Search

Introduction: There are lapses in Nigeria's data ecosystems with the consequences of imprecise and inaccurate data on humanitarian crises limiting accurate interventions. Therefore, we examined the data targeting processes in the humanitarian sector of Northeast Nigeria and the ethical concerns that arise when such data is collected and used to advance understanding and improve humanitarian protection systems. Methods: The fieldwork was done in two phases in Maiduguri Borno, North-East Nigeria, between 2021 and 2022. This period was selected because it was the climax of IDP camps in the Northeastern part of the country. Maiduguri was selected for the study because it is the capital of Borno state which is the epicenter of insurgency and internal displacements in Nigeria. Hence, a lot of the most vibrant IDP camps in Nigeria were in Maiduguri for care and security reasons. Fifty in-depth interviews were conducted among the displaced persons across five camps. We also interviewed twenty stakeholders and practitioners working with IDPs to understand Nigeria's data-based humanitarian contexts of internal displacement. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim by a language expert. The data were coded, and content analyzed to provide context and explore significant operational and ethical issues in data-driven humanitarian protection. Results: There are discrepancies in the definition of vulnerability in data gathering, putting into question how targeting is carried out to identify vulnerable people and its implications for exclusion. Different data banks and reliability issues across institutions and actors make room for a multiplicity of data and problematic synergy relative to data and ethics. Inconsistent ethical systems guide data gathering and utilization in IDP camps; for instance, there are ineffective norms of recording and securing informed consent during data gathering. States, partners, and IDP camps confront debilitating capacity gaps and equipment deficits that make updated data gathering, storing, retrieval, and utilization. Paper and digital data storage processes were often used with restricted access to only a few key stakeholders. There is vast data expropriation without standard recourse to justice and beneficence as ethical procedures in the humanitarian data space of northeastern Nigeria as a microcosm of Sub-Saharan African realities. Conclusion: There are enormous implications for effective and efficient targeting processes and outcomes, strategic inclusion, and ethical practices in conflict management, humanitarian interventions, and internal displacement in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the first issue of the International Journal of Biometeorology in 1957, a total of 135 papers have reported on research in or of African countries. The majority of these have been on topics of animal biometeorology (36%), and the greatest proportion (24%) are situated in Nigeria. There has been a considerable increase in papers on African biometeorology since 2011, with those from this past decade accounting for 58% of all African papers in the journal. This occurs concurrent to an increase in the total number of papers published in the journal, driven by a move to the Editorial Manager system. While 66% of the papers on African biometeorology in the journal are authored by at least one person with an affiliation in the African continent, only 15 African countries are represented in the total authorship. As much of the African continent is projected to experience climatic changes exceeding the global mean, as much of the region is involved in animal and plant farming, and as seasonally-fluctuating and climatically affected diseases are common place, this low representation of work in Africa is surprising. This points to the need for greater awareness among African researchers of the discipline of biometeorology, greater involvement of African biometeorologists in International Society of Biometeorology and Commission meetings, and the inclusion of a greater number of African academics in the review process. This would be beneficial to the Society in increasing diversity and encouraging a more cosmopolitan engagement, and to the recognition of scientific development in African countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to further understanding on the ethical and conceptual challenges associated with researching human trafficking in Edo state, Nigeria. The contribution addresses perceptions of these phenomena among some local actors in the state. Based on five years' research on human trafficking from Nigeria to Europe, this paper puts into perspective local perceptions, and some dynamics of data collection. Also considered here are ethical challenges bordering on trust and suspicion of the researcher's intent, informed consent and suspicion of researcher's motive especially those linked to funding. The paper concludes by recommending ways of navigating as well as overcoming the associated challenges in researching human trafficking in Edo state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that is still regarded as a public health issue in developing nations. This paper aims to discuss the epidemiology of anthrax in Africa, the current outbreaks in Ghana and Nigeria, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment of anthrax, challenges associated with the transmission of the disease to both countries and recommendations to reduce this current outbreak and curb future outbreaks in Africa. Online databases (PubMed, and Google Scholar) and Nigeria Ministry of Agriculture report were used to provide detailed information on the paper. On June 1, 2023, two suspected human cases of anthrax were reported, via a letter sent to all stakeholders in the country, with one death in Binduri District, Upper East region of Ghana. The cases were due to the consumption of dead cattle. Four cattle were reported dead at the time, and eleven suspected human cases were identified through contact tracing. Afterward, on July 17, 2023, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nigeria announced the first case of anthrax disease in Nigeria. The National Veterinary Research Institute confirmed the case from samples collected from a suspected livestock farm in Niger State, Nigeria. No human case has been reported. Short conclusion: Anthrax poses significant challenges to public health and requires cooperation between nations, especially in regions like Ghana and Nigeria, where animal movement and ecological changes can impact disease transmission. Challenges attributed to the spread of anthrax in both countries were discussed, focusing on the role of government and the general public in addressing this public health concern. Given the endemicity of certain transboundary animal diseases such as anthrax in sub-Saharan Africa, the control of animal movement across intra- and international borders in the region needs to be tightened. Regulations governing the transboundary movement of animals should be based on the World Organisation of Animal Health Terrestrial Code and should be strictly enforced to prevent ongoing and future outbreaks in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines suicide prevalence among Nigerian youth struggling to find meaning in life. Frustrated by unattainable ideals, they experience despair. The study explores religion's role in providing support for meaning-seeking individuals. Utilizing an explorative approach, the paper highlights how religion can play a role in offering solidarity, morality, and hope as vital resources for creating a meaningful life. It introduces "Pastrotherapy" as a pastoral care approach to addressing existential questions. Findings emphasize the importance of religious communities and leaders in promoting resilience and addressing underlying causes of despair. This study reveals how religious beliefs and practices support Nigerian youth facing existential challenges, shedding light on the intersection of religion, meaning-making, and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased urbanization and population lead to increased consumption of manufactured goods. This ultimately results in increased production of waste. Identifying its composition is crucial for planning an effective solid waste management strategy. This study assesses the characteristics and composition of the waste generated within the Uyo Capital City Development Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This is to aid in developing a scientifically supported waste management pilot system for the state. Direct waste sorting and characterization were conducted on the municipal solid waste arriving at the landfill during the study period. Over 50% of the generated wastes are recyclables and composed of plastics, metals, and paper, while the fraction of organic waste is over 30%. Similarly, the waste generation per capita is 1.34 kg/person/day, while the generation forecast over the next ten years is estimated to increase by approximately 40%. Furthermore, over 9,000 surveys were completed by residents to establish a problem statement about the existing waste collection and disposal system, and possible solutions. Importantly, a majority of survey respondents were willing to source-separate their wastes and supported paying a fee for adequate waste collection. This strongly indicates that an integrated waste management system could be established to generate value from the collected waste. Supplementary revenue can be generated through composting, recycling, and land reclamation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater resource plays a central role in every sector of life globally. Unfortunately, the roles of groundwater are often unappreciated in many parts of the world, especially in developing nations. The paper applied a combined geo-electrical method and hydrochemical analysis alongside physical surveys to investigate aquifer promising zones, the quality and the source of water supply in the selected regions. The geo-electric resistivity data were used to select the most aquifer-promising zone for groundwater development with a key interest in groundwater potential and aquifer overburden protective capacity overlying the water-bearing unit. Seventeen (17) vertical electrical sounding (VES) acquired in four regions reveals that the regional weathered/fractured unit which constitutes the aquifer unity extends from 13.4 m to 41.3 m in depth with the subsurface resistivity value varying between 53 Ωm–1013 Ωm in terms of resistivity values. The overburdened thickness (protective soil layers) stretches from 2.5 m to 13 m with a resistive layer of resistivity values ranging from 111 Ωm to 2877 Ωm, which could provide high aquifer protective cover for the regional groundwater systems. The computed aquifer transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity range from 0.54 m 2 / h –15.85 m 2 / h , and 0.95 m/day–9.19 m/day, respectively. The estimated average longitudinal conductance (0.2 moh) reveals that the regional groundwater systems are moderately protective against surface contaminants. In addition, the physicochemical water analysis was examined, which exposes the level of heavy metals (HMs) compositions in the regional groundwater systems and the possible public health risks compared to WHO permissible drinking water limits. The sample water from the Rivers had the highest concentration of HMs (0.089 mg/I–2.012 mg/l), followed by the hand-dug wells (HWDs) (0.033 mg/l–1.555 mg/l) and the lowest in the borehole (0.011 mg/l–0.511 mg/l). In contrast, the borehole water sample shows a moderation where the HMs presence falls within the WHO standard for drinking water. The outcomes of the study show that 63% of the investigated region consumed water with a high concentration of HMs above the WHO permissible standard allowance for drinking water, while only 37% took water that falls within the WHO permissible standard. In conclusion, the study showed significant impacts of anthropogenic activities on the regional water quality, which provides vital information about the regional groundwater systems and the quality of water supply for adequate groundwater development and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper models the relationship between trade shocks and real effective exchange rates (REER) for Nigeria using monthly data from January 2010 to December 2021. The contributions of this paper are twofold: (i) We use the Pesaran et al.'s (J Appl Econom 16(3):289–326, 2001) Linear (Symmetric) as well as Shin et al.'s (Festschrift in honor of Peter Schmidt: Econometric Methods and Applications, Springer, 2014) Nonlinear (Asymmetric) ARDL, (ii) We additionally account for structural breaks in regression models using the Bai and Perron (J Appl Econom 18(1):1–22, 2003) test, which allows for numerous structural alterations. Our research yielded the following conclusions. There is evidence of both short-run and long-run asymmetries. Second, terms of trade improvement led to an appreciation of the local currency in the long run. Third, a degradation in terms of trade has no discernible impact on Nigeria's real effective exchange rate. Finally, ignoring structural fractures and asymmetries will result in significant prejudices and erroneous findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous communities worldwide have cultivated and preserved invaluable ecological knowledge on biodiversity conservation long before the formalisation of scientific inquiry. Rooted in familial intimacy with nature and an acute ability to discern subtle micro-changes, these communities profoundly understand the patterns and processes shaping their natural world. In Nigeria, a nation boasting diverse indigenous peoples and rich biodiversity, this unique knowledge system finds limited recognition within the current legal framework on biodiversity conservation. In response to the persistent decline of biodiversity within and beyond protected areas in the country, the paper argues for a shift grounded in integrating indigenous ecological knowledge(I.E.K) into the existing laws and policies on biodiversity conservation. The findings of this paper demonstrate the need for a transformative change- one demanding a fundamental reorganisation in the design, implementation, and enforcement of biodiversity policies in the country to prioritise the rights and agency of indigenous peoples and local communities in biodiversity policies. It submits that by acknowledging and incorporating indigenous knowledge into legal frameworks, the country can effectively combat biodiversity loss and foster a more inclusive, sustainable approach that aligns with the vision of the country and the global conservation goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under what conditions do incumbents support, tolerate, or try to rein in armed groups within their borders? The paper argues that incumbents strategize toward armed groups in ways that help them manage the ruling coalition and remain in power. I find that incumbents support armed groups in provinces where provincial politicians have defected from the ruling coalition to opposition parties, recruiting armed groups to deliver the province in national elections with fraud and violence and punish elite defectors. Where incumbents are not fighting to keep provinces in the ruling coalition, I show that they tolerate non-dissident groups that enjoy social contracts with local communities, and try to contain their dissident counterparts. Incumbents are likely to repress predatory armed groups, dissident and non-dissident alike. Doing so helps boost elite and mass support for incumbents and project central government power into the province. The argument was inductively built with comparative case studies from Nigeria and then evaluated in Kenya. The findings contribute to an important research agenda on government-armed group relationships and carry implications for security sector aid and reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft computational algorithms enhance the understanding, prediction, and classification of engineering and environmental problems. In Nigeria, works that have used these techniques in modeling soil erodibility are scarce. In this paper, several soft computing methods were integrated to assess and model the geotechnical and geomechanical characteristics of gully soils in Southeast Nigeria. Standard methods were employed for soil geotechnical analysis. Relationships between geotechnical parameters were estimated using R-type hierarchical clustering (HC), principal component analysis (PCA), and factor analysis (FA). Soil erodibility in the area was classified using Q-type HC and K-means clustering (KMC) algorithms. Moreover, gradient descent-optimized multilayer perceptron (GD-MLP) and multiple linear regression (MLR) models were developed to simulate and predict the soil properties, including fines %, sand %, gravel %, plasticity index, cohesion, and friction angle. This research indicated that: (1) all the analyzed soils have moderate–high erodibility characteristics, with high erodibility tendency predominant; (2) the PCA, FA, and R-type HC effectively captured the relationships of the geotechnical variables; (3) the Q-type HC and KMC models produced moderate and high erodibility clusters at 1:4 ratios; and (4) with low modeling errors, the MLR and GD-MLP accurately predicted the soil properties. However, overall, the MLR models (with R2 range of 0.976–1.000) outperformed the GD-MLP models (with R2 range of 0.924–0.998 and area under curve range of 0.900–0.948). Although high model performances were recorded in this work, future studies are encouraged to advance its findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plea bargaining is one of the procedural tools introduced into the Nigerian Criminal Justice System to ensure quick dispensation of justice, save time and resources that would have been spent on a trial, and solve the problem of prison congestion in the country. This paper examines the application of this procedural tool in the administration of justice in corruption cases in Nigeria. It argues that plea bargaining is used by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) mainly to recover looted resources from the culprits without giving due consideration to the provisions of the law and the essence and purposes that punishment serves. Also, the application of plea bargaining in various corruption cases has resulted in lighter punishments for the culprits. The paper draws on Deterrence Theory to argue that the way plea bargaining is being applied in corruption cases may encourage corrupt practices, rather than deter offending. Therefore, to achieve a reasonable outcome in fighting corruption in Nigeria, the rule of law must be upheld. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic monetary conditions are often cited as a driver of monetary stimulus. This paper estimates an oil price augmented forward-looking reaction function for Nigeria's unconventional monetary policy. It investigates its short-run and long-run asymmetric sensitivity with respect to the expected inflation, output gap, and oil price using data over the period 1995Q1 to 2021Q2. The results suggest that the Central Bank of Nigeria has an asymmetric reaction function and largely reflects oil price shock when taking decisions on the use of unconventional measures (credit easing policy). This finding confirmed the preference and reaction function of the monetary policy toward assessing the current stance and the future direction of monetary policy. Policy implications for these findings are also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the issue of wastewater due to oil spills and pollution in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, which has led to significant environmental and socioeconomic consequences for local communities. The study employed a secondary data collection approach, drawing on various sources, including published research articles, reports, official records, and satellite imagery. Through a systematic review and synthesis of the available literature, the paper identified key challenges, mitigation and remediation strategies, policy recommendations, and areas for future research. The findings of this study revealed that the existing regulatory framework has not been fully effective in preventing and addressing oil spills and pollution in the Niger Delta region due to factors such as weak enforcement, inadequate resources, and overlapping responsibilities among regulatory agencies. Moreover, existing measures for oil spill response, clean-up, compensation, and remediation have had limited success, leaving affected communities to continue suffering from the impacts of oil spills and pollution. Short conclusion: The paper highlights the potential of innovative approaches and technologies, such as advanced oil spill detection and monitoring technologies, bioremediation, and renewable energy, to enhance the effectiveness of mitigation and remediation efforts. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the importance of collaboration and cooperation among various stakeholders, including government agencies, oil companies, local communities, civil society organizations, and international partners, in addressing the challenges posed by oil spills and pollution in the Niger Delta region. Based on the findings, the paper presents several policy recommendations, such as strengthening the regulatory framework, enhancing transparency and accountability, promoting community participation and empowerment, and encouraging investment in sustainable development and clean technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Archaeological Review is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigates the short-term dynamics as well as the long-term relationship between natural gas consumption and economic growth in Nigeria, taking breaks into account. The techniques employed include Shahbaz-Omay-Roubaud unit root test with sharp and smooth breaks and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model with breaks. The results revealed that natural gas consumption is positively related to growth both in the short-term and long-term but only significant in the latter. However, there is evidence of bidirectional causality in the long-term and unidirectional causality in the short-term, from growth to natural gas consumption. The implication of the findings is that natural gas is a contributing factor to the growth of the Nigerian economy, and any energy policy aimed at increasing the consumption of natural gas could lead to the increase in economic growth and that Nigerian authorities could adopt energy conservation policies in the short-term so as to take the issue of global warming into consideration. Therefore, the paper recommends stepping up efforts to increase natural gas consumption by building more gas storage facilities, pipeline installations, exploring alternative energy sources, raising awareness/enlightenment about the uses of natural gas, suitability in its use, economic and environmental benefits of its use, ensuring its affordable availability, and beeping up security against pipelines vandalization. Moreover, in the short-term, the country could enact energy conservation policies to combat global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The categorization of public buildings is such that it covers all buildings that are accessible to the public; however, many public buildings that are either fully or partially privately owned usually undergo some form of cosmetic customization in an attempt to communicate the aspirations of the owners or occupants of the building or the space within the building to the users. This paper aims to examine the location and aspects of the buildings that are affected by cosmetic customization as they relate to the occupants and owners of the buildings. The study adopted mixed methods of qualitative and quantitative research approach, it used both a questionnaire and observation checklist to obtain data from the selected buildings and the respondents. Eleven public categories of public buildings were selected and 30 copies of the questionnaire were administered to each category. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics from SPSS software and the results are presented in tables and charts. It was observed that a high percentage of the customization was undertaken within the building and the ceiling aspect of the interior was the most modified part of the building. The study concluded that cosmetic customization was undertaken in all of the public buildings examined, and this action helped project the image the owners wanted to put forward as their form of brand identity using the building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate evaluation, monitoring, and prediction of groundwater resources are essential because humans heavily rely on groundwater for drinking, domestic, and industrial needs. The current study aimed at evaluating the quality of groundwater for drinking and industrial purposes in Awka and Nnewi urban metropolises (southeastern Nigeria) using indexical and artificial neural network (ANN) methods. The temperature of the studied groundwaters was found to range from 23 to 28 °C. The pH values revealed that the waters are acidic, though the groundwaters in Awka are acidic more than those in Nnewi. The majority of the analyzed physicochemical parameters (conductivity, total dissolved solids, Cl, SO4, HCO3, and Ca) examined were found to be below acceptable standard limits. In the metropolises, integrated water quality index (IWQI) classified over 75% of the groundwaters as unfit for drinking. Except for the Revelle index (RI), which classified 70% of the water samples within the Awka metropolis as slightly affected by salinization and 90% as strongly affected by salinization in the Nnewi metropolis, all other corrosivity and encrustation potential indices (Larson–Skold index (LSI), chloride–sulfate mass ration (CSMR), Langelier index (LI), aggressive index (AI), Ryznar stability index (RSI), and Puckorius (PSI)) utilized classified all the groundwater as having a high corrosivity. This demonstrates that the groundwaters in both metropolises have higher corrosion potential than encrustation potential. Additionally, the eight ANN models produced in this study function admirably. The ANN models performed well in the order IWQI > LSI > RSI > CSMR > LI > AI > PSI > RI according to R2 values. High performance of the models was validated by the R2, residual error, relative error, and sum of square error values. The findings of this paper would offer valuable insights for sustainable and strategic management of the groundwater resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public housing estates in both design and planning seem to lack adequate outdoor space provisions for the socio-economic and cultural activities of residents in Nigeria. The immediate consequences of the inadequacy of outdoor spaces may have led to forced extension, remodeling, addition, and reshaping of existing buildings and their spaces by residents, thus leading to chaos and disorderliness in the estates. This paper assesses the residents' satisfaction with the post-occupancy modification and re-adaptation of outdoor spaces in middle-income public housing estates in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria. The study adopted the survey design approach. The sample size of the study consists of 421 housing units drawn from the sample frame of 4028 units that exist in the 10 middle-income public housing estates in Enugu. The primary data collected in this study were subject to analysis with the resident's satisfaction index and principal component analysis. The results suggest that the residents are satisfied with their outdoor space modifications and re-adaptation. However, their satisfaction levels are high on 26 outdoor modifications and re-adaptations whereas the remaining 26 observations show low satisfaction levels. Moreover, the PCA results indicate the existence of 12 types of residents' outdoor space needs and preferences, which cumulatively explained 76.662% of the variability. This implies that the level of outdoor space modification and re-adaptation is high in the various housing estates. It is therefore imperative to consider the residents' needs and preferences in the formulation of an outdoor design template for Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The insatiable demand for rock supplies has enticed numerous building and construction enterprises to participate in stone quarrying. However, this has had an environmental impact on air quality. This paper examines the environmental impact of quarrying on air quality in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. To achieve the main aim of the study, an objective was set to detect air pollutants at the quarry sites. A total of 220 air samples were measured from six points around the quarry locations and recorded in situ for analysis. The samples were measured three times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening) for three days. Gas monitors were used to monitor air pollutants. The generated data were subjected to completely random design (CRD) sampling techniques. The separation of means and tests was performed using Fisher's Least Significant Difference (FLSD) at a significance probability level of 5%. Results: Based on statistical analysis, the findings detected significantly higher concentration levels of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, chlorine, volatile organic compounds, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide in the quarry areas than the value detected in the control area. The findings also confirmed higher noise levels in the locations. It was also observed that the concentration levels of the parameters differed from point to point and at different times of the day. This really means the occurrence of a high rate of air pollution in the study locations. Conclusions: Based on the above findings, it is highly recommended that, (i) if situation is not timely addressed, it will lead to a severe environmental disaster or hazard, as nobody selects the air he or she breathes; (ii) air pollution control equipment be installed in-situ at quarry sites where free air flow is available in order to reduce gaseous (pollutant) emissions, and (iii) the seasonal effects, meteorological parameters and time that were influenced by the activities of quarry should be put in check. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social media platforms, especially Twitter, have turned out to be a major source of data repositories. They have become a platform that citizens can use to voice their concerns about issues that affect them. Most importantly, during the COVID-19 era, the platform was greatly used by governments and health organizations to sensitize people about the safety guidelines that they must adhere to so as to remain safe during the pandemic. As expected, people also used Twitter and other social media platforms to voice their opinions about how governments are handling the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Governments and organizations could, therefore, use these social media as a feedback mechanism that can help them know the view of the citizens about their policies. This could help them in making informed decisions about their policies. Aim: The aim of this paper is to explore the use of BiLSTM deep learning technique for sentiment analysis of COVID-19 tweets. Methodology: The study retrieved 197,327 tweets from the Nigeria Twitter domain using #COVID or #COVID-19 hashtags as keywords. The dataset was retrieved within the 1st month of COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria, i.e., March 15–June 15, 2021. BiLSTM deep learning technique was trained using 789,306 sentiment annotated tweets obtained from Kaggle Sentiment140 tweet datasets. The preprocessed case study tweets were then used to evaluate the proposed model. Also, a precision of 78.26% and a recall value of 78.27% were also obtained. Results: With an accuracy of 78.29%, 98,545 (49.93%) positive sentiments and 98,782 negative sentiments (50.06%) were recorded. Also, a precision of 78.26% and a recall value of 78.27% were also obtained. However, the presence of outliers which are tweets not related to COVID but which used the hashtag was observed. Conclusion: This study has revealed the strength of BiLSTM deep learning technique for sentiment analysis. The results obtained revealed an almost balanced sentiments toward the pandemic with 49.93% positive disposition to the pandemic as compared to 50.06% negative disposition. This showed affirmed the impact of COVID vaccine in dousing citizen's tension when it was made available for public use. However, the presence of outliers in the classified tweets could be a pointer to the reason why aspect-based sentiment analysis could be preferred to sentence-based sentiment analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metakaolin (MK) is one of the most sustainable cementitious construction materials, which is derived through a direct heating procedure known as calcination. Calcination process takes place substantially lower temperatures than that required for Portland cement, making it a more environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional cement. This procedure causes the removal of hydroxyl water from the naturally occurring kaolin clay (Al2Si2O5(OH)4 with MK (Al2O3·2SiO2) as its product. Kaolin naturally exists in large amount within 5°29′N–5°35′N and 7°21′E–7°3′E geographical coordinates surrounding Umuoke, Obowo, Nigeria. Alumina and silica are the predominant compounds in MK, which provide it with the pozzolanic ability, known as the 3-chemical pozzolanic potential (3CPP), with high potential as a cementitious material in concrete production and soil stabilization. Over the years, researchers have suggested the best temperature at which MK is derived to have the highest pozzolanic ability. Prominent among these temperature suggestions were 800 °C (3CPP of 94.45%) and 750 °C (3CPP of 94.76%) for 2 h and 5 h' calcination periods, respectively. In this research paper, 11 different specimens of Kaolin clay obtained from Umuoke, Nigeria, were subjected to a calcination process at oven temperatures from 350 to 850 °C in an increment of 50 °C for 1 h each to derive 11 samples of MK. The MK samples and Kaolin were further subjected to X-ray fluorescence), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) tests to determine the microstructural behaviour and the pozzolanic properties via the 3CPP as to exploit the best MK with the highest cementing potential as a construction material. The results show that the MK heated at 550 °C and 800 °C produced the highest pozzolanic potentials of 96.26% and 96.28%, respectively. The enhancement in pozzolanic potential at optimum calcination temperature is attributed to an increase in the specific surface area upon calcination of kaolinite confirmed by BET results. The SEM and XRD results further supported the above result with the strengthened crystal structure of the MK at these preferred temperatures. Generally, 550 °C is more preferred due to the less heat energy needed for its formulation during 1 h of calcination, which outperforms the previous results, that suggested 750 °C and 800 °C in addition to longer hours of heat exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the background of increasingly uncontrolled urbanization, neglect of informal settlements in urban land use and socioeconomic development planning process, this paper evaluates the spatial dynamics and socioeconomic-cum housing environment of the informal migrant settlement of Sabo, Ibadan. Geo-spatial data (Landsat imageries) were obtained from United States Geological Survey and Google earth pro to generate land use maps and analyze its dynamics between 1975 and 2015. The socioeconomic-cum-housing data were obtained through questionnaire administration to 280 sampled residents and or business operators using a multistage sampling procedure involving both random and accidental sampling, alongside direct observations. Resulting data were presented using tables, charts and pictures. The paper observes the changing land use types and pattern, particularly the general increase in residential (76%) and exponential increase in commercial land uses (172.7%) and the shrinking of open space/vegetation land uses, together with the concomitant environmental issues, especially in the housing environment. It also confirms the concentration of migrants in the area and their socioeconomic importance to the larger city, as well as recommends effective integration of the informal settlement into the city formal planning and environmental management framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tenure security is necessary for land to serve as a means for generating a livelihood and be a vehicle for investing and accumulating wealth. This is because, when there is a risk of dispossession of land, people are not able to invest in land. This paper examines the causes and manifestations of land tenure insecurity in the informal land delivery system of Lagos State. A qualitative research approach was adopted for the study. Interviews were conducted with representatives of 23 indigenous landholding families (ILFs) in the five Divisions of Lagos State. The data collected were analysed through thematic analysis. The study discovered that security of tenure is highest if possession is taken immediately after purchase and it reduces the longer the period possession is taken after purchase. Other causes of tenure insecurity include counterclaims by other family members, claim by non-members of the family or invasion by external forces such as ajagun gbale, defects in the character of members of the family council, and economic reasons. It was also discovered that the manifestation of tenure insecurity includes sales of land to another person, imposition of payment of security fee, re-purchase of land, re-location to another plot, and refund of purchase consideration. Tenure insecurity increases transactional cost with consequential implications on the attractiveness of real estate as an investment option. There is, therefore, a need to incorporate the informal land delivery system into the formal system and strengthening of institutions that protect and enforce property rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is recognised among the drivers of conflicts in developing regions but the growing studies on climate change–violent conflict nexus in Africa have paid little attention to the spatial dimension of the farmer–herder conflict in Nigeria. Existing studies have not explored the issue of climate change vulnerability regarding the farmer–herder conflict. Therefore, this paper contributes to the literature by examining the spatial dimension of the relationship between climate change and farmer–herder conflict vulnerabilities in Nigeria. Data were obtained from various secondary sources and the analyses were based on climate security vulnerability model. The study shows that the farmer–herder conflict is widespread across Nigeria but with significant spatial clustering and the hotspot is in the Middle Belt, especially in Benue State. The result of the regression model indicates that climate change vulnerability is the best predictor of the farmer–herder conflict in Nigeria but the effect is negative. This result implies that regions more vulnerability to climate change experience lesser farmer–herder conflict. The paper demonstrates that climate change could influence herders' migration pattern as the herders now move southward due to deteriorating environmental conditions partly caused by changing climate in the northern regions. Thus, it argues climate change is not necessarily the cause of the conflict because the change in the pattern of herder's migration does not automatically lead to climate change causing conflict. Migration is important but the mechanism establishing the migration–conflict nexus has to be explained by taking cognisance of identity differentials between herding groups and local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational technology is a discipline that has a lot of roles to play in the global education system yet, its services had been neglected over the years in Nigeria. The new global reality that was occasioned by the upsurge of COVID-19 has made educational technology a very consequential discipline with conspicuous roles to play in the face of such a global pandemic. COVID-19 has halted many human activities across the globe. Its effect in the education system has resulted to re-adjustment in the school calendar, prolonged graduation dates, and reduced research output. To combat this, many education systems now adopt the services of educational technology thereby changing the old norm. But for this new norm to be sustainable, this paper argues that the education system must show a pragmatic attitude towards the adoption of such innovation rather than a conservative attitude. Therefore, using the diffusion theory of innovation, this paper argues that necessity called for compulsory adoption of innovation in the Nigerian education system. This new opportunity, however, looks bleak as many educational practitioners lack the required skills and attitude to adopt the innovation. It, therefore, concludes that educational practitioners need in-service training to be part of these changes. The government is suggested to apply a systematic approach in procuring and installing ICT facilities that will enhance the diffusion of this innovation into the school system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Archaeological Review is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores the causal link between couple's household decision-making power and women's labour market and economic outcomes. Autonomy refers to the condition of independence while decision-making power can be defined as one's ability to make important decisions within the household. Autonomy and decision-making power are used interchangeably in this paper. Using the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey and a series of probit, instrumental probit and multinomial logistic regression models, findings suggest that women who have lower autonomy in their households are less likely to be currently employed and even when they are employed, these women have higher odds of working in family businesses, which are typically associated with greater labour market vulnerability. These women are, however, more likely to own assets, a strategy likely aimed at improving their exit options. Interestingly, when men have relatively more power within the household, there are positive implications for women's labour market outcomes—women are more likely to be currently employed and less likely to be unpaid workers in family businesses. An explanation for this may be found in the country's high poverty levels and general economic hardships which necessitates the influx of additional resources into the household through women's paid employment. Greater absolute and relative autonomy of male partners, however, reduce women's asset ownership, likely because greater resource accumulation by women, beyond wage receipts, can be an indicator of dominance within the household, a position typically ascribed to men by cultural and patriarchal norms. These results suggest that relative perceptions of authority and autonomy in the household are important determinants of Nigerian women's labour market behaviours and asset ownership, and the influences of male partners cannot, and should not, be underestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Security threats posed by Ponzi schemes present a considerably higher risk compared to many other online crimes. These fraudulent online businesses, including Ponzi schemes, have witnessed rapid growth and emerged as major threats in societies like Nigeria, particularly due to the high poverty rate. Many individuals have fallen victim to these scams, resulting in significant financial losses. Despite efforts to detect Ponzi schemes using various methods, including machine learning (ML), current techniques still face challenges, such as deficient datasets, reliance on transaction records, and limited accuracy. To address the negative impact of Ponzi schemes, this paper proposes a novel approach focusing on detecting Ponzi schemes on Ethereum using ML algorithms like random forest (RF), neural network (NN), and K-nearest neighbor (KNN). Over 20,000 datasets related to Ethereum transaction networks were gathered from Kaggle and preprocessed for training the ML models. After evaluating and comparing the three models, RF demonstrated the best performance with an accuracy of 0.94, a class-score of 0.8833, and an overall-score of 0.96667. Comparative evaluations with previous models indicate that our model achieves high accuracy. Moreover, this innovative work successfully detects key fraud features within the Ponzi scheme dataset, reducing the number of features from 70 to only 10 while maintaining a high level of accuracy. The main strength of this proposed method lies in its ability to detect clever Ponzi schemes from their inception, offering valuable insights to combat these financial threats effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a bacterium of public health importance. The zoonotic spread of this pathogen through animal-derived foods has been reported. This systematic literature review investigates the prevalence, distribution, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles, and molecular characteristics of S. aureus in the food chain in Nigeria. Methods: A systematic search of online databases (Pub Med, Google Scholar, and Web of Science) for published articles from January 2002 to January 2022 was performed using the Prisma guideline. Results: Fifty articles were included from an initial 511 extracted documents. These papers included research carried out in 22 states across Nigeria. S. aureus detection in most studies was above the satisfactory level for foods (≥ 104 CFU/g). The prevalence of S. aureus ranged from 1.3% in raw cow meat to 72.5% in fresh poultry meat. Most S. aureus isolates demonstrated multiple drug resistance patterns, especially being resistant to beta-lactams. There is a lack of information on the molecular typing of the S. aureus isolates. The different spa types of S. aureus isolated were t091, t314, t1476, and t4690, categorized into Multi-Locus-Sequence Types ST8, ST121, ST152, and ST789. Virulence genes detected include pvl, sea, see, spa, coa, edin, tsst, and hly. Certain AMR-encoding genes were detected, such as mecA, blaZ, fos, tet, and dfsr.. Factors contributing to the presence of S. aureus were reported as poor processing, poor sanitary conditions of the food processing units, inadequate storage units, and poor handling. Conclusion: We showed that S. aureus is a major food contaminant in Nigeria despite the need for more information on the molecular typing of strains from animal-derived food sources. There is a need to control S. aureus by targeting specific entry points based on the findings on risk factors and drivers of food contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous comparative international studies on wellbeing of older adults in Africa have presented figures based on indicators which tend to obscure the variations in terms of wellbeing among the older adults in a particular country. This paper examined the subjective dimension of quality of life of community dwelling elders in Nigeria. It identified factors related to different levels of subjective wellbeing in different parts of the country and among different socio-economic groups. Data for the paper were drawn from a national study on vulnerability of older adults in Nigeria. A sample of 3,696 older adults (55.6% males; 44.4% females; mean age = 69.2, SD = 8.60) was selected through multi-stage systematic random sampling, using the national census enumeration area framework. Data were collected using structured interviews via Open Data Kit (ODK). Subjective Wellbeing was measured using the Flourishing Scale. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed resilience as the main predictor for older adults' subjective wellbeing. Other significant predictors included perceived attitudes towards old age in the respondents' community, ability to meet daily financial needs, independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), membership in social and religious groups and location, whether rural, peri-urban or urban. The findings of the study make significant contributions to the existing literature on older adults' wellbeing in Nigeria and provide material for future regional and international comparisons on the subject. The findings also provide data that can be utilized for policies and programme interventions that will be in alignment with the older adults' perceived needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping purpose and targeted end-users in perspective, several water quality indices have been developed over the past decades to summarily convey water quality information to decision-makers and the general public. Industrial water quality is often analyzed based on the corrosion and scaling potentials (CSPs) of water. The commonly used CSP index parameters are chloride–sulfate mass ratio, Langelier index, Larson-Skold index, aggressive index, Ryznar stability index, and Puckorius scaling index. Simultaneous application of these index parameters often classifies a sample into multiple water quality categories, thereby introducing bias in assessment and decision-making. No previous numerical model integrated the CSP indices to provide a single, composite index value for a more unbiased interpretation of industrial water quality. Therefore, this paper proposes an integrated industrial water quality index (IIWQI) that integrates the six CSP index parameters for direct and concise assessment of industrial water resources. To achieve its aim, this research incorporated information entropy theory and soft computing techniques. The developed IIWQI was applied to water samples from southeastern Nigeria. Different classification groups were observed based on the six CSP indices. However, the IIWQI summarized the classifications of the water samples into three categories: Class 1 (28.57%, slight-medium corrosivity, significant scaling potential); Class 2 (46.43%, medium–high corrosivity, no scaling); and Class 3 (25.00%, high-very high corrosion, no scaling). Correlation analysis revealed the relationships between the physicochemical variables, CSP index parameters, IIWQI, and the entropy-based variability of the IIWQI. The spatiotemporal water quality groups were revealed by Q-mode hierarchical dendrograms. Multiple linear regression and two multilayer perceptron neural networks accurately predicted the IIWQI. The findings of this paper could help in better evaluation, interpretation, and management of industrial water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning algorithms have proven useful in the estimation, classification, and prediction of water quality parameters. Similarly, indexical modeling has enhanced the evaluation and summarization of water quality. In Nigeria, works that have incorporated machine learning modeling in water quality analysis are scarce. Although studies across the globe have utilized overall index of pollution (OIP) and water quality index (WQI), works that have simulated and predicted them using machine learning algorithms seem to be scarce. Studies have not simulated nor predicted OIP. In this paper, several physicochemical parameters were analyzed and used for groundwater quality modeling in southeastern Nigeria based on integrated data-intelligent algorithms. Standard methods were followed in all the analysis and modeling performed in this work. OIP and WQI were computed, and their results revealed that 80% of the groundwater resources are suitable for drinking whereas 20% are highly polluted and unsuitable. Pearson's correlation analysis and R-mode hierarchical clustering revealed the possible sources of contamination. Meanwhile, agglomerative Q-mode hierarchical clustering and K-means (partitional) clustering were used to show the spatial demarcations of water quality in the area. Both clustering algorithms identified two main water quality classes—the suitable and unsuitable classes. Furthermore, multiple linear regression (MLR) model and multilayer perceptron neural networks (MLP-NN) were used for the estimation and prediction of the water quality indices. With low modeling errors, both MLR and MLP-NN showed very strong predictions, as their determination coefficient ranged between 0.999 and 1.000. However, MLR slightly outperformed the MLP-NN in the prediction of OIP. The findings of this paper would enhance sustainable water management in the study region and also contribute great insights to the national and global water quality prediction literatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Spontaneous reporting of adverse events (AEs) is a mainstay of pharmacovigilance, and an ongoing challenge is how to ensure that more high-quality reports are collected for comprehensive information provision. The Med Safety App, a smartphone-based application, was launched in Nigeria in November 2020 to provide an electronic platform for users to seamlessly report AEs. There has been a paucity of evidence on the use of this application or other mobile applications for reporting adverse drug reactions/AEs following immunization in the Nigerian environment. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the trends in adverse event reporting before and after the introduction of the Med Safety App in Nigeria. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study using data from the VigiFlow database to compare adverse event reporting in Nigeria before and after the deployment of the Med Safety App. The baseline period was 1st April 2019 to 30th October 2020 and the comparison period was 1st November 2020 to 31st May 2022. We used Vigilance Hub, the back-end system for the Med Safety App, to extract data on App downloads and de-identified user statistics. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics, frequencies and proportions. Quality was assessed by assigning a completeness score to each individual case safety report. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to test for differences in medians between groups. Results: Following deployment of the App, the Nigerian National Pharmacovigilance Centre recorded an increase in the total number of adverse event reports received in VigiFlow, from 2051 in the baseline period to 18,995 following deployment of the App, with 81.7% of those reported via the Med Safety App. There was a reduction in the proportion of paper-based reporting from 98.4 to 15.7% post-deployment, and direct reporting by consumers increased from 2.7 to 17.6%. Of the 15,526 reports submitted via the App, 15,111 (97.3%) had a completeness score above 70% and 6993 (45%) had a completeness score of 100%. The median completeness score of adverse event reports on the Med Safety App was 6 out of 7. On bivariate analysis using the Kruskal–Wallis test, there was an association between means of reporting and completeness score, and this association was significant, with a p value of 0.0001, which may reflect the validation rules that are applied within the App. Conclusion: Deployment of the Med Safety App increased both the number and quality of adverse event reports; however, more awareness and capacity building are needed to strengthen and sustain reporting on the tool by all categories of healthcare professionals and consumers/patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores morphologically-conditioned alternations in Mbat (Jarawan Bantu) verb stems. Some inflectional affixation in Mbat results in resyllabification. The singleton coda of a CGVC verb stem will become the onset of a new syllable following the addition of a vowel-initial suffix (e.g., Perfective -am). What is surprising is that this, in turn, triggers onset simplification in the stem itself (i.e., CV.C-am). Adding further complexity to Mbat is that these alternations are limited to verb stems containing mid vowels. Stems with low vowels retain their pre-vocalic glide upon suffixation (i.e., CGV.C-am). These outcomes have implications for at least two contemporary lines of inquiry in phonological theory: i) the prosodification and behavior of pre-vocalic glides, and ii) the formal connection between so-called M2 syllable margin positions (i.e., the second member of a complex onset and the sole member of a singleton coda). I illustrate that Mbat has something to contribute to current perspectives on both these fronts. In addition to the theoretical and typological contributions entailed herein, this paper is also significant in that it is the first formal linguistic study of a Jarawan Bantu language, a cluster of languages spoken primarily in eastern Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of partisan political connections and ethnic tribalism on firm performance in a hyper-partisan political environment. Although existing literature generally shows that political connections improve firm performance, we argue that under the theory of electoral competition, political connections can be a double-edged sword because of the tension of partisan politics. Hence, we expect that changes in government can affect firm performance. Using a unique dataset from Nigeria, we find that political connections are valuable when a firm's patron party is in power, whereas they are detrimental to firm value when their patron party is in opposition. Furthermore, we find that CEO ethnic tribal affiliation with the President improves firm performance even when the firm's patron party is in opposition. This paper extends the literature on political connections and helps managers and policymakers understand the timely use of political connections in a hyper-partisan environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal contamination in shallow wells through solid waste leaching is a serious environmental problem with contribution to global cancer cases. This paper evaluated the health risks of metals in shallow wells around dumpsites in the Abeokuta metropolis, Nigeria. Five dumpsites were purposively selected to sample twenty-five shallow wells. In situ and laboratory analyses for physico-chemical parameters, copper, lead, cadmium, iron, and chromium were conducted following the APHA standard procedure. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for oral and dermal routes were evaluated for adult males and females, children, and infants. Findings revealed that all wells were acidic (pH = 5.82–6.48), with Fe and Cd concentrations above the established limits. The wells around Obada, Obantoko, and Saje dumpsites had high EC (up to 1200 µS/cm), Cu, and Pb concentrations above the permissible limits. Non-carcinogenic risks for oral ingestion were significant for all age groups (hazard index: HI > 1), and the significance level across dumping areas increased in the order: Saje > Obantoko > Obada > Idi-aba > Lafenwa. All wells assessed in Saje and Obantoko recorded significant HI of dermal exposure for children and infants. Cancer risks were significant for all age groups (CR > 1.0E − 04), and metal contributions followed: Cd > Cr > Pb. The overall trend of significant risks for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic via oral and dermal routes is in the order of infant > children > adult female > adult male. This suggests that groundwater users within the studied areas may experience diverse illnesses or cancer in their lifetime, particularly children and infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A speaker identification framework that combines both high- and low-level features, for state-of-the-art variability analysis and classification is proposed in this paper. The proposed framework introduces a workable solution that targets robust speaker variability classification using speech samples recorded in suboptimal conditions. A translated Ibibio (New Benue-Congo, Nigeria) version of "The Tiger and the Mouse"—a prosodically balanced corpus that demonstrates the prosody of read-aloud English was used in this study with speech samples obtained from 50 participants (25 males and 25 females). Identity-vectors (i-vectors) or low dimensional signal patterns were extracted and used as baselines for investigating speakers' variability patterns across various classifiers (Decision Tree: DT, Support Vector Machine: SVM, k-Nearest Neighbour: k-NN, and Deep Neural Network: DNN) and kernels. Treatment of the baselines with high level features (speech duration, F0, intensity) was also experimented for word, syllable, and phoneme units. Results obtained revealed that DTs and some variants of SVM gave high classification accuracies (above 70%). Hence, the hypothesis of universal Gaussianity appears inexact, as the linear predictor that is optimal in the mean square error sense may not hold for Ibibio. Further treatments of the baselines with Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Cosine Distant Scoring (CDS) yielded very poor classification results, except for the k-NN and Gaussian SVM classifiers which performed well for the LDA treated baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blast-induced ground vibration is one of the most significant challenges in explosive rock fragmentation, affecting mine stability and worker and machine safety. However, limited research has suggested a correlation between slope stability and blast-induced ground vibration. Thus, improving mining sustainability requires assessing mine slope stability using the effect of scaled distance and explosive quantity on blasting-induced ground vibration in small mines. This paper assessed slope stability and blast-induced particle velocity at selected carbonate rock quarries in Akoko Edo, Nigeria. The slope stability was investigated using kinematic analysis as well as well-established engineering analytical methods. The V9000 seismograph machine was used to measure the blast-induced ground vibration. The average blast-induced ground vibration from the examined blast rounds ranges from 1.86 to 4.97 mm/s, according to the study results. According to the findings, scaled distance and peak particle velocity (PPV) are negatively correlated. Similarly, as the blast-induced peak particle velocity decreases, likewise does the SMR. PPV and slope mass rating was used to estimate mine slope stability in a linear prediction model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to rampant building collapse in Nigeria, several works have been conducted on rebars in Nigeria without recourse to statistical analysis of the tensile and characterization. In this paper, an experimental investigation was performed to understand the mechanical properties and characteristics of reinforcement bars (rebars) produced from scraps in Nigeria. The tensile strength of twenty-two samples for each type of manufactured rebar was subjected to probability analysis using a two-parameter Weibull probability distribution model. The characterization of the rebars was performed using optical emission spectroscopy (OES), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Hardness and impact strength of the rebars were determined using Brinell hardness test and Charpy test, respectively. The result revealed that the carbon content of all the rebars was more than the required amount specified by international standards for a classical rebar material. The presence of flaws in the rebars has significant influence on the mechanical properties of the rebars. The two-parameter Weibull probability distribution shows that the Weibull parameters such as the Weibull modulus and the scale parameter values were very low compared to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrocarbon-contaminated land has been a significant issue throughout Nigeria's Niger Delta since the discovery of crude oil in 1956. This paper proposes a novel and sustainable technique involving soil solarization, phytoremediation and biosurfactant to treat polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination. The treatment effect on PAH reduction, plant growth, rhizosphere microorganisms and their enzymatic activities was evaluated. Twenty-eight days of solarization was carried out before the introduction of Chromolaena odorata seedlings for an 84-day phytoremediation period using a 4 × 4 (vegetated) and 2 × 4 (non-vegetated) cell microcosms to simulate the Niger Delta's subtropical conditions. Soil solarization resulted in significant PAH reduction (p ≤ 0.01) of phenanthrene, fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene with means reduction of 60.0%, 38.7% and 36.1% compared to their non-solarized counterparts with 18.0%, 18.0% and 18.8% at 95% CI (32.7, 51.3), (15.4, 26.1) and (8.0, 26.6), respectively. In post-solarization, all solarized and vegetated treatment groups significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.01) PAHs compared to their respective counterparts, while biosurfactant contribution in this combination was negligible (p ≥ 0.05). The growth parameters of C. odorata, total soil/rhizosphere heterotrophic microorganisms and their enzymatic activities of dehydrogenase and urease increased in all solarized treatments indicating essential biochemical processes. The novel and successful integration of soil solarization and phytoremediation using indigenous C. odorata as a combined technique to treat even the most recalcitrant form of hydrocarbons (PAHs) brings up new opportunities for a sustainable method of cleaning up contaminated land in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Awka and Nnewi metropolises are known for intensive socioeconomic activities that could predispose the available groundwater to pollution. In this paper, an integrated investigation of the drinking water quality and associated human health risks of contaminated groundwater was carried out using geochemical models, numerical water quality models, and the HHRISK code. Physicochemical analysis revealed that the groundwater pH is acidic. Predicted results from PHREEQC model showed that most of the major chemical and trace elements occurred as free mobile ions while a few were bounded to their various hydrated, oxides and carbonate phases. This may have limited their concentration in the groundwater; implying that apart from anthropogenic influx, the metals and their species also occur in the groundwater as a result of geogenic processes. The PHREEQC-based insights were also supported by joint multivariate statistical analyses. Groundwater quality index, pollution index of groundwater, heavy metal toxicity load, and heavy metal evaluation index revealed that 60–70% of the groundwater samples within the two metropolises are unsuitable for drinking as a result of anthropogenic influx, with Pb and Cd identified as the priority elements influencing the water quality. The HHRISK code evaluated the ingestion and dermal exposure pathway of the consumption of contaminated water for children and adult. Results revealed that groundwater from both areas poses a very high chronic and carcinogenic risk from ingestion than dermal contact with the children population showing greater vulnerability. Aggregated and cumulative HHRISK coefficients identified Cd, Pb, and Cu, to have the highest health impact on the groundwater quality of both areas; with residents around Awka appearing to be at greater risks. There is, therefore, an urgent need for the adoption of a state-of-the-art waste management and water treatment strategies to ensure safe drinking water for the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of seeds to germinate under a broad environmental gradient is capable of increasing their chances of colonization. The germination of some native and invasive species were examined with a view to understanding some aspects of their biology. Mature seeds of the selected species were collected from natural populations, sterilized and placed in 9 cm diameter Petri dishes lined with moist double-layer filter papers at room temperature in five replicates. The seeds of species showing dormancy were broken by scarification at different time intervals. Independent sample t-test was used to compare the means of the germination percentages between native and invasive species. Two way analysis of variance was used to compare the means of the germination percentages using species and time as factors in one instance and status and time as factors in another instance. Seed germination percentage did not significantly differ between the invasive and native species when distilled water was used (t = 0.28; df = 8; p = 0.78), but significantly differed among invasive (F(4,20) = 28.81; P < 0.0001) and native species (F(4,20) = 204.97; p < 0.0001). After pretreatment, germination percentage differed significantly among all species (Fspecies = 9.35; p < 0.0001) and between invasive and native species (Fstatus = 5.22; p = 0.04). This study concluded that the selected invasive species had more capability to germinate under acidic conditions compared to native species, although germination did not differ significantly between them under normal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising cases of floods and the onset of drought in different parts of Nigeria require urgent attention particularly because Nigeria accommodates the largest population in Africa, hence any negative climate impact on it can easily ripple into other African regions. To understand the risk factors that drive these extreme events, we study the bivariate extreme cases of monthly precipitation and temperature observations over a period of 116 years (1901–2016). This is the first paper providing bivariate extreme value analysis of data in Nigeria. The mean rainfall and temperature variables exhibit interrelationships such as dry-cold and wet-cold associations. We further investigate whether these relationships are present at the tails by making use of the annual minimum rainfall-annual minimum temperature and annual maximum rainfall-annual minimum temperature pairs. Their extreme dependence structures are also quantified by applying the parametric bivariate extreme value models. Our results show that the compound extremes of dry-cold and wet-cold conditions exhibit a zero to weak extreme dependence at varying quantile levels. A much stronger dependence structure is present between the annual maximum rain and the total volume of rainfall. By considering both independent and dependent probability assumptions, we show that the former may lead to an underestimation of the risks associated with existing climatic hazards. The implications of these results are highlighted throughout the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Maputo Protocol, adopted in 2003, was intended to counterbalance the normative deficiencies of the African Charter with respect to women's rights. However, 15 years down the line, there is not much case law on the Protocol. The ECOWAS Court made its first pronouncement on the Protocol in 2017 in Dorothy Njemanze & 3 Others v. The Federal Republic of Nigeria. This paper analyses three gender-based violence decisions by the Ecowas Court: Dorothy Njemanze, Aminata Diantou Diane and Mary Sunday cases. The paper examines the potential of the Protocol and the due diligence principle in influencing the Ecowas Court's jurisprudence on women's rights and makes recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic Diaspora populations are an important resource that can be harnessed by home governments for national growth and development. Nigeria's academic Diasporas provide an opportunity for Nigeria's tertiary institutions to connect to the global knowledge community and for the government to utilize their skills and resources toward national innovation and growth. This paper examines the contributions of Nigeria's academic Diaspora populations by analyzing their various modes of engagement in Nigeria's development. The paper uses a review of relevant literature and responses from a questionnaire survey of 45 Nigerian international academics. Using the theoretical lens of the Diaspora Option Theory, the paper observes that the academic Diaspora has made significant contributions to Nigeria's development but that the benefits of these contributions can be enhanced through proper government engagement and coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the quality and quantity of the performance in computing in Nigeria Universities, there is need for a functioning research networking application through which they can exchange ideas. This is because academics tend to be more comfortable communicating with each other, asking questions and more importantly, such networking will provide mentorship in the Nigeria academic community. In order to make for this, several recommendations have been suggested but not scientific. Therefore to bridge this gap, this paper examines the properties of co-authorship network in Covenant University, Computer Science department. Properties of network such as centrality measures, network coefficient and so on are discovered. A collaboration recommendation application is then developed using the link prediction based on the Adamic-Adar Index measure. In conclusion, the result gotten from the network analysis is a valuable source of information for accessing the different centrality values of researchers in computer science. It also formed the foundation for developing an academic collaboration recommendation system for a small world research network. This will therefore improve the quantity and quality of performance of computer science academics in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global greenhouse gas concentrations intensify climate change impacts, the risk of landslides increases, particularly in Southern Anambra State, Nigeria. This ongoing threat endangers lives, farmlands, and property, emphasizing the need to pinpoint susceptible areas for effective prevention and mitigation strategies. Employing four classical statistical models—frequency ratio (FR), Shannon's entropy (SE), the weight of evidence (WoE), and logistic regression (LR)—this study identified classes within conditioning factors contributing to landslide formation. The research also evaluated and contrasted the accuracy of these models, considering their combined application, which remained unexplored. Using high-resolution spatial data, twelve conditioning factors and landslide inventory datasets, divided into training (80%) and testing (20%), susceptibility maps, accuracy, and errors were generated for all the statistical models. All models exhibited good accuracy, with slightly increased error margins within an acceptable range. Susceptibility maps generated highlighted the central region as highly landslide-prone, influenced by geological factors (poorly consolidated formations), slope (> 12.253°), elevation (212 to 328 m), rainfall (516.4 to 585.3 mm), distance to the stream (< 111.7 to 223.4 m), land cover (crops and rangeland), NDVI (< 0.201), and SPI (> 1.827). Comparison of the obtained statistical results revealed similarities and differences in accuracy and model performance; as inconsistencies exist with previous studies, suggesting that although geospatial characteristics influence landslide susceptibility studies, the controlling factors for landslide formation are not universally exclusive. The insights provided by this paper are valuable for decision-makers involved in hazard monitoring and management efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic and electrical industrial sector is exponentially growing throughout the globe, and sometimes, these wastes are being disposed of and discarded with a faster rate in comparison to the past era due to technology advancements. As the application of electronic devices is increasing due to the digitalization of the world (IT sector, medical, domestic, etc.), a heap of discarded e-waste is also being generated. Per-capita e-waste generation is very high in developed countries as compared to developing countries. Expansion of the global population and advancement of technologies are mainly responsible to increase the e-waste volume in our surroundings. E-waste is responsible for environmental threats as it may contain dangerous and toxic substances like metals which may have harmful effects on the biodiversity and environment. Furthermore, the life span and types of e-waste determine their harmful effects on nature, and unscientific practices of their disposal may elevate the level of threats as observed in most developing countries like India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and China. In the present review paper, many possible approaches have been discussed for effective e-waste management, such as recycling, recovery of precious metals, adopting the concepts of circular economy, formulating relevant policies, and use of advance computational techniques. On the other hand, it may also provide potential secondary resources valuable/critical materials whose primary sources are at significant supply risk. Furthermore, the use of machine learning approaches can also be useful in the monitoring and treatment/processing of e-wastes. Highlights: In 2019, ~ 53.6 million tons of e-wastes generated worldwide. Discarded e-wastes may be hazardous in nature due to presence of heavy metal compositions. Precious metals like gold, silver, and copper can also be procured from e-wastes. Advance tools like artificial intelligence/machine learning can be useful in the management of e-wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is focussed on employing satellite night lights (SNLs) to investigate access to electricity across the geographical regions in Nigeria. Specifically, we explore how SNLs interact with human and socioeconomic development indicators (population, poverty, and household consumption) to demonstrate the implications of slow and/or delayed progress in closing the electricity access gap in Nigeria. Our findings suggest that minimal progress has been made and there remains significant evidence of disproportionate spread of electricity across the country with most of the electricity visibility concentrated in the Southern regions, state capitals and industrial centres. Crucially, policy challenges and trade offs emerge. On one hand, is the need to address the long-standing issue of stranded and underutilised assets around power generation, transmission, and distribution and how these balance (or not) against additional and new capacity to enable sufficient, reliable and sustained electricity supply. On the other hand, is the challenge of ensuring that closing the access to electricity gap in Nigeria is done in a way that is just, fair, and equitable, with no part of society becoming worse-off or excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]