Assessment of some locally developed technologies for shortening the retting time of cassava

The need to shorten the time taken for cassava tuber to ret has arisen because of increased demand for processed cassava products occasioned by population growth in developing countries. Locally developed technologies aimed at this objective which involved the addition of chemical substances to steep water were assessed to determine their efficacy. Retting time measured in hours was determined during 25 retting trials using separately in each set, a control and 0.5 ml kerosene/L, 1 g trona/L and 10 g nails/L of steep water. The results reveal that addition of chemicals to various extents influenced growth of microbes and production of organic acids during cassava retting. Trona inhibited detoxification of cyanogenic glycosides while kerosene and nails did not. Statistical analysis of retting time data showed that nails were efficacious in shortening retting time but that kerosene and trona were not. The mechanism of action of nails probably involved enhancement of growth and enzyme activity of microbes involved in production of macerating enzymes responsible for softening of tubers during retting. A better understanding of this process will be useful in developing safer and efficacious chemicals for shortening the retting time of cassav

Evaluation of Curing Effects on Cold In-Place Recycled (CIR) Materials

Most cold In-place recycled (CIR) construction use asphalt emulsion or foamed asphalt with or without active fillers as a stabilizing agent. To ensure the CIR layer gains appreciable stiffness and strength to support traffic, the stabilizing agents have to undergo curing (to gradually develop strength). If traffic is allowed on the CIR layer before sufficient strength and structural capacity is gained, premature damage will occur. Lack of a fast and reliable procedure to determine the extent of in-situ curing significantly increases the risk of such damage. Present construction specifications rely on empirically based time recommendations to ensure sufficient curing. Current empirical time estimates do not account for material variations, climatic inputs and construction process differences. This research used a combination of in-situ testing of actual CIR construction projects and supplementary laboratory tests to develop a model for pavement engineers and practitioners to reliably predict the recommended time (as a function of mechanical property) for allowing traffic and/or placing of overlay on CIR layers. The prediction model incorporates the critical factors that influence curing in CIR including stabilizer type and amount, stabilizer type and amount, initial moisture content, in-situ density, curing temperature and relative humidity. Rigorous regression analysis and machine learning approaches were employed to develop the model, which was further converted into a user-interactive web-based tool (available at: https://annits-predictor.netlify.app/)

Potential of Rice Husk and Cassava Peel as Carriers for Bio-fertilizer Production

The quality of carrier is a vital factor in determining microbial load and shelf life of biofertilizers. Rice husk and cassava peels are abundant and practically of no economic value in many developing countries and thus satisfy two important requirements of biofertilizer-carrier materials. This study evaluated other properties necessary to confirm their suitability for this purpose. Low moisture content and bulk density, high porosity and good water absorption capacity of both materials suggest adequate environmental conditions within them for the growth and survival of inoculant organisms. Both carrier materials supported the growth of the test organism, thus suggesting the presence of nutrients and absence of toxicity. Rice husk showed potential for good shelf life. Promotion of plant growth (p ≤ 0.5) by test organism was not diminished after six weeks of immobilization in this carrier.Keywords: Biofertilizer carriers; cassava peel; rice huskNig J. Biotech. Vol. 23 (2011) 1-

The Role of Entrepreneurship in Economic Development: The Nigerian Perspective

The aim of the paper is to develop and analyse the contributions of entrepreneurship in the economic development through SME development in Nigeria. A total of 100 SMEs were randomly selected from a cross section of a population of all SMEs spread around some states of Nigeria and covering virtually all forms of enterprise. Participants were selected through a simple random sampling. The responses to the questionnaires were complemented with personal interviews of some SMEs operators. The responses of the participants were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), which generated the frequency distributions, means, standard deviations, chi-square statistics, analyses of variance, etc of the responses. The hypotheses of this research which were tested at 0.05 level of significance using chi-square statistics hinged on identifying the greatest problem which SMEs face in Nigeria, the identification and ranking of the top ten problems or challenges of SMEs in Nigeria and the relationship between the form and nature of the business enterprise and its sources of funding for its operations. The major findings of this study include the following: SMEs have played and continue to play significant roles in the growth, development and industrialization of many economies the world over. In the case of Nigeria, SMEs have performed below expectation due to a combination of problems which ranges from attitude and habits of SMEs themselves through environmental related factors, instability of governments and frequent government policy changes etc. Promoters of SMEs should thus ensure the availability or possession of managerial capacity and acumen before pursuing financial resources for the development of the respective enterprise. Keywords: key words Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Economic developmen

Application of Probability Theory in Small Business Management in Nigeria

The paper is on the application of probability theory in small business firms in Nigeria. It looks at the rate small business firms fail despite the programmes of government directed at their survival. The continued failure has resulted in a wide gap between the haves and the have-nots. The application of probability theory in small business is examined to find the implications and in restoring the gap between the rich and the poor through better and informed decisions. The survey design was adopted in the study.  The instruments for gathering data for the study were mail questionnaire and interview guide. The population of the study was 1625 small firms in Enugu State, South East Nigeria. A sample size of 345 small firms was considered adequate for the study.  The findings indicate that probability theory has wide application in small business firms; probability shows specificity in business situations and is inevitable in this era of information overload caused by ICT. It is recommended that small business firms especially those in the fashion industry should learn and apply probability theory since there line of business was more prone to chance occurrences. Keywords: Probability Theory, ICT, Specificity

Satire as Tool of Political Cartoons in the Nigerian National Dailies: A Critical Discourse Analysis

This work is an analysis of the use of satire as a form of imagery to depict some political issues in cartoons as featured in the Nigerian national dailies. Survey method of research design was adopted as a means of sampling copies of national dailies from which political cartoons were selected, while Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was adopted for the analysis of data gathered. Findings reveal images of corruption, official responsibility, political failure and brutality/cruelty/suffering as the dominant concerns of the cartoons featured by the papers. While the corrupt postures of those who have links with the past government are dominant in the image of corruption portrayed, both those in and out of government are subjected to some satiric expose in respect of official responsibility, failure in politics and brutality/cruelty/suffering. At the end, it is recommended, among others, that more searchlight should be focused on the corrupt tendency of those still in power, and that more research efforts be devoted to the use of political cartoons to encourage citizen participation in national discourse

Evaluating the Challenges of Human Resource Management in Nigeria

The study is on Evaluating the Challenges of Human Resources Management in Nigeria. The human resource is the most important resource of any organization and any effort sparred in motivating the workforce will pay off.  In this era of globalization, organizations are not only paying for their inefficiencies, they are also paying for the global inefficiency, and environmental degradation.  There is a wide gap between the manager of human resource in manufacturing firms in Nigeria and the human resource. The paper examines challenges posed by individuals, governments and unions on human resource management in Nigeria.  It is found among other things that there are challenges of human resource management in Nigeria which include: workplace diversity, incursion of religious and ethnic groups and changing mix, demand and values of workforce. It is concluded that the human resource management has involved into an open complex social system. It is recommended that an EIS should be in place to ensure online information flow and that external interference in the recruitment and promotion of human resource should be minimized to avoid making the human resource manager a rubber-stamp. Keywords: Workplace Diversity, Complex Social System, EIS, Globalization, Ethnic Group

The Effect of Alcohol Intoxications on Hematological Parameters of Adult Albino Wistar Rats

Due to the accessibility of alcohol, people around the world become readily intoxicated with it and in turn, it produces protease devastating effects in the human system. This study investigates the hematological effects of alcohol in albino rats grouped into three (A, B and C). Group A and B served as test while C served as control. For 14 days, 3ml/kg and 9 ml/kg of alcohol was administered to group A and B respectively. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected from the rats, and the changes in PCV, RBC, Hb, platelets, WBC, and differential counts, were accessed. The results showed no significant (P >0.05) increase in Hb, RBC count, WBC count, but a significant decrease (P <0.05) in platelet count of group B rats. Similarly, there was no significant increase in Hb, but a significant increase in PCV (P<0.05) of group A rats when compared with the control. The results suggest therefore, that chronic ingestion of alcohol in a dose dependent fashion, can induce hematoxicity and hence the need to curb excessive consumption of alcohol.Keywords: Haematology, Bone marrow, Alcohol, Platelet

Role of Trade Associations: How Does It Affect Entrepreneurial Framework Conditions in Nigeria’S Transport Industry?

The objective of this paper is to determine the extent to which the role of trade associations  influence the development of entrepreneurial frame work conditions in Nigeria’s transport industry. To do this, survey research method was adopted for the study and questionnaire was used as data collection instrument. A random of one hundred and forty four (144) trade associations in Nigeria’s transport industry were selected for the study out of a population of two hundred and twenty four (244) trade associations  with  eight  hundred  and  seventy three (873) respondents . For completeness, a sample of six hundred and fifty seven (657) respondents from related organizations were included in the study. A total of one thousand, three hundred and seventy seven (1377) copies of questionnaire were administered to the respondents. The data collected were measured in a 5-point Likert scale with a Hypothesized mean of 3.00.  Hypothesis was tested with the aid of two sample Z test at 0.05 level of significance. The data analysis showed that mean scores for the effect of pro-competitive and anti-competitive role of trade associations on the development of entrepreneurial frame work conditions in Nigeria’s transport industry are 1.8796 and 4.5157 respectively. The z-calculated value for differences in the two mean scores was 167.1661 with significance (one tail) probability of < 0.0001which is less than 0.05. Thus the test was significant at 5% level of significance (p < 0.05). Consequently we conclude that the effect of anti-competitive roles is significantly higher than that of precompetitive role of trade associations on the development of entrepreneurial framework conditions in Nigeria’s transport industry. In this light, it was recommended that government measures should aim at simultaneously inhibiting the growth of anti-competitive role while  promoting pro competitive role among the trade associations in Nigerian Transport Industry. Key words: Trade Associations, Nigeria, Transport, Entrepreneurial framework conditions