Contingent Valuation in Community-Based Project Planning: The Case of Lake Bamendjim Fishery Restocking in Cameroon

The study examined the usefulness and relevance of the contingent valuation method (CVM) in community-based (CB) project planning and implementation. To elicit willingness to pay (WTP) values for the restocking of Lake Bamendjim with Tilapia nilotica and Heterotis niloticus fish species, the study used pre-tested questionnaires interviewer-administered to 1,000 randomly selected households in the Bambalang Region of Cameroon.The datawere elicitedwith the conventional referendumdesign and analysed using a referendum model. Empirical findings indicated that about 85% of the sampled households were willing to pay about CFAF1,054 (US$2.1) for the restocking project. This amount was found to be significantly related to the starting price used in the referendum design, household income, the gender of the respondent, the age of the respondent, household poverty status, and previous participation of a household in a community development project.The findings prompted the following recommendations. Firstly, in order to reduce community burden due to cash constraints, it is advisable for the mean estimate obtained for the scheme to be split into four instalments over a year. Secondly, since the success of the scheme largely depends on the governing roles of the scheme, it is further advisable for the community to allowthemanagement of the scheme to be handled by the elderly community members. Finally, it will be important during the financing of the scheme, to levy wealthier household heads an amount sufficient to subsidize poorer household heads who cannot afford to pay the threshold price.

Determinants of Antenatal Care Services Utilisation in Nigeria

This study reports on recent evidence on determinants of antenatal visits in Nigeria using data from Demographic and Health Surveys for 2003 and 2008. Using count data models, the results show that women education beyond primary education level increases significantly the likelihood that a pregnant woman would complete at least four antenatal visits before delivery. The results also show that household wealth status has significant positive effect on the number of visits before delivery. There are significant differences in the number of antenatal visits determined by geopolitical zones and the place of antenatal also determines significantly the number of visits. These findings suggest that there is room for policy to control the attitude of women to care utilisation during pregnancy by influencing their education level and income. Keywords: Antenatal care, women, Negative binomial, Nigeri

Monetary Policy and Output-inflation Volatility Interaction in Nigeria: Evidence from Bivariate GARCH-M Model

Abstract:This article reports on a recent study that applies bivariate GARCH methodology to investigate the existence of a tradeoff between output growth and inflation variability in Nigeria and to ascertain the impact of monetary policy regime changes (from direct control regime to indirect or market based regime) on the nature of the volatility tradeoffs. Investigations reveal the existence of a short run tradeoff relationship between output growth and inflation within and across both regimes. However, no strong evidence of long run volatility relationship could be established. Our results further reveal that regime changes affected the magnitude of policy effects on output and inflation. Monetary policy had a stronger effect on output growth than on price stability during the period of direct control while it has a much larger impact on inflation during the current period of market-based regime. Also volatility of output and inflation became more persistent during the period of indirect control. Keywords: Monetary Policy, Output-Inflation Volatility, Bivariate GARCH-M Mode

Macroeconomic Models and the Challenge of Growth in African Economies: The Context

This study addresses the challenges of theorizing the economy of Africa in the context of using macroeconomic models to reshape the future of its non-inclusive growth. It argues that the catastrophic policy summersault of economies that rely on theoretical macro models is traceable to the fact that such models rather than represent the uniqueness of every economy sees all economies as having the same characteristics.  Thus it avers for eclectic African models that can redefine economic theory rather than use economic theory to define the economies of Africa. This calls for portfolio of complementary models through constant refinements rather than portfolio of outcompeting models. Keywords: Africa, challenge of growth, eclectic model, macroeconomic mode

CROWDSOURCING: A STRATEGY FOR FIRM PERFORMANCE IN THE PLASTIC MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN SOUTHEAST NIGERIA

The heavy reliance of manufacturing firms in the south-eastern part of Nigeria on their team of experts in Research and Development (R & D), to come up with new ideas and innovation, and the neglect of the input of customers in this process necessitated this study to examine the nexus between crowdsourcing and firm performance in the plastic manufacturing sector in southeast Nigeria.  The work was anchored on the Human Capital Theory. The study adopted a survey research design as the most suited for the work. Two states were selected judgmentally, because of the concentration of plastic manufacturing firms in those States. Eighteen plastic manufacturing firms were selected randomly, with a population strength of 328. The sample size was 176, arrived at using Krejcie and Morgan formula. Questionnaire was the instrument for data collection, and it was subjected to content validity and reliability tests using correlation method, which returned a coefficient of 0.879. The data collected were analyzed using regression analysis through the ordinary least square method, at a 5% level of significance. Findings revealed that a positive relationship exists between the variables (r = .973). A 95% change in new product development was accounted for by changes in open collaboration in the plastic manufacturing sector in Southeast Nigeria (R2 = .947, F = 2802.884, p-value < 0.05). The study, therefore, concluded that involving customers in the process of new product creation is key to its acceptability by the public. As a result, it was recommended that the managers and owners of plastic manufacturing companies need to find a way to get the customers involved in their idea generation and new product creation for a sustained creditable performance.  Keywords: Crowdsourcing, Firm Performance, Plastic Manufacturing Sector, Open Collaboration and New Product Development

Lost Revenue Due to Trade Liberalization: Can Nigeria recover her own?

The aim of the study is to find out the possibility of recovering the tariff revenue that will be lost in the process of liberalization through restructuring of the domestic tax system in Nigeria by examining the buoyancy and elasticity of the tax system. Using the dummy method, commonly known as the Singer approach, the Nigerian tax system as a whole was found to be relatively buoyant but not elastic. The buoyancy however showed a decline close to 16% after the 1991 trade reform. Import duty despite the decline in its share in total tax from 47.3% before the reform to 28% over the reform period showed a positive increase in buoyancy. CIT collection measured by tax-to-base elasticity declined by 46% over the reform period, suggesting that there is an urgent need to improve on tax administration. Also, the result confirm the ineffectiveness of the various reforms and (DTMs) in enhancing the productivity of the tax system, showing that much need to be done in our domestic tax system, both in structure and administration before thinking of engaging in any bi- or multilateral trade agreement.   Key words: Nigeria, Trade liberalisation, Lost revenue and Domestic tax syste

Bank Consolidation and Bank Risk Taking Behaviour: A Panel Study of Commercial Banks in Nigeria

This paper investigates the impact of bank recapitalization on the risk taking attitude of commercial banks in Nigeria. We employed panel data model in the analyses and the results show that increase in bank capital promotes bank stability. The results also reveal that excessive provisions for bad loans may be an indication that a large part of bank credit is nonperforming and this affects bank’s stability adversely. The results further indicate that growth in size is an important determinant of credit risk alongside large capital, although growth in size of banks has a nonlinear effect on bank stability. We found that the consolidation period was followed by abnormal increases in bank lending, indicating the existence of moral hazard problem.  Our findings suggest that increase in capital base should also be matched with effective regulations to prevent moral hazard problem from dampening the positive effect of capital reforms on bank stability. Keywords: recapitalisation, merger, consolidation, reforms, risk-takin

HYPOGLYCAEMIA AS A CONSEQUENCE OF PRE-OPERATIVE FASTING: MYTH OR REALITY?

Background: The fatal risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents during anaesthesia had since been recognized and consequently preoperative fasting guideline is usually prescribed to prevent this. Concern about development of hypoglycaemia during prolonged fasting has often been expressed, especially in children. AIM: This study is intended to determine the fasting blood glucose in preoperative patients of different age groups who were fasted for varying duration of time, and determine whether indeed hypoglycaemia occurs during inadvertently prolonged fasting which we often encounter in our practice setting. Methodology: A prospective cohort study of fasting blood glucose (FBG) of patients presenting for elective surgery in the principal investigator's operating rooms at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria was carried out. Blood glucose meter was used for estimation of glucose in capillary whole blood of the patients and the obtained data were analysed using SPSS version 16.0 statistical software. Comparison of mean values was done using the Chi-square test with statistical significance put at P < 0.05.  Results: Out of one hundred and thirty three patients studied with mean age of 30.2 ± 19.60 years (range: 1-72 years), and mean duration of fasting 12.73 ± 2.01 hours, (range: 8-16 hours), the mean fasting blood glucose was found to be 91.49 ± 13.36mg/dl (range: 58 - 124mg/dl). No relationship was found between age and FBG (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r = 0.025). Likewise duration of fasting did not relate with FBG (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r = 0.088). One patient (0.8%) had hypoglycaemia, with blood glucose of 58mg/dl. Conclusion: Hypoglycaemia as a consequence of pre-operative fasting is rare, even in non-infants fasted for considerably long hours. Neither patient's age, gender, nor duration of fasting had any significant influence on the fasting blood glucose of the patients. Keywords: Hypoglycaemia; Pre-operative fasting; Whole blood; Plasma

International Remittance Inflows and Household Welfare: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria

The contribution of remittances income in mitigating poverty and income inequality in Nigeria has attracted very little attention in general. Very few studies have looked at the quantitative relationship between remittance inflows, poverty and income inequality in Nigeria even though it is now believed that total remittance inflows into Nigeria; exceed Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and Overseas Development Assistant (ODA). Using poverty and Gini decomposable techniques, the study finds that household poverty declines across all the geopolitical zones, by sex and locality as a result of remittance inflows. For example, with remittances, household poverty falls from 0.35 to 0.30 in the South-South region, 0.27 to 0.22 in the South-East region and 0.43 to 0.36 in the South-West region. Poverty also declines from 0.67 to 0.60 in the North-Central region, 0.72 to 0.66 in the North-East and from 0.71 to 0.66 in the North-West regions. Similarly, in the Gini decomposition; the study finds that increase in remittances reduce income inequality more in urban areas (0.1) than in rural areas (0.02). For example, a 10% increase in remittances other things being equal, is associated with declines in the Gini coefficients of total income inequality of 0.02% in rural area and 0.1% in the urban area

HYPOGLYCAEMIA AS A CONSEQUENCE OF PRE-OPERATIVE FASTING: MYTH OR REALITY?

Background: The fatal risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents during anaesthesia had since been recognized and consequently preoperative fasting guideline is usually prescribed to prevent this. Concern about development of hypoglycaemia during prolonged fasting has often been expressed, especially in children. AIM: This study is intended to determine the fasting blood glucose in preoperative patients of different age groups who were fasted for varying duration of time, and determine whether indeed hypoglycaemia occurs during inadvertently prolonged fasting which we often encounter in our practice setting. Methodology: A prospective cohort study of fasting blood glucose (FBG) of patients presenting for elective surgery in the principal investigator\u27s operating rooms at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria was carried out. Blood glucose meter was used for estimation of glucose in capillary whole blood of the patients and the obtained data were analysed using SPSS version 16.0 statistical software. Comparison of mean values was done using the Chi-square test with statistical significance put at P < 0.05.  Results: Out of one hundred and thirty three patients studied with mean age of 30.2 ± 19.60 years (range: 1-72 years), and mean duration of fasting 12.73 ± 2.01 hours, (range: 8-16 hours), the mean fasting blood glucose was found to be 91.49 ± 13.36mg/dl (range: 58 - 124mg/dl). No relationship was found between age and FBG (Pearson\u27s correlation coefficient, r = 0.025). Likewise duration of fasting did not relate with FBG (Pearson\u27s correlation coefficient, r = 0.088). One patient (0.8%) had hypoglycaemia, with blood glucose of 58mg/dl. Conclusion: Hypoglycaemia as a consequence of pre-operative fasting is rare, even in non-infants fasted for considerably long hours. Neither patient\u27s age, gender, nor duration of fasting had any significant influence on the fasting blood glucose of the patients. Keywords: Hypoglycaemia; Pre-operative fasting; Whole blood; Plasma