Establishment of Criteria for Standardized Land Valuation Mechanism within the Context of Land Titling and Registration in Nigeria

The topic envisages a discussion on the establishment of criteria for standardized land valuation mechanism within the context of land titling and registration in Nigeria in furtherance of the implementation of the land reform agenda of the Federal government. The imperative to reform the existing land policy in Nigeria presupposes that a more functional, dynamic, development friendly and user/owner security conscious land policy should be articulated. Generally, land valuation mechanism is dynamic and evolves to suit the peculiar motive, time and system in place in a particular society. It is necessary, therefore that methods put in place are such that would ensure success and efficiency in achieving the set objective. It is only through the continuous monitoring and assessment of any existing principle can the long-term favorable strategies be achieved. The work attempts to analyse the different approaches and recommends the most appropriate mechanism towards achieving the set objectives. Keywords: Criteria, Standardized, Land Valuation, Mechanism, Land Titling, Land Registratio

An Examination of Impact of Tertiary Healthcare Facility Design on User Needs and Satisfaction In South East Nigeria

The work appraises  the state of tertiary healthcare facility design as they relate to user needs and satisfaction in South East Nigeria. Research has shown that tertiary healthcare facility designs impact on user needs and satisfaction. In the corporate workplace a poorly designed environment may cause dissatisfaction,  poor performance, ineffective communication or contribute to relatively minor health problems. Unlike in a healthcare setting where the consequences of faulty designs can be far more serious, including death.  Facility evaluations are often neglected at the design of healthcare institutions.  Meeting user needs determines the degree to which facility contributes to the success of an organisation. With increased sophistication in development and user requirements, there is need for tertiary healthcare facility managers to take proactive part in the design process.  Proactive facility designs require that user needs and expectations are considered and measures aimed at  accomplishing them put in place.  This can be done by communicating vital information to the design team and others working towards the effectiveness of the organisation.  The fact that facility designs affect an organisations effectiveness and employee performance, makes it mandatory to evaluate them regularly.  The consequences of faulty designs especially in healthcare institutions where human lives are at stake should be addressed. Keywords: Evaluation, Facility Design, Tertiary Healthcare, User needs and satisfaction

Assessing Effectiveness of Forest Resource Management Approaches in Niger Delta: Comparative Analysis of Mbe Mountains and Cr National Park

For years now the forest contents of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria have been seriously exploited to the penury of the world. Local public bodies and international Non-governmental (NGOs) conservative organizations have adopted several management strategies to achieve sustainability in managing these forest resources to little or no avail. This study is undertaken to assess and compare effective management approaches of two protected areas (PAs) in Cross River state to discover which one is more sustainably managed and the reasons. The publicly-owned and managed Oban Hills and community-owned and managed Mbe Mts. were chosen for study using survey approach. Structured questionnaires were distributed, retrieved and analyzed using simple frequency tables. It was discovered that the community-based managed Mbe Mts. was more sustainably managed than the public-owned and managed Oban Hills. The study recommends that for any PA to be managed sustainably, the indigenous people must be involved in all spheres of its management. Key words: Sustainable management, endemic species, biodiversity, forest resources, indigenous people, Protected Areas (PAs

Prepaid meter tariffing for actual power consumption in an average house hold: A case study of Nigeria DISCOs

Prepaid meters have many applications in generation, transmission and distribution of electric power in Nigeria, this makes their actual power measurement to be an important issue. In this work, actual power consumption of each load was determined and was used to study the time each load will use to consume 30.8 EEDC units when it is constantly connected to power supply. The analytical method was used to investigate the collected date for different appliance consumption rate with respect to time. This experiment was conducted in Achara Layout of Enugu South Local Government Area, Enugu state. Each of the load was subjected to test to determine the current and voltages across them. The actual power consumption of each load was calculated. The time for each actual power to completely consume 30.8 units was calculated. The corresponding amount in naira per day of the actual consumption of each load was calculated. The results show that, phone and lighting points will take longer time (18421.05 and 5589.8 hours) to drain the 30.8 units; while electrical pressing iron will take 8.95hours to drain the 30.8 units. It is also seen that lighting points and phones have the least and highest consumption cost per day. By optimal combination of these loads, it will make economic sense for the subscribers of prepaid meter, and hence reduce the phobia faced by the subscribers (if not total elimination).Keywords: Actual Power, Economic Sense, Prepaid meter, Nigeria DISCOs, Tariff

Obstetric outcome of teenage pregnancies at a tertiary hospital in Enugu, Nigeria

Context: Maternal age, parity, and socioeconomic class are important determinants of obstetric outcome of pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy constitutes a high risk pregnancy with complications arising from a combination of physiological, anatomical, and socioeconomic factors.Objective: The objective was to determine the current incidence of all teenage pregnancies and their obstetric outcomes at UNTH, Enugu.Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective review of all teenage pregnancies at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu over a 6-year period (2000--2005). A total of 74 teenage pregnancies were analyzed and compared with 105 controls (adult mothers).Results: Records of 74 teenage pregnancies were identified within the study period which constitutes 1.67% of 4422 deliveries within the period. Majority of the teenagers (78.3%) were nulliparous. There was statistically significant differences between the teenage mothers and older mothers in the rate of unemployment (75.7% vs. 24.8%, P = 0.000), booking status (41.9% vs. 100%, P = 0.000) anemia (32.4% vs. 24.8%, P = 0.001), unsure of last menstrual period (32.4% vs. 15.2%, P = 0.007), caesarean section (18.9% vs. 10.5%, P = 0.000), cephalopelvic disproportion as an indication for caesarean section (9.4% vs. 3.8%, P = 0.001), preterm delivery (18.9% vs. 11.4%, P = 0.001), low birth weight (23.0% vs. 10.5%, P = 0.005), episiotomy (61.7% vs. 28.7%, P = 0.001), instrumental delivery (6.8% vs. 2.9% P = 0.001), Apgar score at 1 minute (35.1% vs. 19.1% P = 0.005), and perinatal mortality (16.2% vs. 12.4%). There were no maternal deaths.Conclusion: Pregnant teenagers are at higher risk than their older counterparts. Female socioeducational development and proper use of contraceptive services will help reduce teenage pregnancy rate, while perinatal care will help to minimize it associated hazards

Fatal Heat Stroke in Vehicle Entrapped Siblings

Background: Vehicle entrapment is a recognized risk factor for paediatrics morbidity and mortality. The dominant concern about entrapment is heat stroke (extreme form of hyperthermia), though it often occurs in combination with other factors like asphyxiation and dehydrationObjective: To report a case of three children with heat stroke following entrapment in a car.Method: A case report of 3 children with heat stroke following entrapment managed at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi.Result: One child died before presentation, one died on admission and the third recovered.Conclusion: Vehicle entrapment poses a significant threat to childhood morbidity and mortality and the risk factors are embedded within the seemingly innocuous routines of daily family living. It is extremely invaluable that every means of public enlightenment is deployed to get the ignorant and unsuspecting public aware of this danger.Keywords: Fatal heat stroke, vehicle, entrapped siblings

The Dynamics of Land Ownership by Deities in Anambra State Nigeria.

Anambra State is one of the five Igbo-speaking States that make up South Eastern Nigeria. Among the Igbos of South Eastern Nigeria, land is believed to be owned by both natural and supernatural persons (deities). Ownership of land by the deities in Igboland is as old as the communities themselves. These lands owned by deities include ‘Ajo-ofias’ meaning ‘evil forests’, ‘okwu muo’, or ‘sacred groves’, ‘ana nso’ or sacred land. People who died of dreaded illnesses or who committed grievous ‘offences’ or ‘nso ani’ were deposited in the evil forests. Ownership of an evil forest by any deity arose where someone who committed an offence against the deity died from retribution and the corpse deposited on the deity land thereby converting the land into an Ajo Ofia or an Evil forest. Okwu Muo or Sacred Groves are the earthly abode of the guarding spirits in Igbo land while Ana Nso or Sacred land are such lands where mystical and miraculous events took place in the past. Most Igbo villages had Deity lands. A critical look at the villages in recent times revealed that most of these lands owned by deities are disappearing at an alarming rate while some still remaining exhibit serious human incursions. This paper therefore explored the dynamics of land ownership by deities in Anambra State of Nigeria and concludes that, at the rate the deity lands are disappearing, in the next few decades, all such lands would have disappeared with serious implications on land ownership by deities. Keywords: Dynamics, Land Ownership, Deities, South Eastern Nigeria

Sustainable Socio-Economic Development In Nigeria: A Case For Road Infrastructure Maintenance

Roads are among the vital assets of any nation. Apart from carrying people, vehicles and goods, roads also provide avenues for such service apparatuses as water, electricity, sewerages, etc. thereby serving as a veritable tool for socio-economic development. A close look at the Nigerian road network reveals the enormous infrastructural systems problems. These problems, in the main, are more maintenance related. Since the provision of roads is cost intensive, one would have expected appropriate maintenance to safeguard them from total deterioration which ultimately leads to eventual rehabilitation or reconstruction with its cost implications. Regrettably, this is not so in the country for no sooner these road infrastructure are commissioned than they are abandoned to dilapidate. Roads, like any other development assets function maximally over the whole period of their economic life when regular maintenance is applied. This paper therefore examined the road maintenance situation in Nigeria and concluded that there is virtually no noticeable road maintenance culture in the country. It therefore proffers pro-active road maintenance strategies for sustainable socio-economic development and good governance. Keywords: Infrastructure, Road Maintenance, Sustainability and Economic Development

Determinants of Informal Land Transactions on Land Market in Owerri Urban, Imo State, Nigeria

In Owerri, Imo State, just like other major towns in Nigeria, it has been observed that the government’s land administration technique currently in use (the Land Use Act of 1978) has not been able to meet the demand for urban land when and where needed for its population especially the low, the middle and even some high income earners. This has led to frustration and disappointments to majority of the urban dwellers thereby compelling those who are not able to access land from this formal system to look for an affordable alternative source of land acquisition for their use. This they find in the informal land market (private land market transactions). The situation has made informal land market become a much more patronized avenue of land acquisition by a large proportion of most urban dwellers in Imo State. The aim of this study therefore was to analyse the factors that push for informal land transactions on land market in Owerri urban, Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research. Stratified, systematic and simple random sampling techniques were used to elicit data from three classes of respondents. Six settlements were selected for the study through stratified random sampling method and three key sets of respondents were identified from the six settlements namely; the land owners, the land agents and the land administrators.  The study concentrated on communities in the high and medium residential density areas of Owerri urban. These were areas where informal land transactions thrive. Principal Component analysis was used to identify and classified four factors that caused the predominance of informal land acquisition in Owerri Urban. These four components accounted for 79.75% of the observed variability. The clustered factors are: promptness in processing, low cost in processing, land accessibility and acceptability of title documents. The policy implications of the study was include that the government should harmonize the land market for better land transactions and local land registration and information offices be established at the local government levels. Keywords: Informal Land Markets, Formal Land Markets, Urban

Customer satisfaction amongst users of estate surveying and valuation professional services: does firm size matter?

Customer satisfaction and service quality are crucial factors in real estate professional service delivery. Firm size, amongst other factors, influences firms' service quality and hence its customers' satisfaction levels. This study investigated the influence of firm size on customer satisfaction levels of users of professional services provided by Estate Surveying and Valuation firms in the areas of property valuation and property management. Forty study participants comprising 20 respondents in each professional service area were drawn from users of property valuation and management services in Enugu urban. An adaptation of the SERVQUAL questionnaire was used to assess respondents' satisfaction levels in both service areas and ANOVA adopted to establish the influence of firm size on customer satisfaction. Findings revealed that mean satisfaction scores were higher for valuation services than for property management. Although firm size had no influence on respondents' satisfaction with valuation services, it had a significant influence on customer satisfaction with property management services evidenced by higher customer satisfaction levels from customers of smaller firms. Consequently, the creation of customer feedback systems within firms, especially the larger ones, and timely response to issues raised through such systems is recommended as an imperative for improved customer-oriented property management service delivery.Keywords: customer, firm size, satisfactio