Competition Law as a Platform for Consumer Protection: A Nigerian Perspective

The relevance of Competition Law to Consumer Protection has long been identified in developed economies. Although, private enterprise was vigorously pursued in these economies, there was however serious emphasis on fair trading and competition in the supply of goods and services to the consumer.[1] The idea behind this was to prevent the existence of monopolies in the market place. The belief being that when there is competition in the market place, the quality of goods and services supplied to the consumer would be high as each manufacturer or supplier would work assiduously to outdo the other.[2] The consumer would not only benefit from improved quality of goods and services, he would also get them on fair and reasonable prices.[3]Therefore, in this article, we shall examine the historical antecedents to the development of Competition Law as well as the specific fundamentals in the law that can be stretched for the benefit of the consumer in the manner identified earlier. [1] See http://wikipedia.org/wiki/competition_law accessed on 25/11/2011 [2] See generally .Taylor Martyn. ‘International Competition Law: A new dimension for WTO accessed on http://www.google.com/books 25/11/2011 [3] See  S.Apinega ’The Goal of Anti-Trust Laws and The Concept of Consumer Welfare’(208-2009) 4  (1)A.B.U Law Journal,161-17

The Past in the Present: The Fundamentals of Structural Colonialism and the African Contemporary Developmental Challenges

Whenever Africa is mentioned in the international arena, the name seems to conjure pity, poverty, diseases, corruption, conflicts, maladministration, abuse of human rights and other trappings of vices associated with underdevelopment. This thinking may have influenced Tony Blair’s (former British Prime Minister) comments that Africa is a “scar on the conscience of the world”. This paper therefore argues that the various degrees of developmental challenges confronting contemporary African states were created in the era of colonial administration of the continent. Using the concepts of fundamentalist structuralism to critically analyse the contemporary African developmental challenges, the paper concludes that Africa appears to lack the capacity to deconstruct the philosophical foundation on which colonial structures were erected, and without a radical overture, the African continent may remain in its crawling developmental posture even in the 21st century

DATA SECURITY IN THE CLOUD USING SERPENT ENCRYPTION AND DISTRIBUTED STEGANOGRAPHY

Despite the enormous benefits derived from the adoption of cloud computing concept, its widespread acceptance has been considerably encumbered by security concerns. The enlarged attack surface in a cloud environment makes it more vulnerable to existing and emerging security threats. Conventional data security approaches have been found incapable in curtailing these threats and this unpleasant trend has necessitated the need for a futuristic approach to data security. Serpent encryption algorithm and distributed steganography are already proven techniques for securing data. This paper proposes an enhanced mechanism to ensuring data security by strategically combining serpent cryptographic algorithm and distributed steganography. The unified approach is aimed at leveraging the strength of these two proven techniques to achieve a robust mechanism for ensuring confidentiality and integrity of data in the cloud

Environmental Sustainability and Tourism Accommodation in South Africa: The Managers’ Perspective

A review of the existing literature indicates that academic research into environmental sustainability practices in the tourism accommodation industry is limited, with no literature defining the industry’s context in detail. This paper addresses this gap by asking fundamental questions which establish a baseline and provides an introduction to how environmental sustainability is conceptualised and approached within the tourism accommodation industry. Using thematic analysis of thirty semi-structured interviews, the findings of the paper indicate that stakeholders have a proficient understanding of environmental sustainability and its applicability to their industry. It also demonstrates that participants are aware of their responsibility in successfully implementing sustainability in the industry, but uptake levels are still very low, and at best basic. The paper thus provides the necessary starting point for assessing the challenge of sustainability adoption and developing solutions to integrate sustainability ideas at the much-needed higher level of engagement

Impact of South Africa's older persons' grant on the labour market outcome of prime age individuals

Includes bibliographical references.The study evaluates the impact of the presence of an individual who is age eligible for "state older persons' grant" on the labour force participation of prime age individuals who live with these individuals. Exploiting the panel structure of the National Income Dynamic Study (NIDS) data set, the study uses all three waves (2008, 2010 and 2012) of the data set to estimate if whether or not a causal relationship exists between the probability of employment of these prime age individuals and the existence of an individual eligible for pension in the household. Apart from employing cross sectional methods, the study makes use of pooled OLS and an Individual Fixed Effect model to estimate different equation specifications which control for various factors. To facilitate better comparison with previous literature, certain regression specifications in both the cross section and Panel evaluation methods restricts the sample to households with at least three generations of individuals residing within the household unit. Consistent with previous research, cross sectional results show that holding other factors that affect the probability of employment constant, there exists a negative association between the existence of age eligible individuals in households with prime aged adults, and the probability that these adults are employed. Contrary to previous research however, the panel results uphold instead of contradicting the results from cross sectional analysis and hence suggest that there indeed exists a negative causal relationship between the existence of at least one pension eligible individual and the probability that prime age adults living with them are employed. The results also find that consistent with previous research, the males in the household are the major drivers of this effect

Pharmacological and toxicological effects of copper and vanadium using in vitro and in vivo models of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathology is characterised by distinct types of cellular defects: notably, oxidative damage and mitochondria dysfunction, leading to selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Exposure to heavy metals and some environmental toxicants have been associated for many years with this disease pathogenesis. Raised iron levels have been consistently observed in the nigrostriatal pathway in PD cases. This thesis focused on the effects of an endogenous heavy metal micronutrient (copper - Cu) and an exogenous environmental heavy metal (vanadium - Vd), and explored the interplay with iron (Fe), focusing for the first time on sub-toxic effects of these metals upon neuronal cell oxidative and ER stress, differentiation, calcium signalling, motor activity, oxidative stress and lifespan in an in vitro (Catecholaminergic a-differentiated (CAD) cells) and in vivo (Drosophila melanogaster) model of PD respectively. Undifferentiated CAD cells were more susceptible to vanadium exposure than differentiated cells and this susceptibility was modulated by iron. Both a natural (Aloysia citrodora) and synthetic iron chelator, Deferoxamine (DFO), significantly and efficiently protected against chronic sub-toxic Vd-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress in contrast, iron chelation exacerbated the oxidative stress elicited by Cu. Low dose Cu had no significant effect upon metabolic rate (in both differentiated and differentiating CAD cells) but significantly protected undifferentiated cells, decreased potassium chloride (KCl)-induced depolarisation and positively enhanced the expression of MAP2 in differentiated cells In vivo exposure of Drosophila melanogaster (DM) to sub-toxic doses of Vd had a range of differential biochemical and behavioural effects upon wild-type (WT) and PD Pink-1B9 drosophila fly models. In pink-1 flies, exposure to chronic low dose of vanadium exacerbated the existing motor deficits, reduced survival, increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as T-SH and a reduction in survival. In WT, it caused an enhancement in motor activity (like L-dopa), in parallel with a reduction in brain RONS generation and increased total thiol levels (T-SH), with a resulting lifespan extension. Both Aloysia citrodora L, and DFO significantly protected against the PD-like phenotypes in both models. The results accrued in this thesis favours the case for iron-chelation therapy as a viable option for the symptomatic treatment of PD

A Critical Assessment of Credit Management in the Nigerian Banking Sector

The extension of credits to customers could enhance the profitability of Banks. The credits extended may also be fatal where they are not properly managed. Obviating this avoidable calamity is now imperative. The goal of enhancing the health of credits now require good thinking beyond were routine. An understanding of the business of customers should now be the business of banks as their value chain is embedded in customers’ value chain. In this study, the core resources and core competences required for securing the health of credits with a view to attaining net competitive advantage by banks attracted attention. Keywords: Banks, Loans and advances, Management of Credits, Provisions against doubtful debt, Competitive Strength, Net competitive advantage and Net competitive disadvantage

Internationalization Strategy of Nigerian Banks

Internationalization is an integral part of diversification and growth strategy. Some banks in Nigeria are now exploring internationalization. To enable the concept achieve its purpose, it must be predicated on an appropriate/ related competitive strategy. The selected competitive strategy must be guided by a suitable business case. As a result of limited resources and core competencies, Nigerian banks should further their growth through internationalization with a differentiated focus strategy. Keywords: Banking, Internationalization, Sustainable competitive advantage, Business case, Returns on Investment

DATA SECURITY IN THE CLOUD USING SERPENT ENCRYPTION AND DISTRIBUTED STEGANOGRAPHY

Despite the enormous benefits derived from the adoption of cloud computing concept, its widespread acceptance has been considerably encumbered by security concerns. The enlarged attack surface in a cloud environment makes it more vulnerable to existing and emerging security threats. Conventional data security approaches have been found incapable in curtailing these threats and this unpleasant trend has necessitated the need for a futuristic approach to data security. Serpent encryption algorithm and distributed steganography are already proven techniques for securing data. This paper proposes an enhanced mechanism to ensuring data security by strategically combining serpent cryptographic algorithm and distributed steganography. The unified approach is aimed at leveraging the strength of these two proven techniques to achieve a robust mechanism for ensuring confidentiality and integrity of data in the cloud

Hinduism- eller är det här det enda liv jag har?

The purpose of this essay is to examine whether a problem exists in the way that Hinduism and Sikhism are presented in Religious education books for upper secondary schools (A-course) with regard to eurocentrism and if they reproduce a we and they mindset regarding ethnicity .The essay also looks at whether the books in question follow the school curriculum with regard to certain points such common values , respect for all people, cultural diversity and the ability to see oneself as part of a global perspective(Lpf94). We have examined books that have been published between the year 2000 to 2007 and have used the theories of Edward W Said and Richard King as a basis to support our research and analysis. Two reports by Skolverket have also been used as well a report by Masoud Kamali commissioned by the government The results show that there is a definite tendency to portray Hinduism and Sikhism in an Eurocentric way with many references to “us here” in the west and so forth, hence creating a boundary between west and east and thereby reproducing a way of thinking that reflects this. Keywords: Orientalism, Othering Eurocentrism, Hinduism, Sikhis