ECONOMIC EMPOWERENMENT AND JOB CREATION THROUGH BUSINESS EDUCATION: AN INSTRUMENT FOR ERADICATIONG INSECURITY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Despite the fact that the county has undergone Vocational and Technical Education system for years; the desires and aspirations of the government and people of Nigeria has remained a mirage. This is with reference to unemployment reduction, job creation, poverty reduction, and self-reliance motive of the government. Further, Vocational and Technical education has been included in the curricula of tertiary institutions in Nigeria and yet the situation has not changed. It is in the light of this obvious problem and the imminent danger to the society compounded by the present global economic meltdown that this paper is canvassing for skill oriented and practical education in Nigeria. This is different from the presently mounted business education in tertiary institutions which lacked practical components, not goal oriented (theory as usual) and therefore impotent. This paper examined the importance of full implementation of Vocational and Technical Education with recommendation that government must wake up from slumber and implement Vocational and Technical Education as measures to create jobs, an instrument for change/development and a provider of service oriented skills which play a significant role in economic development and eradication of the insecurity challenges in Nigeria

Palm oil mill effluent degradation by a novel strain of Bacillus sp. isolated from contaminated environment

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) has a high concentration of organic matter and total suspended solids. However, improper disposal of oil refining wastes containing oils, fats, and sludge can cause environmental damage and harm human health due to their toxic, carcinogenic, and polluting effects. This research was carried out to solve the harmful effects caused by the release of POME to the environment. The goal of this study was to isolate a naturally occurring bacterium that could degrade POME and use it as a single carbon source. Bacteria were isolated from POME-contaminated medium using an enrichment technique. Judging by 16S rRNA partial gene sequencing, morphological, biochemical, and molecular identification methods, the isolated bacteria was identified as a novel Bacillus sp. The effects of substrate concentration, inoculum size, pH, temperature, and incubation time on the bacterial growth were investigated using a ''one factor at a time'' (OFAT) approach. The optimal conditions for the bacterium's growth were found to be pH 7.5, 35 °C, 20 % v/v substrate concentration, 6 % v/v inoculum size, and 96 hours of incubation. The isolate is capable of reducing 84 % of COD and 91 % of BOD from a POME sample. The high degradation potential of POME by the isolate suggests it can be used as a good option for bioremediation of POME-polluted areas