Factors Influencing Behavioral Intention to the Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) among Students of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro. Ogun state. Nigeria

ABSTRACT The significance of Information and Communication (ICT) in Polytechnic education cannot be over-emphasized. The introduction of ICTs has tremendously assisted the libraries in their routine duties such as charging and discharging library materials, checking in and checking out users, library registration, recall of library materials indexing, cataloguing and classification The aim of the study is to examine the factors that influence the behavioral intention to use ICT among Polytechnic students in Nigeria. The study adopted the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) constructs. Extant Literature on the UTAUT and ICT influence the behavioral intention to use ICT among students were discussed. Extant literature indicates that we are now in the new generation in which young people accept digital technologies based on some reason.s Quantitative approach was employed through the use of survey method. 500 copies of a questionnaire were administered on the students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro out of which three hundred and forty five were returned (345) which indicated a return rate of sixty nine percent (69%). The findings of the study indicate that social influence and performance expectancy were the major constructs of the theory that influence the behavioral intention to use ICT. Based on the findings of the study the following recommendations were made: the Polytechnic should create more awareness about ICT usage among students, recognize and reward good ICT users among the students, create more ICT facilities and infrastructure for the students and advertise the ICTs in the libraries to all students Keywords: Behavioral Intention, Information and Communication (ICT), Use, Students

Towards innovative teaching pedagogies in gender research: A review of a gender research methods class

This commentary examines the teaching of research methods in Women and Gender Studies in the Gender Studies Unit of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan. It interrogates how the course has increased the awareness of students in the methods of conducting research and how the research they conduct has implications on marginalized populations. The course also highlights the need for a growing body of knowledge that engages the experience of black women in Africa and the African diaspora. The course draws the attention of students to the agency of women through the reading and teaching of various research methods in Gender Studies. An ethnographic approach is adopted using participant  observation in the course covering a period of one semester. Also, a critical perspective is applied in discussing the particular epistemological  standpoint deployed by the course instructor. In other words, the black feminist epistemology serves as an important strategy for increasing global-minded consciousness of how a course in gender research methods engages the agency of black women using Hip Hop pedagogy. Keywords: Gender Research Methods, Black Feminist Epistemology, Global-Minded, Black Consciousness, African Feminism

The Inflationary Effects of Budget Deficit in Nigeria

Purpose. Chronic budget deficit and rising inflation have been the major problems of government in Nigeria with their implication for significant macroeconomic variables. The government’s efforts in curbing these problems have not yielded the expected result. Thus, this study investigated the inflationary effects of the budget deficit in Nigeria. Methodology. Augmented-Dickey Fuller test, Bound Test and Autoregressive Distributed Lag test (ARDL) were used for analysis. Data were sourced from Central Bank of Nigerian Statistical Bulletin from 1986 to 2019. Finding and Implication. A long-run dynamic relationship was established between the budget deficit and the inflation rate in Nigeria, Based on findings, long run movement was discovered between budget deficit and inflation in Nigeria. It was established that rising budget deficit lead to inflationary pressure in Nigeria. Thus, there is need for government to work assiduously and diligently in ensuring balance in national budget. Originality and Limitation. This study contributed to existing study by investigating the dynamic inflationary effects of budget deficit in Nigeria and the adoption of important deficit financing variables. This study mainly focused on inflation rate without looking at the effect of budget deficit on other macroeconomic variables. Thus, future studies should focus on other macroeconomic variables like unemployment rate and balance of payments

Factors Influencing Behavioral Intention to the Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) among Students of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro. Ogun state. Nigeria

ABSTRACT The significance of Information and Communication (ICT) in Polytechnic education cannot be over-emphasized. The introduction of ICTs has tremendously assisted the libraries in their routine duties such as charging and discharging library materials, checking in and checking out users, library registration, recall of library materials indexing, cataloguing and classification The aim of the study is to examine the factors that influence the behavioral intention to use ICT among Polytechnic students in Nigeria. The study adopted the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) constructs. Extant Literature on the UTAUT and ICT influence the behavioral intention to use ICT among students were discussed. Extant literature indicates that we are now in the new generation in which young people accept digital technologies based on some reason.s Quantitative approach was employed through the use of survey method. 500 copies of a questionnaire were administered on the students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro out of which three hundred and forty five were returned (345) which indicated a return rate of sixty nine percent (69%). The findings of the study indicate that social influence and performance expectancy were the major constructs of the theory that influence the behavioral intention to use ICT. Based on the findings of the study the following recommendations were made: the Polytechnic should create more awareness about ICT usage among students, recognize and reward good ICT users among the students, create more ICT facilities and infrastructure for the students and advertise the ICTs in the libraries to all students Keywords: Behavioral Intention, Information and Communication (ICT), Use, Students

INFLUENCE OF ICT SKILLS ON THE UTILIZATION OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION RESOURCES (EIRs) AMONG UNDERGRADUATES OF COVENANT UNIVERSITY, OTA. OGUN STATE. SOUTH WEST NIGERIA.

Abstract This study assessed the impact of ICT Skills on the utilization of electronic information resources in Covenant University by undergraduates. Libraries generally, are now investing greatly on electronic information resources and there is a great need to study the use of electronic information resources to justify the investment. On this background, this study set to investigate the influence of ICTS skills on use e-information resources by undergraduates of covenant university, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of this study includes undergraduates library users from 100 to 500 in Covenant University. . The return rate was 52.6%. The sample size of 572 was drawn out of the 11440 undergraduates in Covenant University and was used in the study. Questionnaire was the instrument for collection of data. The data in the study was analysed using correlation and regression analysis to determine the composite (joint) and relative effects of the independent variables on the dependent variable in the study. The descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages and means was used to analyse the result while correlation analyses was used for hypothesis and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software was used for the analysis. The findings show that on the average respondents used more electronic books than other electronic information resources and the EIRs are mostly used for competing class assignments

The Implication of Capital Market Development on Manufacturing Sector in Nigeria Within the Framework of ARDL – Bound Testing Approach

This study examined the short run and long run effect of capital market on manufacturing output in Nigeria using Bound Test and Autoregressive Distributed Lag. The results of the unit root test revealed that manufacturing output, market capitalization, volume of transactions and all share price index were integrated at first difference. The study found evidence of long run relationship between manufacturing output, market capitalization, volume of transactions and all share price index as indicated by Bound Test. The result of the ARDL revealed that market capitalization had significant and positive effect on manufacturing output both in the long run and short run. Also, volume of transactions had positive effect on manufacturing sector output in the short run but negative in the long run while all share price index had negative and insignificant effect on manufacturing output both in the short run and long run. The result of the granger causality test showed that both market capitalization and all shared price index did not granger caused manufacturing sector output while volume of transaction granger cause manufacturing sector output.       The study thus concluded that, capital market has been partly ineffective in funding the activities of the manufacturing sector especially in the long run in Nigeria. The study recommended that there is need for relaxation and elimination of stringent rules and requirement for entering into the market by small, medium and large manufacturing companies in order to increase the rate of market capitalization in the market which attracts investable funds from idle sector of the economy. Finally, regulatory authorities should focused more on long term stability of the capital market through the formulation of stable macroeconomic policies in the economy.  &nbsp

Epidemiology of African swine fever in Nigeria

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious transboundary viral infection of domestic pigs that has serious socio-economic implications on people’s livelihood, international trade and food security. It is still a major limitation to profitable pig production and presently, it is threatening the pig industry internationally with current outbreaks in the Russian federation and the Caucasus. Since 1996, the disease has made major incursions into the West African sub-region. In this study, a combination of classical epidemiologic (statistical), economic, laboratory (serological, virological and molecular) and evidence-based tools were used to determine the prevalence of ASF in Nigeria, map the temporal situation of the virus, estimate the economic implications of infection with justification of alternative control (biosecurity), compare and contrast the virulence genes (Thymidine kinase, TK) and finally evaluate the effectiveness of ethnoveterinary preparations used in the management of ASF. Nine percent (9%) of serum samples and 48% of tissue samples tested were positive for ASF virus antibody and genome, respectively. Areas with high pig-related activities (marketing, consumption and farming) have higher prevalences compared with areas with less pig activities. Farm-gate buyers, marketing systems and transport of untested pigs within the country appeared to assist with the circulation of the virus. Using the financial model of partial budgeting and benefit-cost analysis, ASF outbreak in a 122-sow unit may lead to a loss of up to ZAR7,475,867.27 (US$910,836.70) in a single year while the implementation of biosecurity and its effective monitoring can prevent these losses with certain other social benefits and give a benefit-cost ratio of approximately 29 in return, but the cost of its implementation may result in a 9.70% less annual profit. Since the identification of factors that supports infection on pig farms in the sub-region remains the key component in the development of a risk-based approach to control the disease, most plausible risk factors and biosecurity measures previously identified were analysed in this study with a univariable/multivariable conditional logistic regression analytic models. Presence of an abattoir in a pig farming community (OR = 8.20; P < 0.001) and the presence of an infected pig farm in the neighbourhood (OR = 3.26; P = 0.02) were significant risk factors. There was a marginally significant negative association (protective) between risk of ASF infection and sharing farm tools and equipment (OR = 0.35; P = 0.05). For the biosecurity measures evaluated, food and water control (OR = 0.14; P < 0.001), separation/isolation of sick pigs (OR = 0.14; P = 0.004) and washing and disinfection of farm equipment and tools (OR = 0.27; P = 0.02) were negatively associated (protective) with ASF infection. Consultation and visits by veterinarian/paraveterinarians when animals were sick (OR = 8.11; P = 0.002), and pest and rodent control were positively associated with ASF infection of Nigerian farms (OR = 4.94; P = 0.002). The leaf, root and stem portions of Ancistrocladus korupensis possessed some chemical compounds with antiviral potentials and extracts and fractions from the plant showed very good antiviral (virucidal) activities in-vitro against ASF virus (NIG/99). It also has certain cytotoxic principles and narrow therapeutic index. Further studies on the maximization of the ethnoveterinary potentials of the plant invivo and in-vitro while reducing its cytotoxic potentials will be needed. Using molecular characterization, similar unresolved topologies were observed within the European, South America, Caribbean and West African (ESAC-WA) genotype and the mean character distances on the coded data set revealed least possible loss of information that would have otherwise been ignored in pairwise- or complete- deletion distance analysis. The size of the coding ORF for the TK protein varies between isolates but the majority of isolates code for a protein of 196 amino acids. These isolates comprise of viruses from Europe, West, Central and Southern Africa. A smaller TK gene product of 185 and 194 amino acids, caused due to a frameshift mutation at nucleotide position 561 in many of the East African isolates resulting in stop codons immediately thereafter or further downstream (nucleotide position 571 in Malawi 3). Despite the smaller TK protein product size, certain nonsense insertions of differing length were responsible for some considerably larger TK-PCR products. This TK protein heterogeneity is unexpected in an enzyme with such an important function and these size differences may have an effect on virulence. It is concluded that strains from southern Africa may have a shared evolutionary history with strains of the ESAC-WA genotype but may differ from the evolutionary lineage from East Africa. It is also suggested that a link exist between the sylvatic cycle, domestic tick cycle and the truncated TK products. Finally, putting in place a comprehensive routine surveillance and testing system to rapidly eliminate all pigs in infected farms, reorganization of the market and transportation systems for pigs, implementation of carefully planned on-farm biosecurity protocols, and giving consideration to the option of compensation to encourage reporting of outbreaks will possibly achieve a significant reduction in high ASF prevalence in Nigeria. It will be desirable to eliminate certain risky farm-related practices and behaviours (e.g the removal of all pig abattoir from within the pig communities, isolation of infected neighbourhood farm) while entrenching farm-level biosecurity as these appear to be the key to controlling ASF within the subregion. In conclusion, the outcomes of this research can be used to plan long-term strategies for countries like Nigeria, and assist the ASF unaffected countries that are at risk of infection to organize and secure their animal (pig) resources, so that Africa can be free from the significant effects of ASF and explore options of international markets.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012.Zoology and EntomologyUnrestricte

The Short and Long Run Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria

What determines foreign direct investment inflows has been a subject of controversy among scholars. As a result of the highlighted gap discussed in this study, the short and long run determinants of foreign direct investment and their effects on foreign direct investment inflow in Nigeria was investigated from 1986 to 2018. Data were analyzed with Augmented Dickey-Fuller and Phillips Perron unit root test, Autoregressive Distributed Lag and Pairwise Granger Causality techniques. Evidence of long run dynamic equilibrium relationship was established between foreign direct investment and its determinants. The short and long run coefficients revealed that government capital expenditure and inflation impede the inflow of foreign direct investment both in the short and long run while exchange rates serve as a bane to foreign direct investment in the long run. However, gross domestic product and trade openness were found to stimulate the inflow of foreign direct investment in the short and long run. The Pairwise causality result revealed that government capital expenditure, exchange rate and trade openness had independent causality with foreign direct investment while gross domestic product and inflation rate had unidirectional causality with foreign direct investment. Thus, the government should allocate more funds for the provision of enabling and investment enhancing the environment to promote foreign direct investment inflow. The study added value to previous studies by estimating the short and long run determinants of foreign direct investment using the more dynamic and robust technique of Autoregressive Distributed Lag developed by Peseran and Shin (1999)

Biology of Seed Vigor in the Light of -omics Tools

Seed vigor is a major agronomic trait measurable by seed longevity in storage, germination capacity, and seedling growth in the field. Seed vigor has potential to significantly elevate crop resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. That is important for crop yields enhancement and other enterprises that involve seeds like plant breeding, research and education, germplasm conservation and the seed trade. With the availability of high precision -omics tools for biological research, lots of investigations are undertaken globally to answer the physiological questions underlying seed germination and invigoration. The increasing -omics datasets constitute important resources for the delivery of new seed vigor markers and advancing new seed vigor manipulation opportunities. There is need to regularly update the knowledge generated from these investigations for the scientific improvement of seed vigor. Thus, this chapter highlights the biological backgrounds involved in the development of seed vigor traits in the light of modern -omics tools. The chapter is sectioned into; 1. Attributes of seed vigor and the –omics sciences; 2. State of -omics-based knowledge on underlying mechanisms of seed vigor; 3. Future perspectives of -omics application to genetic engineering of seed vigor with an insight to the latest technique of genome editing, the CRISPR-Cas9 technology