Perception of Electronic Examination among Undergraduate Students of University of Maiduguri

The study was conducted to measure the perception of electronic examination among undergraduate students of University of Maiduguri. It was orchestrated on three specific objectives; to find out the perception of the students regarding the introduction of e-exam; to examine the perception of the students regarding e-exam as means of assessment; to examine the negative and positive perception of the students regarding the appropriateness of facilities, timing and format of question. The study employed the propositions of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to explain students’ knowledge, acceptance and perception. The research used quantitative research method and survey methodology, using Questionnaire as instruments for data collection. The study purposely selected 200 students and found that majority of the students believe e-examination is better than the pen-paper examination. Majority of the students perceive electronic examination as an easy process. The study also found that the electronic examination is not suitable for every course to majority of the students. Majority of the respondents are against the format of the questions being asked via electronic examination. The study concluded that the introduction of e-examination in University of Maiduguri was a success despite having few challenges. The students perceived the new system as better means of assessment than pen-paper, even though they expressed dissatisfaction with the format of questions, examination timing and its suitability for some courses. It was recommended that the University of Maiduguri need to review the implementation of the new examination system in order to examine its suitability to all courses. Technical failures and limitation should be checked to improve effectiveness of the conduct of the examinations

Perception of Low Income Earners on the Performance of Mortgage Institutions in Housing Finance in Lafia, Nasarawa state, Nigeria

The problem of housing provision by the mortgage industry which includes financing has always being a major concern to the public as a whole. This study investigated the performance of mortgage institutions in housing finance for low-income earners in Lafia metropolis, Nigeria. The objective is to assess the performance of mortgage institutions from low-income earners’ perception. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey from 314 low-income earners randomly selected from the targeted population in Lafia metropolis. The data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics with mean ranking to examine the degree of agreement and the significance of the various variables. The study revealed that performance factors such as collateral, loan maturity period and loan requirement, etc. were highly ranked as the most performed area by mortgage institutions. It is recommended that government and stakeholders should reduce the high rate of interest, make mortgage loans accessible and affordable to low-income earners and also increase the funding of mortgage institutions. This study reinforces other research works on the performance of mortgage institutions in housing finance

Dynamic relationship of exchange rates and crude oil prices in South Africa: are there asymmetries?

We estimated the relationship between the exchange rates and crude oil prices for the period of 1960 to 2013. Based on Engle-Granger we found that the variables are cointegrated means there exist long-run relationship. However, when we move on to TAR and MTAR models the findings are opposite as there is no element of cointegration and the speed of adjustment is symmetric. This shows that based on TAR and MTAR models the effects of exchange rates on crude oil prices is insignificant. The policy relevance is that South African authority need to monitor its exchange rates persistently related to other currencies more especially American dollar because it determined the crude oil prices that might have greater influences on other macroeconomic variables

Dynamic relationship of exchange rates and crude oil prices in South Africa: Are there asymmetries?

We estimated the relationship between the exchange rates and crude oil prices for the period of 1960 to 2013. Based on Engle-Granger we found that the variables are cointegrated means there exist long-run relationship. However, when we move on to TAR and MTAR models the findings are opposite as there is no element of cointegration and the speed of adjustment is symmetric. This shows that based on TAR and MTAR models the effects of exchange rates on crude oil prices is insignificant. The policy relevance is that South African authority need to monitor its exchange rates persistently related to other currencies more especially American dollar because it determined the crude oil prices that might have greater influences on other macroeconomic variables. Keywords: Exchange rates, Oil prices, Asymmetry, South Africa, Error correction model

Analysis of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Marketing and Price Trends in Selected Markets of Argungu Local Government Area, Kebbi State, Nigeria

The study analyzed cowpea marketing and price trends in selected rural and urban markets of Argungu Local Government Area, Kebbi State, Nigeria. A single-stage sampling technique was used for sample selection. The samples were collected from purposively selected Kara markets in Argungu (reference market), Felande, Gulma, Lailaba and Sauwa (supplying markets) from the selected Districts. Primary data were obtained from a sample of 100 marketers with the aid of the structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and spatial price model were employed in analyzing the data. Results of the analysis shows an average age of marketers to be 34 years, 69% were married and 62% have formal education with an average household size of 8 persons. However, 73% were discovered not join any cooperative association while 79% of them do not have access to credit to finance their business. Analysis of spatial aspects of pricing efficiency showed that the positive price spread is slightly high, even after considering plausible levels of unmeasured transaction costs. The trend in price revealed higher price per bag during the off-season (N27, 000/bag) in July and August and low (N15, 000) during harvest (October,November, December and January). Temporal aspects showed considerable risk was involved in storage operations to achieve high profits. The marketing channels identified in the study area were; Farmers, Village merchants, Wholesalers, Retailers, Processors and finally the Consumers. The constraints identified in the study area were lack of access to credit (25.69%), inadequate market information (24.59%), inadequate market infrastructure (22.65%), provision of quality product (16.02%) and poor storage facilities (11.05%). It is recommended that sellers should form cooperatives that can support them in provision of physical facilities and better dissemination of market intelligence and facts. Accordingly, to alleviate the problem of access to credit in the study area, awareness campaign and provision of such credit facilities at affordable level by the relevant stakeholders (State and Local Government authorities) could be an excellent  performance in enhancing the marketing activities in the study area

Assessing Performance of Resident Doctors in Training in Northwestern Nigeria

Background: Residency training is a postgraduate medical education where graduate doctors are mentored toward becoming   independent specialists. In Nigeria currently, the Medical Residency Training Act (MRTA) 2017 guides residency training under the regulation of three postgraduate medical colleges: the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN), West African College of Surgeons (WACS), and West African College of Physicians (WACP). For the respective colleges, resident doctors are expected to attempt Part One and Part Two fellowship examinations after completing their junior and senior residency training, respectively, within stipulated durations. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess resident doctors’ performance in training and predictive factors. Methodology: Electronic  questionnaires was distributed to respondents through their contacts or emails. Data was collected within a period of one month, from July 10 to August 6, 2020. Data was analyzed using mean, standard deviation, simple tables as well as t‑test and Chi‑square test. The level of significance was set at 0.05 for decision purposes. Results: A total of 120 participants were involved in the study. The mean age of respondents was 38.0 ± 3.8 years, with a majority of 88 (83.3%) males and 107 (89.2%) married. On the first attempt, 48 (65.8%), 37 (60.6%), and 15 (57.7%) respondents were successful in NPMCN, WACS, and WACP Part One fellowship  examinations, respectively. There was no significant difference in the success in Part One between the three postgraduate medical  colleges. There was significant difference in the duration between the first attempt and success in Part One examinations for the three colleges, respectively (NPMCN – P = 0.001, WACS – P < 0.001, WACP – P = 0.036). Conclusion: There was a comparable success in Part One fellowship examination between the three postgraduate medical colleges, with over half of respondents recording success in their first attempt. However, there were significant delays between the first attempt and  success in Part One examination for the three postgraduate medical colleges. Keywords: Part One examination, performance, residency trainin

Assessing Research Engagement of Resident Doctors in Training in Northwestern Nigeria

Background: Residency training develops trainees to practice evidence-based medicine using knowledge acquired through researches. Resident doctors are not just expected to be consumers of good researches but are also expected to build their competencies in conducting researches in their fields of specialization. They are expected to engage in journal clubs as well as scientific paper presentations in local and international conferences under the mentorship and guidance of their trainers. In addition, trainers in residency training supervise the compulsory dissertation of senior residents under them. Objectives: We aimed to assess research engagement of resident doctors in training and pattern of submission and approval of their dissertation proposal. Methodology: It was a descriptive cross-sectional descriptive study involving resident doctors in accredited hospitals in Northwestern Nigeria. Electronic questionnaires were distributed to respondents via their verified electronic media contacts. Data were collected within a period of 1 month from July 10 to August 6, 2020. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, simple tables as well as Z‐test and Chi‐square test. The level of significance was set at 0.05 for decision purposes. Results: A total of 120 questionnaires were completed. The mean age of respondents was 38.0 ± 3.8 years, with majority being males 88 (83.3%), and 107 (89.2%) being married. Only 12 (10%) and 44 (36.7%) respondents had published manuscript before and since commencement of residency training, respectively. There was a significant difference between manuscript publication before and since commencement of residency training (P = 0.012). Only 32% of the respondents who submitted their dissertation proposal to the colleges did so within 12 months of success in their Part 1 fellowship examination. There was no association between the publication of manuscript during residency training and submission of dissertation to either National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (P = 0.190), West African College of Surgeons (P = 0.686), or West African College of Physicians (P = 0.317). Conclusion: Research engagement by resident doctors from this study was not satisfactory. Publication of manuscript by resident doctors was associated with prior publication before commencement of residency training and type of training hospital

Impacts of Biochar Treatments on Some Soil Properties and Micronutrient Availability

The application of biochar as a soil amendment has been recognized as an environmentally friendly and highly efficient strategy for restoring the fertility of the soil and increasing agricultural productivity. In this study, the impacts of Senna tora biochar treatments on soil properties and micronutrient availability in the farmlands of Misau, Bauchi State, Nigeria, were investigated. A complete randomized design replicated three times, which included control soil (no biochar/0 day), 30 days, and 60 days of biochar treatments, was adapted based on the fact that incubation time affects biochar application in soil. After treatments, the biochar was removed and the soil samples from each treatment were analyzed for pH, soil bulk density (BD), cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon (OC) and micronutrient levels using various analytical methods. The results of the analysis show pH, OC and CEC values increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) from 6.66 to 7.89, 3.40 to 3.90 g/kg and 5.16 to 7.29 cmol/kg respectively, while BD decreased significantly from 1.56 to 1.48 g/cm3 after 60 days of biochar treatment. The levels of Mn, Cu and Zn increased from 188.25 to 286.12 mg/kg, 14.38 to 41.88 mg/kg and 68.63 to 140.19 mg/kg respectively, while levels of Fe decreased from 9460.00 to 4782.73 mg/kg after 60 days of biochar treatments. Application of Senna tora biochar has generally led to a significant improvement in the fertility of the soil. It is therefore recommended that Senna tora biochar be used in the field to demonstrate its practical application

SWOT analysis of land area-based and value-based property rating

The property rating can be on Value-based rating Assessment (VbRA) or Area-based Rating Assessment (AbRA). This study examined the suitable assessment of Bauchi metropolis, Nigeria. The materials used were published books and journal articles, and SWOT technique was applied to analyse the identified variables, then the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were sorted out. The facts from the SWOT matrix were assimilated into existing local scenario to strategically decide the appropriate assessment procedure for raising the local revenue for financing the provision and maintenance of municipal infrastructure and facilities. The study found Area-based Rating Assessment (AbRA) as the most appropriate rating assessment procedure for the study area