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An overview of recent history of Nigerian higher education chronicles periods of phenomenal expansion, economic downturn and retrenchment, monitoring of efficiency and academic standards, continued uncontrolled expansion in the absence of basic facilities, recently improved fiscal management, revival of student aid, and proposals for the opening of private universities. (Author/MSE)

Millennium development goal target on infant mortality (MDG4) by 2015 would not be realised in some low-resource countries. This was in part due to unsustainable high-tech ideas that have been poorly executed. Prudent but high impact techniques could have been synthesised in these countries. A collaborative outreach was initiated to devise frugal measures that could reduce neonatal deaths in Nigeria. Prevailing issues of concern that could militate against neonatal survival within care centres were identified and remedies were proffered. These included application of (i) recycled incubator technology (RIT) as a measure of providing affordable incubator sufficiency, (ii) facility-based research groups, (iii) elective training courses for clinicians/nurses, (iv) independent local artisans on spare parts production, (v) power-banking and apnoea-monitoring schemes, and (v) 1/2 yearly failure-preventive maintenance and auditing system. Through a retrospective data analyses 4 outreach centres and one "control" were assessed. Average neonatal mortality of centres reduced from 254/1000 to 114/1000 whilst control remained at 250/1000. There was higher relative influx of incubator-dependent-neonates at outreach centres. It was found that 43% of mortality occurred within 48 hours of presentation (d48) and up to 92% of d48 were of very-low birth parameters. The RIT and associated concerns remedies have demonstrated the vital signs of efficiency that would have guaranteed MDG4 neonatal component in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over 70% of neonatal deaths in Nigeria occur within the first 7 days of life and, despite the millennium development goals, there has been no significant reduction of this figure., Objective: To investigate how rapid changes of temperature outside the physiologically allowable range in extremely low-birthweight infants are associated with increased mortality., Methods: Ninety-eight neonatal cases in three Nigerian tertiary-care hospitals were retrospectively recruited; on the basis of birthweight  < 1500 g, this number was reduced to 41 for a two-stage analysis. In the first stage, 34 cases recruited over 24 months were analysed. In the second stage, seven cases recruited over 6 months were analysed; these were neonates managed with a new temperature control technique (the 'handy approach') to enable comparison of outcomes. The mean (SD) birthweight of the infants analysed was 991 g (251), and 28 of them were of extremely low-birthweight (ELBW) [mean (SD) 846 g (128)]. A lifetime temperature plot with a clearly visible reference zone was developed, from which all thermal stresses and their duration associated with mortality were identified and defined on the basis of their characteristics. Methods of quantifying the magnitude and duration of these thermal stresses were devised to enable definition of critical values. This was then applied to calculate a measure of the various thermal stresses which may have contributed to neonatal death., Results: Hypothermic events were very common in all the infants in the study period, but were not significantly associated with mortality. However, hyperthermic events occurred in 35% of the infants and were more likely to be associated with mortality. Most neonates with prolonged hypothermia culminating in rapid hyperthermia survived. However, all ELBW neonates who experienced prolonged hyperthermia culminating in rapid hypothermia died within 8 hours of the event. There was greater ELBW survival (6/6) in the second stage using the 'handy approach' than in the first stage (2/22)., Conclusion: Hyperthermia is a high-risk event in ELBW infants and methods of cooling a high and prolonged temperature must be reviewed.

Background: Men of African descent have the highest incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer (PrCa) worldwide. Notably, PrCa is increasing in Africa with Nigerian men being mostly affected. Thus, it is important to understand risk factors for PrCa in Nigeria and build capacity for cancer research. The goals of this study were to determine the feasibility of conducting an epidemiological study of PrCa and to obtain preliminary data on risk factors for PrCa in Nigeria., Methods: A case-control study (50 cases/50 controls) was conducted at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, Nigeria, between October 2011 and December 2012. Men aged 40 to 80 years were approached for the study and asked to provide informed consent and complete the research protocol. Logistic regression models were used to examine associations between demographic, social and lifestyle characteristics and risk of PrCa., Results: The participation rate among cases and controls was 98% and 93%, respectively. All participants completed a questionnaire and 99% (50 cases/49 controls) provided blood samples. Cases had a median serum diagnostic PSA of 73 ng/ml, and 38% had a Gleason score 8-10 tumor. Family history of PrCa was associated with a 4.9-fold increased risk of PrCa (95% CI 1.0 - 24.8). There were statistically significant inverse associations between PrCa and height, weight and waist circumference, but there was no association with body mass index (kg/m(2)). There were no associations between other socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics and PrCa risk., Conclusion: This feasibility study demonstrated the ability to ascertain and recruit participants at UCH and collect epidemiological, clinical and biospecimen data. Our results highlighted the advanced clinical characteristics of PrCa in Nigerian men, and that family history of PrCa and some anthropometric factors were associated with PrCa risk in this population. However, larger studies are needed to better understand the epidemiological risk factors of PrCa in Nigeria.