Appraisal of Timber as Structural Members for Residential Buildings in Nigeria

Concrete and sand crate blocks are the most common construction materials adopted for residential buildings in Nigeria. They are used in the form of reinforced concrete frames and sand crate block walls. These heavy weight materials are mostly assembled on site by bricklayers or masons. The high demand for these construction materials and the intensive labour required for site placement have led to high cost of these materials and consequently to general high cost of construction in Nigeria. These facts contribute to making the access to good housing by common man very difficult. It therefore becomes very obvious that alternative means of construction should be explored and implemented in order for the average and below average Nigerian citizen to have a decent roof over their heads. Based on the rapid advances in the construction materials technology over the recent years, civil engineers have been enabled to produce new solutions of built structures to serve the common needs of society. In that line, this research work seeks to provide an alternative solution in timber as a load bearing member for affordable residential buildings in Nigeria. A case study of 5-bedroom duplex is presented. A concrete design with Orion R16 software and a manual timber design are produced for the building with the corresponding bill of quantities. The comparative studies show that the application of timber as a structural members will help to drive down the cost of residential buildings in Nigeria and make them affordable to common man

Applying the Strengths Perspective to Increase Safety and Weil-Being: Views from Families and Providers

Consensus about the value of the strengths perspective is developing among child welfare and family service practitioners. Yet, few first-hand reports are available from the perspectives of family members and interdisciplinary service providers about the principles most important for engaging and supporting family members to achieve needed outcomes. This paper briefly highlights principles most often cited as key to application of the strengths perspective and compares first-hand accounts from family members and service providers. These views were elicited through focus groups facilitated by a community-based family support program.Implications for strengths-based practice with families are discussed

Evaluating Religious Influences on the Utilization of Maternal Health Services among Muslim and Christian Women in North-Central Nigeria

Introduction. Uptake of antenatal services is low in Nigeria; however, indicators in the Christian-dominated South have been better than in the Muslim-dominated North. This study evaluated religious influences on utilization of general and HIV-related maternal health services among women in rural and periurban North-Central Nigeria. Materials and Methods. Targeted participants were HIV-positive, pregnant, or of reproductive age in the Federal Capital Territory and Nasarawa. Themes explored were utilization of facility-based services, provider gender preferences, and Mentor Mother acceptability. Thematic and content approaches were applied to manual data analysis. Results. Sixty-eight (68) women were recruited, 72% Christian and 28% Muslim. There were no significant religious influences identified among barriers to maternal service uptake. All participants stated preference for facilitybased services. Uptake limitations were mainly distance from clinic and socioeconomic dependence on male partners rather than religious restrictions. Neither Muslim nor Christian women had provider gender preferences; competence and positive attitude were more important. All women found Mentor Mothers highly acceptable. Conclusion. Barriers to uptake of maternal health services appear to be minimally influenced by religion. ANC/PMTCT uptake interventions should target male partner buy-in and support, healthcare provider training to improve attitudes, and Mentor Mother program strengthening and impact assessment