The Effects of Company Income Tax on Dividend Policy of Firms in Nigeria

This study examined the effects of company income tax on the dividend policy of firms in Nigeria. To achieve the objective of this study, a total of 40 listed firms in the Nigerian stock exchange market were selected for the study using the judgemental sampling technique. Also, the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin and the corporate annual reports for the period 2006-2010 were used for the study. This paper basically modeled the effects of company income tax on the dividend policy of firms in Nigeria using the regression analysis method. The study as part of its findings observed that there is a significant positive relationship between the company income tax and the dividend payout of the sampled firms in Nigeria. Consequently, the paper concludes that a change in corporate income tax rate will significantly affect the dividend policies of the sampled firms operating in Nigeri

Towards Arresting the Decline in Academic Standards of Engineering Education in Nigerian University

Technological advancement serves as a major key to a nation's development. On the other hand, proper engineering knowledge (acquired through appropriate structures) plays significant roles in the attainment of a high level of technological advancement. Most developing countries find it difficult to impact adequate knowledge and training to engineers at different levels of training. An overview of the problems confronting engineering education, and factors that affects engineering education in Nigeria is taken in this paper. The paper identifies lack of adequate or competent human resources, government attitude towards vocational education or technological development in term of funding, poor maintenance, lack of relevant adequate infrastructures, and political situation as the dominant problems faced by engineering education in Nigeria. The paper, in addition to finding solutions to the above problems, recommends proper care in admitting students, infrastructural inadequacy needs to be recognized and properly articulated with a view to being redressed, appropriate government policy and disposition and intervention of professional and international bodies (through provision of financial and material assistance) for assisting in the training and practice of engineers in Nigeria and in order that the country may achieve meaningful development comparable with foreign countries

Comparative Effects of Tri-Polar Eclectic Teaching Approach on Students Academic Performance in Social Studies

This is an experimental study that examined the comparative effects of Tripolar Interactionist teaching strategy on the academic performance of Junior Secondary School III students of Adeyemi Demonstration secondary School Ondo in social studies. The instrument used for the study includes scheme of work, lesson notes prepared by the researcher and the result of the administered tests on the basis of the research conducted. Two groups of 25 students each were taught the same content and within six weeks using the conventional method and Tripolar Teaching Strategy comprising of enquiry, questioning and discussion methods. The findings showed that the students taught using Tri-polar Teaching strategy performed better at the higher and middle lowest level than students taught using conventional method. Based on the finding it was recommended that the configured teaching strategy tagged “Tri-polar” should be adopted for teaching and learning in Nigerian schools because of its enormous advantage in stimulating independent learning among others

EFFECT OF OILFIELD SULPHATE SCALES ON PRODUCTIVITY INDEX

The precipitation and deposition of scale pose serious injectivity and productivity problems. Several models have been developed for predicting oilfield scales formation and their effect on deliverability of the reservoir to aid in planning appropriate injection water programme. In this study an analytical model has been developed for predicting productivity index of reservoir with incidence of scale deposition in the vicinity of the well bore

Evaluation of restoration of vegetation infested with cat's claw creeper vine (Dolichandra unguis-cati): soil seed bank response to herbicide and physical removal

Cat’s claw creeper vine, Dolichandra unguis-cati (L.) L.G.Lohmann (formerly known as Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) A.H.Gentry), a Weed of National Significance (WoNS), is a structural woody parasite that is highly invasive along sensitive riparian corridors and native forests of coastal and inland eastern Australia. As part of evaluation of the impact of herbicide and mechanical/physical control techniques on the long-term reduction of biomass of the weed and expected return of native flora, we have set-up permanent vegetation plots in: (a) infested and now chemically/physically treated, (b) infested but untreated and (c) un-infested patches. The treatments were set up in both riparian and non-riparian habitats to document changes that occur in seed bank flora over a two-year post-treatment period. Response to treatment varied spatially and temporally. However, following chemical and physical removal treatments, treated patches exhibited lower seed bank abundance and diversity than infested and patches lacking the weed, but differences were not statistically significant. Thus it will be safe to say that spraying herbicides using the recommended rate does not undermine restoration efforts

Evaluation of the Impact of Students' Industrial Training on Journalistic Skills Acquisition among Polytechnic Students in Delta State, Nigeria

Good professional practice in journalism is a function of quality training. Good journalistic training must integrate the teaching of theory with exposure to practical skills to ensure adequate transition of students into employable graduates. However, there is a gap between theoretical training offered by various institutions of journalism and mass communication training and the demands for practical skills required for industry practice industry in Nigeria. This study evaluated the impact of students' industrial training, coordinated by the Students' Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) supervised by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) among other things in Nigeria, on the acquisition of professional skills in journalism. It carried out a questionnaire survey on 292 purposively selected Polytechnic students of mass communication in Delta State, Nigeria who have observed or are observing the industrial training. Findings showed that industrial training had a significant effect on journalism education, contributed significantly to the employability status of the students and significantly influenced acquisition of professional skills in journalism. It recommended an extension of the approved four-month duration for the training programme and regular evaluative research for possible improvement of the programme

The empirical analysis of cash balance pension scheme implementation in Nigeria

The study tested the equality of the expected mean retirement outcomes of the cash balance, dened contribution and dened benet pension plans in three workplace scenarios in Nigeria that differed only on how monthly wages of employees are computed at entry into the schemes but contingent on employee's experience and desirable skills. The analyses are based upon the values obtained from the actuarial valuation models that incorporate assumptions that satisfy Nigerian pension statutory requirements. The results show that the cash balance mean gratuity and the cash balance mean pension are individually higher than those of the traditional schemes in all the three cases studied. We therefore conclude that cash balance plan offers the most rewarding retirement benets to participants, and thus it deserves introduction into the Nigerian pension market.Keywords: cash balance plan, dened benet plan, dened contribution plan, gratuity, pension, pension replacement rat

Assessment of Distribution and Handling Procedures of Imported Frozen Fish in Oyo State, Nigeria

Fish is a highly perishable food and there is dearth of information on quality control along the distribution chain to the final consumer. Therefore quality and handling procedures of imported frozen fish within Oyo state were investigated. The study area was stratified into four Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) zones (Ibadan/Ibarapa, Ogbomoso, Oyo and Saki). All cold store operators (n=67) and 5.0% of registered retailers per zone (n=150) were randomly selected and assessed using 217 structured questionnaires to obtain information on compliance level on temperature management, personal hygiene, facilities’ sanitation and handling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and percentages. Compliance level to quality measures by cold store operators in all the zones were 65.7%, 83.6% and 92.5% for temperature management, personal hygiene and facilities’ sanitation, respectively. Ibadan/Ibarapa zone had the highest cold storage capacity of 7,433 tonnes and the least was Saki zone with 61 tonnes. Transportation of fish to retail points were by motorcycle (43.3%), taxi cab (31.1%) and by head load (24.0%). Fish was displayed by retailers using bowls (50.0%), wooden tables (36.7%) and wooden boards (10.0%). Only 57.3% of retailers washed their tables daily and none used chlorinated water. Most cold stores met the recommended temperature for cold storage. Keywords: Frozen fish, Fish storage, Cold store operators, Fish retailers