Analysis of Empirical Relationship among Agricultural Lending, Agricultural Growth and Non-Performing Loans in Nigerian Banking System

Increasing levels in Non-Performing loans (NPLs) which has remained an area of great concern contributed to issue of declining agribusiness activities in Nigeria in the 1990s and thereafter. The study examined non-performing loans relationship with agricultural lending and agricultural productivity from 1980 to 2015 in Nigeria. Time series data obtained from CBN were analyzed using, Granger causality test, Pearson correlation, and co-integration as well as error correction models. The empirical analyses revealed that, bilateral Granger causality existed between loans and advances granted to agricultural sector and non-performing loans in Nigeria. Also, growth in GDP has a positive and significant correlation with NPL in Nigeria. In the long run, NPL is positively related to agricultural productivity, growth in the GDP and value of loans and advances offered to agricultural sector. Whereas, in the short run, NPL reacted significantly to the negative influence of interest rate and positive impact of GDP growth rate. The adjustment coefficient of 52% was discovered for the NPL long run equation in Nigeria. It is recommended that short and long- term banking reform policies be adopted to reduce fluctuations in NPLs in the banking system and efforts should be geared towards increased participation of specialized financial institutions as to accelerate investments in agriculture sector

Compressive strength and workability of laterized quarry sand concrete

This paper presents an experimental study on workability and compressive strength of concrete using various combinations of lateritic sand and quarry sand as complete replacement for conventional river sand fine aggregate. Quantity of lateritic sand varied from 0 to 50% against quarry dust at interval of 10%. Concrete cubes were prepared for two mix ratios: 1:1.5:3 and 1:2:4 and three water/cement ratios: 0.5, 0.6 and 0.7 and were cured and tested in the laboratory for compressive strength. Slump tests were also carried out for each mix. For each mix and water/cement ratios, control samples were also prepared using river sand as fine aggregate. The resulting concrete cubes fall within the range for normal weight concrete and although laterized quarry dust concrete had poorer workability, their compressive strength compare favourably with those of conventional concrete. The use of laterized quarry sand concrete for structural members is therefore recommended when laterite content is not more than 50%.Keywords: Compressive Strength, Concrete, Lateritic Sand, Quarry Sand, Workabilit

Modeling the Dynamic Relationship between Food Crop Output Volatility and Its Determinants in Nigeria

The study modeled the short run and long run food crop output volatility equations in Nigeria. Time series data derived from the FAO data base for Nigeria and publications of the CBN covering the period 1961 to 2010 was used in the study. Unit root test conducted on the specified time series shows that all series were integrated of order one at 1% probability level. The GARCH (1, 1) model was used to generate the food crop output volatility for the selected food crops (i.e. rice, maize, sorghum, cassava and yam). The short-run and long-run elastic cities of food crop output volatility with respect to specify explanatory variables were determined using the techniques of co-integration and error correction model estimation based on the OLS estimation. The empirical results revealed that inflation rate, per capita real GDP, loan guaranteed by ACGSF in the food crop sub sector, harvested area of land for food crop and liberalization policy era had mixed influence on food crop output volatility both in the short and long run periods in Nigeria. The result also showed that harvested area of land for the selected food crop was the most important factor that affects food crop volatility in the country. In addition, food crop volatility show an average declines pattern in the liberalization policy period. The study however advocated for appropriate short and long term policy packages that should addressed appropriately the identified significant macroeconomic shifters of food crop output volatility in the country. Also attention should be directed towards improving the quality of land allocated to food crop sub sector. Furthermore, agricultural policies in the liberalization policy package should be design in the short term basis and use as a means for altering food crop output in Nigeria. Keyword: food, crop, volatility, GARCH, inflation, land, policies, loa

Career choices and global health engagement: 24-year follow-up of U.S. participants in the Indiana University-Moi University elective

Background Global health experiences evoke a profound awareness of cultural differences, inspire learners to prioritize professional values, and provide a lens for addressing global health care challenges. This study compares the long-term career and practice choices of participants in a 2-month Indiana University-Moi University, Kenya elective from 1989–2013 with those of a control group. Methods Global health elective (GHE) participants and a random sample of alumni without GHE experience were surveyed on their clinical practice, public health and global health activities. Results Responses from 176 former participants were compared with a control group of 177 alumni. GHE participants were more likely than similar controls to provide care to underserved U.S. populations (p=0.037), spend time in global health, public health, and public policy activities (p=0.005) and be involved in global health advocacy (p=0.001). Using multivariable analysis, GHE participants were more likely to be generalists (p<0.05), report that healthcare costs influenced medical decision-making (p<0.05), and provide healthcare outside the U.S. for ≥1 week/year (p<0.001). Conclusions Many years out of training, GHE participants were more likely to be generalists working with underserved populations, to be cost-conscious in their healthcare decision-making, and to be involved in global health, public health or public policy. Implications With the primary care provider shortage and need for greater awareness among providers of healthcare costs, our study shows that that global health experiences may yield broader benefits to the U.S. medical system

Synergistic and antagonistic effects between halide ions and carboxymethyl cellulose for the corrosion inhibition of mild steel in sulphuric acid solution

The corrosion and corrosion inhibition effect of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for mild steel in sulphuric acid medium was investigated using chemical (weight loss and hydrogen evolution) techniques at 30–60 �C. The effect of addition of halide ions (Cl-, Br -, and I-) was also studied. It was found that CMC functions as an inhibitor for acid induced corrosion for mild steel. Inhibition efficiency increases with increase in immersion time but decreases with increase in temperature. Addition of halide ions reveals that chloride ions (Cl-) antagonize the inhibition process whereas iodide ions (I-) exert synergistic effect on the corrosion inhibition by CMC. Corrosion inhibitive effect was afforded by adsorption of CMC molecules onto the mild steel surface both in the absence and presence of halide ions which was found to follow Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The phenomenon of physical adsorption is proposed from decrease in inhibition efficiency with increase in temperature. The inhibition mechanism was further corroborated by the values of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters obtained from the experimental data. Keywords Carboxymethyl cellulose, Mild steel, Corrosion inhibition, Acid, Halides, Synergis

The Practitioner\u27s Guide to Global Health: an interactive, online, open-access curriculum preparing medical learners for global health experiences

BACKGROUND: Short-term experiences in global health (STEGH) are increasingly common in medical education, as they can provide learners with opportunities for service, learning, and sharing perspectives. Academic institutions need high-quality preparatory curricula and mentorship to prepare learners for potential challenges in ethics, cultural sensitivity, and personal safety; however, availability and quality of these are variable. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to create and evaluate an open-access, interactive massive open online course (MOOC) that prepares learners to safely and effectively participate in STEGH, permits flexible and asynchronous learning, is free of charge, and provides a certificate upon successful completion. METHODS: Global health experts from 8 countries, 42 institutions, and 7 specialties collaborated to create The Practitioner\u27s Guide to Global Health (PGGH): the first course of this kind on the edX platform. Demographic data, pre- and posttests, and course evaluations were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Within its first year, PGGH enrolled 5935 learners from 163 countries. In a limited sample of 109 learners, mean posttest scores were significantly improved (p \u3c 0.01). In the course\u27s second year, 213 sampled learners had significant improvement (p \u3c 0.001). CONCLUSION: We created and evaluated the first interactive, asynchronous, free-of-charge global health preparation MOOC. The course has had significant interest from US-based and international learners, and posttest scores have shown significant improvement

On Becoming a Global Citizen: Transformative Learning Through Global Health Experiences

BACKGROUND: Globalization has increased the demand for international experiences in medical education. International experiences improve medical knowledge, clinical skills, and self-development; influence career objectives; and provide insights on ethical and societal issues. However, global health rotations can end up being no more than tourism if not structured to foster personal transformation and global citizenship. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a qualitative assessment of trainee-reported critical incidents to more deeply understand the impact of our global health experience on trainees. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was administered to trainees who had participated in a 2-month elective in Kenya from January 1989 to May 2013. We report the results of a qualitative assessment of the critical incident reflections participants (n = 137) entered in response to the prompt, "Write about one of your most memorable experiences and explain why you chose to describe this particular one." Qualitative analyses were conducted using thematic analysis and crystallization immersion analytic methods based on the principles of grounded theory, employing a constructivists' research paradigm. FINDINGS: Four major themes emerged. These themes were Opening Oneself to a Broader World View; Impact of Suffering and Death; Life-Changing Experiences; and Commitment to Care for the Medically Underserved. CONCLUSIONS: Circumstances that learners encounter in the resource-scarce environment in Kenya are eye-opening and life-changing. When exposed to these frame-shifting circumstances, students elaborate on or transform existing points of view. These emotionally disruptive experiences in an international health setting allowed students to enter a transformational learning process with a global mind. Students can see the world as an interdependent society and develop the capacity to advance both their enlightened self-interest and the interest of people elsewhere in the world as they mature as global citizens. Medical schools are encouraged to foster these experiences by finding ways to integrate them into curriculum