From Hell: The Surge of Corruption in Nigeria (1999 – 2007)

Nigeria is one of the world’s most endowed nations, with abundant human and natural resources. These resources are located in all the states of the federation and exist in commercial quantities (see Ajibewa, 2006:261). The proceeds from these resources have been disproportionately distributed to the disadvantage of the poor population while through the paraphernalia of the presidium of government, the allocation of resources has been done to generously favour the ruling and business elites as well as their cronies. This situation has given rise to the grave issue of inequality in the country. The availability of these resources notwithstanding, Nigeria is still underdeveloped; a condition that has largely been blamed on corruption. Therefore, in the case of Nigeria, there appears to be an intricate relationship between corruption, inequality and poverty. However, the universal application of this hypothesis will be a subject of further research

Hierarchical Coupling of Molecular Dynamics and Micromechanics to Predict the Elastic Properties of Three-Phase and Four-Phase Silicon Carbide Composites

The results obtained from previously conducted molecular dynamics analysis of silicon carbide (-SiC (6H, 4H, & 2H-SiC), -SiC (3C SiC)), silicon and boron nitride, were utilized as inputs in the MAC/GMC micromechanics software to model and evaluate the elastic properties of three-phase SiC/BN/SiC and four-phase SiC/BN/Si/SiC composites. This method of analysis eliminates the need for back-calculation of the apparent properties of the base constituents from the measured ceramic matrix composites properties. The multiscale models are validated against the available data in literature

Association between anthropometric parameters in relation to body mass and measures of adiposity in adolescent Nigerian males

Objective: Anthropometric indices are valid proxies for predicting the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases across age groups and gender. The objective of the present work was to study some anthropometric measures of body mass and adiposity in male Nigerian adolescents. Methods: In a population of male Nigerian adolescents (n=400; age: 13-19 years), data was collected for standing height, body weight and circumferences (hip, waist, neck, and mid-upper arm); and the body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHpR) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were then calculated. Moreover, using Pearson's correlation coefficient, we studied the association between BMI and other anthropometric variables. Results: Average BMI was 18.38 kg/m2 for adolescent males aged 13-15 years (n=217), and 19.03 kg/m2 for males aged 16-19 years (n=183). In the former category (13-15 years), BMI as a measure of body mass was best positively and significantly associated with the mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) (r=0.673,

DOES MACRO ECONOMIC VARIABLES HAVE EFFECT ON STOCK MARKET MOVEMENT IN NIGERIA?

Over the past decades, numerous studies have analyzed the relationship and the different results obtained from these studies have motivated further research. The relationship between Average share price and macro – economic variable has been well documented for the developed markets. However, this paper seeks to address the question of whether macro – economic variables have a significant with stock market movement using time series annual data for the period from 1985 – 2008. The selected macro – economic variables for study include external debt, inflation rate, real interest rate, investment, and exchange rate. The research entails the use of Argumented Dickey Fuller test, multivariate cointegration test, vector error correction, variance decomposition and causality analysis. The result was that all the variables were stationary at 2nd difference, four cointegrating equations were present i.e. long run relationship exists between the selected macro –economic variable and average share price. All macro – economic variables were insignificant but all negative relationship with ASP but only External debt was significant related to ASP. ASP and External debt were found to granger cause in pairs while an independent causality exists between the selected macro – economic variable and ASP. These show that ASP is not a leading indicator for the selected macro – economic variable. Keywords: Macro-economic, Stock market, Inflation rate, multivariate cointegration test, External deb

Secondary School Students Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Towards Water Pollution in Riverine Area of Ondo State

Water pollution has been a major problem facing people living in riverine area all over Nigeria. This has become life threaten to majority of people living in the area as well as visitors to the area. A descriptive action research design was adopted foe the study and 3 instruments were developed for the collection of data. The population of the study comprises of all secondary school students in riverine area of Ondo State while 200 respondents were randomly selected from 10 schools 5 on the land and 5 on water. The questionnaire titled Environmental knowledge scale (EKS) Environmental Attitude scale (EAS) AND Environmental practice scale (EPS) were used to collect data for the study. Data generated were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean, and standard deviation. The finding from the study shows that though participants are aware of actions that can pollute water, yet their attitude towards water pollution is negative

Promoting the adoption of innovations through participatory approaches: example from northern Nigeria

Open Access JournalParticipatory research and development approaches involving all stakeholders along the value chain have recently been hypothesized to produce quicker outcomes than the linear technology transfer model. This paper analyzed the crop yield obtained by farmers and their uptake of improved technologies in a 2009 survey, one year after the completion of project field activities. It was a multi-stakeholder project involving research, extension, farmer groups, marketers and policymakers, that operated for 4 years (2005-2008) in Borno state of Nigeria. Survey results indicated that farmers who participated in project activities’ have been successful in increasing crop yields. Both yields and per capita production of major crops were statistically significantly higher (ρ≤ 0.05) in project communities compared to non-project ones. It is also estimated that there was a decline in percentage of households in food insecurity situation in project communities. Probit regression revealed that participation in project activities had a positive and significant effect on household food security (ρ≤ 0.05). It is then concluded that development interventions that involve multiple stakeholder partnership, use of participatory research and extension approach can help increase technology uptake among resourcepoor farmers as well as increase food production and food security in a region

Determinants of adoption and intensity of use of balanced nutrient management systems technologies in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria

As part of a major effort to address soil fertility decline in West Africa, a project on Balanced Nutrient Management Systems (BNMS) has since 2000 been implemented in the northern Guinea savanna (NGS) of Nigeria. The project has tested and promoted two major technology packages, including a combined application of inorganic fertilizer and manure (BNMS-manure) and a soybean/maize rotation practice referred to as BNMS-rotation. This study employed Tobit model to examine factors that influence the adoption and intensity of utilization of BNMS technologies in the NGS of Nigeria. Results showed that less than 10% of the sample households adopted at least one of the two components of the technology package by the end of 2002. However, by 2005 the adoption of BNMS-rotation had reached 40% while that of BNMS-manure had reached 48%. A number of factors such as access to credit, farmers’ perception of the state of land degradation, and assets ownership were found to be significant in determining farmers’ adoption decisions on BNMS-manure while off-farm income was found to be significant in determining farmers’ adoption decisions on BNMS-rotation. Extension services and farmer-to-farmer technology diffusion channels were the major means of transfer of BNMS technologies.Adoption, BNMS-manure, BNMS-rotation, Northern Guinea Savanna (NGS)., Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Health Economics and Policy, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Monitoring dynamics of urban landscape using spatial morphological indices: a case study of Thames Gateway area

Land use changes are results of interaction (over time and space) between humans and their physical environment. Cities and urban landscapes reflect the social, economic, political, environmental as well as technological processes in their changes as evident in their pattern and structures. This study tests the use of morphological indices for monitoring landscapes in a heavily modified landscape (urban). The study analyses the spatial and temporal changes in land use and land cover pattern in the area adjoining the Thames Gateway and selected parts of Greater London, UK. The investigation focuses on an examination of the temporal changes of various land use types as well as their structural properties and distribution over this period

The effect of climate change on solar radiation in Nigeria

In this study, global solar radiation over Nigeria was simulated under an enhanced atmospheric CO2 level using the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) Regional Climate Model version 3 (RegCM3) for the period 1981 to 2100 with ECHAM5 GCM as the lateral boundary conditions. The simulated seasonal global solar radiation bias for the RegCM3 with NIMET and NASA observed datasets in the control period are of similar magnitudes and showed a mixture of persistent positive and negative biases ranging between �10% and 30%. The model generally underestimates solar radiation (biases �10% to �30%) across the whole country in most of the months. In addition, it overestimates radiation (biases +2–30%) over the northern region of the country. Alongside the present climate (1981–2010), three future periods were considered viz: period 1 (2011–2040), period 2 (2041–2070) and period 3 (2071–2100) for the potential future changes. The seasonal potential future changes in period 1 (i.e. potential future changes with respect to 2040) showed a reduction in the range of 0% (North) to 3.27% (South) whereas more reduction in global solar radiation is observed in period 2 (i.e. 2041–2070 minus present climate) having general decrease ranging from 0.11% to 3.39% with the least value in April (Middle-belt) and the largest in the South zone (March). Potential future changes in period 3 (i.e. 2071–2100 minus present climate) is generally characterized with mixed increase and decrease in global solar radiation across the country than the previous two periods (1 and 2). For the annual potential future changes, RegCM3 model predicted a decrease in solar radiation towards the end of the century with more reduction found in the South zone and the least in the North region. Furthermore, future changes in global solar radiation across the zones in all the periods are however found to be insignificant at p 6 0.01

Prevalence and Speciation of Non-albican Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Zaria

Candida species are versatile microorganisms which live normally in the skin, mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and genitourinary tract. In healthy people, Candida species usually live as benign commensals and produce no disease. However, they are the most common cause of fungal infections in immunosuppressed individuals, leading to a range of non-life threatening mucocutaneous diseases to threatening invasive systemic diseases. Among Candida spp, the more important pathogenic species are Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis and C.krusei. The research set out to determine the prevalence of non albicans vulvovaginal candidiasis and pattern of distribution of the different Candida species in Zaria.A cross sectional study of female genital swabs collected from 400 women with features suggestive of vulvovaginal candidiasis attending Gynaecology clinics in four selected hospitals in Zaria. The swabs collected between a period of February 2012 to March 2013 were analysed by microscopy and culture in the Medical Microbiology laboratory, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.  Data on demographic details were also obtained; using structured questionnaires. Of the 400 patient samples examined 163(40.8%) were culture positive for Candida spp. Of these 163 isolates, 84 were germ-tube negative giving a prevalence of 21% for non albicans candida (NAC). Of the 84 isolates of NAC, 51(60.7%) were Candida parapsilosis, 18 (21.4%) were Candida tropicalis, while 15 (17.9%) were Candida glabrata. Vulvovaginal candidiasis was found to be more prevalent among the age group 21-30 years in general. Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a prevalent infection among women. More than half of the infections are due to non-albicans Candida.  NAC is becoming increasingly relevant in the aetiology of Vulvovaginal candidiasis and health providers need to be aware of this as the treatment options differ. Keywords: Non albicans Candida, Vulvovaginal candidiasis, Vulvovaginiti