Bilateral Official Finance for Private Sector Development and the Role of Non-Government Organizations

official finance, private sector development, NGOs, catalytic effects, additionality effects, aid instruments, aid delivery

Evaluation of the body burdens of heavy metals in five commercially important fishes from different locations in Kainji Lake

The level and distribution of some heavy metals viz Cadmium, Lead, Copper Zinc, and Cobalt in five commercially important fishes, water and sediments at three different locations in Kainj Lake were determined using standard methods. The results show that the ranges of heavy metals mu g/g in fishes in Dam site Laotian are: Cd (0.05~c0.01-20~c01), (Pb(ND-1.12 plus or minus )1), Cu (0.81~c25-2.93~c06), Zn (20.89 arrow right .15-36.78~c2.97), Co(0.08~c01-0.27~c02); in cover Dam, the ranges are Cd (0.04~c02-0.16~c0.2), Pb (nd-02~c01), Cu(0.75~c05-2.61~c13), Zn(15.70~c1.55-32.23~c2.70), Co(0.04~c02-0.25~c0.01) and in Yuna they are Cd (0.05~c01-0.14~c02), Pb (nd-0.32~c01), Cu (0.23~c07-2.70~c05), Zn(15.50 plus or minus `.35-25.62~c2.47), Co(0.07~c02-23~c0.01). The metals concentration (mg/l) in the water sample from Dam site, cover dam and Yuna respectively are Cd(0.007~c001,. 004~c001 and 0.005~001), Pb(013~c001, ND and ND), Cu(.055~c008.030~c007, 05 plus or minus .010), Zn(0.13~c01, 0.060 plus or minus .0055) and Co (.026 plus or minus .022 plus or minus .004, .024 plus or minus .004), while the metals concentration ( mu g/g) in sediments sample from Dam site, cover dam and Yuna are respectively Cd(.05 plus or minus .01, .02 plus or minus .01), Pb(16.00~c1.00, ND and 9.33~c1.01), Cu(24.00~c1.34, 4.26 plus or minus .91 and 11.08~c1.32), Zn(42.00~c1.00, 35~c10 and 38.00 plus or minus .45), Co(15.00~c1.17, 8.69~c1.21 and 10.91~c44). The concentrations of the tested heavy metals are within the acceptable standards of WHO (1987a

AWARENESS AND ADOPTION OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY-BASED LIBRARY SERVICES IN FEDERAL POLYTECHNICS IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

The paper examines the awareness and adoption of mobile technology-based library services in Federal Polytechnic in Southwest Nigeria. To achieve the set objectives, the study adopted descriptive survey with a mixed method that is quantitative and qualitative approaches. The targeted population for the study was registered users for 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic sessions of Federal Polytechnics in Southwest Nigeria. The sample size for the study was 390 registered users which represented 10% of the student’s population and 10 library staff was justified by the recommendation made by Nwana (1992). The convenience sampling technique was be used. The data were analysed using Statistical Products for Service Solutions (SPSS) version 22.0. The study revealed that there is profound appreciation and demand for mobile technology-based library services among students of the Federal Polytechnics in Southwest Nigeria, which is yet to be met. It was also revealed that library management plan to introduce the following mobile technology- based library services in the future; mobile online public access catalogue (MOPAC), mobile SMS alert services among others. It was concluded that there is a strong awareness of mobile technology- based library services among students. The study recommended that academic libraries should put in place a program to continuously develop their human resources through recruitment and professional training; there must be a culture of training for the entire library staff to ensure that they keep abreast with trends and changes in technology in relation to library service provision among others

Effects of infrastructural development on residential preoerty values in Minna

No Abstract

An Appraisal of the Open and Distance Learning Programme in Nigeria

The inability of qualified candidates to get a space in the conventional universities in Nigerian, calls for a strengthening of Open and Distance Learning programme to take in more prospective undergraduates.  This paper exposes the limitation on the number of spaces in the universities which imposes restrictions on access to conventional universities as only a ridiculous percentage of those applying for admission succeed in securing placement. This problem of unfulfilled quest for education versus actual supply of educational services contributed to the acceptance, growth, and implementation of distance education programme in Nigeria as a means to bridge the gap between demand and supply In essence, the emergence of the system of ODL is an inevitable and unparalleled advancement in the history of educational development locally and internationally. Unfortunately, ODL is still bedevilled with a number of teething problems which are a clog in the wheel of implementation. It was recommended that the Nigerian government should thus subsidise ODL programmes just like the conventional school system and improve electricity supplies to the nation

Inclusion of Co-operative Housing Approach to the Plethora of Policies and Legislation on Housing in South Africa

The major problem facing the South African government is the inability to increase the delivery of houses to the citizens amid fiscal constraint. To this end, a series of legislation and policies in housing have been put in place since the advent of democratic dispensation in 1994. If the approach of the government has shifted to demand driven, brought about by the needs of the beneficiaries, the question still remains why policies and legislation, such as the 2005 and 2009 Social Housing Policies and the Social Housing Act 16 of 2008 are antithetical to the co-operative housing subsector? It would have been expected that equal priorities and a level playing ground will be accorded to all the delivery options in order to have a rapid and efficient housing sector. The situation is however different due in part to the lack of awareness in terms of principles and processes involved in co-operative housing among both the public and government officials, thereby creating a huge gap in the rate at which the various delivery options have been providing houses. To this end, integration of relevant co-operative policies and legislation into the relevant housing policies and legislation is advocated in order to bridge the huge housing deficit.Key words: Co-operative housing; Housing deficit; Housing legislation; Housing policy

The impact of texting language on Nigerian students: A case study of final year linguistics students

© 2020, Department of General Linguistics, Stellenbosch University. All rights reserved. This article reports on research which examined whether the use of mobile phone text messaging is responsible for the reported presence of abbreviations in students’ written work at the University of Benin. I argue that the frequent use of short messaging service (SMS) abbreviations may not be attributed only to the reported increase in the use of abbreviations in the written work of students. Other factors, such as the purpose of the writing and the students’ state of mind, might also be determinants of whether students use abbreviations or not. The research was based on the analysis of a questionnaire distributed to final-year linguistics students of the University of Benin in 2015, during their regular classes at the main campus of the University of Benin. In total, 62 final-year students from the Department of Linguistics and African Studies at the University of Benin participated in the in-class survey. The professor of the students obtained ethical clearance and provided 72 notebooks, 126 written assignments and 85 examination scripts of the same students to the researcher for analysis and validation of their responses to the questionnaire. The analysis indicated that SMS abbreviations were carried over into students’ written classwork. However, one cannot categorically state that SMSs are the reason why students use abbreviations in their written work as widely reported because the evidence from this study does not support such a claim

Improving Site Management Practices in the Nigerian Construction Industry: The Builders’ Perspective

Site management involves a combination of activities, which turn basic resources into a finished product. The effectiveness of managing production process cannot be economically attained by force, but requires the creation of conditions that will encourage self-motivation and bring about team spirit that is important to an efficient projection execution. This study assessed management practices on construction sites through self administration of ninety questionnaires to the Builders present at a workshop. Thirty-two problems were identified from literature and respondents were asked to rank the problems. Results of the findings showed that inadequate enforcement of the existing enabling building regulations was ranked first while insufficient concrete cover and stripping formwork too early were the least ranked in a scale of 1 to 15. It was suggested that all the State Governments should ensure that appropriate legislation incorporating all the professionals in the building construction industry are in place.Keywords: Construction industry; Builders; Site practices; Professionals; Legislation

Comparative effects of 2D and 3D methods of graphics in autocad on interest of national diploma students in engineering graphics in south-west Nigeria

This study determined comparative effects of 2D and 3D methods of graphics in AutoCAD on National Diploma students’ interest in engineering graphics. The study was a pretest, posttest, non-equivalent control group quasi-experiment which involved groups of students in their intact classes assigned to treatment groups. Two research questions and three hypotheses, tested at 0.05 level of significance, guided the study. The sample size was 227 ND I mechanical engineering students in the polytechnics in the south-west geo-political zone of Nigeria. The instrument used for data collection was Engineering Graphics Interest Inventory. Mean, standard deviation and ANCOVA were used to analyze the data collected. The study found AutoCAD 3D method more effective in improving students’ interest in engineering graphics than AutoCAD 2D method but the effect was not found statistically significant. There was no significant influence of gender on students’ interest in engineering graphics. The study found no significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on interest of National Diploma students in engineering graphics. Hence, irrespective of nature of gender, learners will record improved interest in engineering graphics when AutoCAD 3D method is employed for teaching.Keywords: AutoCAD techniques, National Diploma Students, Engineering Graphics, Computer-Aided Design (CAD

Reincarnation: Re-appraising the belief of Yoruba Muslims within the context of Islamic orthodoxy

Reincarnation is one phenomenon that has always generated great controversies. While some people, based on personal experiences, are convinced of its possibility, some others outrightly denounce it. The Yoruba Muslims with regards to belief in reincarnation are divided into two; a section among them believes in the phenomenon, another section, however, opposes it and denies its occurrence. This study, contextualising the phenomenon within the framework of Islamic orthodoxy, attempts reconciliation between the two opposing views of Yoruba Muslims on reincarnation