AN ASSESSMENT OF GENDER RELATED FACTORS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS OF STUDENTS IN SELECTED PUBLIC TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine gender related factors and entrepreneurial intentions of students in selected tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It was as well focused on the barriers to male and female entrepreneurial activities in the selected tertiary institutions in Nigeria, to determine how effective entrepreneurship education is shaping the entrepreneurial intentions of female and male students in the selected tertiary institutions, examine how entrepreneurial intention of male and female students differ in the selected tertiary institutions; and to assess the gender stereotype for male and female students in the selected tertiary institutions.   Theoretical Framework: The common stereotypical view of females being submissive to their male counterparts is said to be clashing with the inherent nature of entrepreneurship intention, and the propensity towards launching an entrepreneurial business may be seen as an impairing factor for female students. In this sense, the paper has sought to systematically review various publications on gender related factors and entrepreneurial intentions of students of public tertiary institutions.   Design/Methodology/Approach: The study adopted a cross-sectional survey method using a structured questionnaire. The study area comprised of selected public tertiary institutions in Southwest Nigeria. Six tertiary institutions were selected for the purpose of this study. Students that have participated in entrepreneurship education in the selected tertiary institution in Nigeria are the target population for the study. Data from 351 respondents were assessed based on gender related factors and entrepreneurial intentions of students in selected tertiary institutions in Nigeria using descriptive and inferential statistics.    Findings: The study found female students facing more barriers in balancing academic and entrepreneurial activities compared to male students. The study recommends that proper orientation should be given to students on the importance of entrepreneurship education and how it can help them to become self-employed after school and students should be properly oriented on barriers and gender stereotypes, and how it influence their entrepreneurial intentions.   Originality/Value: The study therefore concludes that the distribution of barriers is not the same across the two categories of gender. Meanwhile, balancing academic and entrepreneurial activities, bad state of the economy and lack of capital as well as access to funds were the most popular barriers to entrepreneurial activities among tertiary institution students in Nigeria. Entrepreneurship education has statistically significant influence on entrepreneurial intention of students in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Three gender based stereotypes: active and energetic, sensitive to the needs of others and prone to position were statistically significantly different between female and male students which are not sufficient for generalization in this study. Nevertheless, the level of entrepreneurial intention is the same across the two categories of gender

Employees’ Resilience, Organizational Culture and Sustainable Performance of Tertiary Hospitals in Oyo State, Nigeria

Purpose: The study examined the role of employees’ resilience and organisational culture in the sustainable performance of tertiary hospitals in Oyo State, Nigeria, it examined the nature of relationship that exist among employees resilience level, organisational culture and sustainable performance; examined the influence of employees resilience level on sustainable performance; determined the impact of organisational culture on tertiary hospitals sustainable performance; investigated the moderating role of organisational culture in the relationship between employee resilience level and tertiary hospitals sustainable performance; and examined the impact of medical personnel resilience on patient satisfaction in tertiary hospitals. The conditions of the health workers in Nigeria necessitated this study in order to draw the attention of policy makers and tertiary hospitals Management to the need of coming to the aid of health workers in terms of improved services.   Theoretical framework:  The aim of employees’ resilience in the tertiary hospital is to ensure effective performance of the health workers and for them to be able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions in the world of works. Noting that they experience serious stress as a result of the mass relocation of health workers in Nigeria to the western world for greener pastures which therefore put pressures on the ones on ground and finding it difficult to cope with the rigor of work. The study proffers solutions to the difficulties being experience by the health workers. When compared with the developed countries, health workers welfare are well taken care of which the reverse is the case in Nigeria.   Methodology/Design/Approach: This study adopted quantitative design through a survey approach to answer the research questions raised. Questionnaire was made use of to gather data. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques of Social Package of Social Sciences, The population of the study comprises of two (2) sets of respondents which are Medical Personnel and Patients, 338 Medical Personnel and 50 patients were given questionnaire and wee returned.   Findings: The outcome of the findings indicated that employees’ resilience level has a statistically significant positive and low correlation with sustainable performance ( ). Moreover, employees resilience has a statistically significant positive correlation with organizational culture ( ). In addition, organizational culture had a positive and statistically significant relationship with sustainable performance ( ). The result revealed that organizational culture did not moderate the relationship between employees’ resilience level and tertiary hospital sustainable performance ( ). This implies that organizational culture is not a moderator between employees’ resilience level and tertiary hospital sustainable performance. The results also revealed that patients are satisfied with the communication style of the medical personnel (100%), the explanation mode of the medical personnel (85%), the ways by which the medical personnel relate with them (95%), general relationship (100%), the technical skills of the medical personnel (80%) and awareness of their health issue (100%). The medical personnel are well trained and cultured through their professional ways of discharging their duties to safe lives. It also, charged the Nigerian Government to improve in the working conditions of the health workers.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The study resolves by implication that, employees’ resilience and organizational culture have significant relationship with sustainable performance while employees’ resilience level has a statistically significant positive correlation with organizational culture. Employees’ resilience through contextual and behavioural dimensions do not significant predictors on sustainable performance while cognitive dimension significantly predicts of tertiary hospital sustainable performance. The study also clarified that organizational culture is not a moderator of the relationship between employees’ resilience and tertiary hospital sustainable performance. Patients are satisfied with the medical personnel service delivery in these tertiary hospitals. It recommends among others, that medical personnel’s behavioural and contextual dimensions of employees’ resilience should be further enhanced by hospital stakeholders, especially the management to enhance sustainable performance.   Originality/Value: The study added value to body of knowledge because its implications both practical and social affirmed that without creating enabling environment, organizational culture, the level of employees’ resilience is advanced and better and appropriate management strategies, organizational culture that will meet up with its optimization level in terms service delivery and effective welfare of health workers should be put in place from time ti time. The study as recommends that medical personnel’s behavioural and contextual dimensions of employees’ resilience level should be further enhanced by hospital stakeholders, especially the management to enhance sustainable performance

Stress Management and Employee Performance

Purpose: This study investigated the extend at which stress has affected the performance of staff in organization setting. It addressed how performance can be improved upon for effective service delivery.   Improving the performance of employees working within an organization has received attention in different contexts. This occurs because for an organization to achieve high performance, the contributions of its employees matter a lot to achieve their goals. For any organization to achieve its essence, it must have acquired the right calibre of employees and managed them properly. Is at the instance of this that this study was carried out to address how improved performance can be recorded and how stress can be properly managed for effective service delivery.   Theoretical framework:  The aim of stress management is to ensure effective performance of staff in organization and to meet the aim of the organization and deliver services effectively. Several concepts, such as: stress, stressors, signs, symptoms and sources, stress management, stress management practice and employee performance were reviewed to align with the direction of the study. The focus is to see to how personnel in organization can perform effectively, be able to manage stress. Factors causing stress were studied and addressed.   Methodology/Design/Approach: This study which is descriptively adopted the survey research method. The study was carried out at a private university in southwest Nigeria.  The population of this study comprised all the non-academic staff in the university. Two hundred and eighty (280) non-academic staff of the University participated in the survey. The questionnaire was the instrument for data collection in this research. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data that had been obtained.   Findings: The study finding revealed that stress has a significant impact on employee performance. The outcome also showed a substantial correlation between employees' performance and personal stress management strategies. This suggests that personal stress management strategies should be encouraged because they are linked to workers' productivity. The findings suggest that its contribution to employee performance is minimal perhaps because individuals do not adopt these techniques of stress management.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The study concentrate on how stress can be well managed in organization because of the ill stress has caused in the performance of organization.  It has also been established that there are two techniques namely individual and organisational approaches to stress management.   Originality/value: The study added value to body of knowledge because its outcome showed that without effective stress management strategies, organization can not meet up with its optimization level in terms service delivery and achieving the goals of the organization.  The individual techniques of stress management were found to have a significant role to play in suppressing employee poor performance while the organizational stress management techniques provide organizational support for employees to improve their performance on the job. This study established that effective stress management among non-academics of Bowen University would improve their performance on the job. The study as recommends that Management should redefine the stress management policy of the University to address gaps in it and make it more robust

GENDER-RELATED FACTORS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS OF UNDERGRADUATES IN SELECTED FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTHWEST, NIGERIA

Purpose: The study assesses the gender related factors and entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate students of selected Federal Universities in Southwest, Nigeria. It specifically, examined barriers to male and female entrepreneurial activities in the selected Universities; assessed how entrepreneurship education has impacted entrepreneurial intentions of female and male undergraduates in the study area; and evaluated how entrepreneurial intentions of male and female undergraduates differ in the study area.   Theoretical Framework:  The study's foundation was Social Feminist Theory (SFT), which clarified the widely held stereotype that women are subservient to men. This stereotype is said to conflict with the innate desire for entrepreneurship, and female students' inclination to start their own businesses may be viewed as a hindrance. In this regard, the study has attempted to conduct a methodical assessment of several publications concerning the relationship between gender and the entrepreneurial intentions of students at particular Federal Universities in the Southwest region of Nigeria.   Design/Methodology/Approach: To guide the investigation, three research questions were developed. Similarly, three objectives and three null hypotheses were generated for the study. The study adopted the use of  a cross-sectional survey approach, and structured questionnaire administration was made use of,  to gather data. A total of 1,820 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and were all recovered for the study. The study made use of a well-structured and validated “Gender Related Factors and Entrepreneurial Intentions Questionnaire” as the instrument for data collection. The data analysis included both inferential and descriptive statistics, such as; Mann-Whitney U Test, Multiple Linear Regression and basic percentages, counts, mean, and standard deviation..    Findings: The study found  that female students faced more barriers to entrepreneurial activities than male students. The distribution of barriers is not the same across the two categories of gender. Entrepreneurship education is positively related to entrepreneurial intention and explains a variation in the level of entrepreneurial intention of undergraduate students in the selected Federal universities. Female students showed less entrepreneurial intention than male students and suggests that the distribution of entrepreneurial intention is not the same across the two categories of gender.   Originality/Value: The study, recommended among others that; Policymakers and stakeholders in entrepreneurship matters should give adequate consideration and preference to the female gender in terms of training and other forms of entrepreneurial education to foster better intention with them. Nevertheless, the male gender must not be ignored completely as this may result in a viscous cycle; University management, facilitators and lecturers should also improve on the techniques and methods used in teaching entrepreneurship in Nigerian universities to positively impact the entrepreneurial intention of university students; and Management should also use attractive methods and practical styles that will raise the curiosity of students to the field of entrepreneurship.

A Viable Entrepreneurship Education as an Antidote for Eradication of Poverty and Unemployment Among Youths in Nigeria

Nigeria is passing through a period of uncertainty and pervasive economic recession which has further aggravated the problem of poverty and unemployment among Nigerian youths. These jobless youths take solace in all form of atrocities and social vices that pose a serious threat to sustainable development of the nation. This research took a cursory look at the concepts of poverty, youth unemployment and viable entrepreneurship education. It highlighted the lofty objectives of viable entrepreneurship education in Nigeria. The various factors responsible for poverty and youth employment in Nigeria were identified. Attention was also directed to the role of viable entrepreneurship education in eradicating poverty and youth unemployment in Nigeria. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that the curriculum of educational institutions in Nigeria should be more pragmatic and have built-in-job training programmes which would enable all students to acquire relevant entrepreneurial skills required for self-employment, job and wealth creation and poverty eradication

Practicable Vocational and Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition for job Creation and Poverty Alleviation Among Nigerian Youths

Purpose:  This study examined the concepts of poverty, youth unemployment and vocational and entrepreneurial skills acquisition. It also identified the various factors responsible for poverty and youth unemployment in Nigeria. It highlighted the rationale for Nigerian youths to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills for self-reliance, income generation, wealth creation and employment generation for others.   Theoretical Framework: The aim of  vocational and entrepreneurial skills acquisition is to make it practicable in order to drive and deliver the purpose of job creation and poverty alleviation among Nigerian youths. Making it more practicable achieves the driving force to creating economic values and creative business engagements by Nigerians. The focus also provides job opportunities for the teeming Nigerian youths, channels their future to productive activities and turn to make poverty and unemployment to be things of the past if the practicability is achieved through entrepreneurial activities.   Design/Methodology/Approach:  The study adopted the mode of conducting literature review and conceptualization of the variables and x-rayed the  reasons for poverty and unemployment and deepen how the social problems can be identified and reduced to the barest minimum in Nigeria.   Findings: Our findings revealed there is serious poverty and unemployment in Nigeria. It as well suggest that it is of valuable and useful direction to promote practicable skills acquisition among Nigerian youths and that the curricula of Nigerian educational institutions should be more pragmatic and have built-in-job training programmes that would enable students to acquire relevant practicable vocational and entrepreneurial skills required for self-employment, job and wealth creation and poverty alleviation. While all stakeholders should be actively involved in the funding of vocational and entrepreneurship education.   Research, Practical & Social implications: This study in its focus contributes to a better understanding of the important role being played by entrepreneurial skills acquisition in achieving practicable vocational skills and to develop entrepreneurial attitudes of Nigerian youths  that will form the economic growth of the country through their engagements and make them employers of labour through their acquired practicable vocational skills acquisition to better the society. This study also contributes to a better understanding of the causes of the menace which therefore proffers solution to tackling the problem of poverty among Nigerian youths through the provision of a viable, robust, comprehensive and practical-oriented vocational and entrepreneurship education.  It also expressed how the collective responsibility of all prominent Nigerians could be keyed-into supporting entrepreneurship programmes in Nigeria in the area of funding of vocational and entrepreneurship education in Nigeria which both Government at Federal, State and Local Government levels and the Non-Govermental Organisations (NGOs).   Originality/value: The added value of this study provides insights on how vocational entrepreneurial skills acquisition programmes can be practicable effective in a way to structure the future of Nigerian youths and citizens for productive economic activities. It is as well sought how poverty and unemployment can be reduced and make citizens focus for economic growth and self-dependence businesses

Youth Empowerment Programmes Through Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition for Self-Reliance in Ondo State, Nigeria: An Appraisal

Purpose: The study appraised youth empowerment programmes through entrepreneurial skills acquisition for self-reliance in Ondo State, Nigeria.   Theoretical framework: The conceptual framework was developed based on an extensive literature review to establish the relationship between youth empowerment, entrepreneurial skills acquisition and self-reliance. This framework serves as a guiding structure for the study, determining the way out of the virulent, devastating, torturing, and continuous  menace of poverty and unemployment bedeviling the youths of Nigeria and proffer lasting solution through entrepreneurial skills acquisition for self-reliance.   Design/Methodology/Approach: The study adopted empirical research approach. Data was gathered from four hundred and fifty participants drawn from six Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition Centres in three Local Government Areas of Ondo State. The collection of data was by the means of a questionnaire that was structured and well-validated titled Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition for Job Creation Questionnaire. Descriptive and inductive statistics were used for the data analysis.   Findings: The outcome revealed that many jobless school leavers and graduates in Ondo State were completely ignorant of training opportunities provided by Ondo State Government due to inadequate publicity of the programmes. The Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition Programmes were not sufficiently funded; most of the Centre buildings were dilapidated and poorly maintained; while the resource persons at the Centres were grossly inadequate and poorly motivated. The acquired entrepreneurial skills have been helping the recipients to set up small-scale business enterprises for self-employment and reliance.   Research, Practical and Social implications: The study contributes immensely and shows that it is no more contestable that in Nigeria today, the acquirement of appropriate entrepreneurial skills will greatly assist the jobless school leavers and tertiary educational institutions graduates in ameliorating the problem of unemployment and poverty and also lessen the several crimes and social vices commonly committed by most youths of Nigeria. The Nigerian youths who have acquired entrepreneurial skills will undoubtedly decide properly on the business enterprise to embark upon and how to seek initial financial assistance to put it in progress.   Originality/Value: The conceptual framework of the study, its empirical research approach, incomparable modality, and practical recommendations contribute to the existing body of knowledge on youth empowerment programmes through entrepreneurial skills acquisition which champions the reduction of unemployment and poverty in Nigeria. It as well  providing valuable direction for stakeholders in  building a supportive creativity in the educational system

Transforming Early Microbial Detection: Investigating Innovative Biosensors for Emerging Infectious Diseases

The recent global pandemic has highlighted an increase in the prevalence of communicable diseases caused by pathogens. The swift transmission of these diseases within a short timeframe presents a substantial risk to public health worldwide. The inefficiency of traditional diagnostic instruments, which need a time-consuming and complex process in the laboratory, is a significant obstacle to medical care. Currently, there is a high need for the advancement of early detection in order to rapidly diagnose infectious diseases and provide on-site results. This is crucial for prompt and early intervention to improve treatment outcomes. This also provides rapid testing and high-quality microbiological detection, comparable to laboratory standards, in a matter of minutes. Prompt diagnosis and subsequent treatment optimization aid in controlling the spread of infectious diseases. Currently, ongoing techniques and methods are used in the advancements of early detection through biosensors. This review examines the integration of early diagnostics with biosensors, specifically in relation to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, challenges, and the future perspective

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

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