Challenges and Strategies of Teaching Arabic and French Literature in Nigeria

The issue of appropriate methodology for suitable teaching of literature of Arabic and French in Nigerian schools has continued to receive attention from educationists on how to make it more beneficial to society. Literature is to be for life’s sake; therefore, its teaching should be able to assist in solving day-to-day problems. This paper discovered and discussed the obstacles militating against effective Arabic and French language literature teaching. It discovered the prominent obstacles confronting effective teaching of the literature of these languages to be the shortage of competent teachers, non-availability of suitable textbooks, lukewarm attitude to the languages on the parts of the learners, and the parents and acute dearth of suitable instructional materials. The paper is survey research, deriving its sources from an extensive consultation of relevant literature and interaction with the stakeholders. While it should be stated that each language has its peculiarities, they have some common grounds. One of such common grounds is the application of the same methodology to some aspects of the two languages. It suggested a possible methodology to perfect the teaching and make the learners achieve the desired goals. Of the three genres of literature (prose, drama, and poetry), drama and prose were treated because they share numerous similarities. Teaching and understanding Arabic and French literature in Anglophone nations like Nigeria with a workable methodology yielded desired outcomes

Community Participation and Sustainability of the Community and Social Development Projects in Kwara State, Nigeria

The study identified development projects instituted under the CSDP, ascertained extent of community participation at every critical stage of the project and determined whether perceived sustainability of CSDPs was significantly related to community participation in Kwara State. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 120 respondents for the study. Structured interview schedule was used for data collection while percentages, mean scores and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) were used for data analysis. Community participation in organization of and attendance at meeting and financial contribution was high with weighted mean scores of 1.62 and 1.50, respectively, but low in most other project components. There was significant but positive relationship between age (r = 0.25), estimated monthly income (r = 0.26) and perceived sustainability (r = 0.31) and community participation at p < 0.01. In contrast, there was significant but inverse relationship between community participation and number of project executed (r = -0.25). In conclusion, extent of community participation was low in most project components and community participation tended to increase with higher monthly income, fewer number of projects individual participated in, and higher perceived sustainability of the projects. Stakeholders of the CSDPs at government’s and grassroots’ levels should allow for more engagement of the people at all components of the CSDPs and the local communities should take on fewer projects at a time so as to enhance community participation

Community Participation and Sustainability of the Community and Social Development Projects in Kwara State, Nigeria

The study identified development projects instituted under the CSDP, ascertained extent of community participation at every critical stage of the project and determined whether perceived sustainability of CSDPs was significantly related to community participation in Kwara State. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 120 respondents for the study. Structured interview schedule was used for data collection while percentages, mean scores and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) were used for data analysis. Community participation in organization of and attendance at meeting and financial contribution was high with weighted mean scores of 1.62 and 1.50, respectively, but low in most other project components. There was significant but positive relationship between age (r = 0.25), estimated monthly income (r = 0.26) and perceived sustainability (r = 0.31) and community participation at p < 0.01. In contrast, there was significant but inverse relationship between community participation and number of project executed (r = -0.25). In conclusion, extent of community participation was low in most project components and community participation tended to increase with higher monthly income, fewer number of projects individual participated in, and higher perceived sustainability of the projects. Stakeholders of the CSDPs at government’s and grassroots’ levels should allow for more engagement of the people at all components of the CSDPs and the local communities should take on fewer projects at a time so as to enhance community participation

Real-Time Sensory Information for Remote Supervision of Autonomous Agricultural Machines

The concept of the driverless tractor has been discussed in the scientific literature for decades and several tractor manufacturers now have prototypes being field-tested. Although farmers will not be required to be physically present on these machines, it is envisioned that they will remain a part of the human-automation system. The overall efficiency and safety to be attained by autonomous agricultural machines (AAMs) will be correlated with the effectiveness of information sharing between the AAM and the farmer through what might be aptly called an automation interface. In this supervisory scenario, the farmer would be able to both receive status information and send instructions. In essence, supervisory control of an AAM is similar to the current scenario where farmers physically present on their machines obtain status information from displays integrated into the machine and from general sensory information that is available due to their proximity to the operating machine. Therefore, there is reason to expect that real-time sensory information would be valuable to the farmer when remotely supervising an AAM through an automation interface. This chapter will provide an overview of recent research that has been conducted on the role of real-time sensory information to the task of remotely supervising an AAM

Farmers’ willingness to cultivate pro-vitamin A cassava variety in Kwara State, Nigeria

The study examined factors underlying farmers’ perception about pro-vitamin-A cassava varieties and their willingness to cultivate them in Kwara State, Nigeria. One hundred and twenty-two (122) cassava farmers, selected through a multistage sampling procedure, were used for the study.  Data were collected through use of interview schedule and analysed using percentages, mean and standard deviation. Chi-square, likelihood ratio and factor (principal component) analysis were used for inferential deduction. Results showed about half (50.8%) of the respondents had high knowledge about the improved cassava variety and a vast majority (93.4%) expressed willingness to cultivate it. Sex (χ2 = 3.542) and knowledge level (χ2 = 15.732) had significant association with willingness to cultivate at p<0.05, with female farmers found to be about 3 times more likely willing to cultivate than male. Also, farmers with more knowledge were found to be about 6 times more likely willing to cultivate pro-vitamin-A than those with little knowledge. Three crucial factors (‘ethno-based preference’, ‘culturally induced personal preference’ and ‘colour dislike’) were found to be associated with farmers’ perception about the cassava variety. Farmers in Kwara State were willing to cultivate the pro-vitamin-A cassava variety. Women and those who had more knowledge were more willing to cultivate the variety than men and those with little knowledge, respectively. Factors underlying farmers’ perception about the variety were linked to ethnic/cultural background and dispreference for yellow root cassava. The need for more female integration and increased nutritional education in the drive towards popularisation of pro-vitamin-A cassava variety are recommended

Farmers’ willingness to cultivate pro-vitamin A cassava variety in Kwara State, Nigeria

The study examined factors underlying farmers’ perception about pro-vitamin-A cassava varieties and their willingness to cultivate them in Kwara State, Nigeria. One hundred and twenty-two (122) cassava farmers, selected through a multistage sampling procedure, were used for the study.  Data were collected through use of interview schedule and analysed using percentages, mean and standard deviation. Chi-square, likelihood ratio and factor (principal component) analysis were used for inferential deduction. Results showed about half (50.8%) of the respondents had high knowledge about the improved cassava variety and a vast majority (93.4%) expressed willingness to cultivate it. Sex (χ2 = 3.542) and knowledge level (χ2 = 15.732) had significant association with willingness to cultivate at p<0.05, with female farmers found to be about 3 times more likely willing to cultivate than male. Also, farmers with more knowledge were found to be about 6 times more likely willing to cultivate pro-vitamin-A than those with little knowledge. Three crucial factors (‘ethno-based preference’, ‘culturally induced personal preference’ and ‘colour dislike’) were found to be associated with farmers’ perception about the cassava variety. Farmers in Kwara State were willing to cultivate the pro-vitamin-A cassava variety. Women and those who had more knowledge were more willing to cultivate the variety than men and those with little knowledge, respectively. Factors underlying farmers’ perception about the variety were linked to ethnic/cultural background and dispreference for yellow root cassava. The need for more female integration and increased nutritional education in the drive towards popularisation of pro-vitamin-A cassava variety are recommended

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century