Insecurity and national economic development implications for Nigeria’s vision 20: 2020

Since the past decade or more, Nigeria has witnessed an unprecedented security challenges occasioned by the activities of militants in the south south region, kidnappers in the south east, violent armed robbery in almost parts of the country, political assassination, ritual killings and more recently activities of Boko Haram in some parts of the northern region especially north east. These social menace, when put together impinge on the security of lives and property of both Nigerian citizens and foreigners living or even trying to invest in the country. Thus, more particularly, sincelate last year 2011, suicide bombings in some parts of the northern region have put Nigerians and foreigners on their toes. This has become worrisome in the face of Nigeria’s preparedness to be ranked among the twenty (20) developed countries of the world by the year 2020. These social menace trigger off a worrisome sense of insecurity that challenge Nigeria’s efforts towards national economic development and consequently its vision 20:2020. It also scares the attraction of foreign investment and their contributions to economic development in Nigeria. This paper recommends effective leadership and good governance as a panacea to solving problems of insecurity, unemployment, poverty, hunger, disease, etc.Keywords: Insecurity, Vision 20:2020, Militants, Kidnappers, Armed Robbers, Boko Haram and National Economic Development

An interface between environment and poverty: A case study of Niger Delta region in Nigeria

Since the environment man lives in affects him either positively or negatively, it behoves him therefore to protect and manage this environment very well for his own benefit. Thus, in Third World countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, most people depend on the natural resources as a means of livelihood. In Nigeria, for instance, the government and its agencies in particular and the people as a whole owe it a responsibility to manage, conserve, preserve and sustain the environment. According to the United Nations (2002), 189 countries signed the millennium declaration, which led to the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals, one of which is to ensure environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, however, where the reverse becomes the case the consequence is usually enormous. For example, desertification, degradation, de-aforestation, pollution (air and water), acid rain and other problems that are dangerous to earth and to human beings become the order of the day. What is more, those people who depend on the natural resources for their means of livelihood become impoverished. This study identifies environmental problems in the Niger Delta Region that are occasioned by man’s activities on the environment. In particular, it points out that as a result of the exploitation of the natural resources like oil among others and the consequent inability to manage the environment effectively, poverty has become the order of the day in that region. It also analyzes government’s efforts at the environmental management, control and sustainability. The study concludes by suggesting ways for effective management and sustainability for the optimal use, growth and development of people in particular and the nation as a whole

Impact of Age and Sex on Outcomes and Hospital Cost of Acute Asthma in the United States, 2011-2012

Background Worldwide, asthma is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality and economic burden, with significant gender and racial disparities. However, little attention has been given to the independent role of age on lifetime asthma severity and hospitalization. We aimed to assess the effect of age, gender, race and ethnicity on indicators of asthma severity including asthma related hospitalization, mortality, hospital cost, and the rate of respiratory failure. Methods We analyzed the 2011 and 2012 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project- National Inpatient Sample (NIS). We validated and extended those results using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP; 2002-2011) database. Severe asthma was prospectively defined using the stringent American Thoracic Society (ATS) definition. Results Hospitalization for asthma was reported in 372,685 encounters in 2012 and 368,528 in 2011. The yearly aggregate cost exceeded $2 billion. There were distinct bimodal distributions for hospitalization age, with an initial peak at 5 years and a second at 50 years. Likewise, this bimodal age distribution of patients with severe asthma was identified using SARP. Males comprised the majority of individuals in the first peak, but women in the second. Aggregate hospital cost mirrored the bimodal peak distribution. The probability of respiratory failure increased with age until the age of 60, after which it continued to increase in men, but not in women. Conclusions Severe asthma is primarily a disease of young boys and middle age women. Greater understanding of the biology of lung aging and influence of sex hormones will allow us to plan for targeted interventions during these times in order to reduce the personal and societal burdens of asthma

Hepatoprotective Activities Of Methanolic Extract Of Nauclea Latifolia

The hepatoprotective activity of the root bark extract of Nauclea latifolia was tested in vivo. The root bark was defatted with diethyl ether and then extracted with methanol and the methanolic extract was recovered on a 9.3 % w/w yield. The LD50 of the methanolic extract in rats was 300 mg/kg (i.p). It showed no significant effect on pentobarbital-induced sleep in rats after i.p. injection. The extract significantly reduced pentobarbital-induced sleep in paracetmol and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxicated rats. The elevataion of Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) induced by paracetamol and CCl4 intoxication in rats was also significantly (