Exploration of safety climate in Nigeria: a study of organizations in Onne oil and gas free zone

Background: In Nigeria, issues of occupational safety and health (OSH) practice are still in early infancy and hence, apparently poor OSH behaviours are common coupled with an underlying varying safety climate. Work-related accidents and death rate in Nigeria are reported to be among the highest in the world, with Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone (OGFZ)hosting most of the organizations with high-risk operations. This critical safety climate is affected by a range of internal and external factors. This study seeks to understand the nature of the safety climate, within the Nigerian context, through an exploration of the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone, which is the largest conglomerate of multinational companies in Nigeria and a host to 170 oil and gas companies together with construction companies. The nature of work within this site is recognised as being high-risk and therefore the underlying safety climate has increased criticality. More so, there is no known safety climate study on the organisations, thus the study would help close the gap of limited or lack of data on workplace safety, and guide safety policy decisions which are needful and vital for building a good safety climate profile for organizations in the OGFZ, and other organisations in Nigeria. Aim: The study aimed to identify internal and external factors that influence the safety climate and in so doing explore the overarching climate of the OGFZ. Methods: Organizations were selected from the 170 companies operating within the OGFZ based on past and current health, safety and environment(HSE) performance data; and were divided into 2 distinct groups of peak and low performing companies. The companies were identified using the OGFZ annual safety assessment reports. A qualitative methodology was employed involving focus group discussion and in-depth interview techniques with employees drawn from twelve (12) companies comprising six (6) good and six (6) poor safety performers. The qualitative data for the study, mainly data from focus group and interviews, were analysed using thematic analysis procedures. The thematic analysis involves identification of key concepts or themes, grouping or categorization of similar concepts or comments, and coding of identified themes or concepts. Data were analysed using NVivo software, which enabled coding of texts and identification of themes in the data from participants’ responses. Results of the thematic analysis are presented in tables and appendices showing identified themes and participant responses from which the themes emanate. Results/Findings: The study found that compliance to safety rules and procedures, employee (personal) commitment and competence are among the factors that keep employees safety at work. Major causes of workplace safety risks and injuries were found to include employee-specific factors such as poor communication of safety information among workers and negligence; management-specific factor such as poor staff training, poor supervision, and provision of inadequate safety equipment and work materials; job-specific factors such as unsafe mechanical and physical conditions and equipment failure; natural factors such as unfavourable weather or climatic conditions. The findings indicate major internal factors that characterize workplace risks and injury within an organization; such as ineffective safety management in the study area, particularly, poor management commitment to safety standards, especially when involving organization’s finances or other resources; and identify negligence or conscious violation of safety standards by organizations’ management, employee attitude to safety directives and equipment failure. With highlight on cultural issues, poor motivation or incentives, job insecurity and employee attitude as one of the critical factors that directly influence organizational safety climate and safety performance; the study also identified various factors that influence employee attitude to include: management factor, employee decisions, welfare, experience, belief system, family concerns and health condition of employees. The findings also show that client pressure, economic situation, government policies, insecurity, community influence and family issues are among the most prominent external factors influencing safety climate in the organizations under study. The organizational characteristics affecting safety climate in the study area include management commitment, finance, supervision, disciplinary measures and incentives. However, factors identified as part of the measures taken by organizations to keep people safe at work included training, safety management systems and standard operational procedures and communication as well as motivation, supervision, monitoring, incentives for work performance and policy enforcement. Conclusion: This study has identified that safety issues in the OGFZ, and by extension, Nigerian organizations, are influenced by local “Nigerian Factors”, especially culture and belief system, as well as various internal and external factors that shape the behavioral pattern of their workers. The possible ways to improve the existing safety climate in the OGFZ are thus suggested to include broadly improved management commitment towards safety; employees proper management of stress factors and adherence to laid down safety policies, regulations and procedures; government improved oversight function of ensuring compliance with standard safety regulations by organizations; and non-interference of host communities with organization’s safety climate

The Social Roles and Expectations of the University Administrator in the Nigerian University System: Implication for the Social Studies Teacher

The role of the University teacher and administrator is very significant.  Often referred to as the “man in the middle,” the occupant of the position frequently wanders about like Moses in search of the Promised Land. The “Promised Land” which the University administrator seeks is represented by a clear role definition of what he is supposed to do, the authority to carry out his responsibilities, and the respect which he feels he deserves for handling a job which has become one of the most difficult and complex in Nigerian University system. There are many reasons why the job of the Vice Chancellor, Dean of Faculty or Head of Department in a University system has become so difficult – reasons which will be identified and discussed later in this paper. However, it is evident that if the University administrator of which the Vice Chancellor symbolizes is to respond effectively to the challenge of his position, he will need to become more aware of different role options, more knowledgeable about the role that important others expect him to adopt, and have a better understanding of the various social forces that affect his role. The following sections discuss each of these three important aspects of the job of the educational administrator. Keywords: Social roles, University system, University administrator, Social studies, University teache

Socio-Cultural Perceptions and Gender Disparity in Civil Service Employment in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

The study investigated socio-cultural perceptions and gender disparity with particular reference to employment of many women in the civil service of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria.  It examined the perception of level of formal education on the employment of men and women and the perception of marital status and its influence on the employment of male and female civil servants in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service.  After reviewing the background and the relevant literature together with the theoretical framework, conceptual and empirical information, the researchers adopted the expost-facto design for the study. The population consisted of all the civil servants employed by Akwa Ibom State Civil Service and they number 13,057 of which 6070 were female while 6987 were male. The study used a sample size of 1300 employees representing 10% of the total population with a research-made instrument to gather relevant information.  The researchers, with the assistance of the secretaries to the permanent secretaries in each of the sampled ministries administered the instrument and retrieved them within one week. Data collected were analysed with the t-test statistics. The result revealed that the calculated t-test value of 1.25 at 0.05 level of significance was less than the critical value of 1.96, thus the null hypothesis 1 was accepted in favour of the alternative hypothesis.  The same result was obtained for the second hypothesis. It was therefore concluded that the perception of formal level of education and marital status significantly influence the employment of male and female civil servants in Akwa Ibom State more particularly to the advantage of the men-folk. More preference in employment should be given to the women to bring them at par with their male counterpart. Keywords: Civil Service, Gender, Employment, Employment in Nigeri

Combating the 21st Century Family Challenges in Nigeria for Social Stability through Family Counselling Services

The family is an important constituent of the society, its stability therefore determines to a large extent the advancement of the society. Unfortunately most families are witnessing more and more trauma and challenges; and this has affected the stability of the society. This paper addresses family challenges through family counselling, services in the 21st century. It also proffers solution for family stability and societal advancement. The Nigerian society is a male dominated social environment where family chores are seen as the exclusive responsibility of the woman.  However, within the turn of the 21st century, the need to protect the women to be able to make meaningful contribution to the advancement of the society has become imperative. Family stability minimizes stress and undue pressure brought upon the society by family disorganisation and social disintegration. Keywords: Family Counselling, Family Challenges, Social stability, Family Stabilit

Unity in Diversity: Religion Cum Language Argument for African Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is a relatively new and engaging area of scholarship, and has been viewed variously from an interdisciplinary point of view especially as having more problems than it can resolve. Africa is also known as a hub for multiculturalism with a handful of ethnic and tribal groups. Despite the problems associated with multiculturalism such as diversity in language and cultural beliefs, this work attempts to x-ray the concept of “unity in diversity” from a religious cum language basis that supports the argument that multiculturalism from a traditional African point of view, is very beneficial, important and helpful rather than its negative perception. The method employed in the study is critical analysis

Water Management in the Private Domain: A Comparative Analysis of Urban Water Management Practice in Nigeria’s Niger Delta

The paper compares three contextually different urban areas in Nigeria’s Niger Delta to understand how private involvement in the management of water has affected the spatial and socio-economic circumstances of the population. A wide range of methods including semi-structured interviews, observations and analysis of secondary records were used to collect data. The paper observed different forms of private water services including commercial/private borehole, sachet/bottled water services, mobile supplies etc. Their mode of operations and services were not significantly different between the three urban areas despite differences in institutional histories. Findings show there is pervasive impact of private engagement in the supplies and management of water services in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. However such engagement is haphazard, uncoordinated, unclear and highly unregulated. We observed that while public supplies target high income residential areas, the low income areas have been taken over by commercial water vendors to further capital accumulation. Consequently the low income earners employ all forms of daily rationing practice of allocating water to minimize expenditure while indirectly maximizing potential for health and other socio-economic problems. The paper argues that the involvement of the private sector in the management of water resources in Nigeria is a neoliberal agenda translated to reflect the demands and pressures of some major international financial organizations including the World Bank and IMF, rather than practical concerns for the citizens’ interest and needs. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2015.v4n3s1p19

Vegetation and its relation to soil nutrient and salinity in the Calabar mangrove swamp, Nigeria

The study examines vegetation – environment relationships. Vegetation measurements included species frequency, density, diameter and tree height, while environmental measurements were soil particle size distribution, acid properties (pH, Al, SO4), nutrient cations (Ca, Na, Mg, K), organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and chloride content. Nypa fruticans was the dominant species in the A stratum (> 3 m tall) while Rhizophora mangle was dominant in the B stratum (1–3 m tall). The C stratum (< 1 m tall) was dominated by mangrove, Nypa and Raphia saplings. Silt was dominant and the most variable particle size fraction. A principal components analysis of the soil data indicated the first three dominant components influencing the vegetation were salinity, nutrient and soil texture. Tree height and density correlated highly with the salinity and soil texture gradients (P < 0.01), while basal area correlated with salinity and nutrient gradients (P < 0.01). While Avicannia africana in the A stratum was influenced largely by the salinity and soil texture gradients. Nypa fruticans in the B stratum was influenced by salinity and nutrients

Gradient analysis in mangrove swamp forests

Gradient analysis is used as a research method to investigate species occurrence relative to the complex environmental gradient characteristic of mangrove swamps. Physiographic mangrove habitats are sampled using quadrats located along transects established from the water channels inland. Ordination of species importance values along composite habitat transects reveals species modal gradations rather than marked zonation of the species as implied in Clementsian succession theories. Ordination of Pearson ’s correlation coefficients between composite quadrats of the habitat transect indicates mostly peaks and dips in the gradients, implying that the vegetation and environment are in a state of dynamic equilibrium with each other. There are constant species-environment adjustments and interactions along the gradient and hence an absence of stable conditions in the swamps. Mangroves are perpetuated along shorelines as long as their environmental tolerance limits are not exceeded and their growth is optimal relative to the habitat conditions in which they occu

Soil-vegetation interrelationships of mangrove swamps as revealed by multivariate analyses

Vegetation and soil of mangrove swamps were studied with the aim of understanding the interrelationships of the mangrove ecosystem. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to generate a hypothesis that the distribution patterns of mangrove vegetation were influenced by variation in soil properties. The hypothesis, tested by simple correlations of vegetation components and soil variables, revealed a primary nutrient/salinity factor as explaining species variation on the first principal component, while the second was explained by physical site quality and micronutrients. Canonical correlation analysis (COR) was also used to relate both subsystems directly. The primary relationship between vegetation and soil was confirmed to be in terms of nutrient and salinity variation. Several species, e.g. Avicennia africana and Rhizophora spp., indicated little or no relation to soil calcium and magnesium levels. A spatial segregation of species was also apparent due to selective tolerance and adaptation of the species to levels of salt concentrations. Field moisture, associated with tidal flooding, was observed to affect both subsystems through their effect on nutrient supply, chloride concentrations and organic carbon

Mangrove swamp at a saline/fresh water interface near Creek Town, Southeastern Nigeria

The Creek Town mangrove swamp occurs at the saline/fresh water interface within the ever-wet humid tropical zone of Southeastern Nigeria. A survey of the swamp was undertaken to map the mangrove physiographic habitats, and to obtain vegetation and environmental measurements. Due to the dynamic nature of the swamp landscape, several physiographic mangrove habitats have evolved. Habitat differences relate to swamp gradient, salinity variation, substrate texture <and carbonate content of the soil. Species presence and abundance vary between the habitats. Diurnally flooded tidal creek and distributary wetlands are dominated by Acrostichum aureum and Nypa fruticans in association with Rhizophora spp. and Avicennia afiicana. Raphia spp. and Vossia cuspidata which are upland forest species have invaded the supratidal and hinterland levee habitats due to increasing salinity tolerance and competitive abilities. Vegetation zonation is apparent from the channels inland but there are quirks in the zonation pattern due to variations in local topography within the species zones. The environmental conditions and species distribution are similar to other transitional mangroves of the West Africa-Americas Mangrove Formation