Entreprenuerial Intention Among Nigerian University Students

Entreprenuerial intention (EI) is one of the major contributing factors to the formation, growth and development of entrepreneurship. It promotes self reliance and brings about initiatives. Entreprenuership on the other hand, has been considered as an engine of growth for economic growth and development of developed and emerging economies. Acadamic discussions and policy initiatives are increasing nowadays on the vital role of entrepreneurial development in a society. This has been buttressed by the recent loss of jobs due to 2008-2009 financial crisis as well as increasing unemloyment across the globe. In Nigeria, the official rate of unemployment is around 24 percent while 46.5 percent of the youth population are unemployed. The unemployed rate among gradutes has increased from 25.6 percent in 2003 to 42.7 percent in 2011.  This unwelcome development requires a concerted effort at academic and governmental levels.  The objective of this paper is to examine the entreprenuerial intenton among University students in Nigeria.  This will help to identify entreprenuerial intention which determines behaviour as well as the need to gauge entrepreneurial awareness among the respondents.  The paper uses a modified version of Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as the main framework of examining entrepreneurial intention.  A sample size of 205 was drawn from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Univesity (ATBU).  Data was analysed using structural equation modeling. The findings show that, entrepreneurial attitude, subjective norm and power of behavioural control are all significant predictors of EI. In addition, other indirect relationships were also found to be significant.  Overall the result shows the model fits the the data well

Mediating Role of Customer Satisfaction between Service Quality and Customer Loyalty with Non-Interest Bank in Nigeria

The world has become a global village as competition among banks is now intense. Globalization is fuelling increased competition in Nigerian banking industry and as a result, banks are challenged to adopt customer centred strategies that would enable them to gain customer loyalty, maximize profitability and survive the competition. There is no business that survives without customers’ patronage and Islamic banks are not an exception. Customers are key stakeholders to the survival of any business, thus, satisfying the customer through providing high quality services is core to Islamic banking business. The aim of the study is to examine the mediating role of customer satisfaction in investigating the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty in non-interest bank i.e. Jaiz Bank of Kano state metropolis, Nigeria. The variance based (SEM) technique is employed in analyzing the hypothesized model of the study. Service quality positively and significantly influences customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, whereas, customer satisfaction does not significantly mediate the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty among customers of Jaiz bank in Kano state metropolis, Nigeria. The study recommends for providing high quality service in order to achieved maximum loyalty from the customers. It was further recommended on the need for reviving of the existing regulatory bodies or institutions that will ensure proper implementation of good service quality delivery among non-interest banks in Nigeria

Risk Management Practices In Islamic Banking Institutions: A Comparative Study Between Malaysia And Jordan

The results of the analysis revealed that factors, such as the level of understanding risk management, risk assessment and analysis, risk control, and monitoring, feature more prominently in Malaysian Islamic Banks than in their Jordanian counterparts. However, Jordan’s IBs are ahead in terms of the level of risk management practices. Both countries are similar in their risk identification. It is also found that Islamic Banks in Malaysia and Jordan are somewhat reasonably efficient in managing risk where risk assessment and analysis (RAA), and risk control and monitoring (RCM) are the most influencing variables in RMPs in Malaysia; whilst understanding risk management (URM) and risk control and monitoring (RCM) are good predictors of RMPs in Jordan

THE ROLE OF ISLAMIC SOCIAL FINANCE IN EMPOWERING YOUTH AND WOMEN IN SOKOTO STATE OF NIGERIA

Islamic Social finance is an emerging area of study and practice, different from commercial finance. It concerns about financing members of the community or country for socio-economic development. However, it faces the challenge of sustainability either due to legal or regulatory framework or due to lack of awareness among members of the society. The history of Islamic social finance in Nigeria connects back to the revivalism of Islam through Shehu Uthman Bin Fodio in 1804. Recently, with the establishment of Zakat and Endowment Committee in Sokoto in 2007, there was an increasing awareness and practice in the contemporary Islamic Social Finance, especially when the Government converts the Committee into Commission in 2016 which makes it independence to initiate and execute its policies. The objective of this paper is to examine two of its recently executed projects vis-à-vis Youth and Women Empowerment programs. The study uses qualitative technique for data collection and analysis. Two focus group sessions were conducted with the Youth and Women entrepreneurs who benefitted from the empowerment programs by the SZEC. The study finds that the Youth have been able to harness their potentials by expanding their businesses and upgrading the quality of their products and services such as shoe repair due the skills acquired in the training. Moreover, the women have improved their welfare and that of their children to an unprecedented level. They were able to maintain their chosen business as livelihood of income. However, they reveal that, marketing of their finished products is the major challenge they face

Cash Waqf Acceptance Among Entrepreneurs in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria

Cash waqf was introduced as an alternative for individuals who do not have an immovable asset but rather have the cash to donate as waqf. It can be observed, however, that Muslims in Kano State narrow their perception of waqf only to be in the form of a kind but not in cash. It is to say that public awareness and understanding of cash waqf are insignificant. Therefore, this study aims to assess factors influencing the intention to accept cash waqf among entrepreneurs in the Kano metropolis with particular reference to Singer Market. The study employed partial least square–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and was theoretically guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Structured survey questionnaires were administered to 379 respondents whom were registered entrepreneurs in Singer Market based on a convenience non-probability sampling technique. Descriptive statistics using charts and tables were employed to analyze the demographic information, while data collected from the respondents were analyzed utilizing AMOS, version 21. The study uncovered that perceived behavioral control and religiosity significantly influenced the intention to accept cash waqf among entrepreneurs in Singer Market in Kano Metropolis, while awareness and attitude did not. This paper recommends that the management of the Kano State Zakat and Hubsi Commission (KSZHC) should establish sensitization programs to create awareness and promote cash waqf for the public to mobilize more potential waqf donors in the state

Integrated waqf based islamic microfinance model (IWIMM) for poverty alleviation in OIC member countries

Poverty dominates the agenda of developing countries. Poverty was and still is one of the major impediments of human progress and societal development. Its existence is as old as human history while its alleviation is attributed to effective and successfull economic policies. Various approaches/policies are offered towards reducing poverty. These policies vary depending on time, space and the country concernced. However, reduction of poverty the major goal of many economic systems as stated by the Millenium Development Goals, thought sometimes not explicitly stated It was found that in OIC member countries religious and cultural norms drive preference of Islamic microfinance over conventional microfinance.The study further developed an Integrated waqf based Islamic micrfinance model (IWIMM) for poverty reduction in OIC memebr countries.This is expected to overcome the challenges of conventional microfinance such as, high cost of capital, low quality of human resource, vulnerabilites of poor borrowers due to lack of sustainable takaful and limited products for the clients with different occupationanl backgrounds. However, the model is yet to be verified empirically. Thus, further studies should be conducted to test the model using quantitative techniques such as, structural equation modelling (SEM)

Knowledge, determinants and use of modern contraceptives among married women in Sabon Gari Zaria, Northern Nigeria

Introduction: Improving reproductive health of young women in least developed countries requires access to safe and effective contraceptive methods. We conducted a study on knowledge, determinants and use of modern contraceptives among married women in Sabon Gari, Zaria-Northern Nigeria. Objective : The study aimed to assess contraceptive knowledge, sources of information, determinants and use of modern FP. Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive and health facility-based study. Respondents were selected consecutively from the out-patient clinic register of Comprehensive Health Centre, ABUTH Sabon Gari, Zaria. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Results: Only 309 questionnaires were finally analyzed. Mean age of respondents was 32.8 +/9.6 years. Majority (78%) were Muslim, married and in monogamous union (72.2%). Knowledge of modern FP was almost universal 97.7% even though knowledge of two or more methods was 55.3%. Mean number of contraceptives known by respondents was 2. About 42.7% of respondents have ever used any contraceptive method. The Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) was 15.2% and the preferred FP choice among respondents was the injectable contraceptives (5.2%). Sources of information on FP were Nurse 42.1% and relatives/friends 19.7%. Significant determinants of FP current use among the respondents include the age, education, occupation, religion and choice of the respondents ( P < 0.05). Conclusions: FP use among study participants attending the centre is low despite good knowledge of modern contraception. Factors associated with contraceptive use should be used by all tiers of Government to organize sustained publicity awareness campaigns in order to improve acceptability and usage

Integration of waqf-Islamic microfinance model for poverty reduction: the case of Bangladesh

Purpose – This paper aims to develop an integrated waqf-based Islamic microfinance (IsMF) for poverty reduction in Bangladesh. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) have been constrained by the high cost of funds, high interest rate charges and poor human resource quality of the recipients. Islamic MFIs have recently evolved with the hope of overcoming these financial, ethical and human capital deficiencies faced by the conventional financial institutions. Moreover, a good number of integrated models have been proposed to enhance the role played by Islamic MFIs. Most of these models, however, lack empirical justifications. Design/methodology/approach – The research uses survey techniques. A total of 381 respondents were included in the survey. The integrated waqf-based Islamic microfinance model (IWIMM) was earlier on developed using literature and intellectual discussions. There are six constructs presenting the IWIMM, namely, waqf resources, IsMF, takaful, project financing, human resource development and poverty alleviation. In the survey instrument, 45 items represent the six constructs, but only 26 items have been retained after factor analysis. Structural equation modelling has been adopted to examine the relationship among the constructs. Findings – The results show that there are significant relationships between IsMF and takaful, waqf resources and human resource development, takaful and human resource development, IsMF and human resource development and, waqf resources and project financing. The results also indicate that poverty alleviation is possible through the integration of these constructs. Research limitations/implications – Though the paper has studied conventional and Islamic MFIs in Bangladesh, one of the populated Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries and also where poverty incidence is high, further studies need to be conducted in other OIC member countries to adopt the model in line with practical and regulatory environment of those countries. Similarly, the study is based on the perception of the respondents, which limits the generalization of the result. Practical implications – The paper proposed a model that has the potential of being applied for poverty alleviation programmes in most of the OIC member states. Originality/value – The present paper has developed an IWIMM for poverty reduction

Public Dialogue in Disaster Situations and Physical Planning Inadequacies: Focus on the Devastating June 16, 2018 Bauchi Rainstorm

Bauchi experienced a catastrophic disaster event on 16 June, 2018. Consequently, there have been public discussions and irritations about the event and the inadequacies of public-sector town planning practitioners. 130  residents of Bauchi metropolis were sampled randomly and their concerns documented. The study revealed that poor housing conditions, urban poverty, corruption in planning authorities, substandard infrastructural provision and the non-adherence to development control regulations were the major human and administrative contributions to the catastrophic outcome of the disaster. Keywords: Disaster, Physical planning, Rainstorm, Public, Dialogue, Inadequacies