Impact of Employee Training on Organizational Performance A Study of Selected Insurance Firms in Abuja-Nigeria

Performance of organization depends on the knowledge and ability of its employees toward understanding the dynamism in the market. Insurance firms spent huge amount of money annually on training employees and the excess of such investment on employees is to improve the employee knowledge on the work and achieve organizational goals better than the competitors. The study is on the impact of employee training on organizational performance of selected insurance firms in Abuja. Questionnaire was administered to population sample of one hundred and twenty (120) employees. Hypothesis formulated for the study were analyzed using t-test statistical technique to determine the relationship that exist between employee training and organisational performance. The study observed that induction and orientation have significant impact on employee job effectives. It was also discovered that on-the-job training has significant relationship with employee productivities while off-the-job training has significant relationship with employees’ innovativeness in insurance industry. The study recommends that insurance organizations should set up regular training and development programmes that are capable of improving the skills, morale and productivity of employees. Personnel managers of insurance firms should also involve experts to determine the appropriate training for the employees. Insurance industry should prioritize training programmes to ensure high level of productivity. Keywords: training, employee, performance, insurance, productivity, innovativenes

PRE-SOWING TREATMENTS FOR ENHANCED SEEDLING EMERGENCE OF PINK SHOWER (Cassia nodosa Buch. –Ham. Ex Roxb.) SEEDS IN NURSERY

Pink shower (Cassia nodosa: Fabaceae family) is a flowering shade tree used in landscape garden and parkplanting. Seeds of C.nodosa experience dormancy which delays germination and early seedling establishment,and there is limited information addressing pre-sowing treatment of the species. The experiment investigatedeffects of some pre-sowing treatments(soaking for 3, 6 and 12 hours; two water temperature regimes – 60o and80oC) on Seedling Emergence (SE) of C. nodosa.A3 x 2 factorial experiment in completely randomised designwith five replications was used. Treatments were applied on both mechanically scarified and non-scarified seeds.Daily and total SE counts were taken for 84 Days After Sowing (DAS). Data were analysed by use of simplestatistics and ANOVA at p<0.05. Results showed that days to first SE ranged from 4.4 to 5.8 DAS in scarifiedseeds, and 5.2 to 8.6 DAS in non-scarified seeds. The scarified seeds given various pre-sowing treatmentcombinations progressed beyond 50% SE at 84 DAS. Scarified seeds pre-soaked in 60°C water for 3 hours gaverelatively highest cumulative SE (76%±8.9), while least SE (32%±11.0) was obtained from non-scarified seedspre-soaked in 80°C hot water for 3 hours. In conclusion, the combination of mechanical scarification of seeds andsoaking in 60°C water for 3 hours enhanced seedling emergence of Cassia nodosa

Legal Brief: Rape as a Penal Offence in the Nigerian Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015: A Forensic Investigative Approac

The Nigeria Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act prohibits all forms of violence against persons while providing maximum protection and remedies for victims and punishment of offenders. Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 provides for the offence of rape, defines the offence and punishment for offenders. Interesting as the provisions and severe as the punishment may be, successful investigation and prosecution of rapists are predicated upon standard forensic investigative procedures. However, available statistics reveal discrepancies between the cases reported and the number of convictions. Hence, the contention of this paper that the discrepancies is either that these forensic investigative procedures are hitherto neglected or little attention has been paid to them during investigation of rape cases thereby resulting in loss of cases

Syphilis serology in HIV-positive and HIV-negative Nigerians: The public health significance

Syphilis has acquired new potential for morbidity and mortality through association with increased risk for HIV infection. Case-control survey was conducted using Rapid Plasma Reagin test and confirmatory Immunochromatographic test among HIV-positive (cases) and HIV-negative (control) Nigerians. A total of 35(14.0%) of 250 HIV-positive and 5(2.0%) of 250 HIV-negative individuals studied were seropositive for syphilis, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The prevalence was higher among females than males of HIV-positive (15.0% versus 12.7%) and of the HIV-negative (2.1% versus 1.9%) individuals. Syphilis seroprevalence was highest among HIV-positive individuals aged 21-30 years (20.5%) and 41-50 years old HIV-negative individuals (4.5%). Sex education, promotion of safer sexual behaviour, prompt diagnosis of STDs and provision of effective, accessible treatment are recommende

EFFECT OF PHYTOHORMONE AND PHENOLOGY ON DOMESTICATION OF Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth. BY MARCOTTING IN DERIVED SAVANNA ZONE OF SOUTHEAST NIGERIA

Marcotting is a method of vegetative propagation which still finds its relevance in the present day domestication and routine plant multiplication efforts of indigenous fruit trees including, Pentaclethramacrophylla (Fabaceae family). There is dearth of information regarding propagation of P. macrophyllaby marcotting. Hence effects of phytohormone application and tree phenology on P.macrophyllapropagation by marcotting were investigated in Ishiagu located in the derived savanna agro-ecological zone of South-east Nigeria. Marcotting of P. macrophylla, effect of Indole Butyric Acid (IBA) and Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) phytohormones application (range 0.1% – 0.3% and 0.05% –0.1% concentrations, respectively) and different marcotting seasons were studied in field experiments. The plots were laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Three branches of each tree replicate were marcotted at two-month interval (starting from January to November) across the year. Percent callus and adventitious roots formation, number and length of adventitious roots were assessed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA.Results of combined effects of IBA and NAA on rooting of marcotted branches showed that both auxin treatments had generally unimpressive adventitious root production effect on P. macrophylla at eight weeks after marcotting (WAM). The branches however, produced callus tissues freely around the girdled portions of branches,which is a definite indication of ensuing rooting process that might have been delayed. Only treatment of 0.2% IBA+0NAA gave significantly highest mean with 100% callusing at 8 WAM; while least mean (50%) callusing was produced with 0.1% IBA+0 NAA and 0.2% IBA+0.05% NAA. July marcotted branches produced significantly highest percent callus (100%), adventitious roots(75%), number of roots (2.2±0.8) and root length (34.2±8.7cm) among the different marcotting seasons

The Province of (Substantive) Legitimate Expectation in Nigeria\u27s Tax Administration: A Law and Policy Evaluation

The interplay between tax administration and legitimate expectation has been the subject of debate and scholarship in many jurisdictions. Questions around how much discretion tax authorities should be allowed and whether courts should uphold the (substantive) legitimate expectations of taxpayers – by implication, bind the tax authority – when the tax authority reverses itself on a guidance, promise, position, etc. feature prominently in this conundrum. In Nigeria, the disposition of both the tax authority and the court appears to lean towards outright dismissal of legitimate expectation. Put differently, it seems that the tax authority does not consider itself bound by its previous position, perhaps, irrespective of the implications for the taxpayer. The court likewise does not deem the tax authority bound, especially when that previous position appears to contradict the relevant statute, hence no legitimate expectation. This thesis puts these assertions to the test, in order to bring out better clarity on the subject. I argue that, as far as Nigeria is concerned, there are both legal and policy bases for upholding or enforcing tax-based legitimate expectation. Relying on Nigerian and English authorities, I discuss the possibilities of streamlining the enforcement of tax-based legitimate expectation in Nigeria. I also discuss the various factors that militate against the application of the doctrine. From a policy perspective, I argue that the tax authority respecting/upholding its commitments to taxpayers, in appropriate cases, could be more consistent with some important aspects of Nigeria’s National Tax Policy – such as fairness, neutrality, certainty and administrability – and, perhaps, enhance the overall value base of Nigeria’s tax system

Negotiating Bilateral Tax Treaties: Should Tax Treaties Involving Low-income Countries Contain a Sunset Clause?

This policy brief reflects on an underexplored proposition: that bilateral tax treaties – particularly treaties involving (middle- and) low-income countries – should contain an expiration or sunset clause. The brief examines some reasons why it may be sensible for a low-income country to make its bilateral tax treaty expirable, from its onset. It also highlights a few reasons why such a policy may not be advisable – or tenable. The brief concludes by exploring the design of a model sunset clause for inclusion in the UN Model Tax Convention

Availability and Utilization of Instructional Facilities for the

This study investigated the availability and utilization of instructional facilities and material for the effective teaching of Basic Electricity in Ebonyi State technical colleges. Two research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. It was a survey research design and the entire population of Basic Electricity technical teachers together with their SSII and SSIII students with a total of 150 were used.  Due to this size of the population no sampling was carried out. Instrument for data collection was a structured and validated questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of stability 0.86. The questionnaire were distributed by hand and also collected back after completion with the help of three research assistants. Frequency counts and percentages were used to answer research question one while mean ratings were used to answer the second research question. The hypothesis was tested with t-test statistics. The findings revealed that many vital facilities and materials are not available while some available ones are not even effectively utilized for the teaching of Basic electricity. It was therefore recommended that all stake-holders should contribute financially and materially to enhance the effective teaching of basic electricity. Keywords: Basic electricity, instructional materials, teaching, availability, utilization

Peroxide Sensing Using Nitrogen-Doped and Platinum Nanoparticle-modified Screen-Printed Carbon Electrodes

Nitrogen-doped carbon materials have garnered much interest due to their abilities to behave as electrocatalysts for reactions important in energy production (oxygen reduction) and biosensing (hydrogen peroxide reduction). Here, we demonstrate fabrication methods and determine electrocatalytic properties of nitrogen-doped screen-printed carbon (N-SPCE) electrodes. Nitrogen doping of graphite was achieved through a simple soft-nitriding technique which was then used in lab-formulated screen-printing inks to prepare N-SPCEs. N-SPCEs displayed good electrocatalytic activity, reproducibility and long term stability towards the electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide. N-SPCEs exhibited a wide linear range (20 µM to 5.3 mM), reasonable limit of detection of 2.5 µM, with an applied potential of -0.4 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). We also demonstrate that nitrided-graphite can similarly be used as a platform for the deposition of electrocatalytic platinum nanoparticles, resulting in Pt-N-SPCEs with a lower limit of detection (0.4 µM) and better sensitivity (0.52 µA cm-2 µM-1) towards H2O2 reduction