productivity, popular involvement, and corresponding political power and legitimacy, transformative of general standard of living of Nigeria. The study also showed that to adequately improve on the decision processes outcomes, there is the urgent need for the application of international best practices, highly institutionalized differentiated, achievement oriented, perfmmance centric, specialized and professionalized government staff, systems institutions and processes. The study recommended that the country invest in and step up strategic human capital management and development of public administrators, managers and officials, who are professional.ized, honest and transparent, candid innovative with high and competences and highly capable of critical thinking (out of box). These are the major ways of launching the country out of economic recession and on the path of rapid and sustainable growth and development

Review of Classical Methods in Supersaturated Designs (SSD) for factor Screening

Supersaturated designs are fractional factorial designs that have too few runs to allow the estimation of the main effects of all the factors in the experiment. There has been a great deal of interest in the development of these designs for factor screening in recent years. A review of supersaturated design is presented, including criteria for design selection, with reference to the popular E(s2) criterion and classical methods for constructing supersaturated designs. Classical methods have been suggested for the analysis of data from supersaturated designs and these are critically reviewed and illustrated. Keywords: Supersaturated, Classical method, Screening, fractional factorial and E(S2

Perceived Factors Limiting Rice Production in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria

The study examined the perceived factors limiting rice production in five selected villages in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. The study area was purposively selected based on their known potentials for rice production. One Hundred and Ten (110) rice farmers were selected for the study. An interviewed scheduled was used to obtain information from the farmers. Frequency counts, percentage and means were used to analyze the data. The study revealed that 87% of the respondents fall between 41 – 50 years age category, about 82% were married, about 81% were Muslim, about 92% had farming as there main occupation and 32% had no formal education. The perceived limiting factors in rice production include lack of rice processing machines 59.1%, financial constraints 42.7%, illiteracy 30.0%, poor access to input 22.7%, pest and disease 21.0%, poor transportation 11.8%, fluctuation in climate 11.8%, lack of extension service 10.9% and lack of storage facilities 10.9% respectively. It is recommended that government should assist the rice farmers with the provision of rice processing machines (such as threashers and destoners) and credit facilities so as to improve the quality and quantity of rice produced in the study area

Effects of Credit Utilization on Youth Farmers’ Rice Output in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria

The study examined the effects of credit utilization on the output of the youth rice farmers in Nigeria. It also examined the sources of information on credit available to the farmers; the use of the credit and the problems encountered by the farmers in having access to credit. Primary data was used for the study. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data collected for the study. Results of the findings showed that “past experience" is the major source of information on credit used by the farmers, though the farmers prefer cooperative societies to every other source of credit information. Banks, cooperative societies and Esusu/saving groups are the major sources of credit to the farmers. The mean amount of credit obtained by the farmers is N132, 301. The most of the farmers spent their credits on fertilizers, seeds and farmland expansion. The major problems faced by the farmers in accessing credit are: insufficient amount, lack of collateral and high interest rates. However, the general effect of credit utilization by the farmers is increased output. It is therefore recommended that banks are situated in the study area and they should disburse sufficient loans to the farmers at affordable interest rates. The farmers should also form cooperative and savings groups in order to enjoy economies of scale in accessing credit facilities

Assessment of Usage of Upgraded Indigenous Shea Butter Processing Technology by Women Processors in Kwara State, Nigeria

The study was carried out in Agbaku-Eji in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria, to assess the usage of upgraded indigenous Shea Butter Processing Technology by Women processors. All the 61 members of the Shea Butter Cooperative Society was used for the study. An interview schedule was used to obtain information from the respondents. Statistical analysis such as frequency counts and percentages were used to analyse the data. Chi-square was used to test the stated hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study showed that the mean age of the respondents was 45 years, they were all married .and 77% of the respondents have had no formal education, 54.1% had over 15 years of experience in Shea butter processing and 95% earned over N50,000.00 as their annual income from Shea butter. About 91.8% engaged in Shea butter processing as the main source of livelihood. The study further showed no significant relationship between level of usage of Shea butter upgraded technology and socio-economic characteristics of women processors. However, there was significant relationship between Shea butter processing and usage of upgraded technology. Despite the constraints experienced by the women processors, the study revealed that they preferred the use of the new technology that is, upgraded technology to the indigenous method they were used to. The study recommends the promotion of upgraded technology by Raw Material Research and Development Council, the Federal and State Governments and Private Sector Investment to all Women Shea Butter Processors in Nigeria.Key words: Upgraded Technology, Women Processors, Shea Butter Processing

Employment Generation and Earnings in the Informal Transport Sector in Nigeria

Abstract: Unemployment and poverty are two of the challenges facing the Nigerian economy. Most urban semi and unskilled labour have found solace in the informal sector particularly informal transport. This paper examines employment generation and determinants of earnings in the informal transport sector in Nigeria using a case study. An adapted Mincerian equation and logistic models were used as tools of analysis. It was found that the informal sector is a source of employment for 21.7 per cent of jobless people; and 72.3 per cent of those who switched jobs from an informal activity to transport business. Household size, experience and operating hours were found to be significant determinants of earnings. The probability that a motorcyclist would earn at least the informal average in the Okada business when the operator has a driver license, owns the motorcycle, works on full time basis and also a member of the okada union is 0.8018, which is higher than that of an operator with the reverse attributes at 0.2849. The probability of earning at least the industry average by an educated operator was found to be higher than less educated operators. Employment and earnings can be improved upon in this sector if the government regulates its operations and segregate traffic. Key words: Transport; Informal; Employment; Earnings; Educatio

Farmers’ perception of the activities of lower Niger Basin Authority in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria

Owing to the huge amount of naira invested into the irrigation sub-sector by the Nigerian government, the study assessed the perception of farmers on the activities of Lower Nigeria River Basin Development Authority (LNRBDA) in Ilorin East local government area of Kwara State, Nigeria. Primary data were used for the study and the data were collected by means of a well-structured questionnaire coupled with interview schedule. A two stage sampling technique was used to select one hundred and six (106) respondents from the list of registered farmers who had participated in the scheme. Descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation were used in analyzing the data. Findings of the study indicated that 98.1% of the famers had a positive perception on the effectiveness of the scheme. Also, 92.5% of the respondents reported flexibility in the payment schedule in participating in the LNRBDA irrigation scheme while 81.1% of the respondents paid for irrigation services install mentally. It was also found that 99.1% of the respondents experienced increased production output as a result of the use of irrigation facilities. There is a significant relationship between age, farm size and the perception of farmers on some of the activities in the scheme (pvalue < critical p-value of 0.05). The study concludes that farmers’ participation and perception in LNRBDA irrigation scheme in the study area is highly encouraging and there is association between age, farm size and the perception of farmers on effectiveness some of the activities of LNRBDA in the study area. It is therefore recommended that government should continue to enhance and strengthens the performance of LNRBDA in the study area.Keywords: Perception, Lower Niger Basin Authority, farmers, Irrigation, Scheme, Productio

Pyrolytic conversion of spent palm fruit bunches into bio-fuels

The threat which the disposal of spent palm fruit bunches constitutes to communities in oil palm processing communities in Nigeria coupled with the current global interest in alternative energy are the motivation for this work. An existing design of pyrolytic reactor consisting of a reactor unit, condensate receiver, copper pipe connectors and gas receiver was modified and adapted for converting spent palm fruit bunches into bio-fuels. The average char yield was 44.9 %, and the percentage of feedstock converted into pyro-gas and tar oil was 55.1 %. The char yield decreased gradually as temperature was increased from 300-700°C. Char yield was highest (39.78 %) when the temperature was 300°C and the lowest char yield was 25.05 % at 700 °C and the calorific values of char ranged between 21.12 and 23.76 MJkg-1. This work presents the potential of generating energy from pyrolysed Spent Palm Fruit Bunches (SPFB), it abates the disposal problem that SPFB constitutes in the oil palm industr