BUSINESS INNOVATION AND FIRMS COMPETITIVENESS IN NIGERIA

This study examines the extent to which business innovation would influence firm’s competitiveness in Nigeria. The study covered South South geopolitical zone in Nigeria and 5 responds from 20 SMEs were randomly selected from Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Cross River states respectively making the sample 100 respondents. Face and content validity were used in ascertaining the validity of the research instrument while Cronbach alpha was used to determine the reliability and a result of 0.7 and above was achieved for each of the constructs. Multiple regression was used in testing the null hypotheses and from our findings, both process innovation and administrative had significant effect on firms’ competitiveness. Furthermore, administrative innovation had a stronger effect. The study further recommends that entrepreneurs should ensure they venture into areas where they have passion rather than just going in for the profit. It was also recommended that government create a conducive environment for SMEs to thrive. JEL: L20; M10; M20 Article visualizations

Effects of Mineral and Organo-mineral Fertilization on Sweet Potato (Ipomea batata {L} Lam) in Makurdi, Benue State, Southern Guinea Savanna Nigeria

A Research was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the University of Agriculture Makurdi Benue State located between 7045’N and 8037’E during 2019 cropping season to evaluate the effect of mineral and Organo-mineral fertilization on growth and yield of sweet potato (Ipomea batata {L} Lam). The fertilizer sources used as treatments were: NPK20:10:10 (100, 200 and 300 kg/ha), Poultry manure (2, 5 and 8t/ha), Fertiplus (2, 5 and 8t/ha) and control. The treatments were laid out in a Randomized Complete block Design (RCBD) and replicated three times. Vines of sweet potato was sourced from National Root Crops Research Institute Umudike, cut into 25 cm long and planted at a spacing of 0.3 m (100 cm x 30 cm) inter-row and intra-row respectively which gave a plant population of 33,333 plants per hectare. The growth parameters of sweet potato were significantly increased (vine length, plant girth, number of leaves, leaf width) over the control. The longest vine length (153.30 cm) at 12 WAP was obtained from poultry NPK 300 kg/ha and the least from the control (11.80 cm) at 4 WAP. The longest leaf length (12.27 cm) was obtained from Fertiplus 8t/ha at 12 WAP and the least (6.00 cm) from the control at 4 WAP. The broadest leaf width (10.80 cm) was obtained from poultry 8t/ha at 6 WAP and the least (5.27 cm) from the control at WAP. The highest yield (48.67) in terms of number of marketable roots was obtained from poultry 5t/ha and the least (18.67) from the control. The highest weight of marketable root 18.70 t/ha was obtained from poultry manure 5t/ha and the least 2.97 t/ha from the control. Application of 5t/ha of poultry manure is recommended for soil fertility improvement and root yield of sweet potato in the study area. Keywords: Organo-mineral, Fertilization, Sweet Potato, Southern Guinea Savanna DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/11-12-02 Publication date:June 30th 202

Implication of workplace sexual harassment of the working women in Nigeria

Worldly, sexual harassment (SH) in the workplace has long been an issue of concern and a major challenge to most organisations. SH is a persistent unwelcome sexual behaviour or advance directed to the workers including job seekers, at workplace by either their colleagues, superiors, supervisors, employers, among others, that may potentially hamper or compromise the capacities to work or actively participate in the organisational activities. It is with no doubt that such a sexual relationship is degrading and influenced by male in position of authority, taking advantage of the female workers. The theoretical framework for the paper is Robert K. Merton‘s Perspective of Functionalism which assumes that the inability of the organisational structures including the employers, supervisors, managers, and other workers, to harmoniously function creates sexual harassment; a dysfunction to organisational goals. The issue has seriously affected the contribution of working women in the workplace. The paper concludes that when women are faced with SH in the workplace, the consequences are felt on their social and psychological wellbeing and the level of productivity both within and outside the organizational settings. Additionally, SH in the workplace threatens women‘s job security, their earning potentials and productive capacity, thereby exposing them to weak morale and unhealthy organizational atmosphere. It is recommended that the harassed workers boldly speak out, organize support networks and take effective action against SH. Keywords: Sexual harassment, Workplace, Women, Implication, Individuals, Organisation, Working wome

Uncontrolled hypertension among patients with comorbidities in sub-Saharan Africa : protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Uncontrolled hypertension is the most important risk factor and leading cause of cardiovascular diseases. It is predicted that the number of people with hypertension will increase, and a large proportion of this increase will occur in developing countries. The highest prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension is reported in sub-Saharan Africa, and treatment for hypertension is unacceptably low. Hypertension commonly co-exists with comorbidities and this is associated with poorer health outcomes for patients. This review aims to estimate the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension among patients with comorbidities in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods and analysis All published and unpublished studies on the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension among patients with comorbidities in sub-Saharan Africa will be included. MEDLINE via OVID, Embase, and Web of Science will be searched to identify all relevant articles published from January 2000 to June 2019. Experts in the field will be contacted for unpublished literature, and Open SIGLE will be reviewed for relevant information. No language restriction will be imposed. Two reviewers will select, screen, extract data, and assess the risk of bias while a third reviewer will arbitrate the disagreements. A meta-analysis will be performed on variables that are similar across the included studies. Proportions will be stabilized before estimates are pooled using a random effects model. The presence of publication bias will be assessed using Egger’s test and visual inspection of the funnel plots. This systematic and meta-analysis review protocol will be reported in accordance with the PRISMA-P protocol guidelines. Results will be stratified by country, comorbidity, and geographic region

Factors that affect the uptake of community-based health insurance in low-income and middle-income countries : a systematic protocol

Many people residing in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are regularly exposed to catastrophic healthcare expenditure. It is therefore pertinent that LMICs should finance their health systems in ways that ensure that their citizens can use needed healthcare services and are protected from potential impoverishment arising from having to pay for services. Ways of financing health systems include government funding, health insurance schemes and out-of-pocket payment. A health insurance scheme refers to pooling of prepaid funds in a way that allows for risks to be shared. The health insurance scheme particularly suitable for the rural poor and the informal sector in LMICs is community-based health insurance (CBHI), that is, insurance schemes operated by organisations other than governments or private for-profit companies. We plan to search for and summarise currently available evidence on factors associated with the uptake of CBHI, as we are not aware of previous systematic reviews that have looked at this important topic

Development and performance evaluation of locally fabricated thermal conductivity apparatus

This paper presents the design and construction of a Guarded Hot Plate (GHP) apparatus for the accurate assessment of thermal conductivities of some Nigerian local building materials. The GHP apparatus is a steady-state measurement device. This apparatus is designed to measure the thermal conductivities of masonry building materials of different compositions. The design features included hot and cold plates fabricated with aluminum plates of 6 mm thickness and varying dimensions; the guard plates also made of aluminum, but of 6.35 mm thickness, forms a rigid enclosure for the specimen all encased in a mild steel housing. The operating measuring temperature range is from -20 for varying specimen thickness up to 60mm. Results are presented for concrete, laterite, and a mixture of cement with laterite, clay, and sand respectively, and it covers a range of thermal conductivities of 0.77W/mK to 1.80 W/mK. Moisture effect on concrete was recorded for the lightweight concrete as the thermal conductivity value reduced from 1.80W/m.K to 1.32W/m.K for the oven-dried concrete sample over a 1.5% (by weight) reduction in water content. The performance evaluation of the locally fabricated GHP apparatus showed a 3.03% percentage difference over ASHRAE’s published data on oven-baked concrete thermal conductivitie

Effects of Albizia saman (Jacq. Mull) leaf mulch on vegetative growth of maize (Zea mays L.) and soil chemical properties through biomass transfer

The study presents the effects of Albizia saman (Jacq. Mull) leaves in a biomass transfer as a source of organic fertilizer on the soil chemical properties and vegetative growth of maize (Zea mays) compared with NPK (15-15-15) in greenhouse condition. Albizia saman leaves and NPK (15-15-15) were applied at the rate of 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 t/ha or 60, 90 and 120 kg/ha respectively, separately or in combination. The findings revealed that application of 2.5 t/ha A. saman leaves produced the maximum values for mean leaf number, leaf area and stem height (7.77, 212.24 cm2 and 49.67 cm, respectively) among the leaf much treatments but were not significantly different from those obtained by applying 90 kg/ha NPK fertilizer (7.86, 225.55 cm2 and 48.78 cm, respectively). However, the maximum number of leaf (8.4), leaf area (240.5 cm2), plant height (54.64 cm) and biomass (16.17 g) were obtained from the combination of 2.5 t/ha leaves with 90 kg/ha NPK. There was significant improvement in the soil chemical status with the application of 2.5 or 5.0 t/ha A. saman leaves whereas the application of 5.0 t/ha A. saman leaves experienced the highest value for organic carbon (3.56%), total nitrogen (0.23%) and potassium (0.16 mg/kg) and 2.5 t/ha leaves gave the highest value for available phosphorus (22.30 mg/kg). It can, therefore, be inferred that the application of 2.5 t/ha A. saman leaves as source of organic fertilizer will give a better growth of maize and the combination of this quantity with 90 kg/ha of NPK would give better results in crop yield and maintenance of soil fertility

Growth and Yield of Two Maize Varieties under the Influence of Plant Density and NPK fertilization

This study assessed growth and yield performances of maize under the influence of inorganic fertilizer, population density and variety using the following treatments: maize varieties DMR-ESR-Y and Suwan- 1-SR; 70 × 30cm and 100 × 40cm plant spacing; 0, 60 and 120 kg NPK/ha . Data were collected on number of leaves per plant, plant height, ear height, leaf area, leaf area index, days to 50% flowering, days to tassel and silk appearances, stem dry mass, root dry mass, cob mass, number of kernel rows, number of kernels per cob, harvest index, treatment yield per hectare. The result showed that combination of 120kgN/ha, DMR-ESR-Y and 47, 619 plants/ha improved root, shoot, leaf sheath and plant dry masses, cob length, cob diameter, shelling percentage, moisture content at harvest, harvest index, number of cobs per plant as well as number of kernels per row. It is, therefore, recommended that combination of 120kgNPK/ha, DMR-ESR-Y and 47,619 plants/ha should be used for better maize production to cater for the ever increasing population of consumers in Southern Guinea savannah agroecological zone of Nigeria and other area with the same climatic and edaphic conditions. Keywords: NPK fertilizer, population density, maize variety, yield improvemen

Laminar Forced Convective Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow in a Finned Cylindrical Annulus

The purpose of this paper is to numerically investigate the effects of some geometric parameters and flow variables on heat transfer augmentation in annuli with equi-spaced internal longitudinal fins along the external walls. A fully developed flow and a constant thermal boundary condition of uniform heat flux at the walls of the pipe were assumed. Continuity, momentum and energy transport equations were adopted for the solutions of the problem. A Q-BASIC code was written based on the finite difference scheme generated. Numerical experiments were conducted to ascertain the effects of Reynolds number Re, radius ratio, R.R, Prandtl number Pr, fin height H, and pipe inclination, on the rate of heat transfer and fluid flow. The results obtained show that for 50 ≤ Re ≤ 500, total Nusselt number NuT increases with increase in Re while for Re > 500, there was no significant increase in NuT. Nusselt number, average velocity and bulk temperature of the fluid increase with increasingin the range 0° ≤ ≤ 75° but for the range 75°≤  ≤ 90°  the effect is negligible. For R.R > 0.6, the heat transfer was observed to be almost independent of R; therefore for economic purposes, heat exchangers similar to the configuration studied should be run at a low pumping power. A numerical study was done to validate the program by test running it for the finless annuli for similar boundary conditions; the results obtained in the present work show the same trend as that of Kakac and Yucel