Performance Analysis of Nigerian Brewery Industry

This research attempted to assess the financial performance of the firms in the brewery industry using financial ratios. It adopted a descriptive ex-post facto research design by using brewery firms of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) from 2011-2015. The result suggests that the brewery industry is profitable and efficient in using its asset to generate profit and return it to its shareholders. Similarly, the industry financial risk is relatively low, and manager in the industry manage their stocks efficiently. This suggests that managers of firms should endeavor to reduce the amount of debt in their capital structure and manage a reasonable amount of debt in its capital structure since a high debt implies a high financial risk

THE IMPACT OF MARKETING CAPABILITY AND DIVERSIFICATION STRATEGY ON PERFORMANCE.

This paper examines the impact of marketing capability and diversification strategy on the performance of organization. A survey design with a well structured questionnaire was adopted in collecting data from the respondents and thereafter, the data was analyzed using descriptive analyses on statistical package for social science (SPSS). The results above indicate that there exists a significant relationship between marketing capability and organizational performance, while also proving the fact that diversification have a significantly strong impact on the performance of an organization. Keywords: Marketing capability, diversification strategy, Resources based view, performanc

Strategic Positioning and Performance in the Tourism Sector: Evidence from Nigeria

This research work examined the relationship between the different strategic positioning typologies and tourism performance. The population consists of one hundred and seventy (170) staffs of tourism industry in Nigeria, while the sample size comprises of one hundred and fourteen (114) staffs. The study utilized a descriptive research design. However, the study adopted questionnaire as a reliable source of data collection, whereby primary data was used to elicit respondents’ opinions on the research topic. The findings revealed that analyzer and reactor typologies strategy positioning have a statistical significant relationship with both monetary and non-monetary performance in the tourism industry. Keywords: Strategic positioning, tourism performance, analyzers, reactors

Long-term cellular immunity of vaccines for Zaire Ebola Virus Diseases

Recent Ebola outbreaks underscore the importance of continuous prevention and disease control efforts. Authorized vaccines include Merck’s Ervebo (rVSV-ZEBOV) and Johnson & Johnson’s two-dose combination (Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo). Here, in a five-year follow-up of the PREVAC randomized trial (NCT02876328), we report the results of the immunology ancillary study of the trial. The primary endpoint is to evaluate long-term memory T-cell responses induced by three vaccine regimens: Ad26–MVA, rVSV, and rVSV–booster. Polyfunctional EBOV-specific CD4+ T-cell responses increase after Ad26 priming and are further boosted by MVA, whereas minimal responses are observed in the rVSV groups, declining after one year. In-vitro expansion for eight days show sustained EBOV-specific T-cell responses for up to 60 months post-prime vaccination with both Ad26-MVA and rVSV, with no decline. Cytokine production analysis identify shared biomarkers between the Ad26-MVA and rVSV groups. In secondary endpoint, we observed an elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines at Day 7 in the rVSV group. Finally, we establish a correlation between EBOV-specific T-cell responses and anti-EBOV IgG responses. Our findings can guide booster vaccination recommendations and help identify populations likely to benefit from revaccination

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Container barge congestion and handling in large seaports : a theoretical agent-based modeling approach

Container Barging forms an important mode of transportation especially in large seaports with a strong inland waterway connectivity. This is because it is Cost-efficient and environmental friendly compared to the other modes of transportation. Despite the significant importance, container barge transportation is faced with several challenges and inefficiencies. One of these challenges is the large waiting time of barges in large container seaports which has negatively impacted the reliability of barge transportation. It is due to these challenges that this study seeks to examine the reasons for barge congestion and poor handling to propose possible solutions to these problems. In achieving these objectives, a quantitative methodological approach was adopted for the study in which agent-based modelling was developed to analyze the different scenarios developed in the study. An impact assessment of each of the different scenarios was conducted to identify the most suitable that would address congestion and handling issues around container barging. The study concluded that the presence of sea vessels and the high priority given to these vessels are major causes of barge congestion in large seaports, hence the study recommends dedicated barge berthing spaces at each terminal. Appropriate smaller cranes should also be invested in, to enhance the handling of the barges

ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

The influence of environmental factors on entrepreneurship has been recognized as important in the entrepreneurship literature. This study aimed at identifying the environmental factors that affects entrepreneurship development as well as the overall effect of environmental factors on entrepreneurship development. Primary data was adopted to generate data from 87 managers and owners of business enterprise in Ago Iwoye. The data generated were analyzed using correlation and regression analysis. Findings revealed that environmental factors have an overall significant effect on entrepreneurship development in Nigeria. It was also discovered by the findings that all the environmental factors dimensions have a significant relationship with entrepreneurship development in Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria. Thus it is recommended that communities should identify aspect of their culture which hinder entrepreneurship development and make necessary adjustment. Finally, the issue of infrastructural facilities should not be seen as the sole responsibility of the government