INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS PERCEPTION ON IMPLEMENTATION OF FEDERAL CHARACTER PRINCIPLE IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES: A STUDY OF NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

This study probes the influence teachers’ perception and implementation of federal character principle in Nigerian Universities: a study of Nnamdi Azikiwe University. The research design adopted for this study is the descriptive survey research deign. The sample size for this study is 200 academic staff (educators’) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University. The findings of research question one indicated that academic staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University agreed that the challenges of implementation of federal character principles associated with securing admission into federal university revealed that admission are not mostly done on merit and the quota system used in admission does not favour all applicants. The findings of this research question two found that most institutions do not comply with recruitment guidelines in the federal character principle document during recruitment, meritocracy or competencies are compromised in staff recruitment in Universities, vacancies are not advertised as stipulated in the federal character principle during staff recruitment, lobbying takes precedence in staff recruitment in universities, job description are not known during recruitment which is against the federal character principle statement etc. With reference to research question three, the findings indicated that most universities are being marginalized in fund allocation due to most Universities in disadvantaged states attract more funds than their counterparts in advantaged states, etc. According to research question four, the findings revealed that the challenges of implementation of federal character principles associated with appointment of staff to managerial posts include; appointments into managerial positions does not reflect the country’s diversity, the composition of positions are predominantly occupied by persons from few states, ethnicity and tribalism affects the appointment of persons into managerial posts, meritocracy is not considered during appointments and there is no equity in terms of access to be appointed in managerial positions. Finally, the findings of research question five, revealed that academic staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University did agree to the strategies for mitigating the challenges to the implementation of the federal character principle in federal universities in Nigeria. Based on the findings and educational implications of this study, the following recommendations are made. The quota system principle should be equitably considered to benefit all citizens as the case may be. The federal character principle should be applied the way the framers of the policy envisaged. Finally, the duties and responsibilities of every nation are to ensure equal educational opportunities to all the citizens of the country with no form of sentiment attached to such responsibilities.  Article visualizations

MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH OF NIGERIA

This study investigated the relationship between the money market instruments and economic growth of Nigeria using time series analysis from 1981-2019. The relevant variables for which data were sourced include: Real gross domestic product, Financial deepening indicator [ratio of money supply (M2) to gross domestic product – (M2/GDP)(%)], value of treasury bills outstanding, value of Certificate of deposit outstanding, value of commercial paper outstanding, and value of banker acceptance outstanding. The data extracted from the CBN statistical bulletin, vol. 30, 2019. The Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF), Johansen cointegration test and Error Correction Mechanism (ECM) were adopted. The research findings found that, there is significant relationship between money market instruments and economic growth in Nigeria. Furthermore, there is insignificant relationship between money market instruments and the development of the Nigerian financial system. The study recommends amongst others, the need for Government to create appropriate macroeconomic policies, legal framework and consolidate and improve on reforms with a holistic view to developing and deepening the market so as to promote productive activities, investments, and ultimately economic growth. JEL: E41; E50; E51 Article visualizations

THE EFFICIENCY OF EDUCATION EXPENDITURE IN NIGERIA

This study empirically probes the efficiency of education expenditure in Nigeria from 1990 to 2018. This study was specifically carried out to examine the impact of education expenditure on economic growth, human capital development and level of literacy rate in Nigeria. The study employed Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test, ARDL bounds cointegration test, and the short-run diagnostics and stability for ARDL model in the analysis. The research findings probe that education expenditure had significantly negative impact on economic growth in Nigeria. Also, education expenditure has significant positive impact on human capital development in Nigeria. Finally, education expenditure has positive but insignificant impact on literacy rate in Nigeria. Base on the findings, Government should constantly review an upward budgetary allocation to education sector in order to achieve a sustainable economic growth and reduced the level of literacy rate in Nigeria.  Article visualizations

EFFECT OF OUTSOURCING ON EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF SHELL PETROLEUM PRODUCING AND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

This study investigates the effect of outsourcing practice on employment relations in Multinational Corporations with special focus on Shell Petroleum Producing and Development Company (SPDC). The study also examined the importance of employment relations in organizational performance. Descriptive research methodology was adopted in this study. The questionnaire that was administered in the field survey was the abbreviated version of Hewitt’s Human Resource Outsourcing Survey Questionnaire. The research findings showed that: the management of SPDC engages in unfair labour practices in order to trivialize workers conditions of service; mere transferring human resource management to a third party does not necessarily improve labour-management relations; outsourcing affects workers’ performance in Nigeria; there is positive relationship between employment relations and organisational performance. Based on the research findings, it recommends that the management of SPDC must discontinue its unfair labour practices; should improve the working conditions of its contract staff and show more interest in their career development; should focus attention on fostering mutual employment relations by ensuring that all its human resource policies are not counter-productive especially its outsourcing policy. JEL: L20; L23; L53 Article visualizations

MICROFINANCING, POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH: THE NEXUS

This study investigated the nexus between microfinancing, poverty alleviation and Nigeria’s economic growth from the period of 1992 to 2018. Specifically, it seeks to probe the actual effect of microfinance bank loans on economic growth and employment creation in Nigeria. Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test, ARDL bounds cointegration test, and the short-run diagnostics and stability for ARDL Model were employed in the analysis. The research findings admitted that, microfinance banks’ operations do not significantly contribution to poverty alleviation in Nigeria. Also, it established that microfinance banks’ loan advances do not significantly affect growth of GDP in Nigeria. Again, microfinance banks’ loans advances have significantly negative contribute to employment opportunities in Nigeria. The implication of the first finding is that, may be attributed to difficulties enshrined in operating environment which make the realization of their objectives cumbersome. Regarding the second findings, the implication indicates that when loans elongated by the microfinance banks to that of business sector and it is not protracted, this will not procreate a corresponding elevate in the economic growth of Nigeria. Also, another implication is that the businesses were not generating enough profit to cover sufficiently the running cost and profit. Therefore, the borrowers will remain in the cycles of borrowing and repaying for years and years. Finally, the significant effect of microfinance banks’ loan advances on creation of employment opportunities on the third finding, the implication is that by granting credit, Microfinance banks enable their clients expand their productivity. This expansion will exact the existing manpower. Additional hands will naturally be engaged to cope with the new level of production. Based on the research findings of this study, for effective loan and advances, microfinance institutions should channel very high proportion of their credits to the productive and real sectors of the economy for valuable impact of their operations on Nigeria’s economic growth. However, Microfinance Banks (MFBs) should therefore, be front-liners of ethical and professional conduct by ensuring that fluffy loans are given to plausible and desirable entrepreneurs. Furthermore, there is should be deliberate policy by the government encouraging the operation of microfinance banks in rural areas and occasionally in semi-urban areas. This will increase savings mobilization of the banks, thereby creating more employment opportunities. JEL: N10; O10; O12; O40  Article visualizations

MONETARY POLICY AND INFLATION CONTROL: THE CASE OF NIGERIA

Inflation is a major problem facing Nigeria as a country today. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), however, has made efforts to fight it using different policy measures, of which monetary policy is one of them. Thus, this study focuses on the impact of monetary policy on inflation control in Nigeria. The study is based on time series data from 1980 to 2019. The Augmented Dickey Fuller test, Johansen’s co-integration test, the Error Correction model (ECM) estimation was employed in the analysis. The variables include – exchange rate, inflation rate, money supply (% GDP), Treasury bill rate and monetary policy rate. The research findings showed that monetary policy has no significant impact on inflation control in Nigeria both in the short – run and long – run. Money supply has negative and insignificant impact on inflation control in Nigeria both in the short – run and long – run. Again, exchange rate has negative and insignificant effect on inflation control in Nigeria both in the short – run and long – run. The Treasury bill rate has negative but significant effect on inflation control in Nigeria in the short – run, while in the long – run it has positive but insignificant effect on inflation control in Nigeria. The study, therefore, recommends that, Government should provide monetary policies that will preferred efficient provider of favourable environment in terms of the implementation of the appropriate monetary policy rate, exchange rate etc in order to attract both domestic and foreign investment which will create employment opportunities for the Nigerian populace and in turn lead to the expansion of the industries in the country. JEL: E42; E52; E3

Quality of life in sarcoidosis

Having sarcoidosis often has a major impact on quality of life of patients and their families. Improving quality of life is prioritized as most important treatment aim by many patients with sarcoidosis, but current evidence and treatment options are limited. In this narrative review, we describe the impact of sarcoidosis on various aspects of daily life, evaluate determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and provide an overview of the different patient-reported outcome measures to assess HRQoL in sarcoidosis. Moreover, we review the current evidence for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to improve quality of life for people with sarcoidosis.</p

Acute Motor Neuropathy with Quadriparesis following Treatment with Triple Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, Nintedanib

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by declining lung function, worsening dyspnea and poor prognosis with median survival of 3–5 years. IPF predominantly affects people over 60 years, it however has worse prognosis in younger patients with genetic predisposition like short telomere syndrome. Nintedanib, one of two anti-fibrotic therapies approved for IPF treatment has occasional neurological side effects like fatigue, dizziness and headaches. Significant polyneuropathy or motor dysfunction is rarely seen. This case report illustrates a patient who developed quadriparesis following initiation of Nintedanib

High-resolution CT phenotypes in pulmonary sarcoidosis: a multinational Delphi consensus study

One view of sarcoidosis is that the term covers many different diseases. However, no classification framework exists for the future exploration of pathogenetic pathways, genetic or trigger predilections, patterns of lung function impairment, or treatment separations, or for the development of diagnostic algorithms or relevant outcome measures. We aimed to establish agreement on high-resolution CT (HRCT) phenotypic separations in sarcoidosis to anchor future CT research through a multinational two-round Delphi consensus process. Delphi participants included members of the Fleischner Society and the World Association of Sarcoidosis and other Granulomatous Disorders, as well as members' nominees. 146 individuals (98 chest physicians, 48 thoracic radiologists) from 28 countries took part, 144 of whom completed both Delphi rounds. After rating of 35 Delphi statements on a five-point Likert scale, consensus was achieved for 22 (63%) statements. There was 97% agreement on the existence of distinct HRCT phenotypes, with seven HRCT phenotypes that were categorised by participants as non-fibrotic or likely to be fibrotic. The international consensus reached in this Delphi exercise justifies the formulation of a CT classification as a basis for the possible definition of separate diseases. Further refinement of phenotypes with rapidly achievable CT studies is now needed to underpin the development of a formal classification of sarcoidosis

Ageing with interstitial lung disease: preserving health and well-being

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Ageing, the accrual of molecular and cellular damage over a lifetime confers progressive physiologic dysfunction of bodily systems, leaving the body in a heightened state of vulnerability to biophysical and psychosocial stressors. The inflection point is frailty which easily leads to disability and death. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) creates biophysical and psychosocial stresses difficult for even optimally fit patients to cope with. With evolving ILD treatment pathways, people with ILD are living longer. RECENT FINDINGS: ILD and ageing are bi-directionally influential: ILD, its treatments, complications, and collateral systemic extra-pulmonary damage (hypoxic and oxidative stress) wear on the ageing person and ageing impacts a person's tolerance of ILD. ILD extent may proportionally accelerate age-related vulnerabilities. ILD related to inflammatory systemic diseases, e.g. connective tissue diseases or sarcoidosis, exert an even more complex biophysical impact on the body. SUMMARY: The present review stresses goals of preventing frailty in ILD and preserving general health and well being of people living with ILD of any age, from time of diagnosis and as they age. The development of a prediction score is proposed to classify those at risk of frailty and guide interventions that preserve successful ageing for all levels of ILD severity. VIDEO ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/COPM/A32.Not heldPublished version, accepted version (12 months embrago