Cause-Related Marketing and Consumer Response: A Study of Nigerian Soft Drink Industry

This study examined consumers’ response to cause-related marketing. Data were drawn, mainly through questionnaire, from 308 lecturers of government-owned universities in South East, Nigeria. Analyzing the data using Pearson correlation coefficient, the study unveiled that there is significant relationship between cause-related marketing and consumers’ perception of a firm, purchase intentions and word-of-mouth. In conclusion, cause-related marketing, as a promotional strategy, can positively influence consumer attitude and purchase behaviour toward a firm. The study, therefore, recommended strategic tips to a successful cause-related marketing campaign. Keywords: Cause-related marketing, Consumer response, Nigerian soft drink industry, University lecturers

Bank Selection and Patronage By University Students: A Survey of Students in Umudike, Nigeria

University students represent an attractive segment of customers for retail banks  in many countries including Nigeria. The objective of this study is to find out the determinants of the choice of commercial banks by university students, using Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU). MOUAU is selected due to the plurality of its student mix, being the only federal university in Abia State. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaire to 250 final year students, across the university’s ten colleges. Convenience sampling was used. Apart from the traditional analytical tools such as tables and percentages, data were also analysed using descriptive statistics and principal component analysis. The Cronbach’s alpha was used to test the reliability of the measuring instrument. The results show that service is the most influential of all the six determinant-factors for the choice of commercial banks. Proximity, attractiveness, referrals, marketing and price followed suit, based on their mean scores.  Recommendations were proffered for competitive bank management, focused on different market segments among university students

Impact of Cause-Brand Affinity and Longevity of Partnership on Consumer Response to Cause-Related Marketing in Nigeria

None of the minimal Nigeria-based studies on cause-related marketing considered cause-brand affinity and longevity of partnership between a firm and a cause as possible antecedents of a successful cause-related marketing campaign. This study, therefore, sheds light on the impact of these two variables on consumer response to cause-related marketing. Questionnaire was used to collect data from 308 lecturers drawn from five universities in five States of South East, Nigeria. Hypotheses of the study were tested using partial correlation. The results indicate that both cause-brand affinity and longevity of partnership between a firm and a cause are influential factors on consumer response to cause-related marketing campaigns. Strategic tips for successful cause-related marketing campaigns were recommended. Keywords: Cause-related marketing, Cause-brand affinity, Longevity of partnership, Consumer response

Design, Construction and Performance Evaluation of a Small Scale Biofuel Distiller

A biofuel distiller of 20 L feed capacity was designed fabricated and used to distill bioethanol from a biomass broth. The distiller consists of a 40 L volume boiler unit integrated to the combustion chamber as a cylindrical column; and a counter current cylindrical condenser of length, tube and shell internal diameter of 88 cm, 0.0191/0.15 m, inclined at 450.  The reactor is a Top Lit Updraft (T-LUD) type fired with charcoal of moderate lump. Its performance evaluation was conducted using 20 L palm bunch broth as the distiller feed. The palm bunch collected from Siat Nigeria Ltd, Ubima, Rivers State, Nigeria, was physically pretreated by grinding to powder, hydrolyzed with 1.2 % dilute H2SO4, at 160°C for 30 min and fermented for 72 h with S.cerevisiae separated from palm wine. The broth was then separated from the slurry by filtering before distillation. The result of the machine evaluation showed that 817 ml bioethanol was obtained per batch at 20 min from the bubble point which took 95 min. Actual combustion efficiency was found to be 55 % with reactor power rating of 12.2 kW. The machine vaporized bioethanol fuel from the boiler feed fed at 27°C, and released the distillate at 28.3°C. Distillation efficiency was found to be greater than 90 % while the maximum productivity occurred at 10 min from the bubble point. The machine is economical, reliable, convenient to use and can stand diverse environmental conditions. It can be integrated as a waste management step in the downstream end of palm mill operations

Bank Selection and Patronage By University Students: A Survey of Students in Umudike, Nigeria

University students represent an attractive segment of customers for retail banks in many countries including Nigeria. The objective of this study is to find out the determinants of the choice of commercial banks by university students, using Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU). MOUAU is selected due to the plurality of its student mix, being the only federal university in Abia State. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaire to 250 final year students, across the university’s ten colleges. Convenience sampling was used. Apart from the traditional analytical tools such as tables and percentages, data were also analysed using descriptive statistics and principal component analysis. The Cronbach’s alpha was used to test the reliability of the measuring instrument. The results show that service is the most influential of all the six determinant-factors for the choice of commercial banks. Proximity, attractiveness, referrals, marketing and price followed suit, based on their mean scores. Recommendations were proffered for competitive bank management, focused on different market segments among university students

The Impact of Information Technology in Relation to Academic Librarianship a Philosophical Analysis

The world as a global village has witnessed quantum leap in areas of science and technology With great impacts in travel communication information and media industrialization and mechanization man has found it very easy to achieve great task within a limited scope of time This has given man a big relief as task that formally took man months and years to achieve are being met within a short period of time With improvements in information technology globalization has increased The world is brought closer and the world s economy is quickly becoming a single interdependent system Information can be shared quickly and easily from all over the globe and barriers of linguistic and geographic boundaries can be torn down as people share ideas and information with each other Communication has become an easier cheaper and faster system with the help of information technology Using the internet people can speak to each other all over the world using video conferencing With these great impacts made in the area of information and its corresponding ills it becomes necessary to evaluate the concept of information technology as it affects our learning system This articles centers on the importance of information technology however it pays particular attention to the relation that exists between ICT and Academic Libraries This approaches thus exposes the positive and negative impacts of the ICT to learning process and goes on to suggest ways to enhancing a better understanding and use of the ICT in our academic librarie

An Investigation of the Pattern And Environmental Impact of Oil Spillage in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria

Sequel to the threat posed by incessant oil spill in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, this work was conceived with the aim of examining the pattern of oil spillage in Etche Local Government, in Rivers State of Nigeria and the consequent impact on the environment. The study adopted the survey research design. Interviews, questionnaire and observation instruments were employed in data generation and collection. Graphic illustrations and percentage analysis were also employed to describe the relative ratio of each factor to other factors.  Result revealed that about 29 oil spill incidents occurred within the period under study (2001-2007). The volume of oil spilled cumulated to 4,270 barrels; with year 2003 having the highest (4171.5 barrels) and year 2005, having the lowest (0.1 barrel). The work concluded by recommending HSE Training (Staff/contractors), Improved asset integrity management (that may include: Flowline replacement, Flowline burial, Flowstation and facilities upgrade, Integrity testing and inspection), emergency response  to spill cases, Surveillance by communities, Awareness campaigns, Improved interaction with communities and Presence of Joint Task Force (JTF) for efficient and effective spill management law enforcement

Assessing service effectiveness and satisfaction with library services at Babcock University, Nigeria

The aim of this study was to investigate the use, effectiveness and satisfaction with library services. The descriptive research design was used for this study. The population was made up of 5,847 undergraduate students at Babcock University, Nigeria.  Purposive sampling was used in selecting 200 respondents to participate in the study. Data was collected through the use of questionnaire and analyzed using frequency and percentage counts. Findings from the study revealed that photocopying and reference services were the most utilized library services.  Photocopying, reference and circulation services were also considered as effective services. Majority of the respondents, however, indicated that they were satisfied with library services to a little extent. The study concluded by noting that the provision of service(s) is an essential part of libraries which should not be taken for granted. Based on the findings, recommendations were made

Evaluating the Causes of the Road Failure of Onitsha-Enugu Expressway, Southeastern Nigeria.

Considering the persistence of road failure along the Onitsha -Enugu expressway and many other roads in the southeastern Nigeria, this work was conceived with the aim of evaluating the causes of the road failure in other to help marshal out effective and efficient measures of tackling this problem of road failure. The study adopted a survey design which employed the use of a well structured questionnaire to gather information on the causes and effects of the road failure. To determine the sample size, volumetric analysis was used and the data so generated was analyzed using One-way Analysis of Variance and Post HOC test. The ANOVA shows the variation among the causes is not significantly different while the Post HOC test ranked the causative factors treated. The work thus concluded that all the factors listed contribute to the failure of the road with inadequate maintenance, mismanagement by the government and old age of the road pavement being the major factors. The work therefore recommends that there should be Quality Determination for materials during construction, Effective Maintenance Programme (routine or preventive maintenance, periodic maintenance, and disaster maintenance or major repairs of our roads) and Establishment of an Active Maintenance Crew

Comparative Economic Analysis of Upland and Lowland Rice Production in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

A study on comparative economic analysis of upland and lowland rice production in Izzi Local Government Area was carried out. A total of 112 rice farmers were interviewed (56 from upland rice and 56 from lowland rice) in the study area using multistage random sampling techniques. The result of gross-margin analysis revealed that upland rice is more profitable than lowland rice as justified by 75% and 51% respectively as was calculated from gross-margin. Linear and exponential forms of the four functional form of regression analysis were chosen as the lead equation for socio-economic factors and production factors respectively. From the findings, it was established that upland rice production is more profitable than lowland rice production. The study therefore recommended the provision of capital, input subsidy, market and weather information, strengthening of farmers by disseminating information and assisting them adopt improved packages for rice production as ways to enhance rice production in the area