Spatial Variations of Values of Residential Land Use in Lagos Metropolis

The cost of land has very strong influence on the quality and type ofdevelopment that can be sustained on such land. Residential areas are noexception. This is more pronounced in economically vibrant. Lagos beingthe economic nerve centre of Nigeria fall into this category cities. This studyis therefore to further enrich existing literature in this area but focusing onresidential land values in Metropolitan Lagos. In the study, the actual pricesof various components of residential land use are established which the studyclassified into rent, purchase price of residential apartments and purchaseprice of residential plots of land. This was done for different residential landuse types which the study classified into three: namely high density, mediumdensity and low density areas. The study concludes that residential landvalues are high in the low density areas and lower at the high density areas.The paper suggests the need to improve both physical and economic accessto residential properties, privatization of the supply of infrastructuralfacilities, improvement in the quality of the environment and the need torelease lands under public ownership to make more land available forresidential use.Keywords: Residential, Land Value, Neighbourhood, Rent, Cost, Lan

9Socio-economic adaptation strategies of the urban poor in the Lagos metropolis, Nigeria

This article investigates the survival strategies of the urban poor in Lagos metropolis. The study considers the socio-economic characteristics as well as the livelihood patterns and strategies employed in the absence of formal social security systems. The research adopts a purposive sampling of 396 household heads in 31 low-income residential neighbourhoods in the Lagos metropolis. Data were obtained by the administration of structured questionnaires, and analysis was done by both parametric and non-parametric methods. The research revealed that most of the respondents were involved in informal trade enterprises and were living below the national poverty line, as mode household monthly income was between $50 and$125. The importance of informal social networks – especially rotating credit and ethnic alliances as social security and insurance mechanisms of the respondents – was highlighted. The study concludes by recommending measures for building on the identifi ed strengths of the urban poor, which includes civic engagement and partnering with informal social networks to provide opportunities for poverty alleviation in the communities.Keywords: Ethnic alliance; informal economy; Lagos; poverty; rotating credi

Incorporating informality into urban and regional planning education curriculum in Nigeria

To achieve sustainable development in any society the educational system must be responsive to the dynamics of that society. This article discusses issues on the level of training on informality in African planning schools with emphasis on the Lagos, Nigeria situation. The article reviews the concept of informality, the challenges, the quantum of training in planning schools curricula on issues relating to the informal sector, legislative tools available to tackle the phenomena, among others. The article concludes that there is currently inadequate training and paucity of legislation to guide the integration of the informal sector into the urban system in the study area. In the light of these findings, the need for responsive planning education curriculum in Africa is imperative. There is the need to teach on issues concerning the sporadic emergence of the informal sector in the African urban landscape. This is one of the major consequences of 21st-century African urban growth. Unfortunately, African planning schools curricula are based on standards of developed countries; thus formal training on planning solutions for the informal sector are not well entrenched, nor adequate planning regulations provided to integrate the informal sector into land use. To achieve a sustainable city landscape this article recommends the need to introduce courses such as informality, community engagement, social mobilisation, participatory planning, among others, in planning curricular. This will go a long way in improving the skills of planners towards resolving the challenges posed by the sporadic phenomena of the informal sector in Nigerian cities.&nbsp

Problems Mitigating Housing Finance Through Primary Mortgage Institutions In Lagos

In developing countries among important factors influencing housing provision, finance is one of the most critical.  This is the case with Nigeria and in particular in large urban centres of which Lagos is one. The study is therefore an investigation on the structure and challenges confronting housing finance efforts of Primary Mortgage Institutions in Lagos.  The research objectives include the examination of housing delivery policies and finance in Nigeria and Lagos.  The study also examines the structure of Primary Mortgage Institutions (PMIs) in the study area, housing funding products and strategies by the PMIs and investigated the problems and challenges confronting the operations of the PMIs in Lagos.  The methodology employed by the research includes the collection of primary and secondary data.  Field survey showed that 65 PMIs operate and are active as at the time of field work and 16 representing 25% were picked for sampling through oral discussion and questionnaire administration to the bank officials and customers, with 160 questionnaires for the latter. Data obtained were analyzed through simple frequency distribution tables and bar charts.  Among major findings of the research include the following: that the PMIs nature of business transactions include commercial banking, LPO financing, merchandising, property agency and sales and transport.  Existing departments in the PMIs are corporate/administration, human resources operations, legal, marketing and mortgage. Services and products of the PMIs are National Housing Fund (NHF) loan, estate development loan, pension-linked loan, LPO financing and overdraft facilities for their customers.  Major challenges confronting the operations of the PMIs are NHF policy, structure of PMIs, the national economic climate, high cost of building materials and public apathy, difficulty of access to land and land documentation constraints, poor collateral, high interest rates and competitive finance market.  The study suggests that the NHF policy should be reviewed and that government should provide incentives such as tax rebate for building materials manufacture, encourage the re-training of labour to improve their skills and speed.  The Nigerian land law should be reviewed to make access to land less cumbersome while cheap funding sources should be provided specifically for housing finance. Key words: Housing; Institution; Finance; Mortgage; Bank; Polic

Effective HPLC method development

High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method development plays an important role in the discovery, development and manufacture of pharmaceutical products and day to day quality work in the laboratory. This article focuses on the effective method development of HPLC. It highlights pertinent conditions and other important perspectives during method development.  A sequence of events required for effective method development is described. The steps involved in developing a stability-indicating HPLC method influences the analysis of degradation products/impurities in stability study and its validation demonstrate the suitability for its intended purpose. Keywords: Method development, High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), analytes

Influence of eco-friendly control strategies on the germination of mycotoxin secreted Fusarium verticillioides infested maize

Fusarium verticillioides is a major seed borne fungal pathogen of maize causing rots and seedling blight, and secretion of toxigenic compounds in grains. This study aimed at reducing the seedling blight and mycotoxin contamination level of maize caused by F. verticillioides with environmentally friendly antagonistic microorganisms. One gram of ground mycelia of each of the species of Trichoderma, B. subtilis and P. fluorescens was suspended in 100, 200, 300 and 400ml of distilled water to determine the inoculum concentrations. Maize seeds were treated with inoculum and planted at least 2 seeds per pot in replicates of 3 pots. Two grams of ground mycelial mat of the pathogen was added (at planting) per ten (10) kilogram of sterile soil. Germination percentage of these seeds was taken on the 14, 21, and 28 days after planting. Observations were on incidence and severity of the disease, from germination period till harvest. T. pseudokoningii at its C3 gave the best germination percentage, and P. fluorescens inoculum at C2 was the best for the control of the pathogen, which is comparatively effective as Benomyl against F. verticillioides. The use of ecofriendly control alternative like T. pseudokoningii and P. fluorescens should be used to in place Benomyl; it has no residual effect on the environment.Keywords: maize, mycotoxin, biocontrol agents, Fusarium sp

Predictors of Medication Alternative Cost-Saving Strategies Among Adults with Type 2-Diabetes

Adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the United States experience a significant financial burden in managing their condition due to prescription medication, higher out-of-pocket (OOP) costs, number of prescribed medications, and health insurance status to stay compliant with their medications. This study examined the association between the alternative medication cost-saving strategies, including obtaining free samples from doctors or patient assistance programs, splitting pills or changing dosage frequency, purchasing from other countries, purchasing over the internet, and the three independent variables among adults diagnosed with T2D. Reasoned action approach theory helped guide how external factors may influence an alternative medication cost savings strategy. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was implemented with the Qualtrics platform and questions from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey instrument. Self-reported responses from adults diagnosed with T2D were administered and captured online from participants registered with the Amazon Mechanical Turk Crowdsourcing Internet Marketplace (mturk.com). A multiple binomial logistic regression analysis predicted that health insurance is associated with increased purchasing of medications over the internet. An increase in the number of prescribed medications and OOP expenses is associated with a reduction in purchasing medications from other countries and an increase in splitting pills or changing dosage frequency. Identifying predictors of alternative prescription cost-saving strategies by adults with T2D may help promote personalized medication assistance for those patients experiencing financial hardships to ensure they remain compliant with their medications

Evaluation of genetic diversity in some Amaranthus spp. using morphological and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA(RAPD) analysis

Amaranth, is an annual plant used as leafy vegetables, grains and ornamentals. It is a plant with a wide range of variability. Ten Amaranth genotypes were selected based on their morphological features and were evaluated over two seasons in 2016 at the Teaching and Research Farms, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB), while the molecular analyses were carried out at the Laboratory of the Biotechnology Centre, FUNAAB. DNA extracted from young amaranth leaves were amplified using four Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers (OPA-02, OPA-10, OPB-11 and OPB-12). Data collected were subjected to statistical analyses. The Analysis of Variance revealed significant variation in the accessions with respect to height at flowering and number of branches only. Heritability estimates ranged from 60 – 94% for petiole length and number of branches, respectively. A significant and negative correlation was observed between number of branches and seed weight (-0.35**). Molecular cluster analysis showed that all the accessions studied shared a similarity at a coefficient of 0.55 and two major clusters were formed at a coefficient of 0.60. For hybridization studies, accessions NGB-96 and NGB/09/09 which were from distant cluster could be used as parents to take advantage of the inherent variability. Other markers such as Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) could be used to further reveal diversity in the accessions

Effects of Neem Aqueous Extract (Azadirachta indica) against Aphids and Aphid-borne Virus in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp)

Pests and diseases are among the major factors limiting plant growth and yields. Pests are known vectors of pathogens including viruses. Proper management of plant pests is an indirect means of controlling viral diseases in plants. This study aimed at comparing the potential of neem extract and a synthetic insecticide (lambda cyhalothrin) for the management of aphids and Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV) in five different cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) genotypes and to determine the residual effects of the insecticide in the cowpea grains. The experimental field was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replicates. Treatments included; spraying of cowpea plots with aqueous neem extract and lambda cyhalothrin (LC) twice at foliage stage, once at flowering and podding stages. Control plots were left unsprayed. Data were obtained on growth and yields of cowpea genotypes as well as the pest and virus disease traits. Results of the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that variations attributable to genotypes were significant (p ≤ 0.01) for cowpea yields and virus disease traits. Treatments applied influenced the occurrence of pests and virus diseases. Neem extract reduced aphid infestations and virus diseases as much as the insecticide. Ife BPC accumulated a very high level of LC (1.14 ppm) in its grain when compared with the maximum residue level (MRL) for lambda cyalothrin in cowpea seeds. The study concludes that the use of eco-friendly bio-pesticide such as neem aqueous extract is effective for the management of aphids and aphid-borne virus in cowpea fields. Keywords: Aphids; aqueous extract; cowpea; neem; pesticide; viru

Genetic diversity in Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) based on phenotypic and RAPD markers

Genetic similarities, which can be detected with phenotypic and molecular markers, are important for effective use of available germplasm. It provides information on genetic diversity for reliable gene recombination. Thirty accessions of amaranth were assessed for variation with 15 phenotypic characters and 10 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers. Significant (p < 0.05) phenotypic variation was observed among the accession at the vegetative phase and most of the accessions had leaves with green pigmentation. Sink factor such as leaf, stem and root weights, and dry matter, were homogenous traits which contributed significantly to diversity among the accessions. The RAPD primers produced 115 bands with 88 (77%) polymorphic loci. The DNA classification between some of the accessions was similar to the phenotypic diversity. Information on phenotypic diversity and traits contributing to the diversity can be used deductively with genetic diversity to guide effective hybrid program.Keywords: Accession, genetic divergence, Mahanalobis, oligonucleotide, polymorphism, UPGM