Determinants of Entrepreneurial Skill Acquisition among Agricultural Students in Nigeria Universities in Ogun State

Entrepreneurial skill acquisition among agricultural students in Nigeria Universities has been of major concern due to explosion rate of unemployment in the country. In the study that investigated the determinants of the entrepreneurial skills acquisition among agricultural students in universities located in Ogun State, 40 students were purposefully selected University of Agriculture, Tai Solarin University of Education and Olabisi Onabanjo University making a total of 120 students as the study sample. The findings revealed that majority of the students were in the age grade of 21 – 24 years (63.1%), male (71.7%), Christian (52.5%) and from Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Home and Hotel Management Department, Department of Animal Production, Department of Crop production Department of Soil Science and Farm Mechanization and Department of Renewable Resources. Majority of the respondents posited that they had acquired fish, pig, crop, poultry rabbit, cattle, snail and grass-cutter productions. Also, the students posited that they have leadership skill, self confidence, ability to organize resources to achieve goals, innovate and speculate, have need for achievement and success in skill acquired and lastly possess strong desire for responsibility and independence respectively. Also 70.8% of the respondents agreed that the level of the skill acquired determined their efficiency as entrepreneur. The study  therefore recommended that economic policy and programs that are geared towards self reliance for individuals such as Open Apprenticeship Scheme, Graduate Employment Programs etc and other policies that encourage or make it easy for entrepreneurs to acquire the needed funds e.g.; Peoples Bank of Nigeria, Funds for Small-Scale Industries (FUSSI), co-operative societies etc must be established throughout the nation and also empowered by the Government to assist entrepreneurs in Nigeria especially graduates from Universities. Keywords: Entrepreneur, Skill acquisition, Agriculture, Students, Universitie

Genetic fingerprinting and phylogenetic diversity of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from Nigeria

Genetic fingerprinting of 18 different isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from Nigeria using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was carried out. Ten out of 100 Operon primers showed polymorphism among the isolates tested generating 88 bands, 51 of which were polymorphic with sizes ranging between 200 and 3,000 bp. All the isolates were classified completely into two major groups (Sa-1 and Sa-2) with twelve different subgroups. Sa-1 group originated from human while isolates from plant and animal origins formed the Sa-2 group. The twelve different subgroups suggest adaptation of S. aureus in the different host cells. This indicates possible relationship between host origin and genetic variation among S. aureus isolates. The DNA fingerprint defined for each race of S. aureus could be useful in epidemiological studies, medical diagnosis and the identification of new strains and their origins. (African Journal of Biotechnology: 2003 2(8): 246-250

Evaluation of rice genotypes resistance to bacterial leaf blight in Togo

The present study aimed to evaluate rice genotypes for resistance to bacterial leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. Twenty-one genotypes including six genotypes grown in Togo, two improved genotypes from Africa Rice and thirteen isogenic lines from IRRI were tested. The results revealed differential reactions of genotypes in the expression of the disease. Additive main effect and multiplicative interaction analysis allowed identifying three groups of genotypes according to the level of the disease expression: resistant group made up of the genotype IR24 and all the twelve near isogenic lines tested except the line IRBB5, medium resistant group made up of three genotypes grown in Togo (NERICA4, NERICA8 and NERICA14), the genotype Giganté from AfricaRice, and susceptible group including five genotypes fromITRA (TGR203 and IR841), from AfricaRice (NERICA19 and TOG5681) and the near isogenic line IRBB5 from IRRI. The results provided useful information indicating that none of the grown varieties tested was resistant to BLB, thus revealing a potential risk of epidemics since these genotypes were only medium resistant to susceptible. However, experiments under field conditions in different environments of Togo are needed.© 2012 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved

Genetic variation and relationship in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from human and food samples using random amplified polymorphic DNAs

A genetic characterization of 18 different isolates of Staphylococcus aureus using random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs) was carried out. Out of one hundred primers tested, ten showed polymorphism. The amplification reactions with the 10 primers generated 88 bands, 51 of which is polymorphic with band size ranging between 200 and 3,000 bp. Variation and relatedness between different isolates were determined by converting RAPD data into a Jaccard similarity matrix and analysed by UPGMA (unweighted pair-group method, arithmetic average) to produce completely twelve different groups at 100% Jaccard similarity and at 50% coefficient of similarity. The isolates were classified into two major groups, the first comprises of mildly and weakly virulence, while the other group are the highly virulence Staphylococci. The results demonstrated that the RAPD technique may be of great use in the classification of Staphylococcus aureus.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (7), pp. 611-614, 200

Genetic diversity of the blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea (Hebert) Barr, in Burkina Faso

Trapping nurseries trialed at two screening sites in Burkina Faso appeared to be an effective tool to characterize the virulence spectrum of blast populations using limited equipment and reduced labor. Itmade it possible to identify the best site to be used for screening for durable resistance. The effectiveness of some resistance genes indicated that they could be pyramided to provide durableresistance to blast fungus in Burkina Faso. The study also revealed the possible existence of new pathotypes in Burkina Faso. Fifty-five isolates of the blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea, collected fromthe nurseries and rice fields were analyzed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR. Five major groups (Mg-1, Mg-2, Mg-3 Mg-4 and Mg-5) were defined. Mg-1, Mg-2 and Mg-3 were the largestgroups representing, 30.9, 25.5 and 30.9% of the 55 isolates analyzed. Only 9.1 and 3.6% belong to Mg-4 and Mg-5, respectively. Our results confirmed that RAPD PCR offers an inexpensive and speedy meansof generating markers for analyzing the population structure of the blast fungus

Alkylating efficiency of sodium azide on pod yield, nut size and nutrition composition of Samnut 10 and Samnut 20 varieties of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.)

Mutation has been utilised to improve growth and yield of many food crops, but only little effort has been made to ascertain the nutritional advantages in such improved crops. The present study evaluates the alkylating efficiency of sodium azide of different concentrations on pod yield, nut size and nutritional composition of two groundnut varieties. Dry seeds of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.); Samnut 10 and Samnut 20 varieties obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ilorin, Kwara State of Nigeria were treated with different sodium azide concentrations (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50mM) for 12 hours. Seeds soaked in distilled water for 12 hours were used as control for each variety. The treated seeds and control were sown in planting bags in randomized complete block design with three replicates. Alkylating effects of the treatments were studied on pod parameters and nut size while proximate analysis was carried out on the nuts to determine their nutritional composition. The results showed that sodium azide treatment of 50 mM produced significantly taller plants with more branches and leaves. Analysis of collected data revealed that sodium azide is effective in achieving significantly earlier- maturing plants with higher pod yield, bigger nut size and heavier nuts. All concentrations of Sodium azide applied induced significant higher crude protein and fat with respect to control in samnut 10 while 50 mM yielded highest protein and fat in samnut 20 variety. Generally, nutritional values of the studied groundnut were improved by sodium azide treatments with respect to protein and fat content which are the most important constituents in groundnut utilization as food or raw material for edible oil. The study concluded that the alkylating effect of sodium azide was effective on pod yield, nut size and other nut characteristics of groundnut and could be employed to improve protein, crude fat and other nutrition contents of the nuts for human and animal consumption as well as industrial applications.Key words: Alkylating effect, nutrition composition, sodium-azid

Genetic Analysis and Molecular Identification of Virulence in Xanthomonas oryzaepv.oryzaeIsolates

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) of rice is a very destructive disease worldwide and is caused byXanthomonas oryzaepv.oryzae(Xoo).The aimofthepresentstudywastoexamineiftheXoovirulence pathotypes obtained using phenotypic pathotyping could be confirmed using molecular approach. After screening of 60 Operon primers with genomic DNA of twoXooisolates (virulent pathotype,Vr, and mildly virulent pathotype,MVr), 12 Operon primers that gave reproducible and useful genetic information were selected and used to analyze 50Xooisolates from 7 West African countries. Genetic analysis revealed two majorXoovirulence genotypes (Mta andMtb)withMtahaving two subgroups (Mta1andMta2).Mta1(Vr1) subgroup genotype has occurrence in six countries and Mta2(Vr2) in three countries whileMtbgenotype characterized mildly virulence (MVr)Xooisolates present in five countries. The study revealed possible linkage and correlation between phenotypic pathotyping and molecular typing ofXoovirulence.Xoo virulence genotypes were known to exist within country and there was evidence ofXoopathogen migration between countries. Durable resistance rice cultivars would need to overcome bothMtaandMtb Xoovirulence genotypes in order to survive after their deployment into different rice ecologies in West Africa

Talent Management as a Determinant of Firm Performance: A Conceptual Approach

This study attempted to clarify the growing concept of strategic talent management and highlights its effect on organizational performance. This study employed archival method and as such extant literature was reviewed and collated for development of propositions. These propositions were developed based on the findings from the literature. Regardless of the increasing reputation talent management has and more than ten years of discussion as well as publicity, the idea behind talent management is still vague. Huge ambiguity still exists in the meaning and latitude of the concept. The recent expression ‘talent management’ has been initiated in the last decade. The term "Talent Management" was initiated recently to provide a single solution for the issues relating to the attraction and retention of qualified workforce. Talent management is beset with misunderstandings, doubts and lack of clarity, implying that the subject is not grounded in practice and thus reinforcing why it is viewed by many experts as a puzzle. Also, the effect talent management has on the outcome of an organization remains an issue particularly wherever only high ranked staff are considered the talents in an organization. This paper advocates the continuous training of personnel to obtain the required level of capacity of employees. The work-force who is involved in the talent management program is expected to be more innovative and contribute excellently to the success of the organization

The Role of Microfinance Institutions in Financing Small Businesses

SMEs all over the world play a strong role in national development. This is attributed to the massive employment it provides to the citizenry of the country where it exists. The financing of these ‘’goose’’ which have being laying so many golden eggs has come under scrutiny by academics and practitioners. Due to the recognition accorded this very important sector, the Nigerian government established microfinance banks in the year 2007 to serve as mechanisms for financial sources for various SMEs. This study explored the roles of these micro finance banks and institutions on small and medium enterprises as well as the extent to which the small businesses have benefited from the credit scheme of microfinance banks. Primary data was obtained via interviews conducted in 15 small businesses across Lagos state with their responses summarized in tables. This study advocates the recapitalization of microfinance banks to enhance their capacity to support small business growth and expansion and also to bring to the knowledge of the management of microfinance banks and institutions the impact of the use of collaterals as a condition for granting credit to small businesse