Residents’ Awareness and Patronage of Tourism Attractions in Calabar, Nigeria

The study analyzed residents’ awareness and patronage of tourism attractions in Calabar. Data for the study were obtained with a structured questionnaire, which was administered to 384 sampled respondents using the systematic sampling technique. The result of the regression analysis (r = 0.893, r2 = 0.797, p = 0.00, α = 0.05) shows that the relationship between awareness and patronage was significant at the 5% level of confidence. Therefore, the level of patronage of the existing tourism attractions in Calabar depends meaningfully on the level of awareness. Calabar Carnival had the highest proportion (98.6%) of awareness (370) to patronage (365), while Brickfield Prison Wall recorded the lowest proportion (43.6%) of awareness (225) to patronage (98). The study also revealed that the major medium of residents’ awareness of the tourism attractions was by friends and families, which accounted for 36%. Furthermore, the major constraints militating against residents’ patronage of the tourism attractions were poor publicity of tourism attractions, insecurity, and poor residents’ purchasing power amongst others. The authors recommend that adequate publicity of the existing tourism attractions should be conducted using various channels to increase patronage. Also, all identified constraints militating against residents’ patronage of the existing tourism attractions should be addressed adequately to put tourism development in Calabar on a sustainable path

Analysis of Domestic Water Services in Yenagoa, Nigeria

The level of domestic water services largely influences household’s health and socioeconomic development. Hence, the study analyzed domestic water services in Yenagoa. Data for the study were obtained from responses to a structured questionnaire that was administered systematically to 400 household heads. The level of households’ domestic water services was determined using four domestic water service indicators (major domestic water source, time spent fetching water, quantity of water supply and household’s expenditure on water). The data was analyzed using percentages and a Domestic Water Service (DWS) model that integrates the responses to the categorized service indicators and produce a single value that indicates the level of households’ domestic water services. The value of the calculated DWS was 60.8%, which indicated that the average level of households’ water services in Yenagoa was moderate. The quantity of household water supply exerted the highest negative drag on the service level. With the current levels of domestic water services, Yenagoa might miss the SDG target 6.1 unless the poorly rated service indicators are adequately addressed

Assessment of Flood Risk and Mapping of Flood Risk Zones in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

In recent years, most Nigerian cities have experienced several major flood episodes with serious catastrophes. Hence, this study was carried out to assess and map flood risk zones in Yenagoa. The Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing technologies were used in generating and analyzing data to identify the different flood risk zones in Yenagoa. Environmental indices such as flood heights, land elevation and land cover images were analyzed using geo-statistical tools such as map overlay operations to produce a flood risk map. The flood risk map produced and the ground truthing carried out confirmed that the highest flood risk are located within residential areas where about 32% of the built-up area was vulnerable to moderate or high risk of flooding. The study revealed that both natural and anthropogenic factors are responsible for the severe flooding experienced in Yenagoa, especially due to heavy precipitation, elevation of the area, poor waste disposal, and inadequate urban development control amongst other factors. The city was classified into three flood risk zones-high, moderate and low, with about 48% of the area being either at moderate or high risk of flooding. It is therefore recommended that the Ministry of Physical and Urban Development should carryout proper urban development control, which will prevent building on flood plains, wetlands and natural drainage channels

Pattern of Waterborne Diseases in Yenagoa, Nigeria

Waterborne diseases have negative implications on the health and socioeconomic activities of man. This paper analyzed the prevalence pattern of diarrhea and typhoid (DT) in Yenagoa. The study used data derived from responses to administered questionnaire on household’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and retrospective hospital data on recorded cases of DT in Yenagoa. Obtained data were analyzed with tables, percentages, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and T-test. The analyses showed that household’s WASH provisions in Yenagoa were unsatisfactory and may have contributed to the incidence of both diseases. Those mostly impacted by both diseases were five years and below; while the dry season recorded higher cases, when safe water supply was more challenging. The ANOVA test showed that the monthly incidence of both DT do not significantly vary, as the calculated F-value for diarrhea was 6.865, p-value, .135; while that for typhoid was, .590, p-value, .842 at 0.05 alpha levels. However, the age and seasonal incidence of both DT varied significantly in Yenagoa. The ANOVA test for age distribution of diarrhea was F= 5.483 and p-value, .024; while that of typhoid was F= 6.038 and p-value was .019 at 0.05 alpha levels. Similarly, the t-test for seasonal incidence of diarrhea was t =4.836 and p-value, .005; while that of typhoid was t = 4.468 and p-value, .007 at 0.05 alpha levels. Therefore, households should have unrestricted access to adequate WASH services, which act as primary barriers to the spread of DT diseases

EFFECTS OF CRUDE OIL AS A SOIL CONTAMINANT ON SEEDLING GROWTH OF JATROPHA CURCAS L

ABSTRACT A study was conducted in 2010 to evaluate the effects of crude oil as a soil contaminant on the performance of Jatropha curcas seedlings in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria. Oil concentrations used were 0.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 and 10.0% w/w. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates and monitored for 10 weeks after transplanting. The results showed that contamination of soil with crude oil significantly reduced (P 0.05) the performance of Jatropha curcas seedlings as regards plant height, number of leaves, leaf area and collar diameter when compared with seedlings grown in the uncontaminated soils. The performance of the seedlings was oil concentration dependent. Other symptoms observed at the higher levels of oil treatments were yellowness of leaves, leaf fall/drop, chlorosis, growth retardation and stagnation as well as wilting. This study has shown that crude oil in soil has a highly significant effect of reducing the performance of J. curcas seedlings. The oil level most tolerated by the plant is 2.0% w/w and above this level, significant reductions were recorded. This study has great implications on the sustainability of this multipurpose species, which has been identified as a potential biofuel species