Responsible Bureaucracy as a Vehicle for Sustainable Development: Comparing Finland and Nigeria's Civil Services

This study is a historical interpretation and comparison of the civil services of Finland and Nigeria and tries to explain the extent to which the two cases have impacted on the wellbeing of their respective nations and citizenry. The task is achieved by comparing the cultures, structures and functions of the two civil services through an extensive research. The study argues that even though it is generally held that "bureaucracy‟ exists in all political systems, its effects on public administration are felt differently. While some nations have transformed their bureaucracies to become responsible and serve as an agent of national development, others are still running the old traditional type which is believed to retard efficiency and slow down development. Finland actualized sustainable socio-economic development through the strengthening of its bureaucratic institutions and elimination of corruption; education and training of its workforce, reducing hierarchy, and marching rewards with performance. In the case of Nigeria, sustainable development remains far-fetched. Corruption, high power distance and over-staffing are among factors that have hindered efficiency and effectiveness of the Nigerian civil service, and therefore, have derailed the course of socio-political and economic development of the country. However, it is suggested that the civil service could be made responsible if the Nigerian government can adopt a gradual implementation of New Public Management reform. Firstly, infrastructural facilities must be put in place to facilitate quick service delivery. Then, corruption must be fought head on to guarantee public confidence in the management of public affairs, while public agencies should be managed by competent managers. By that, responsible bureaucracy, another term for efficient management would be achieved to encourage sustainable development in the country.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

Prostatic cancer after prostatectomy for benign prstatic hyperplasia in Nigeria

Objectives: To establish the prevalence of ‘prostatic cancer after a previous prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)’ and to find out if there are any differences in clinical presentation, histological characteristics and response to treatment, between this type ofcancer of prostate and that of prostatic cancer in patients with intact prostate.Design: A prospective study carried out between January 1989 and December 1998.Setting: University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu and JAMA Urological Clinic in Enugu, Nigeria .Subjects: All patients presenting with histologically diagnosed carcinoma of the prostate during the study period.Interventions: Transperineal, transurethral and open prostatic biopsies. Hormonal manipulations, transurethral prostatic resections, and ureteroneocystostomies.Main outcome measures: Clinical presentation, histological characteristics of the tumour, and patient survival.Results: Eight hundred and forty seven new cases of cancer of prostate were seen during the study period and 39 of them had had prostatectomy for histologically diagnosed BPH in the past (tissues were cut by step sectioning technique), giving a prevalence rate of 4.6%. Ages of these 39 patients ranged from 64 to 89 years (mean 71.6 years), while that for the rest of carcinoma of prostate ranged from 56 to 87 (mean 70.4 years). Time interval between prostatectomy for BPH and presentation with prostatic cancer ranged from one to 10 years in 36 patients (mean 6.6 years) while the remaining three patients presented after 15, 20 and 22 years respectively. Histology in all the 847 patients showed adenocarcinoma. When the two groups were compared, there were no statistically significant differences in clinicalpresentation, histological grading, type of treatment and final outcome.Conclusion: Prostatic carcinoma after prostatectomy for BPH is not uncommon. It should be managed in the same line as those with cancer in intact prostate

Nurses’ International Migration and the Crystallizing ‘Culture of Exile’ in Nigeria: Historical Trends, Dynamics and Consequences

This paper examines an oft-neglected feature of international migration: social changes (disruptions and/or dislocations of their normal ways of living) in source societies in response to the exigencies of these migrations, and their eventual consequences. It demonstrates how policies in developed economies inadvertently impact on developing societies by creating new social conditions. An exploratory case of Nigerian nurses’ international migration, the paper takes the hypothetical perspective that the socioeconomic effects of migration have engendered a crystallizing ‘culture of exile’ among significant youth populations. It examines the lures/motivation of nurse training and establishes a new dominant drive – the urge to migrate to developed, high-income economies. This development is a direct result of the long-term ‘progressive impact’ of migrated nurses’ remittances in local societies. The paper shows how locals’ belief in the high probability of nurses to attract ‘overseas’ suitors/spouses also feeds into the narrative. The development dire consequences were also highlighted

Big data analytics in the healthcare industry: A systematic review and roadmap for practical implementation in Nigeria

Introduction: The introduction of digitization of healthcare data has posed both challenges and opportunities within the industry. Big Data Analytics (BDA) has emerged as a powerful tool, facilitating data-driven decision-making and revolutionizing patient care. Purpose: The research aimed to analyze diverse perspectives on big data in healthcare, assess BDA's application in the sector, examine contexts, synthesize findings, and propose an implementation roadmap and future research directions. Methodology: Using an SLR protocol by Nazir et al. (2019), sources like Google Scholar, IEEE, ScienceDirect, Springer, and Elsevier were searched with 18 queries. Inclusion criteria yielded 37 articles, with five more added through citation searches, totaling 42. Results: The study uncovers diverse healthcare viewpoints on big data's transformative potential, precision medicine, resource optimization, and challenges like security and interoperability. BDA empowers clinical choices, early disease detection, and personalized medicine. Future areas include ethics, interpretable AI, real-time BDA, multi-omics integration, AI-driven drug discovery, mental health, resource constraints, health disparities, secure data sharing, and human-AI collaboration. Conclusion: This study illuminates Big Data Analytics' transformative potential in healthcare, revealing diverse applications and emphasizing ethical complexities. Integrated data analysis is advocated for patient-centric services. Recommendation: Balancing BDA's power with privacy, guidelines, and regulations is vital. Implementing the Nigerian healthcare roadmap can optimize outcomes, address challenges, and enhance efficiency. Future research should focus on ethics, interpretable AI, real-time BDA, and mental health integration

Developing a dynamic learning culture for the integration of e-learning in higher education

Introduction: The many advantages of e-learning, such as adaptability, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness, have attracted a lot of attention in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue. However, a dynamic learning culture that encourages creativity, cooperation, and continual improvement is essential for the effective integration of e-learning. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to identify successful approaches to fostering a dynamic learning culture conducive to e-learning's widespread adoption in higher education. Methodology: This study employed a literature review method. The research reviewed the existing literature to determine the most effective methods for creating e-learning courses and measuring their effectiveness, as well as the most pressing problems that need to be addressed in order to successfully deploy e-learning in higher education. Result: A systematic strategy including deliberate planning, allocation of resources, and continuous monitoring and evaluation was shown to be necessary for the development of a dynamic learning culture. It also called for promoting an environment conducive to innovation, one that values trial and error, teamwork, and the pursuit of perfection. Conclusion: In conclusion, integrating e-learning into higher education needs a multidimensional strategy that includes careful planning, allocation of resources, encouraging a culture of innovation, and rigorous research to establish a dynamic learning culture. Recommendation: Institutions should prioritize investing in the resources, infrastructure, and support systems needed to successfully integrate e-learning programs in order to build a dynamic learning culture

Explaining inter-ethnic harmony in Enugu city, South-eastern Nigeria, 1970–2003

Ethnicity is a prominent feature in Nigeria’s socio-economic environment and is fervently exhibited within the context of the ‘indigene-settler dichotomy’. As this encourages exclusivism, it has been a major factor responsible for violent conflicts across the country. While many urban spaces in the country have witnessed such conflicts, a few have not. This study examines the indigene-settler inter-relations in Enugu to determine why and how the city sustained ethnic coexistence, cooperation and harmony since the end of the civil war (1967– 1970). It demonstrates how, while ethnic attachment appeared to be strong, and while conflicts and occasional tensions did occur in the city, inter-ethnic relationships were cordial and symbiotic. It further identifies and interrogates cogent factors responsible for this trend. The paper argues that the constructive management of ethnic conflicts, as demonstrated in the city, could be efficient and productive. Despite optimism in Enugu’s peaceful condition, however, it concludes that potential complications could emanate, as the factors responsible for Enugu’s condition are amenable to change. Both primary and secondary sources (eighty-six in-person interviews, twelve focus group discussions, archival and secondary materials) were used within a multi-disciplinary framework.

Baby Factories : Exploitation of Women in Southern Nigeria

Despite the writings of feminist thinkers and efforts of other advocates of feminism to change the dominant narratives on women, exploitation of women is a fact that has remained endemic in various parts of the world, and particularly in Africa. Nigeria is one of those countries in Africa where women are largely exposed to varying degrees of exploitation. This paper examines the development and proliferation of baby-selling centers in southern Nigeria and its impacts on and implication for women in Nigeria. It demonstrates how an attempt to give protection to unwed pregnant girls has metamorphosed into “baby harvesting” and selling through the notorious “baby factories,” where young women are held captive and used like industrial machines for baby production. The babies produced through this process were often sold illegally to adoptive parent(s) in dire need of them. In some other instances, they were used for child labour or trafficked for prostitution, ritual purposes, or organ harvesting. The paper argues that the hideous phenomenon of baby factories—which has high patronage in southern parts of Nigeria—does not only exploit and debase the status of women, but that the nature of its operation foreshadows a future danger for women in southern Nigeria regions

Dataset from: Visual evidence accumulation guides decision-making in unrestrained mice.

The ability to manipulate neural activity with precision is an asset in uncovering neural circuits for decision-making. Diverse tools for manipulating neurons are available for mice, but their feasibility remains unclear, especially when decisions require accumulating visual evidence. For example, whether mice' decisions reflect leaky accumulation is unknown, as are the relevant/irrelevant factors that influence decisions. Further, causal circuits for visual evidence accumulation are poorly understood. To address this, we measured decisions in mice judging the fluctuating rate of a flash sequence. An initial analysis (>500,000 trials, 29 male and female mice) demonstrated that information throughout the 1000 ms trial influenced choice, with early information most influential. This suggests that information persists in neural circuits for ∼1000 ms with minimal accumulation leak. Next, in a subset of animals, we probed strategy more extensively and found that although animals were influenced by stimulus rate, they were unable to entirely suppress the influence of stimulus brightness. Finally, we identified anteromedial (AM) visual area via retinotopic mapping and optogenetically inhibited it using JAWS. Light activation biased choices in both injected and uninjected animals, demonstrating that light alone influences behavior. By varying stimulus–response contingency while holding stimulated hemisphere constant, we surmounted this obstacle to demonstrate that AM suppression biases decisions. By leveraging a large dataset to quantitatively characterize decision-making behavior, we establish mice as suitable for neural circuit manipulation studies. Further, by demonstrating that mice accumulate visual evidence, we demonstrate that this strategy for reducing uncertainty in decision-making is used by animals with diverse visual systems

One‑stage Anastomotic Urethroplasty for Traumatic Urethral Strictures. January 2004–January 2013

Purpose: One‑stage anastomotic urethroplasty is an attractive procedure for reconstructing the urethra following trauma. This prospective study highlights the advantages of the procedure and outcome of treatment. Materials and Methods: A total of 87 patients, age range 11–68 years with a mean of 35.4 years were included in the study. These patients were seen at two tertiary Institutions in South East Nigeria. The stricture lengths varied between 0.8 cm and 3.2 cm. All had suprapubic cystostomy initially followed by an end to end perineal anastomosis after thorough work up. Preoperatively 9 (10.3%) patients had impotence from the trauma. Postoperatively the patients were assessed with peri‑catheter retrograde urethrogram, micturating cystourethrogram, and uroflowmetery. Results: All the patients were males. At 6 months, 13 out of 21 (62%) patients who had bulbo‑prostatic anastomosis and 62 out of 66 (94%) patients that had bulbo‑membranous, bulbo‑bulbar anastomosis had satisfactory micturition with urine flow rate >15 ml/s. Totally, 12 (13.8%) patients had urine flow rate of <12 ml/s. At 1‑year, there were 12 re‑strictures, no urinary incontinence and four cases of a decrease in the strength of penile erection that needed no treatment.Conclusion: Delayed one‑stage anastomotic urethroplasty provides for decreased incidence of postoperative morbidity, re‑stricture, impotence and urinary incontinence for most short segment posttraumatic urethral strictures.Keywords: One‑stage anastomotic urethroplasty, pelvic trauma, urethral traum