Perceived Indications, Safety and Efficacy of Perinatal Use of Traditional and Spiritual Remedies among Mothers of Under-Five Children in Kano, North- Western Nigeria

Background: Herbal and spiritual remedies are increasingly being used in the management of perinatal conditions. Objectives: To determine the pattern of use of herbal and spiritual remedies during perinatal period, and the perceived indications, efficacy and safety of these remedies among mothers of under-five children in Kano. Subjects and Methods: A descriptive crosssectional design was used to study a random sample of 189 mothers. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics 22. The chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used for univariate analysis.Result: The means of respondents’ age and their number of children were 33.3 ± 9.2 years and 4.7 ± 2.6 respectively. Three-quarters of the mothers (76.2%) used herbal and/or spiritual remedies within the perinatal period, mostly orally (97.9%); 63.2% used them in combination with orthodox medicines. The main indications were maintaining good health during pregnancy (39.6%); easy labour and safe delivery (39.6%); and treatment of common ailments (28.5%). Majority believed that herbal (66.1%) and spiritual (70.9%) remedies are very effective on pregnancy related problems; 57.1% and 78.8% believed that herbal and spiritual remedies are very effective on problems of labour and pueperium respectively. Most believed that spiritual remedies are safe during pregnancy (94.2%) and in labour and pueperium (97.9%); and herbs are safe during labour and pueperium (91.0%). Conclusion: Health authorities in Nigeria should institutionalize structures for censoring, training, regulation of TM practice and safety of remedies used.Keywords: Indications, Safety, Perinatal use, Traditional remedies, Northwestern Nigeri

Structural Determinants of Financial Sustainability of Listed Financial Companies in Nigeria

The study examined the effect of structural determinant of financial sustainability of listed financial companies in Nigeria from 2012-2021. The study adopted longitudinal research design with panel multiple regression model was used for the analysis. The study found that managerial ownership has a positive significant effect on financial sustainability, institutional ownership has negative insignificant effect on financial sustainability while foreign ownership has positive insignificant effect on financial sustainability of listed financial companies in Nigeria. Based on the finding, the study recommends that managers should be encouraged to acquire more shares since it will lead them to be more committed to the company’s operations that can increase financial sustainability of the company. Also, the banks should encourage foreign investors to acquire shares because the resultant distribution of ownership among different groups can impact on managerial opportunism, which subsequently has implications for managerial behavior and corporate performance. This, they will monitor and check the management behaviour whenever necessary

The impact of electronic information resources on academic research: A case study of Kaduna Polytechnic

Purpose - With advancement of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Internet, e-resources have become influential tools to educational information by spreading high-tech knowledge and giving individuals everywhere fast access to enormous resources.With the proliferation of e-resources around the globe, there is an increase in usage of the resources for research and other educational purposes. A study to assess the effect of e-resources on the academicians is vital so as to ascertain the extent of usage and the impact e-resources has on their scholarly work. Although there have been a number of studies that discussed the impact of e-resources use in the universities worldwide, the research on the impact of e-resources usage on productivity of academician is quite low. This study sought to address these issues by exploring the perceived effect of electronic resources usage on the lecturers in their literature search for professional growth by and large and the institution’s academic excellence for the teaching, learning and research.Specifically the objectives of this study are (1) to determine the pattern of e-resources usage by academicians, (2) to examine the perceived impact of e-resources usage on the academicians’ research

Antenatal blood donation: Perception of pregnant women in a rural community northwest Nigeria

Background: Reduction of maternal mortality from Obstetric haemorrhage requires a multipronged approach; however, availability of safe blood and transfusion is essential to it. Objectives: To evaluate pregnant women perception towards blood donation by their relatives/spouses for them during antenatal period and attitude towards compulsory blood donation. Method: A cross-sectional study using an interviewer-administered semi-structured pretested questionnaire was used to assess the perception of pregnant women to blood donation by their relatives/partner during antenatal care. The data was analysed using SPSS. Result: Four hundred respondents, ages ranged from15 - 45 years with a mean of 30.9 ± 5.80 years and parity ranged from 0 -12 with a median of 24(Interquartile range of 25,20;50, 24; 75, 29.8 ). Three hundred and eighty-six (96.5%) were married; 258 (64.5%) knew that they may need blood during childbirth of which 228 (88.4%) would rely on their relatives/partners to donate the blood. Three hundred and thirty-two (83.0%) were willing to ask their partners /relatives to donate blood for them during antenatal care, while 68(17.0%) opposed it for various reasons. Occupation, marital status, parity and age were found to be statistically significant(X2= 24.8 P = 0.0001; X2 = 8.18, P =0.0004 ; X2=15.39 P= 0.000 and X2= 22.14 P= 0.0001 respectively) Conclusion: Majority of the respondents were aware that they may require blood during pregnancy or childbirth for which they believed that their partners/relatives would donate blood for them if requested to do so; although one –fifth would rather wait until the need arises. Knowledge of voluntary blood donation is poor among the respondents. Public enlightenment would help to address these gaps

Molecular diagnosis of urinary Mycobacterium tuberculosis among patients attending urology clinic in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria

Background: Tuberculosis, a communicable disease with significant morbidity and mortality. It is still among the top killers of infectious diseases; Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a successful pathogen that has evolved several mechanisms to manipulate the host immune response. Objective of the study: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of urinary tuberculosis among patients attending urology clinic in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional laboratory based study that involved the use of questionnaire and consent/assent form prior to sample collection. Xpert MTB/Rif assay was used to analyze the urine samples. Results: The results of this study shows that, out of 71 samples analyzed along with positive control (H37RV) and molecular grade water was used as negative control. The results showed that, 2 (2.8 %) were from urine samples. Data generated were analyzed using descriptive statistics and results were presented in tables and charts. Conclusion: The study confirmed the presence of urinary tuberculosis in the study area, with prevalence of 2.8%. The pattern of tuberculosis was susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Therefore, there is need to introduce a routine screening of urinary tuberculosis among patients presenting sign and symptoms of urinary tract infection using Gene Xpert. This will be achieved through the engagement and enlightenment of the clinicians, strengthening the laboratory capacity for diagnosis and make the services available and accessible to the patients who need them. Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Extra-Pulmonary Tuberculosis; Prevalence and Gene Xpert

Lessons from participatory community mapping to inform neglected tropical disease programmes in Nigeria

Background: Participatory research methods promote collaborations between researchers and communities to collectively overcome implementation challenges for sustainable social change. Programmes usually take a top-down approach to addressing such challenges. This study developed and piloted contextualised participatory methods to identify community structures that could improve the equity of medicine administration for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in northern and southern Nigeria. Methods: Participants and researchers conducted transect walks and social mapping to understand which community-based structures could be used to maximise accessibility and acceptability of medicines for NTDs. Results: Using visual participatory methods with a diverse set of stakeholders facilitated the identification of new structures within the community that could be used to improve the equity of medicine distribution and access. Available materials such as sticks, stones and leaves were appropriately used by respondents in the rural areas, which increased meaningful engagement irrespective of their literacy level. Structures identified included Qur'anic schools, football grounds, mechanics shops, shrines, village head's houses and worship centres. Challenges in using these structures for medicine distribution included resistance from school authorities and restrictions to women's access due to traditions and norms, particularly within palaces and mosques. Conclusions: This article highlights the importance of meaningful community engagement methods and engaging gatekeepers in visual participatory methods. It emphasizes the importance of including divergent views of various population groups in order to ensure that all communities are reached by NTDs programmes

Promoting equity through inclusive learning, planning and implementing: lessons from Nigeria's mass drug administration programme for neglected tropical diseases

Background: An inclusive, localised approach to planning and implementing equitable mass drug administration was developed through participatory action research (PAR). This new approach aligns with principles of learning health systems (LHS). Tools were co-developed to support scaling up the new approach across two Nigerian states. Lessons are distilled here to enable learning for other programmes. Methods: Observations and reports by researchers (2019–2021) from 23 meetings and workshops, 8 in-depth interviews and 8 focus group discussions (FGDs) were used. Results: Nine key steps of best practice were identified to promote inclusive LHS for participatory planning and implementing: utilise participatory research methodologies to facilitate community engagement and tailor interventions; develop tools and governance structures to support learning, teamwork and sustainability; strengthen capacity for participation and collaboration with space for dialogue and shared learning; undertake participatory planning to develop action plans; advocate for implementation; monitor action plans; review and act on successes and challenges; apply community evaluation to understand challenges and enablers and disseminate policy and programme changes. Conclusions: PAR in disease programmes can support health systems to embed cyclical and iterative learning to sustainably address localised equity challenges. However, it takes time, resources and political commitment

ECONOMIC EMPOWERENMENT AND JOB CREATION THROUGH BUSINESS EDUCATION: AN INSTRUMENT FOR ERADICATIONG INSECURITY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Despite the fact that the county has undergone Vocational and Technical Education system for years; the desires and aspirations of the government and people of Nigeria has remained a mirage. This is with reference to unemployment reduction, job creation, poverty reduction, and self-reliance motive of the government. Further, Vocational and Technical education has been included in the curricula of tertiary institutions in Nigeria and yet the situation has not changed. It is in the light of this obvious problem and the imminent danger to the society compounded by the present global economic meltdown that this paper is canvassing for skill oriented and practical education in Nigeria. This is different from the presently mounted business education in tertiary institutions which lacked practical components, not goal oriented (theory as usual) and therefore impotent. This paper examined the importance of full implementation of Vocational and Technical Education with recommendation that government must wake up from slumber and implement Vocational and Technical Education as measures to create jobs, an instrument for change/development and a provider of service oriented skills which play a significant role in economic development and eradication of the insecurity challenges in Nigeria

Images of Fulani students and the town of Yola, Nigeria

Fieldwork Team: Dr. Mustapha Hashim Kurfi (Principal Investigator), Hauwa Usman (Local Project Manager), Alhaji Abubakar Maikudi Aishat (General Field Facilitator). Technical Team: Prof. Fallou Ngom (Project Director and former Director of the African Studies Center at Boston University), and Eleni Castrol (Technical Lead, BU Libraries). The collections on Gender in Nigerian Ajami Manuscripts are copied as part of the African Studies Center’s African Ajami Library. Access Condition and Copyright: These materials are subject to copyright. All rights reserved to the author. For use, distribution or reproduction contact Professor Fallou Ngom ([email protected]). Required Citation: Materials in this web edition may be cited as: Kurfi, M. H., Hauwa U., Ngom, F., and Castro, E. (2020). African Ajami Library: Gender in Nigerian Ajami Manuscripts. Boston: Boston University Libraries: http://hdl.handle.net/2144/41953. For Inquiries: Please Contact Professor Fallou Ngom ([email protected]).Photographs of Fulani students and the town of Yola, Nigeri