The Consequences of Open Innovation Model

This paper explores the concept of open innovation as a key driver for competitive advantage in  a volatile business environment.  It seeks to answer the question: Should companies embrace open innovation as a business model considering the wealth of opportunities that  it may enhance as evident in IBM, P &G, and Air Products case? Whilst this paper does not totally contend with the notion that, the involvement of other parties in developing new products and technologies (i.e. open innovation) can add value to companies, considering the fact that, an open  platform increases adaptability while providing numerous benefits to companies and also, to its customers, namely: Products and services better adjusted to the market; Flexible cost structures; Increased creativity and; Mitigation of business and financial risks. However, there could be instances when openness may turn from virtue to vice, common challenges in this instance are:  Protection of intellectual assets and intellectual property (IP); Structural challenges; Contractual complexities; Competitive implications etc. Thus, it will be crucial for companies to clearly understand the capabilities, skills and knowledge that make them unique in the market, so that they can clearly define what they need to outsource in their innovation processes. It is also important to ensure intellectual property rights and minimised knowledge lead risks through appropriate protection strategies. Keywords: Open Innovation, Closed Innovation, Technologies, Intellectual property right

Major Causes of Declining Quality of Education in Nigeria from Administrative Perspective: A Case Study of Dekina Local Government Area

This paper points out the fact that the problem of declining quality of education is mainly an administrative one. Administrative concepts of educational inspection and supervision used in the analysis of the major causes of declining quality of education in Nigeria: A Case study of Dekina Local Government Area clearly reveals this fact. Just as it is within the domain of the sector of educational inspection and school supervision to establish and maintain quality education in the country, so is it also that adequate educational inspection and school supervision will produce high quality education, while lack of it will produce declining quality education. In this case study, the assumed lack of adequate school inspection and supervision had its variable factors that directly or indirectly make for declining quality of education. These identified variables in the form of : lack of qualified teachers, students’/pupils’ attitude to study, library facilities, parental responsibilities, misplaced government priorities and corruption or lack of integrity among some educational stakeholders were x-rayed in both primary and secondary schools in Dekina Local Government Area. With the analysis of the primary data collected, the learners were able to confirm the existence to a high degree of the aforementioned variable factors that make for declining quality of education. The result of the research enabled the learners to provide the conclusions, recommendations and suggestions advanced for further studies. Keywords: Nigeria; Administration; Courses; Education; Inspection; SupervisionRésumé: Cette étude montre le fait que le problème de la dégradation de la qualité de l'éducation est essentiellement d'ordre administratif. Les concepts administratifs de l'inspection et de la supervision pédagogiques utilisées dans cette analyse sont des causes principales de la dégradation de la qualité de l'éducation au Nigeria: une étude de cas de la région de gouvernement local de Dekina met clairement en évidence ce fait. Comme il est dans le domaine du secteur de l'inspection pédagogique et de supervision scolaire pour établir et maintenir un enseignement de qualité dans le pays, ainsi l'inspection pédagogique et supervision scolaire adéquates produiront un enseignement de qualité, tandis que le manque de celles-ci produira une dégradation de la qualité de l'éducation. Dans cette étude de cas, le manque supposé de l'inspection et de supervision scolaire adéquates avait ses facteurs variables qui, directement ou indirectement, provoque une dégradation de la qualité de l'éducation. Ces variables identifiées dans la forme de: manque d'enseignants qualifiés, attitude des étudiants / des élèves vis-à-vis de l'étude, installations dans les bibliothèques, responsabilités parentales, priorités gouvernementales déplacées et corruption ou manque d'intégrité chez certains acteurs de l'éducation ont été examinées de près dans les écoles primaires et secondaires dans la région de gouvernement local de Dekina. Avec l'analyse des données primaires collectées, les apprenants ont été capable de confirmer l'existence d'un degré élevé de facteurs variables ci-dessus qui font la dégradation de la qualité de l'éducation. Le résultat de la recherche a permis aux apprenants de présenter des conclusions, des recommandations et des suggestions formulées pour poursuivre leurs études.Mots-Clés: Nigeria; administration; cours; éducation; inspection; supervisio

Effects of millet malt wort on brewer's yeast

The effect of Pearl Millet, Penniserum americanum (L), malt won obtained by modified infusion method of  mashmg was investigated on the brewers yeast, Saccharomyces uvarum, growth and fermentation  performance. Bud formation in the yeast was observed nine hows into the initiation of. the fermentation process which slowed down towards the termination of the fermentation period with cells looking elongated and with irregular buds. Yeast generation time was high .(32 to 40 hours) with low number of generation (5 to 8) and low growth rate 5.1 x 10-4 ). The percent acidity as acetic acid was low (50%) however, the won pH was satisfactory (3.8). Malting regime was found to have direct correlation with yeast viable counts as the won obtained from the 3 day regime malt gave the highest viable counts. Yeast viability was maintained for the three pitching cycles. Erythrodextrin and amylodextrin were largely the prcxlucts of the unconverted starch in the 3 - day and 2 - day regime wort - derived malt respectively. Yeast flocculence in the wort. Alcohol percent by volume obtained was 1ow ( 1.3 % V. V). This cereal appears inadequate for beer production due to the low extract content of the wort

Ethnic and Racial Disparities in Organizations

Ethnicity and race cannot be easily ignored whilst discussing issues that shape modern society. They are intimately linked that is impossible to write one adequately without discussing the other. This paper reviews selected theoretical perspectives on ethnicity and race. Consequences of ethnic and racial inequalities; most especially in the United States, and some cases ethnic inequalities in Nigeria were addressed. The paper concludes by stating that in order to minimize ethnic and racial discrimination, it is important to encourage and educate the people to embrace   diversity and multiculturalism, so that different ethnic and racial groups can create a unique opportunity for individuals to experience and discuss the aspects of racial/ethnic diversity in their lives.  Affirmative action should also be taken in order to address different races and ethic groups’ access to powers and privileges. Keywords: Ethnicity, Race, Discrimination, Organizations, Multiculturalism, Diversit

Rate of co-infection with malaria parasites and Salmonella typhi in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Background: Typhoid and malaria co-infection is a major public health problem in many developing countries. Most of the co-infections treated are based on methods of diagnosis plagued with assumptions which possibly exaggerate the situation. Thus the aim of this work was to investigate the rate of co-infection with respect to the use of Widal test and blood culture methods for diagnosing typhoid fever in Zaria, Nigeria. Method: A total of 218 blood samples were collected from patients with a clinical suspicion of malaria and typhoid fever and examined for malaria parasites and S. typhi infection. Results: Sixty samples were positive for malaria parasites, 22 of which were positive for typhoid by the Widal test and only one by the culture method. The rate of co-infection was significantly high when typhoid was diagnosed by Widal (10.1%) than by blood culture method (0.5%). A correlation analysis showed no specific relationship between malaria parasite load and the level of Salmonella antibody titres in malaria patients (r = 0.05 and 0.08 for somatic and flagella antigens of S. typhi respectively). Conclusion: The incidence of typhoid and malaria co-infection will greatly reduce if the diagnosis of typhoid fever in malaria endemic areas such as Zaria is bases on blood culture. Keywords: Malaria, typhoid fever, co-infection Annals of African Medicine Vol.2(2) 2003: 64-6

Assessment of Operational Efficiency Among Wholesalers and Retailers of Vegetables in Igalaland of Kogi State, Nigeria

Assessment of operational efficiency among wholesales and retailers is one of the many measures of market performance. The costs of operations are heightening by cost of transportation on the bad roads. Vegetables are perishable products and needs to be distributed as quickly as possible. The objective of the study is to assess the operational efficiency of vegetable distribution in Igala land of Kogi State. The wholesalers and retailers of vegetables from each of the three main markets of the commodity were randomly selected for the study. Analysis of data collected by use of questionnaire was accomplished through employing analytical models such as relative operational efficiency, operational efficiency coefficient, marketing margin and multiple regressions. Results showed that operational efficiency varied among the two classes of middlemen in the three markets and was significantly affected by experience, speed of distribution and total value of sales. Better results can be achieved if production and consumption are stimulated through efficient distribution system

Entrepreneurship and the Economic Problems in Nigeria: An Empirical Investigation

The study focused on the influence of entrepreneurship on unemployment and poverty rate in Nigeria. The study used survey research design, and equally gathered secondary data from both International Labour Organization and National Bureau of Statistics. The instrument used for gathering data was structured questionnaire. The study analyzed the data gathered through descriptive statistics, correlation and regression model. Finding shows inverse inter-operational behaviour between entrepreneurial practices and poverty level in Nigeria with significantly weak effect, and positive inter-operational behaviour between entrepreneurial practices and unemployment level in Nigeria with significantly weak effect. Finding further shows that four major factors (pull, passion to utilizing opportunity, knowledge-skill-ability and unemployment) are attributed to the weak entrepreneurial practices in Nigeria. The study concludes that though poverty level appears to be reducing at almost unnoticeable rate, unemployment level keeps increasing in a slow and steady rate alongside increase in entrepreneurial practice and engagement in Nigeria. This study therefore recommends that the four factors should be given solution attention as this will systematically affect the way entrepreneurship is practiced in Nigeria

Fungi and some mycotoxins contaminating rice (Oryza Sativa) in Niger State, Nigeria

Study on the fungi and some mycotoxins (Aflatoxin B1 - AFB1, ochratoxin A - OTA and zearalenone -ZEN) contaminating rice (Oryza sativa) in Niger State of Nigeria was carried out. One thousand and sixty two fungi were isolated and identified from one hundred and ninety six mouldy rice samples collected from the state. The major fungal genera contaminating rice were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium,Alternaria, Mucor, Rhizopus, Trichoderma, Curvularia,  elminthosporium and Cladosporium. The most prevalent fungal species on rice were .Penicillium spp., A. flavus, A. parasiticus, A. niger, Mucor spp.,Rhizopus spp. and Alternaria spp. The commonest fungal contaminants of the dry, harmattan; dry-hot and rainy seasons were A. niger, Penicillium spp. and A. flavus respectively. AFB1 was detected in 97 ofthe samples analyzed at concentrations between 20-1642 ug/kg. Fifty six of the one hundred and forty samples analyzed for OTA contained the toxin (24 – 1164 ug/kg). Zearalenone was found in ninety threeof the one hundred and ninety six mouldy rice samples analyzed at concentrations of between 24 and 1169 ug/kg. Twenty two samples were concurrently contaminated with the three toxins while sevenothers were found to contain both AFB1 and OTA. AFB1 and ZEN occurred together in twelve samples, and eight samples contained both OTA and ZEN

Mathematics in Home Economics Skills Acquisition for Socio-Economic Transformation in Nigeria: Implications for Extension Delivery.

Mathematics is said to be the life wire or mother of science and technology; and other disciplines. It contributes immensely in deciding directions of activities in all areas of human endeavours such as economy and training etc. At present, Nigeria is experiencing series of economic quagmire of which skills-oriented programme such as home economics skills acquisition could help tackle. On this premise, the paper focuses on the concepts of mathematics, skills acquisition in home economics, socio-economic transformation, philosophy and objectives of home economics as well as contributions of mathematics to the acquisition of some home economics skills. Implications for extension are also x-rayed. To realize the desired socio-economic transformation of the country, it has been suggested that both skilled and unskilled business operators in home economics should be assisted to enhance their production level to enable them employ other Nigerian citizens through a well-funded extension programme. Keywords: Mathematics, Home Economics, Skills, Transformation, Extension. DOI: 10.7176/MTM/9-8-04 Publication date: August 31st 2019