Modes of Compensation in Exchange for Indigenous Knowledge: A Case Study of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria

Indigenous or Traditional Knowledge is that information or knowledge that has been developed by indigenous people in various regions of the world. Such knowledge generally relies exclusively on past experiences and observations and has been transmitted orally or in some form of script across generations of groups or communities of indigenous people. Therefore, this knowledge often has a cultural context, a collective ownership and is constantly evolving. More often than not, this indigenous knowledge is the only source of livelihood for the practitioners. As a result, most of them are not willing to divulge the knowledge without any form of benefit. In order to further develop this knowledge for the benefit of the general populace, promote and improve traditional medicine practice, guard against misappropriation, prevent extinction, and ensure documentation and conservation, it is necessary to promote equitable rewards and invariably protection for the originators of the knowledge. This study was to determine reciprocal benefits based on the requests of the local people through the use of questionnaires. As envisaged, majority of the practitioners wanted immediate and monetary form of compensation. However this was superseded by the desire for traditional medicine clinic/ hospital. It was discovered that further training was desired by only a handful of the practitioners and these were practitioners from a particular geopolitical zone of the country. Other needs included basic equipment to make the practice easier, cars and infrastructure for the practitioners’ communities

A Comparative Evaluation of the Flow and Compaction Characteristics of a-Cellulose obtained from Waste Paper

Purpose: Alpha-cellulose obtained as pulp from fibrous plant materials has found use in the pharmaceutical industry as a disintegrant and direct compression diluent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of α-cellulose obtained from waste paper as a direct compression excipient. Method: The flow and compaction characteristics of α-cellulose (ACP) obtained from waste paper, in comparison with Avicel PH 101, using the Kawakita and Heckel models were evaluated. Result: The results indicate that the flow properties of these materials could not be predicted accurately using the Kawakita model. A comparison of compression behaviour and compactibility of the two powders showed Avicel PH 101 to be a slightly better binder. Conclusion: It was concluded that ACP material could find use as a potential dry binder and direct compression diluent in tableting as the binding properties were comparable to those of Avicel PH 101. . Keywords: Alpha-cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, flow and compaction characteristics, direct compression diluent. > Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research Vol. 6 (1) 2007: pp. 645-65

BARRIERS TO THE UPTAKE OF E-PROCUREMENT IN THE NIGERIAN BUILDING INDUSTRY

Although the uptake of e-Procurement technologies and processes by businesses and organizations has been very impressive in the developed countries, the same cannot be said in many developing countries where the uptake of e-Procurement is rather slow and low. This study investigated the barriers to the uptake of e-Procurement using data derived from a questionnaire survey of 213 consulting firms, contractors, client organizations and government establishments in the Nigerian building industry (NBI). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor and multiple regression analyses. The result shows that the two factors with the most significant adverse effect on the uptake of e-Procurement were the high investment cost, and lack of technical expertise required in setting up e-procurement technologies and processes. Difference between how the researchers and practitioners understood the barriers to the uptake of e-Procurement was observed. Technical, infrastructure, political, social, and cultural issues; the lack of evidence of the benefits of e-Procurement in the building industry; and lack of top management support were the three strongest predictors of low uptake of e-Procurement by the organizations surveyed. The study suggests that to ensure a critical mass uptake of e-Procurement and maximization of its benefits in the procurement of building works, services and materials in Nigeria, there is a need for concerted effort by all stakeholders in the industry to eliminate the barriers identified in this research

DETERMINING THE INDIVIDUAL SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR IN HOUSING DELIVERY IN NIGERIA

One of the greatest challenge confronting both rural and urban residents in Nigeria is the need to provide adequate shelter. This study examined the individual significant contribution of the public and private sector in public-private partnerships (PPP) in housing contracts in Ogun State, Nigeria. A field survey was conducted in government ministries (public sector) and some selected professionals (private sector) within the study area. Information gathered from both primary and secondary data was used to determine the significant contribution of the public and private sector in housing delivery. Questionnaires were distributed through systematic sampling method to 58 respondents in both private and public sector participating in PPP housing production in the study area. Result showed that the significant contribution of the public sector in PPP housing provision in Nigeria is the provision of land while the private sector contributes significantly high percentage of finance, manpower and technical support. The study recommended that for successful implementation of PPP housing projects, all tiers of government must strive to complement the weaknesses of the public sector with the strengths of the private sector. Furthermore, since the private sector provides bulk of the finance for PPP housing projects, government should provide a more conducive economic environment to attract more private sector investors

Factors influencing e-Procurement adoption in the Nigerian building industry

Against the backdrop of increasing adoption of e-Procurement in supply chain management, there is a need for adequate knowledge of the factors that influence the decision by organizations in the building industry to use e-Procurement. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap through investigating the factors influencing e-Procurement adoption based on the data sourced in a questionnaire survey involving 213 organizations in the building industry. The survey was conducted between June and November 2015 in Nigeria. Descriptive statistics, factor and categorical regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The results show that the three most important factors influencing the adoption of e-Procurement amongst the participants, in order of importance, were: the benefits of e-Procurement in enhancing efficiency in project delivery; eliminating geographic barriers and effective communication among project team members. The 29 factors were investigated in seven different dimensions - the benefits of e-Procurement use; level of awareness on e-Procurement in construction; and the availability and cost of e-Procurement applications emerged as the three most significant predictors of e-Procurement adoption in the survey. The study concludes by identifying strategies that should be engaged in increasing the uptake and maximizing the benefits of e-Procurement in the Nigerian building industry

Attracting and Retaining Female Students in Construction Related Programs

The number of females moving into professional field is remarkable and almost as equal as the statistics of men entering into professional field. However, anecdotal and empirical evidences show that the construction industry is still male dominated. The construction industry is experiencing serious skill shortages and the current male dominated workforce is aging. It is believed that women can be relied on to bridge the skill gap and the aging population. Tertiary institutions have been identified as gates through which future entrants enter into any industry of choice. Yet, evidences reveal that female enrollment in construction related programs is abysmally low. This paper is aimed at identifying strategies for attracting and retaining female students in construction related programs. The paper adopted a desk research approach. The major strategies for attracting females in construction related programs include: adequate career counseling, a gender inclusive learning environment, exposure to female role models and personal motivation from the student. For female students to be retained in construction related programmes there has to be obvious changes in the industry. Hence the two effective strategies for retaining female students are: improving the image of the industry and improving work life balance. The findings have implications for the construction industry. Given reported cases of skill shortages and the existing aging population, females can bridge the gap. Hence, construction stake holders and indeed educators need to adopt the identified strategies for attracting and retaining females in construction related programmes

Affordable housing issue: Experimental investigation on properties of eco-friendly lightweight concrete produced from incorporating periwinkle and palm kernel shells

In recent times, sustainable production of concrete is now considered a major issue due to continuous depletion of raw resources. Thus, this current study investigates the physical and strength performance of eco-friendly concrete produced with the combination of periwinkle (PWS) and palm kernel shells (PKS) used as an alternative for granite. Two mix ratios of 1:2:4 and 1:1.5:3 (cement: sand: granite) were considered with a 28-day target strength of 20 N/mm2 and 25 N/mm2, respectively. A total number of 144 cubes were produced with PWS and PKS was used as partial replacement for granite in the concrete mixes considered. Physical properties of the materials were determined, while the hardened concrete samples were tested for their density and compressive strength. Obtained results showed that both PWS and PKS are lightweight materials compare to granite, thus significantly influence the concrete density. The results revealed a decreasing trend in the strength development for the mixes. The compressive strength decreases as the combined content of PWS and PKS increases in the concrete mixes. However, concrete containing PWS and PKS produced from mix-ratio of 1:1.5:3 exhibited some comparable strength compare to the control. The results showed that PWS and PKS can be combined equally and used in the production of lightweight concrete at an optimum of 5%. This implies that low-cost lightweight concrete can be produced using a combination of palm kernel and periwinkle shells, thus helping to provide affordable housing and also preserving raw materials

Appraisal of facility provisions in public-private partnership housing delivery in southwest Nigeria

The impact of facility provisions within housing environs cannot be overemphasized. It represents the backbone of housing development, stabilizes occupant satisfaction level, and improves living conditions of residents. It is on this premise that this study appraises facility provisions within Public-Private Partnership (PPP) constructed estates in three (3) South-western states of Nigeria to determine the provider of the major facilities in PPP housing within the study area. A quantitative research method was adopted for the study with the use of questionnaires emerging for data collection. The questionnaire was administered to 90 residents of housing units within the selected estates in which 88 questionnaires were retrieved. The study shows that apart from providing the building structures and finance, the private sector provides potable water for consumption and domestic use, waste management and disposal, the connection of PPP residential houses to the national electrical grid, and provision of a network of roads within the estates linking the government provided main access road. The study recommended that in providing facilities for any future PPP housing delivery system, parties involved in the provisions of required facilities need to understand the end-user’s facility needs

Powder Compaction: Compression Properties of Cellulose Ethers

Effective development of matrix tablets requires a comprehensive understanding of different raw material attributes and their impact on process parameters. Cellulose ethers (CE) are the most commonly used pharmaceutical excipients in the fabrication of hydrophilic matrices. The innate good compression and binding properties of CE enable matrices to be prepared using economical direct compression (DC) techniques. However, DC is sensitive to raw material attributes, thus, impacting the compaction process. This article critically reviews prior knowledge on the mechanism of powder compaction and the compression properties of cellulose ethers, giving timely insight into new developments in this field