Rural migration and rural development: an exploratory study of return migrants in selected rural communities of Nigeria

An analysis of return migration to rural areas in Nigeria is presented. Data are from a survey of 1,150 households in two villages of the Ishan Division of Bendel State. The characteristics of migrants and nonmigrants are compared, and reasons for return migration are considered. (ANNOTATION

The Demand for Pre-School Care: An Aspect of the Problems of the Nigerian Working Mother

One of the changes brought about by the increasing employment of women outside the home is the demand for both custodial and developmental care for their pre-school age children 1. The demand situation for extra-maternal child care in Nigeria seems to be aggravated by the gradual erosion of the traditional resources for extramaternal childcare such as the community of friends and relations, hired nursemaids and servants, and the inadequate provision of extrafamilial institutions such as nurseries and daycare centres. Rather than quantify the demand for extramaternal care for children, this study assesses the childcare arrangements of working mothers and inquires into the existing resources for meeting this demand both within and outside the household. It is concluded that demand for extramaternal childcare of both custodial and developmental nature is not fulfilled by existing resources. Therefore, it is being suggested that an inventory of existing pre-school institutions such as nurseries and daycare centres, programmes for the improvement and expansion of these facilities would facilitate the participation of women in the labour force and their effective contribution to social and economic development

The demographic factor in the provision of health facilities in developing countries: the case of Nigeria

Current emphasis on preventive health measures in developing countries such as Nigeria is not often reflected in actual performance of health programmes. It is still common to find that a major proportion of the health budget is expended on the construction of modern hospitals in a few privileged areas such as the major towns and urban centres. This strategy of medical care delivery continues in spite of the demographic situation which makes it virtually impossible for any developing nation to aim at providing adequate hospital-based care for its growing and basically rural population. Therefore, it is being suggested that the existing practice of medical care planning which places an undue emphasis on hospital based care is too expensive and will have to give way to less expensive and comprehensive strategies involving community participation such as health education, nutritional improvement programmes and more reliance on local medical resources

Youth Labour Market outcomes in Nigeria: Evidence from National Labour Market Survey

This study examines the determinants of youth unemployment in the Nigerian labour market. The data for this study were obtained from the Labour Force Sample Survey of 2005, carried out by the defunct National Manpower Board. In addition to the descriptive statistics used in the analyses, the binary logistic regression model was employed. The study has empirically confirmed the magnitude of unemployment among the youths in Nigeria and that in 2005 when the data for this study was collected, the youths were more than three times as likely as the adults to be unemployed. The data analysis also enabled the study to identify the basic determinants of youth unemployment. Some of these factors are the formal educational attainment of respondents, region of origin, household status, and household size, among others. Several policy prescriptions to reduce unemployment rate and increase both the participation rate and employment-to-population ratio among the youths in Nigeria were put forward in the paper

Determinants of labour force participation in Nigeria: The influence of household structure

This study examines, empirically, the influence of household structure on labor market participation in Nigeria, using the data collected by the defunct National Manpower Board in the Nigerian Labour Markket Survey conducted in year 2005. Iin addition to other traditional explanatory variables, the study employs other variables measuring the influence of household characteristics of the studied population in the determination of participation rates. The method of data analysis is two-fold. The first is the descriptive analyses of the characteristics of the labour force in Nigeria, while the second employs both the probabilility and logit regression models in estimating the labour force participation rates. Both methods of analyses were carried out using the SPSS software. The study establishes the relative importance of the household structure in influencing labor force participation of household members while the other traditional economic and socio-demographic variables conform to apriori expectations. In line with the findings, a gender-friendly policy that addresses the constraints facing women’s work and their full participation in the labor market is advocated

Effect of Preservation Methods of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) Sap and Wine on the Mineral and Vitamin Compositions for Reproductive Health

Fifteen litres of freshly tapped oil palm sap were collected from a palm wine tapper at Ajuona-Nsukka, Enugu State, in a cooler packed with ice blocks, and divided into three lots. Each lot (5 L) was subjected to either heat treatment (70oC for 40 min to obtain pasteurized palm sap), freezing (- 4oC till frozen), or left untreated to serve as fresh palm sap along with 5 litre of market palm wine, bought from Ogbete Main market, Nsukka. Pasteurized palm sap had significantly (p<0.05) higher levels of vitamin A and β-carotene when compared to the other samples probably as a result of concentration due to its lower moisture content. The levels of vitamin A and β-carotene contents decreased in the following order; pasteurized palm sap fresh palm sap, frozen palm sap, and palm wine. The presence of vitamin A in tap water may be as a result of contamination by algae present in the tap hole. Vitamin C content of the samples were 1.48±0.24%, 1.17±0.19%, 0.62±0.00%, and 0.44±0.05 (%) for fresh palm sap, frozen palm sap, market palm wine and pasteurized palm sap, respectively. The mineral contents of the samples showed that copper was not detected in all the samples except in the market palm wine which contained 0.057 + 0.001ppm. The presence of copper in the market palm wine may be an indication of contamination of palm wine by the mineral. The equipments for handling of palm sap and wine should therefore be free of copper so as to avoid high concentration of copper in the samples that may be harmful to the health of consuming public. It was asserted that despite the level of palm sap in palm products, the proportional equivalence of any mineral or vitamin in relation to others is more important for its absorption in the blood stream. Also, higher accumulation of any given vitamin and minerals could result to intoxication and thus affect, not only reproductive health, but also overall health indices of an individual. Keywords: Palm sap, Palm wine, Vitamins, Minerals, Reproduction, Preservatio

Effect of Internet Financial Reporting on Stock Prices and Dividend Yield of Quoted Non-Financial Companies in Nigeria

The study examined the effect of internet financial reporting (IFR) on stock prices and dividend yield of quoted non-financial companies in Nigeria. The population of the study consisted fifty (50) non-financial companies listed in Nigerian Stock Exchange. Simple Random Sampling Techniques was adopted to choose a sample size of five companies used in the study. The study covers the period from 1995 to 2014. Secondary data was adopted for this study and it was extracted from the annual reports of the sampled companies. Data was analysed using Ordinary Least Square (OLS). Results revealed that Internet Financial Reporting has significant influence on stock prices (p<0.0005) and dividend yield (p<0.0005). This study concluded that internet reporting gives companies opportunity to assess investors and prospective investors who are widely dispersed across the globe and whose decision making in respect of investment in shares will affect the companies. The study also recommended that official regulation should be put in place and enforced to check fraudulent information disclosure that would deceive prospective investors; and punitive actions should also be taken against any erring company in order to protect investors’ decision. Keywords: Internet Financial Reporting, Financial Companies, Non-Financial Companies, Internet,  Information, Investor

The role of iron oxide nanoparticles in the diagnosis of vascular diseases: a systematic review

Background: Vascular diseases remain a cause of high patient mortality globally. Current diagnoses are often through contrast-enhanced computed-tomography or magnetic-resonance-imaging (MRI) with approximately 80% sensitivity. Iron oxide nanoparticles are increasingly used in enhancing vascular disease diagnosis due to their ability to selectively deliver imaging agents to specific locations. This article describes studies investigating the use of iron oxide nanoparticles in the diagnosis of vascular diseases in humans. Method: A literature search was conducted to identify studies assessing the role of nanoparticles in the management of vascular diseases using PubMed from Jan 2011 to June 2016. The following search terms were applied "vascular diseases" AND "nanoparticles". Human studies investigating the role of nanoparticles in vascular diseases were included. Studies excluded were ex vivo and in vitro human association studies, and non-English studies. Results: Nine out of 179 studies met the inclusion criteria. Sample size ranged from 1 to 23 median 14, inter-quartile range (IQR, 5.5 - 20.0). Five studies reported that ultra-small super paramagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) enhanced MRI assessment of vascularity, and macrophage content in atherosclerotic carotid plaques. Three studies demonstrated that ultra-small super paramagnetic iron oxide improved MRI diagnosis of myocardial infarction and allows the detection of the peri-infarct zone. One study did not support the latter findings. Conclusions: Iron oxide nanoparticles are effective at improving detection and diagnosis of vascular diseases, although the long term effects of these agents are not yet known