Physico-chemical properties and energy potential of wood wastes from sawmills in Benin metropolis, Nigeria

The physico-chemical properties and energy potential of wood wastes were evaluated in this study. Wood wastes from five tropical species: Ekki (Lophira alata); Ohia (Celtis sp); Danta (Nesogordonia papaverifera); Omah (Cordia millenii) and Black Afara (Terminalia ivorensis) collected from sawmills across Benin Metropolis, the capital of Edo State, in South Western Nigeria were used as feedstock. Calorific values, moisture contents as well as proximate and ultimate analyses were performed to assess the energy characteristics of the collected wood wastes in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials: ASTM E872-82 and ASTM D4442-07. Results from the laboratory experiments and energy calculations revealed that the wood wastes used in this study contain relatively low moisture and ash contents, high proportions of volatile matter and carbon, high calorific values, low levels of sulphur and nitrogen as well as a sufficiently high value of thermal energy potential. The results are indications that the wood wastes are suitable as feedstock for renewable energy generation with little or no threat to the environment.Keywords: Benin Metropolis; Bio-energy; Calorific value; Energy potential; Physico-chemical properties; Wood waste

Socio-Economic Characteristics Analysis of Backyard Poultry Farming in Etsako Central Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria

The study analyzed the Socio-Economic Characteristics of Backyard Poultry Farming in Etsako Central Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria using multi-stage sampling technique to select three out of six districts in the Local Government Area with a well structure questionnaire administered to 150 randomly selected respondents while only 107 were retrieved. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics tools. The results revealed that majority (72%) of the respondents were female with most (65.4%) of them not older than 40 years in age. Most (86%) of them has one formal education or the other and are involved in only poultry rearing (58.9%) while 41.1% rears both poultry and small ruminants with 68.2% of them rearing local breeds of poultry. The result revealed that majority (72.9%) of the respondents practice extensive system of rearing with no fewer than 49.5% having flock size of between 1 and 10 birds. Most respondents (84.1%) engaged in backyard poultry rearing for income purpose. Inadequate funding (79.4%) and activities of predators (77.6%) remain the most reported severe constraints to backyard poultry rearing in the study area. It is recommended that Stake holders should make financial supports in terms of grants and single digit loan available to the respondents while the farmers too could group themselves into cooperative and thrift societies to enable them create avenue for soft loan among themselves

Website and Television Broadcasting of National Parks: A Perceived Possibility of Promoting and Marketing National Parks in Nigeria

The current coronavirus outbreak has made several organizations such as schools churches real estate consultants tourist attraction centres begin to exploit the benefits of information technology to ensure the continuous running of their operation through website and television broadcast The need for National Park in the developing countries to showcase their flora fauna and environment through website and television broadcast intervention WTBI are not farfetched It is believed WTBI could market and promote national parks in developing countries to potential tourists because through website and television broadcast intervention WTBI the developed countries have achieved high operational efficiency and income to increase National Park Visitation Intention NPVI of tourists As such they have generated so much income through tourism to their national parks The study utilized online survey to evaluate the adequacy of current WTB intervention puts in place by management of national parks in Nigeria and the consequent effects of improving on current WTBI to market and promote national parks in Nigeri

Pubertal breast development in primary school girls in Sokoto, North-western Nigeria

Background. There is wide variation in normal pubertal timing among various populations. Objectives. To determine the mean age of pubertal stages of breast development and menarche, and the influence of nutrition and ethnicity on pubertal onset in primary school girls in Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria. Methods. A cross-sectional study using a multistage random sampling design was conducted on 994 primary school girls in grades 3 - 6. Weight and height measurements and Tanner breast staging were done. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and a BMI-for-age percentile was used to categorise nutritional status. There were four major ethnic groups. P≤0.05 was taken as showing statistical significance. Results. The participants’ mean age was 10.23 years (standard deviation (SD) 1.70, range 6 - 15 years). Of the 994 girls, 628 (63.2%) were pre-pubertal, and 366 (36.8%) were pubertal. Of the latter, 158 (15.9%) were in breast stage 2, while 112 (11.3%), 70 (7.0%) and 26 (2.6%) were in breast stages 3, 4 and 5, respectively. The mean ages (SD; range) of pubertal onset and menarche were 10.50 (1.33; 8 - 13), and 12.67 (1.65; 11 - 15), years, respectively. The overnourished (overweight/obese) and Igbo ethnic group girls had early-normal pubertal onset (p=0.006 and p=0.001, respectively). Conclusion. The mean ages of Tanner breast stages 1 - 5 and menarcheal age of girls in Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria, were within the age ranges reported worldwide. Pubertal onset was influenced by nutrition