Reforms in the Nigerian Banking Sector and Strategies for Managing Human Resource Challenges

The banking sector anywhere in the world occupies a very strategic position in the nation’s economy. Hence, instability in the sector is capable of creating perennial crises not only for the economy, but also for the workers in the sector. In Nigeria, the banking reforms that commenced in the sector since 2004 till date has thrown a lot of disengaged workers into the over bloated and saturated labour market with vary consequences even for the surviving ones. This paper reviews critically the reforms in the sector and the attendant human resource challenges. It argues that surviving workers who are not very certain about their future career path in the sector are facing a number of challenges with may scuttle and undermine the entire reform process. Using Neo-liberalism and Weberian Social Action as a theoretical guide, the paper examined a number of strategies that may be adopted in the sector to manage the surviving workers so that human element which is a very critical aspect of the banking reforms in Nigeria will not be compromised. Keywords: Bank reforms, Human resource, Retrenchment, Neo-liberalism, Surviving worker

Determination of nitrate, nitrite, N- nitrosamines, cyanide and ascorbic acid contents of fruit juices marketed in Nigeria

The nitrate, nitrite, N- nitrosamines and ascorbic acid content as well as the levels of cyanide in eight brands of fruit juices and twelve brands of sachet water commonly marketed and consumed in Nigeria were estimated. The mean values of nitrate ranged from 2.29±0.05 to 16.50±1.21 mg/L for the juices and0.64±0.21 to 7.56±3.10 mg/L for sachet water. While the mean concentration of nitrite ranged from 6.84±0.47 to 12.03±1.07 and 0.12±0.02 to 4.42±0.33 mg/L for juices and sachet water, respectively. Four out of the eight brands of juices analyzed contained detectable levels of nitrosamines (2.75±0.47 to45.70±3.07 ìg/L) while none of the samples contained any detectable amount of cyanide. Ascorbic acid concentrations of the samples varied from 100 to 400 mg/L. The results are discussed from nutritional and toxicological points of view

Peptic ulcer disease drugs usage patterns and its economic burden in a tertiary health institution in Niger Delta, Nigeria

Background: Drug utilization evaluation for peptic ulcer disease and its cost  implication are rare in Niger Delta. The objective of the study was to evaluate drug usage pattern in peptic ulcer diseases as well as its cost implications.Methods: The cross sectional drug use evaluation study involving the use of  questionnaire and patient case notes was carried out in a tertiary health institution. The validated pretested questionnaire was interviewer administered to 300 patients sampled consecutively followed by a retrospective review of their respective case notes between April to November 2013. Information collected include risk factors, prescribed drugs, Helicobacter pylori assay test results among others. Cost of each drug and therapy were then computed appropriately. Data was analyzed using  Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20, Microsoft Excel and Graph Pad Prism for windows Instat Version 3.Results: Out of the 300 patients, H. pylori test was conducted in 262 (87.3%) while the presence or absence of the organisms could not be confirmed in the remaining  38 subjects. Out of the 262 patients with H. pylori test results, only 166  representing 63.4% were positive. History of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) usage was very high among the subjects (250; 83.3%) and highest for ibuprofen 146 (48.7%). The most prescribed drugs were antacids (268; 89.3%), amoxicillin (165; 55.0%), and a combined formulation of omeprazole, tinidazole, and clarithromycin in 140 (46.7%) subjects, followed by omeprazole alone (125; 41.7%).The national direct cost implication for the estimated 17.6 million is in the range of NGN186,849,000,000.00 ($958,200,000.00), out which  NGN109,867,000,000.00 ($563,420,513.00) was for PUD drugs (50.9%) and NGN32,698,575,000.00 ($167,685,000.00) for H. pylori tests (17.5$303,749,400.00) was for non-ulcer drugs, personnel and transportation.Conclusion: The pattern of drugs usage is consistent with standard treatment  guidelines. Peptic ulcer drugs for the 300 subjects constituted NGN1,618,641  ($8300.72) which represents 73.0$1.04 billion). Updated  information on drug usage and their costs is needed for improved usage and system efficiency.Keywords: Peptic ulcer, H. pylori, Cost of illness, Pharmacoeconomic

The Interactive Effect of Organizational Politics in the Justice, Organizational Support and Job Satisfaction Relationships

The study of the antecedents of job satisfaction (JS) is important because of the strategic role JS plays in organizational productivity. Three pervasive perceptions of work environment, ganizational politics(OP), organizational support (POS) and justice (PJC) predict JS and affect individual’s decision in an exchange process. Joint effects of these variables have been theorized, but never tested. This study tested the interactive role of OP when POS, PJC and JS are contained in the same model. The study utilized 400 participants drawn from organizations in Nigeria. The results of the hierarchical multiple regression analyses, indicate that PJC and POS have direct effects on JS, while OP interacts with PJC to predict JS. The study highlights the importance of including OP, POS, and the PJC in JS model

The Gamma-Rayleigh Distribution and Applications to Survival Data

Studies on probability distribution functions and their properties are needful as they are very important in modeling random phenomena. However, research has shown that some real life data can be modeled more adequately by distributions obtained as combination of two random variables with known probability distributions. This paper introduces the Gamma-Rayleigh distribution (GRD) as a new member of the Gamma-X family of generalized distributions. The Transformed-Transformer method is used to combine the Gamma and Rayleigh distributions. Various properties of the resulting twoparameter Gamma-Rayleigh distribution, including moments, moment generating function, survival function and hazard function are derived. Results of simulation study reveals that the distribution is unimodal, skewed and normal-type for some values of the shape parameter. The distribution is also found to relate with the Gamma, Rayleigh and Generalized-Gamma distributions. The method of maximum likelihood has been used to estimate the shape and scale parameters of the distribution. To illustrate its adequacy in modelling real life data the distribution is fitted to two survival data sets. The results show that the distribution produced fits that are competitive and compared better, in some cases, to the Gamma, Rayleigh, Weibull and Lognormal distributions.Keywords: Gamma-X family, Gamma-Rayleigh distribution, Maximum Likelihood estimators, Survival data

The Diseconomies of Oil Spill in Niger Delta of Nigeria

Oil is the highest contributor to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. However the attendant pollution of the environment and the subsequent erosion of the means of livelihood of oil producing communities are anti sustainable development. This paper examines the problems of oil spillage, its implication for ecosystem, and calls for the design of appropriate policies to sustain environmental protection and the economic growth and development of oil producing communities

Empirical Study of the Use of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Among Bank Customers in Ibadan Metropolis, South Western Nigeria

Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is perceived to offer considerable benefits and challenges both to the banks and their customers, yet these are rarely empirically investigated. The study was conducted in purposively selected eight ATM location points of four banks in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. The sample size was made up purposively selected one hundred and eight-two (182) and another twelve (12) respondents for survey and in-depth interviews respectively. Data were collected and analyzed through quantitative and qualitative methods. Results showed that most respondents were utilizing the machine for various purposes. Also, respondents mentioned convenience, quick funds transfer, and time saving as the real benefits of the machine. Some respondents mentioned fear of armed robbery attack, technical hitches, invalid debit and perennial network failure as the challenges of utilizing the machine. On the whole, most respondents (67.0%) evaluated the machine as having benefited them more than it had cost them. The bivariate analysis showed that more female bank customers (?2=6.469; p<0.05); more relatively younger customers (?2=66.846; p<0.05); more customers with relatively higher level of education (?2=26.892; p<0.05) and more student customers (?2=61.196; p<0.05) agreed the machine had benefited them more than other groups. Qualitative data also confirmed the various benefits and challenges of the machine to the customers. Using the modernisation and rational choice theories, the study argued that ATM is a modern technology which some bank customers were selectively adopting based their real subjective and objective experiences. The study concludes that for the benefits of ATM to be consolidated and to gain wider acceptance among bank customers, the challenges inherent in the machine should be addressed. Keywords: ATM, bank customers, benefits & challenges, modernisation, rational choic

Models for predicting compressive strength and water absorption of laterite-quarry dust cement block using mixture experiment

The use of laterite, quarry dust and recycle aggregates etc as replacement for sand in sandcrete block production is common trend in developing countries like Nigeria. Most resources and research efforts are committed towards conducting trial test with a view to coming up with mix production that will yield the desired property. This work presents a mathematical model for predicting the compressive strength and water absorption of laterite-quarry dust cement block using augmented Scheffe's simplex lattice design. The statistical models developed can predict the mix proportion that will yield the desired property. The models were tested for lack of fit and found to be adequate.Keywords: compressive strength, laterite, mixture experiment, quarry dust, water absorptio

Geohelminth infections in egg laying domestic fowls and associated financial losses in poultry production

Domestic fowls especially egg layers (of the genus Gallus gallus domesticus: Galliformis) in different poultry farms in Rivers State of Nigeria were observed to either die in their numbers or perform poorly. On post mortem examinations of 500 birds carcasses which were routinely carried out over a period of 6 months, it was observed tha tmany of them had parasitic helminthes in their gastro intestinal tracts.These were majorly responsible for much of the mortality and low productivity in the birds.Two hundred and seven(207 ie 41.4%) of them were found with helminthes in their gastro-intestinal tracts. These included several species of stomach and intestinal worms such as Ascariidia galli(50.2%),Taeniasp.(40.6%), Heterakis gallinaerium(4.3%),Capillaria retunsa(2.9%)and Tetramere americana(1.9%).Two of the helminthic species-Taenia sp. and Ascariidia sp. were found to cause more severe damage to the layers especially in terms of mortality and loss of eggs. The economic implications(costs of prophylaxis and other therapeutic measures for prevention and/or removal of the helminthes in these poultry farms) of this level of infestation and their adverse effects on profitable commercial poultry-production was analyzed.  The financial losses associated with the loss of the birds and their products were considered. This was observed and reported to be in millions of naira. Keywords: Domestic fowl, Egg layers, Financial loss, helminthosis.

An Analysis of the Policy Framework on Electricity in South Africa: A Public Interest Approach

The policy framework on electricity in South Africa includes government’s intention to provide quality and affordable electricity to the people. This article focuses on the issues that affect electrification and their impact towards the goal of achieving universal access to quality and affordable electricity in the country from a policy perspective. The provision of electricity to the poor and previously disadvantaged communities is a matter of social welfare in the country. Hence, the electricity-related policy issues are examined in the context of public interest. In South Africa the identification of limited availability of electricity as a public problem by the post 1994 ANC government has led to an integrated policy framework which focuses on balancing economic concerns with social and environmental considerations. The methodological approach allows for an in depth textual study on the post 1994 electricity policy documents and the examination of issues relating to the provision of quality and affordable electricity to the people, especially the previously disadvantaged South Africans. The article posits that good governance has enabled for the identification of issues relating to sustainable public interests. These public interests include social equity, poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability and government also using public sector agencies to play key roles in service delivery. Through this article, the author intends to make a contribution towards the body of knowledge pertaining to the niche areas of poverty alleviation and socio-economic development in the discipline of public administration.Key words: Electricity, universal access, reconstruction and development, social equit