Evaluation of the Effects of Rapid Urban Population Growth on the Health Infrastructures in Selected Urban Centers in Anambra State.

The aim of this study is to ascertain the effects of rapid urban population growth on the health infrastructures in selected urban centres in Anambra State. The study adopted survey research design, using the questionnaire as the main instrument of data generation. Considering the study area, the three major urban centers selected are incorporated into two local government each that is Nnewi north and south for Nnewi, Awka north and south for Awka and Onitsha north and south for Onitsha. A total of 405 persons were sampled, that is 135 each from Awka, Nnewi, and Onitsha. Stratified Random Sampling technique was employed in distributing the questionnaires, with the mean cut–off being applied on the 5–point likert scale questionnaire to analyse the responses. The research established that population growth in the selected urban centres (Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha) negatively affects social infrastructures such as health, recreational and educational facilities. That the effects of population growth on health infrastructure in the three urban centres are significantly the same. The study have been able to prove that health  infrastructure are significantly affected on by population growth in the selected areas. The impact of population growth on social / health infrastructure is the same in Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka. In line with the findings, the following were recommended: There is need to plan and execute a strategic population census, to create a database with the actual population of the actual inhabitants of the urban centres as this is vital to population projections and planning of sustainable social infrastructure (like for today and a target future say next 20-50years). Existing health infrastructures should be expanded in the three urban centres while new ones be initiated to carter for present and future population. High  quality/durable materials  should be used  for health infrastructure construction. More sound health infrastructures should be initiated in the rural areas to reduce population growth in urban areas. Implementation of high quality service delivery in rural areas will reduce population growth in urban centres. In the light of sustainable development it is pertinent that urban population growth is checked for the  sake  of the present and future generation. KEYWORDS: Urban Population Growth, Effects on Health Infrastructure DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/10-4-06 Publication date: February 29th 2020

The Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistant Diarrhogenic Bacterial Species in Surface Waters, South Eastern Nigeria

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the bacteriological qualities of surface waters in Afikpo, between April and September 2016.METHODS: Surface water samples were collected from three streams for bacteriological analysis. Bacteria species were isolated using standard microbiological and biochemical techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility study was carried out using Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method.RESULTS: The result of the mean heterotrophic bacteria count from the streams showed that Okpu stream had 209.5CFU/100 mL, Ohino Ngodo 162.5 CFU/100mL, and Ngwogo stream 162.0 CFU/100mL respectively. Out of the twenty-six (26) isolates obtained, E. coli and Staphylococcus species had the highest percentage occurrence (23.1%) respectively. Klebsiella, Shigella and Enterobacter sp had (11.5%) each, Pseudomonas spp (7.7%), while Salmonella and Streptococcus sp had the least percentage occurrence of (3.8%). The antibiotic susceptibility studies showed that large proportions of isolates were resistant to sulphamethaxoid (SUL), cephalothin (CEP), tetracycline (TET), penicillin G (PEN), oxytetracycline (OXY), cefotaxime (CEF), nalidixic acid (NAL) and cefuroxime sodium (CXM). The most effective antibiotic was azithromycin followed by imipenem.CONCLUSION: The presence of these multi-drug resistant strains in water samples could facilitate transmission of antibiotic resistance. This emphasizes the need for proper treatment of water in the study area.KEYWORDS: Antibiotic resistance, Bacteria, Afikpo, Surface water

Shareholder Engagement and Chevron’s Policy 520 on Human Rights: The Role Played by the United States Jesuit Conference’s “National Jesuit Committee on Investment Responsibility”

Purpose To demonstrate how the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in the United States through the “National Jesuit Committee on Investment Responsibility” played a significant role as a socially conscious institutional and religious investor in influencing Chevron’s Human Rights Policy 520 and to analyze the factors that contributed to a successful shareholder engagement with the company. Methodology/approach Case study based on firsthand information. Findings Our conclusion offers support for Allen et al.’s (2012) conclusion of legitimacy (credibility) being the dominant force in a successful engagement. We found that coalition-building is a significant moderating variable in increasing shareholder salience. This finding contradicts the study by Gifford (2010). Originality/value of chapter The chapter is based on the actual process of shareholder engagement with Chevron Corporation that led to the human rights policy and is written mainly based on firsthand information

Evidence of Academic Self Efficacy, Perceived Teacher Support, Age and Gender as Predictors of School Burnout

School burnout is an increasing area of research in the adolescent education literature The present study extended the literature by focusing on personal variables that can serve as a protective factor against school burnout among students in a rural public university where basic amenities and facilities are lacking Therefore the study investigated academic self-efficacy perceived teacher support gender and age as factors that predict school burnout The study was a cross-sectional ex post facto survey that involved 300 undergraduates randomly selected from a public university in southwest Nigeria The sample comprised 143 males and 157 females whose ages ranged between 14 years and 34 years Mean 22 55 SD 3 37 Data were collected with a questionnaire made up of four sections that measured the variables of interest in the study Demographic variables measured were age sex and level of study Standardized scales that measured school burnout general self-efficacy perceived teacher support were used to administered on participants Result showed significant joint influence of academic self efficacy perceived teacher support gender and age on school burnout Academic self efficacy and perceived teacher support had significant independent influence on school burnou

Organizational Learning Capability, Perceived Organizational Support and Growth of Auto Parts Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria

This study investigated the relationship between Organizational Learning Capability and Growth of Auto Parts manufacturing firms in Nnewi business cluster, Nigeria; and to ascertain whether Perceived Organizational Support would play a moderating role. A sample size of 75 was selected from a population of 103 employees of seven auto parts manufacturing firms. 72 copies of the questionnaire were eligibly filled and data was analyzed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient with the aid of SPSS version 21. The findings showed that whereas risk taking does not substantially enhance growth, interaction with the external environment serves as a catalyst for growth. Findings also revealed that Perceived Organizational Support moderates the relationship between Organizational Learning Capability and Growth. It was therefore recommended that managers of auto parts manufacturing firms should cautiously take risk and interact with the external environment in multiple ways, while making sure that employees are properly taken care of, and their contributions appreciated. The role of government to providing enabling environment for SMEs to thrive was emphasized. Keywords: Organizational Learning Capability, Perceived Organizational Support, Growt

Mechanical Properties and Modeling of Fibreglass-reinforeced Epoxy Resin Wastes-filled Polypropylene

The polymer composites were prepared from fiberglass reinforced polymer wastes obtained from cross-arm manufacturing and injection moulded after treating with latex and oven dried to reduce the itching nature of the fiberglass. The samples were size-classified as 150, 200, 250 and 300 microns. Tensile tests were later carried out on them. The mechanical properties determined include Tensile strength, Elongation at break, Hardness and Indentation. It is discovered that the tensile strength and indentation increased with increasing filler loadings while elongation and hardness decreased. The research was modelled to obtain higher filler weight percentage values that were not got in the laboratory after accurate and precise predictions were made with Matlab modelling software. The modeling was used to obtain the optimal and best results of the particle sizes

Whose security is it? Elitism and the global approach to maritime security in Africa

Africa’s marine environment and resources that lie beneath it are central to the continent’s sustainable development and actualising the ambitions set out by the African Union in its Agenda 2063, where the oceans are described as the frontier of Africa’s development. The continent’s maritime domain and resources are also attractive to foreign partners relying on its oceans to enhance their economic development and geostrategic interests. Serving the interests of all parties, especially the 38 coastal states and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and land-linked countries on the continent that benefit from the maritime sector, comes with challenges, some of which manifest as threats to the sustainable resource extraction and safety of those that use the maritime domain. We explored the literature, policy documents and maritime security reports database, together with our experiences as African maritime governance and security experts, to critically examine maritime security in Africa and unravel how extra-regional actors have securitised maritime threats. We show how the selective framing of what constitutes threats and associated resourcing of responses to counter them, often dictated by foreign interests, is an elite project that undermines a holistic notion of maritime security that would benefit the African people.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Analyses of Land and Housing Price Inflation in Nigeria, A Study of Federal Capital Territory Abuja from 1999 to 2009

The aim of this study is to critically considered inflation in the prices of land and housing in the Abuja property market from 1999 to 2009, and it is limited to residential property in the phase one of the Abuja property market. This research work was carried out to determine if actually there has been a persistence increase in the prices of residential accommodation in the study area, and also to determine the factors responsible for such increase. Data for the study were collected through observations, personal interviews, and library studies. The data so collected were analyzed using measures of central tendency, graphs and simple percentage table. The result of the study shows that there is inflation in the Abuja property market within the period under investigation. It also shows that the prices of land and housing are increasing at an average inflation rate of 50.1% for lease property and 39.3% for sale property. The work thus recommended the following: that the Government should provide mortgage insurance to first time home buyers who do not have credit history and to low-to middle income families  in  order  to  achieve  our  aim  of  providing affordable housing; the Federal government should de-centralize government offices from the city centre to other parts of the state to help reduce the demand of land and housing in the study area, in effect reducing the continuous-increase in the prices of land and housing, as people will have to shift to take abode in residential properties close to their offices; the government should go into mass housing development and also corporate with private developers in a bid to make different types of residential housing units available, thereby increasing the supply of the housing unit to meet demand for them. This will help reduce the continuous increase in the housing prices. Keywords: Land, Housing and Price Inflation

Facility Management in Educational Institutions: A Study of Nnamdi Azkiwe University Awka

This study evaluated the facilities available at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka with a view to making recommendations for effective management and efficient service through: identifying the facilities available in the school,  measuring their efficiency and effective management of these facilities through data collection from the inhabitants, analyzing the data so obtained and drawing inference from them. The Facilities investigated includes: Electricity Supply Facilities, Water Supply Facilities, Hostels and Library. The study adopted a questionnaire survey method to sample the opinion of students inhabiting the school hostels. It was found that although some facilities were provided, the quantity provided is adequate and mostly ill maintained for two possible reasons; acute growth in population and lack of funds. The conditions of the available facilities are below standard and even were up to standard, they were considerably below the required capacity. It was also discovered that on individual opinion for each facility analyzed, the number of respondents who think that the facilities management operations need to be improved are a lot higher than those who do not. The study thus recommended that for the empowerment of facilities management in the university and the country as a whole; Formal training in facilities management should in incorporated in various tertiary institutions with necessary inputs from key staff organizations that have applied facilities management principles and theories; as funds are set aside for procurement of facilities, provision also be made for the efficient management of the facilities; better planning techniques should be adopted by the facilities managers, with this misappropriation of funds made available for facilities development and management will be avoided

Managing a Sustainable Institutional Repository: The Covenant University Experience

The paper examined the ubiquitous nature of digital institutional repositories and their concomitant capabilities. It specifically show-cased the robust process and technical details involved in the development and sustenance of Covenant University Institutional Repository which has consistently ranked number one repository in Nigeria based on webometric rankings. Relying on Strajda Process Management model, Covenant University adopted two open source software- Dspace and E-print based on adjudged robustness of the metadata, relative easy to setup as well as amenable to customization. The paper recommended among others, the sensitization of researchers on the dangers of ceding copyright to Journal publishers as the practice divests them of inherent rights and may preclude deposition of their works on the Institutional repository thereby undermining growth of content and visibility of research outputs. It further recommended backup systems that forestall intrusion and mitigate effect of potential disasters on sustainability of Institutional Repository