Outline and Interpretation of Ritual Symbols and Behaviours in Isiokpo-Ikwerre Religious Thought

This study focuses on ritual symbols and behaviours among the Isiokpo-Ikwerre, a people who occupy the north-eastern fringes of the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Our findings reveal that symbol in Isiokpo-Ikwerre religious thought is a kind of representation, but it is also more than that. When it occurs spontaneously, it can foretell the occurrence of that which it represents. Thus, symbols for the Isiokpo-Ikwerre, are not just mere representations or labels. They are seen as capable of affecting the objects they symbolize. In sum, they are seen as having representative, predictive and causal powers.Key Words: Interpretation; Ritual Symbols; Behaviours and Religious Though

Promoting Cultural Tourism Industry in Africa: The Place of African Indigenous Religion

This article addressed the crucial issue of the tourism industry in Africa,  attempting to show-case the richness of African cultural heritage and  spectacular natural resources as potential tourist attractions. The paper  argued that Africa can become relevant in the global tourism market by  exploring her rich cultural heritage and scenic wonders. The thrust of this paper, therefore, is to portray the close relationship between culture and  indigenous African religion; and to show how the latter provides a model for interpreting natural phenomena as well as understanding and appreciating African cultural heritage.Key words: Study, African Indigenous Religion, Cultural, Main Stay, Tourism, Afric

Effects of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Credit Supply on Rural Farmers in Rivers State, Nigeria.

The study evaluated the effect of IFAD credit supply on rural farmers in Rivers State. Data for the study were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 90 farmer’s beneficiaries using a multi-stage sampling technique. The regression result shows that semi-log function gave the best fit with the highest value of coefficient of multiple determination (R2) of 0.8758 and seven explanatory variables were significant and a significant F-value. The significant variables are farm size, off-farm income, total household labour, and educational level of farmer, gender, farm household size and IFAD credit. The study also shows that IFAD credit impacted positively on the well-being of rural farmers. The IFAD programme has contributed to increase in farm output and income. The study recommended that IFAD and their collaborating government agencies should expand their credit delivery in the study area to enable more farmers benefit from their services. Also training programme should be organized for all farmers in view of the fact that education produced significant influence on the income of the farmers. Keywords-credit supply, rural farmers, Rivers States

Correlating Diversity of Cultures and Organisation Performance in Kurdistan Region of Iraq: An Empirical Study

The increase in globalisation has made it essential for organisations in general to deal with a cultural diverse workforce. Undoubtedly, these increases are forcing both small and large companies to recognise the importance of dealing with cultural diversity by developing new procedures and policies to guide employees.  Recently, increasing workplace cultural diversity has become a significant issue for many managers of a good number of organisations in Kurdistan due to a proliferation of the presence of international businesses. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to examine the issue that borders on diversity of cultures since research in this area is almost non- existent in Kurdistan. The paper analyses the effects of cultural diversity on performance via some randomly selected organisations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The data from our findings show that there is a positive correlation between cultural diversity and organisational performance

Online Education and its Effect on the workforce

The use of technology in education, commonly defined as electronic learning (e-learning), is commonplace in the curricula of the 21st century. The role of e-learning in professional development and workforce advancement, and more specifically, its impact on Louisiana`s workforce, was analyzed. Broader statewide efforts to address barriers and challenges that impact local adult learning opportunities are also examined. This paper also reviews the benefits of online education as it impacts on students, institutions, state and federal government, and the society in its entirety. Two models are proposed: the first addresses outreach programs to improve enrollment and retention of adult students; the second discusses methodologies to ensure the successful implementation of online programs to help those adult students to succeed

The Indispensability of Managing Organizational Human Resources Judiciously

Companies all over the globe have different business strategies. Some place a lot of emphasis on generating revenue.  To them the top line in the financial statement is the most important. Market shares equal success. Other companies are more concerned with the end results. To these, the bottom line in the financial statement is the most important thing because that represents the total effort of the company

Disparities in Cervical Cancer Survival Amongst White and African American Women

Cervical cancer disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. The continuum in the disturbing morbidity and mortality trends declined markedly in 2020. However, there are more than 13,000 diagnosed cases, and almost 4,300 related deaths, and significant racial disparities in cervical cancer survival persist. The socio-ecological model served as the theoretical framework. Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression analyses were used to analyze data from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Ends Results Summary. The purpose of the study was to assess the association between race/ethnicity-related disparities in sociodemographic, histopathological, and treatment-related factors and cervical cancer survival rates amongst White and African American women in the United States. Age, marital status, year of diagnosis (except for 2013–2017, p = .945), geographical location (except Detroit Metropolitan, p = .090, Georgia, p = .505, Hawaii, p = .691, Louisiana, p = .995, and New Mexico, p =.060), tumor grade (except Grade II, p = .187), histological type (except squamous cell carcinoma, keratinizing, p = .127, and other types, p = .213), stage of cancer, and treatment-related factors were significant predictors (p \u3c .05) of cervical cancer. The study findings may lead to positive social change by informing strategies linked to implementing long-term interventions, programs, and policies to address race/ethnicity-related disparities, address the patient’s social and behavioral factors, and diversify and create a culturally competent healthcare system

Consumption of healthy and unhealthy foods by the African poor: Evidence from Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda

We use national Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) datasets from Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda to examine consumption by the rural and urban poor of “unhealthy foods” (including ultra-processed foods such as sweets and sugary beverages) versus “healthy foods” beyond starchy staples (such as vegetables, beans, animal products, and fruits). Consumption of processed foods and nonstaples is often associated in policy discussion in Africa with middle-class urban consumers rather than the poor. We analyzed household food consumption expenditure with Locally Weighted Scatterplot Smoothing (LOWESS) curves and augmented Engel regressions. We found that substantial shares of the consumption expenditure of the poor, both rural and urban, are on healthy and unhealthy foods. We found, surprisingly, that the poor’s food consumption patterns do not differ sharply from the middle classes’, in rural and urban areas, except for the case of ultra-processed foods of which the poor still consume much less than the middle class. We found that the poor dedicate 25% of their food consumption expenditure to the category vegetables/beans, versus 22% and 17% by the lower-middle and upper-middle-income strata. Fruits/animal products constitute 17% of the poor’s consumption expenditure compared to 23% and 27% by the lower- and upper-middle strata. Ultra-processed food (e.g., sugarsweetened beverages) form 12% of the consumption of the poor, versus 20% and 32% for the lower- and upper-middle strata. Shares are increasing with income starting at incomes well below the poverty line. Nonincome factors play important roles: e.g., rural off-farm employment is associated with more consumption expenditure of processed foods by the poor due to the opportunity cost of tim

Changing Farm Structure and Agricultural Commercialisation in Nigeria

Evidence is mounting that the rise of medium-scale investor farms and associated changes in the distribution of farm sizes are occurring in many African countries. These changes in the distribution of farm sizes are creating important and wide-ranging impacts at all stages of agricultural value chains. However, these effects remain poorly understood and only examined in a small number of countries to date. A better understanding of the effects of changing farm size distributions are urgently needed to guide policies aimed at achieving agricultural commercialisation and broader economic transformation objectives. This paper provides improved evidence for policies designed to support equitable and poverty-reducing agricultural commercialisation in Nigeria