GIRLS AND ICTS ORIENTATION

Female illiteracy, especially in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), has been identified by several scholars as a major social problem in developing countries such as Nigeria.This situation has caught the attention of various governmental and non-governmental organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF and concerned parents and individuals. The interventions and support brought in by these organizations and individuals have been of immense help as parents now see the need to allow their girl-child exposure to education, especially in the rural areas. However, the access,acquisition and expertise of the girl-child in the area of ICT are still limited. This paper, therefore,intends to look at this problem from the perspective of the Nigerian parent, a representative of government, a representative of an NGO working in this area, teachers in all facets of education, a sociologist and a psychologist. The worry of parents not wanting to expose their children, particularly girl children, to TV (foreign media fare), and in particular the Internet (over which they have no control), because of their supposed corrupting influences will also be examined. Incidentally, ICT promises to increase the girl-child’s access to quality education and quality development in a world that is fast becoming digital. Lack of exposure to or inadequate knowledge of ICT would not stand the girl-child in a good stead to compete favorably with her boy-child counterpart in an economy that is dominated by science and technology. This paper would also look at the strategies that have been put in place to checkmate child-online abuse which has become a major concern for parents and regulatory frameworks, regarding girl-child’s use of the internet and the benefits of ICT on the girl-child development; it would also serve to enlighten parents on the opportunities their girls stand to get when they become ICT savvy. The challenges to curricular designers are to fashion a mechanism for counter-balancing the threat to cultural values with the overwhelming advantages of ICT; and to convince parents that the benefits of the ICT far outweigh the fears of cultural pollution. A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) involving parents, NGOs working in this area and teachers in post primary and tertiary institutions will be the pivot around which the study will revolve

Municipal Solid Waste Management and the Inland Water Bodies: Nigerian Perspectives

Municipal solid waste (MSW) composition, natural transformation, dynamics and impacts on inland water bodies in Nigeria were examined, using dumpsites and landfills as the common markers. Nigeria is estimated to have over 178.5 million people and kg/capita/day of 0.26–1.02 MSW, projected to increase with the expansion of the economy which is in need of better articulated MSW management strategies. The enormous natural inland surface and groundwater resources are daily challenged directly and indirectly, through decline in physical, chemical and biological quality. Solid waste disposal along the waterways and leachates from natural activities on materials at dumpsites and landfills was strongly identified and recognized as the source of pollutant inputs. The immediate and projected public health consequences in changes in inland waters were provided for resident aquatic organisms, some of which serves as food for resident human populations that are largely dependent on these water bodies for their daily water requirements

Phytochemical constituents and antioxidant properties of acetone extract of Cleome gynandra (L.) growing in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Background: Several wild vegetables have been reported for their therapeutic benefits in South Africa. Many of these plants including Cleome gynandra (L.) lack scientific reports on its significance in folkloric medicine. Therefore, this study was undertaken to evaluate quantitatively the compositions of phytochemicals and antioxidant properties of acetone extract of different parts of C. gynandra.Materials and Method: Antioxidant activities were assessed against ferric reducing power, ABTS (2, 2’- azino-bis-3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6- sulfonic acid) diammonium salt, DPPH (1, 1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and NO (nitric oxide) radical scavenging activities. Total phenolics, flavonoids, flavanols, proanthocyanidins, tannins, saponins and alkaloids were also investigated.Results: Amongst the different plant parts, the leaf extract had the highest concentration of total phenolics (126.79 ± 0.55 mg/g), flavonoids (40.58 ± 0.06 mg/g) and flavanols (42.41 ± 0.05 mg/g) while the stem extract had the highest amount of proanthocyanidins (419.01 ± 0.67 mg/g) compared to the leaves (403.29 ± 0.89 mg/g) and fruits (107.18 ± 0.59 mg/g). The reducing power of the extracts was significantly higher than that of the standard drugs used in a concentration dependent manner. The activities of the plant extracts against ABTS, DPPH and NO radicals were dose responsive with IC50 value of 0.2, 0.1 and 0.03 mg/g respectively.Conclusion: C. gynandra possesses high secondary metabolites which accounts for its strong antioxidant ability thus justifying its use as natural occurring antioxidants in folkloric medicine. The study encourages a regular consumption of this wild vegetable in order to avert oxidative stress related diseases.Key words: Cleome gynandra, natural antioxidant, polyphenolics, antioxidant activity, phytochemical constituents

School Plant Planning: A Prerequisite for the Attainment of Educational Goals and Objectives

School plant planning is often considered an essential aspect of educational planning. The realization of educational goals and objectives is attainable through appropriate school plant planning. It therefore behooves that school plant is appropriately planned to facilitate the effectiveness of school system. This paper examines conceptual clarification of school plant planning, shows the need for school plant planning in an ideal school system, observes school plant planning process, considers challenges of school plant planning in Nigeria and concludes that the realisation of educational goals and objectives, no doubt, depends on the extent to which government and administrators of schools are able to give school plant planning adequate attention needed. It is recommended that considerable time be devoted in planning school plant for both intended and existing schools in order to achieve the educational goals and objectives. Keywords: School plant planning, Educational goal, Educational objective and Facilit

SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, KNOWLEDGE OF FAMILY PLANNING AND FERTILITY PREFERENCE: EFFECTS ON MARRIED MEN’S CONTRACEPTIVE BEHAVIOUR IN NIGERIA.

A lot of resources channeled to addressing fertility and contraceptive uptake issues in Nigeria focuses mainly on women neglecting the vital role men play in these issues. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of married men’s socio-demographic factors, knowledge of family planning and fertility preference on contraceptive behaviour in Nigeria. Using the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey Data on men, the relationships between fertility preference and socio-demographic factors, and knowledge of family planning was examined. Also examined was the relationships between contraceptive behaviour and socio-demographic factors, knowledge of family planning and fertility preference. Among married men only 16.4% reported using contraceptives and 95.8% reported knowing modern contraceptive methods. It was observed in the result that urban dwellers were more likely to use contraceptives than those living in rural areas. The likelihood of using contraceptives increased as married men get more education. Christians were more likely to use contraceptives than Muslims and Traditionalists. Married men who had knowledge of modern contraceptives were more likely to use contraceptives than those who had no knowledge/knowledge of folkloric/traditional methods. Married men who desired no more children were more likely to use contraceptives than those who desired more children. This study recommends more focus on men in policy and program interventions which would likely produce the desired effect in reducing fertility, by changing men’s contraceptive behaviour and attitudes towards small family size

Nurse led educational intervention on the knowledge of management of selected childhood conditions among mothers of under five in tertiary hospitals in Bayelsa state

Background: Infant and child mortality remains a daunting challenge in Nigeria as findings showed inadequacy in knowledge and skills regarding management of selected childhood conditions among mothers. This study assessed a nurse-led educational intervention on management of selected childhood conditions among mothers of under-five in tertiary hospitals in Bayelsa State.Method: Two group pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental design was used for the study. Total enumeration was adopted to include 150 mothers of under-five. Data were collected using a self-developed questionnaire and a checklist pre and post intervention. Two research questions were answered using descriptive statistics of while hypotheses were tested using inferential statistics of t-test at 0.05 level of significance.Results: Findings showed that pre-intervention knowledge was below average in both control (23.19±6.66) and experimental (21.97±7.32) while an improvement was found with the participants' post-intervention knowledge on the management of selected childhood conditions in the experimental (49.99±5.86) group and not with the control (23.82±6.75) group. No significant difference was found in the pre intervention knowledge (Mean difference=1.22, t(148)=1.01, p=0.103) in the control and experimental group, while a significant difference was reported in the post intervention mean score on knowledge (Mean diff. = 26.17, t(148)=19.45, p=0.000) in the control and experimental group.Conclusion: The nurse-led intervention programme improved knowledge and skills in the management of selected childhood conditions among mothers of under-five. It is recommended that more awareness should be created on the management of selected childhood conditions parameters

An Empirical Evaluation of Software Quality Assurance Practices and Challenges in a Developing Country

Globally, it has been ascertained that the implementation of software quality assurance practices throughout the software development cycle yields quality software products that satisfies the user and meets specified requirements. The awareness and adoption of these techniques has recorded increase in the quality and patronage of software products. However, in developing countries like Nigeria indigenous software produced is not patronized by large corporations such as banks for their financial portfolio, and even the government. This research investigated the software quality assurance practices of practitioners in Nigeria, and the challenges being faced in implementing software quality in a bid to improve the quality and patronage of software. It was observed that while most practitioners claim to adhere to software quality practices, they barely have an understanding of software quality standards and a vast majority do not have a distinct software quality assurance team to enforce this quality. The core challenges inhibiting the practice of these software quality standards have also been identified. The research has helped to reveal some issues within the industry, of which possible solutions have been proffered

Policymakers Dependence on Evidence in Education Decision Making in Oyo State Ministry of Education

This study investigated policymaker dependence on evidence in education decision making in Oyo State Ministry of Education. The study was conducted under a descriptive survey design, 44 out of the 290 policymakers of the Ministry and Board of Education across the State were purposively selected for the study. Descriptive statistics of frequency counts, percentages and inferential statistics of Chi-Square were used to analyze the data. The four research questions which guided the study were answered. Findings revealed that policymakers depend on research evidence in making education decisions. Furthermore, the study also revealed that research-related factors, researcher-related factors, channel-related factors and policymakers-related factors are all determinants to the use of evidence in education decision making. Finally, the study found that policymakers are encumbered to use evidence in decision making as a result of: nature of research, researcher- related, medium- related and policymaker-related factors. Based on the findings, the study thus recommended that opportunities should be made available to practitioners and researchers to collaborate, disseminate findings, co-construct ideas, and set research agendas. Finally, that positive attitude towards commissioning and funding of policy-related research should be given top priority. Keywords: policymakers, research evidence, researcher and evidence-base

Factors contributing to delay in parasite clearance in uncomplicated falciparum malaria in children

Background: Drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum is common in many endemic and other settings but there is no clear recommendation on when to change therapy when there is delay in parasite clearance after initiation of therapy in African children. Methods: The factors contributing to delay in parasite clearance, defined as a clearance time > 2 d, in falciparum malaria were characterized in 2,752 prospectively studied children treated with anti-malarial drugs between 1996 and 2008. Results: 1,237 of 2,752 children (45%) had delay in parasite clearance. Overall 211 children (17%) with delay in clearance subsequently failed therapy and they constituted 72% of those who had drug failure, i.e., 211 of 291 children. The following were independent risk factors for delay in parasite clearance at enrolment: age less than or equal to 2 years (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]1.44-3.15, P < 0.0001), presence of fever (AOR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.04-1.69, P = 0.019), parasitaemia >50,000/ul (AOR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.77-2.75, P < 0.0001), and enrolment before year 2000 (AOR= 1.55, 95% CI = 1.22-1.96, P < 0.0001). Following treatment, a body temperature ≥ 38°C and parasitaemia > 20000/μl a day after treatment began, were independent risk factors for delay in clearance. Non-artemisinin monotherapies were associated with delay in clearance and treatment failures, and in those treated with chloroquine or amodiaquine, with pfmdr 1/pfcrt mutants. Delay in clearance significantly increased gametocyte carriage (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Delay in parasite clearance is multifactorial, is related to drug resistance and treatment failure in uncomplicated malaria and has implications for malaria control efforts in sub-Saharan Africa

Demand for Branded Sausage Rolls in Ibadan Metropolis

With increasing urbanization and population growth in Nigeria, demand for fast food has increased considerably. The market for sausage roll of different brands in particular has continued to expand attesting to its competitive market. The need to determine the factors influencing the consumers’ expenditure on branded sausage rolls and the extent of sales inequalities among sellers prompted this study. These objectives were achieved using multiple regression and Gini coefficient/Lorenz curve analyses. The study revealed that buying and selling of sausage rolls were common among the youths. Despite the expansion in the sausage rolls market, less than 1% (0.69%) of the respondent’s monthly income was spent on sausage rolls. Gala has the largest market share (25.8%) and highest inequality in sales revenue (0.30). Fifty percent (50%) of the gala sellers controlled about 71% of the total sales for gala in the study area. Age, marital status, year of education and monthly income of respondents were factors influencing amount spent on sausage rolls per week in the study area. Brand dominance can be reduced if other competitors increase their market penetration and embark on market segmentation based on age and locations