Lean Production and Operational Performance of Manufacturing Firms in Rivers State

This study examined the relationship between lean production and the operational performance of manufacturing firms in Rivers State. The population involved all the sixty-two (62)manufacturing firms in Rivers State with a sample size of four (4) selected manufacturing firms using the Krejcie and Morgan sample size determination and simple proportion to arrive at the respondents for each Manufacturing firm. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and interview protocol. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with the aid of the Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) was chosen to test the hypothetical model while the qualitative data was organised, coded, and analysed using the NVivo 11. The result showed that there is a significant and positive relationship between lean production and the operational performance of manufacturing firms in Rivers State. Therefore, concluded that lean production is a critical and highly imperative factor in sustaining business operations and performance and thus recommended that management of the manufacturing firms should develop procedures and policies to which employees will adhere and ensure routine checks on equipment and service processes

Nutrition for Pre-school Children in Africa and Asia: A Review Analysis on the Economic Impact of Children’s Malnutrition

Nutrition is known to be the key driver in well-being and fitness generally, and as a driving force behind the growth of capital and child food, it is a source and a product of greater health problems, family income and living conditions. The first 1,000 days of maternal and child care concentrate on healthy physical exercise and cognitive improvement, with long-term health and economic consequences for people and economies. The research reviewed Nutrition for Preschool Children in Africa and Asia and illustrated the economic effect of malnutrition in infants. The review indicated that nutrition for pre-school children in Africa and Asia remains insufficient to ensure enhanced economic and human growth and that each nation needs to consider how money is to be invested through the assistance resources that help the least per cent of the population to fix this gap for children and make it the most efficient investment in society. Citizenship and collective efforts, particularly the voice of youth, are important forces of transformation, which must be encouraged to meet SDGs. Democracy campaigns can play a crucial role in the struggle for justice for children and the family

Impact of Capital Expenditure on the Manufacturing Sector of the Nigerian Economy

The importance of capital expenditure in an economy cannot be overemphasized. In Nigeria, capital expenditure has been given meager allocation, and the manufacturing sector has been experiencing poor growth. To this end, this study examines whether the low manufacturing sector’s growth in Nigeria is as a result of the poor allocation to capital expenditure, also whether there is any causal relationship between capital expenditure and manufacturing sector’s growth. In executing this study, the Error Correction Mechanism (ECM) is employed after Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root test as well as Johansen Co-integration analysis have been applied to the variables in our model- Manufacturing Output in Nigeria; Capital Expenditure; Foreign Direct Investment; Interest Rate; and Exchange Rate. Granger causality test is employed to determine whether there is any causal relationship between capital expenditure and manufacturing sector’s growth. The study finds that capital expenditure has significant impact on manufacturing sector’s growth. It also finds that capital expenditure Granger causes manufacturing sector’s growth in Nigeria. The study recommended imperative policy options which we believe that if implemented; there will be tremendous improvements in the manufacturing sector’s growth in Nigeria

Empirical Analysis of External Debt Exposure to Exchange Rate Risk in Nigeria

The study investigates external debt exposure to exchange rate risk in Nigeria. The Secondary data used were sourced from World Bank Development Indicators for all the variables from the period 1981 to 2019. By employing the Augmented Dickey-Fuller Unit root test and OLS estimation technique, the study found that external debt service payment (EXTDSP), total payment on external debt (TPEXTD), and trade openness (TROP) is significant. While External debt service payment (EXTDSP) and trade openness (TROP) is negatively impacting the exchange rate (EXCHR). TPEXTD has a positive significant impact on EXCHR at a 5% level of significance. The rest of the explanatory variables: external debt stock (EXTDS), gross domestic product growth rate (GDPGR), and real interest rate (RINTR) are all positive and insignificant at all levels of significance. The study, therefore, recommends that the government should go for concessional loans which has low-interest rate and are long-term in nature and as well encourage international trade with other countries of the world

Rising public expenditure and economic growth, was Wagner right? Evidence from Nigeria

This study empirically tests if the Wagner’s law stands for the Nigerian economy using data for the period 1981-2015. Form the results, economic, social and community services expenditure show highly significant values suggesting that these sectors are very much needed and still adds value to the economy. The results of the Granger causality analysis indicates that there is a bi-directional causality between economic growth and government spending, which posit to a high level of accuracy that Wagner’s law holds for Nigeria. The result suggests that economic growth has an important role to play in determining government spending because as the economy grows, it expands and for this, government need to expand its spending to meet up with the demands of the expansion. There is therefore the need for curtail the rapid growth of its size above the optimum level that stimulates rise in expenditure. Any further expansion in expenditure should focus on economic, social and community services since they are growth enhancing

Development of a high throughput and low cost model for the study of semi-dry biofilms

The persistence of microorganisms as biofilms on dry surfaces resistant to the usual terminal cleaning methods may pose an additional risk of transmission of infections. In this study, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) dry biofilm model (DBM) was adapted into a microtiter plate format (Model 1) and replicated to create a novel in vitro model that replicates conditions commonly encountered in the healthcare environment (Model 2). Biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus grown in the two models were comparable to the biofilms of the CDC DBM in terms of recovered log10 CFU well−1. Assessment of the antimicrobial tolerance of biofilms grown in the two models showed Model 2 a better model for biofilm formation. Confirmation of the biofilms’ phenotype with an extracellular matrix deficient S. aureus suggested stress tolerance through a non-matrix defined mechanism in microorganisms. This study highlights the importance of conditions maintained in bacterial growth as they affect biofilm phenotype and behaviour

Malnutrition among older people living in institutional care : Literature review

Abstract: Malnutrition among older people living in the institutional care is an existing problem. The aim of the thesis is to raise awareness about factors that lead to malnutrition among older people living in institutional care and to collect available information about how to observe and treat it. The study has two research questions; (1) what factors may lead to malnutrition among older people in the institutional care and (2) how the nutritional care can be improved. The method used in the study was qualitative content analysis and materials were collected from Academic Search Elite (EBSCO) and Google scholar. Information gathered from the research materials/articles were grouped into different themes according to the research question and later analysed using qualitative content analysis. The result shows that psychological and social challenge, normal ageing and functional impairments, incompetence among care professional, faulty policyand medication were identified as factors that may lead to malnutrition. Using Pender’s model of Health promotion as the framework, the author explored and analysed these factors and the challenges. Nutritional Screening, care professional training and policy reinforcement, nutritional supplement and Pharmacological solution was also found to be ways of improving nutrition among older people living in institutional care. The major limitation of this study was that the author was unable to make use of articles that were written in other European languages apart from English language due to lack of language skills

Nutrition for Pre-school Children in Africa and Asia: A Review Analysis on the Economic Impact of Children’s Malnutrition

Nutrition is known to be the key driver in well-being and fitness generally, and as a driving force behind the growth of capital and child food, it is a source and a product of greater health problems, family income and living conditions. The first 1,000 days of maternal and child care concentrate on healthy physical exercise and cognitive improvement, with long-term health and economic consequences for people and economies. The research reviewed Nutrition for Preschool Children in Africa and Asia and illustrated the economic effect of malnutrition in infants. The review indicated that nutrition for pre-school children in Africa and Asia remains insufficient to ensure enhanced economic and human growth and that each nation needs to consider how money is to be invested through the assistance resources that help the least per cent of the population to fix this gap for children and make it the most efficient investment in society. Citizenship and collective efforts, particularly the voice of youth, are important forces of transformation, which must be encouraged to meet SDGs. Democracy campaigns can play a crucial role in the struggle for justice for children and the family