Research and Development Potentials in Biofuel Production in Nigeria

Nigeria is at present suffering from the worst energy crisis in her 48 years of existence as an independent nation. Even though there is a global crisis in the international oil market, Nigeria seems to suffer disproportionately from the negative impacts when compared to other oil producing nations. Although, Nigeria’s natural resource wealth (including renewable energy potentials) has been well documented and acknowledged, the contribution of renewable energy sources to the total national energy supply and demand is currently very low or negligible. There is a clear link between access to energy services and poverty reduction and hence development. Apart from its contribution to poverty reduction, it is the very diversity of biofuel that provides potential of a win-win development path for the environment, social and economic development, and energy security. It is in the light of this that this paper examines the research and development potentials in ethanol and biofuel in Nigeria.Keywords: Biofuel; Energy; Oil; Poverty reduction; Developmen

Facies analysis and paleoenvironments of the upper cretaceous sediments in share – Lafiagi areas, northern Bida basin, Nigeria

The Bida Basin is located in central Nigeria and it is perpendicular to the main axis of the Benue Trough. Due to its large areal extent and facies variation, the basin is often geographically divided into northern and southern Bida Basins. Whereas, aspects of the mineral resource and sedimentation history of the sediments in NW and SE extremes have been consistently studied, the present study area (Share-Lafiagi-Shonga areas) remains either unknown or under-reported. In the study area, fifteen vertical profiles of the Campanian-Maastrichtian sediments were studiedalong road cuts, erosional channels and Cliff sides with special attention focused on their internal physical and biogenic attributes. The sedimentological analysis permitted recognition of five distinct depositional facies; alluvial fan, braided channel, floodplain, tidal channel and shoreface in the lithostratigraphic units mapped. In Unit I, the proximal alluvial fan facies were preserved as conglomeratic facies which overly nonconformably, the Pre-Cambrian weathered schists and granites. Both the matrix and grain supported subfacies are indicative of gravity induced alluvial processes. The braided channel facies comprising of conglomeratic sandstone, medium-coarse grained sandstone subfacies are wide spread and their fluvial origin is supported by unidirectional flow pattern and absence of marine biogenic features. The sequence grades into claystone facies which probably formed in localized non marine floodplains. The younger Unit II comprises of conglomerate, sandstone and claystone facies. The conglomerate facies is moderately sorted and mature showing evidence of reworking and recycling. Association of this facies with herringbone cross stratifified beds probably indicates tidal channel lag origin. The sandstone facies are commonly compositionally mature, bioturbated and contain clasts of reworked clays and clay drapes suggesting high energy tidal channels and shoreface subenvironments.The depositional model for the Upper Cretaceous sediments in the study area is strongly dominated by alluvial processes which in places evolved into shallow marine processes and frequently incised by fluvial channels.The clay deposits of the floodplain may offer economic resource potential in the area

Evaluation of School Library Resources, Services and Usage: A Case Study of International School, University of Ibadan

The paper evaluates the library resources services and usage in the International School, University of Ibadan. Data for the study was collected by means of questionnaires administered to students, staff and the librarian of the school. Interviews were conducted and records were observed to support the data gathered The study revealed that the International school, University of Ibadan, did not have enough resources to meet the standards recommended in manual for school libraries. The usage of the libraty was not high enough because of lack of facilities and equipment. The study recommends adequate funding, provision of prints and non-print materials, equipillent, integration of Library hour on the school timetable and use of computer to process and access information to improve the services and usage for the library

ICT skills of library personnel in a changing digital library environment: A study of academic libraries in Oyo State, Nigeria.

The survey examined ICT skills of library personnel working in academic libraries in Oyo state vis –a- vis level of competence and methods of acquisition. It also considered whether the personnel’s ICT skills competence is related to their method of ICT skills acquisition. The sample used consists of 155 professional and para - professional library personnel working in government – owned tertiary institutions in Oyo state. A questionnaire tagged ICTSQ with a Cronbach alpha measure of 0.91 wa s used to collect data. Two research questions were raised and one hypothesis was formulated for the study. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts, percentages, mean scores and standard deviation. Inferential stat istics of Pearson correlation was used to analyse data for the hypothesis. The result showed that library personnel have acquired basic ICT skills for using the Internet, computer and e mail. However, they lacked skills for using advanced web - based ICT p ackages for web page design, troubleshooting and project management. Moreover, there was no significant relationship found between the ICT skills level and methods of ICT skills acquisition(r= -.165,P>0.05). The study made recommendations based on the findings of the study.Key Words: ICT, skills, Libr ary, Personnel, Digital, Environment

Information Literacy Skills Development for Teachers and Students

Acquisition of information literacy skills by teachers and students in this 21st century Information Age is paramount for their all-round success in life. This paper has X-rayed how different authors conceptu alised information literacy skills and the role they can play in the academic, professional and personal life of individuals. The process of developing the skills by the teachers and the students through integration of information literacy skills instruction in the school curriculum is well discussed in the paper. The article recommends ways of achieving the goal of developing information literacy skills by teachers and students in Nigerian schools

Mineralogical and geochemical studies of phosphorite nodules in the Dange Formation Sokoto Basin, Northwestern Niveria

No Abstract Available Journal of Mining and Geology Vol.40(2) 2004: 101-10