Nnamdi Azikiwe University Journals
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CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN IMPLEMENTING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN NIGERIAN PUBLIC SERVICE
No full textIn the age of rapid technological advancements, digital transformation has become a defining force reshaping global sectors. The Nigerian public service, as a fundamental element of the country\u27s administrative framework, is no exception. This study delved into the multifaceted challenges and opportunities that arise when implementing digital transformation in the Nigerian public service. Despite its importance, the public service has long grappled with inefficiency, corruption, and service delivery issues. Digital transformation, facilitated by technologies like AI and data analytics, presents a solution to these problems. This research adopted a qualitative approach, gathering data from secondary sources including journals and online resources while using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), originally proposed by Davis in 1989 as a guide. The study focused on the integration of digital technologies in administrative processes and examined its dimensions in the contemporary context. Digital transformation offers the Nigerian public service numerous advantages, including streamlined service delivery, transparency, data-driven decision-making, citizen engagement, remote access, and cost savings. However, several barriers impeded its adoption. Infrastructure deficit in rural areas limits equitable access to digital services. A lack of digital skills among employees and leadership gaps hinder seamless integration. Frequent power outages disrupt digital initiatives, while political dynamics, inadequate policies, and resistance slow progress. Theft and vandalization of infrastructure exacerbate challenges. To advance digital transformation in Nigeria, a comprehensive approach is required. Prioritizing telecommunications and internet infrastructure in rural areas, establishing training programs, investing in reliable power supply, creating secure digital databases, formulating supportive policies, and enhancing security measures around critical infrastructure are essential steps. Successful implementation of these recommendations can pave the way for improved efficiency, transparency, and service delivery in the Nigerian public service, while also serving as an example for similar endeavors in the region
ASCERTAINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUBSIDY REMOVAL ON PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND INFLATIONARY TRENDS IN NIGERIA
No full textPrior to the 29th of May, 2023, the Nigerian economy was trudging on with a no clear sense of direction., but this state of malaise was shattered by the inaugural broadcast of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, where he announced that the era of fuel subsidy was over .Confusion, and uncertainty were let loose. The price of petrol and other petroleum products skyrocketed overnight with its attendant negative impact on transport fares and other facets of the economy. While most Nigerians are groaning in pains over this development, some technocrats are of the opinion that; money that would have been set aside as subsidy is better utilized in the provision of basic infrastructures. With the aid of monthly data for the period, August 2022 to April 2024; this study investigated the impact of subsidy removal on the prices of petroleum products and the level of inflation that it may have triggered. Outcome of the study using a Descriptive statistics as well as a VEC model indicate the existence of relationships. The percentage increase in the price of petrol (PMS) has a positive long run relationship with inflation (INF). Percentage increase in the price of Diesel (AGO), may have a positive long relationship with Inflation (INF), but the evidence is not statistically significant. A percentage increase in the price of Kerosene (DPK); does not have a statistically long run relationship with inflation (INFL). Changes in petrol and Diesel prices have significant short run effects on inflation. Petrol and Diesel prices were seen to granger cause inflation, indicating a directional relationship. Lastly, the post subsidy removal era in fuel prices brought with it a higher level of inflation in Nigeria. In line with the above research findings, the study recommends that Nigeria should strive to become self-sufficient and reliant in the refining of petroleum products and energy production. Since our existing refineries have become comatose; there is the need to licence, build and to operate new modular refineries in each of the oil producing states in Nigeria as the demand for petroleum products have by far outstripped the supply. That is the way to go
MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY AND CORPORATE EFFECTIVENESS IN SMALL SCALE ENTREPRENEURIAL FIRMS IN OKIGWE
No full textMany businesses suffer corporate ineffectiveness because of their perceived poor attitude to management consultancy services hence this study on management consultancy and corporate effectiveness in small scale entrepreneurial firms in Okigwe. The study examines the relationship between management consultancy and employee commitment; and it evaluates the level of correlation between management consultancy and customer loyalty in small scale entrepreneurial firms in Okigwe. Two research questions and two hypotheses guide the study. The research employs the survey research design. It uses a five-point Likert Scale structured questionnaire as the major instrument for data collection. The study employs the Cronbach Alpha statistic for obtaining 0.86 as the reliability ratio of the survey instrument. The study commits data analysis to descriptive statistics of mean score and standard deviations. It uses correlation analysis for testing hypotheses. The study finds that there is a significant relationship between management consultancy and employee commitment; and there is a significant level of correlation between management consultancy and customer loyalty in small scale entrepreneurial firms in Okigwe. The study concludes that management consultancy correlates with corporate effectiveness in small scale entrepreneurial firms in Okigwe. The study recommends that small scale entrepreneurial firms need to enhance the rate at which they embrace management consultancy so as to always increase employee commitment and customer loyalty. Also, employees in small scale entrepreneurial firms need to make more efforts to support management in the efforts it makes to improve overall effectiveness of the enterprises
MARKETING ORIENTATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN CROSS RIVER STATE
No full textThis study examined marketing orientation and the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Cross River State. It specifically sought to determine the effects of customer focus, product innovation, competitor analysis and integrated marketing communication on the development of SMEs in Calabar. The study adopted cross-sectional survey research design. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain primary data from 318 operators of SMEs in Calabar. Descriptive statistics were applied for data analysis and interpretation, while the hypotheses developed for the study were tested using multiple linear regression in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 23). The findings of the study revealed that customer focus, product innovation, competitor analysis and integrated marketing communication had significant positive effects on the development of SMEs in Calabar. Hence, the study recommended the following, among others: operators of SMEs in Nigeria need to commit to the principle and practice of customer sovereignty in their operations by ensuring that goods and services they offer are tailored to satisfactorily meet customers’ needs on a consistent basis while maintaining a viable relationship with customers for the long term; SMEs should commit to continuous product innovation by conducting trend analysis in order to provide products that align with customers’ requirements and offer the most benefits to customers, thereby encouraging customer satisfaction and loyalty; and it is imperative for operators of SMEs to harness the potential of periodic competitor analysis to design and implement marketing campaigns to counter competitors’ actions, attract customers’ patronage and capture substantial market share
PUBLIC DEBTS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA (1980-2023)
No full textThe main objective of the study is to examine the effects of public debt on economic development. Human development index was used to proxy economic development while external debt, internal debt and debt servicing were used to proxy public debt. This study employs ex post facto research design using time series data for the periods under study (1980-2023). Data for this study is completely secondary in nature, sourced from various issues of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletins and World Development Indicator (WDI). The ARDL long-run estimates show that while External Debt (EXD) has a negative but statistically insignificant effect on human development, Debt Servicing (DTS) significantly harms human development by diverting resources from key sectors. Internal Debt (IND) has a small, statistically insignificant positive effect, suggesting it does not meaningfully impact human development on its own. Overall, high debt servicing costs negatively affect long-term growth, indicating a need for better management of both external and internal debt. To address the findings, focus on three key recommendations: 1) Improve management of debt servicing costs to prevent resource diversion from critical sectors like education and healthcare. 2) Reallocate resources to enhance human development by funding essential services despite debt obligations. 3) Increase transparency in debt management to build trust and ensure that debt practices support longterm growth and development
Psychological Capital as a Correlate of Academic Engagement of In-School Adolescents in Anambra State
No full textUsing correlational research design, this study sought to establish the relationship betweenpsychological capital and academic engagement of in-school adolescents in Anambra State. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study consisted of all the 12, 172 Senior Secondary School (SS2) students in the 263 public secondary schools in Anambra State.
The sample for the study consisted of 750 SS2 students drawn from the population of the study using multi-stage random sampling technique. Two sets of questionnaire ‘Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) and ‘Academic Engagement Questionnaire (AEQ)’ were used for data collection. The instruments for data collection were validated by 3 specialists in Education (2 from Educational Psychology and 1 from Measurement and Evaluation). The reliability of the instruments was established using Cronbach Alpha Method and the alpha co-efficient got were 0.78 for PCQ and 0.82 for AEQ.Data collected were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Coefficient of Determination for answering the research questions while regression statistical analysis was used for testing the hypotheses.
The findings of the study revealed that gender notwithstanding, there is a high positive relationship between self-efficacy and academic engagement of in-school adolescents in Anambra state. Also correlation between optimism and academic engagement of in-school adolescents in Anambra state varies with gender. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that Government should prioritise teachers’ welfare to engender their zeal and passion so as to ignite the needed psychological capital in the students, thus positively impacting their academic engagement
Influence of Innovative Support on Learners’ Success in Open and Distance Learning at Universities in Nigeria
No full textThis study examined the impact of innovative support on learners’ success in open and distance learning at universities in Nigeria. The study employed descriptive survey research design for the study. Three research questions guided the study and two null hypotheses were tested. Sample size of the study was ODL students of Lagos State University study centre. Questionnaire was used as the instrument to guide the conduct of the study. Descriptive statistics were adopted to analyse the demographic data while Pearson Product Moment Correlations was used to test the null hypotheses at .05 level of significance.
The study revealed that innovative support is very much required in learners’ academic success in Nigerian ODL universities. There is technological impact on learner’s success and technology does have significant improvement on the integrity of online testing. The study concluded that innovative supports are very much required for learners’ academic success.
Therefore, the study recommends that to provide students with the skills needed in the current ODL environment, universities lecturers should adopt innovative approaches of instruction delivery, and testing, institutions should closely oversee and guarantee complete adherence to the application of innovative support for instructional deliveries and government funding should be made available for the acquisition and sufficient provision of the facilities and equipment required for cutting-edge instruction
Influence of Spanking as a Corrective and Preventive Technique on Students’ Misbehaviour in Public Secondary Schools in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria
No full textThere has been an under tone about use of spanking as disciplinary technique for students’ classroom misbehaviours. Notwithstanding, it seems an effective chastening for students’ classroom misbehaviours and still acceptable across cultures and nations of the world. In view of the varied opinions about this phenomenon, there is a need to empirically investigate the perception of teachers who are the classroom managers on the influence of spanking as a chastening for misbehaviour among secondary students. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of this study consisted of 288 teachers from 10 public secondary schools in Ogbaru Local Government Area Of Anambra State, Nigeria. The sample of the study comprised of 45 teachers selected using simple random sampling. A 13-item questionnaire titled “Spanking a corrective chastening for students’ misbehaviour questionnaire (SACCFSMQ)” developed by the researchers was the instrument used for data collection. The instrument was validated by five experts in educational Management and Policy at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The reliability of the questionnaire was established by sharing the questionnaire to a sample of 15 teachers away from the area of the study. The scores obtained were computed using Cronbach Alpha statistics which gave internal consistency reliability value of 0.78, showing that the questionnaire was reliable for conducting the study. Data collected were analyzed using mean scores rated at 2.50. From the findings of this study it was revealed that spanking is a corrective and preventive classroom management technique for students’ misbehaviours
COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF MAGNESIUM SULPHATE IONTOPHORESIS ON POST-STROKE ELBOW FLEXORS SPASTICITY
No full textBackground: Controversy continues to trail the best physiotherapeutic approach to adopt in effectively managing hypertonicity in stroke patients. Magnesium sulphate is a muscle relaxant whose efficacy is relatively unexplored, and is unknown if it will be more effective than conventional cryotherapy.
Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of cryotherapy, magnesium sulphate iontophoresis and the combination of both on the spastic elbow flexor muscles of stroke survivors.
Material and methods: Fifty-two stroke survivors were purposively recruited for the pre and post experimental study. They were randomly assigned to three groups, and the interventions were cryotherapy alone, magnesium sulphate iontophoresis (40 mA- mins) only and combination of both. The interventions were administered twice a week for six weeks for each group. The Modified Ashworth scale was used to grade the spasticity at baseline, 3rd and 6th week. Descriptive and Inferential statistics of Kruskal Wallis and Friedman tests were used to analyze the data obtained at p<0.05.
Results: Cyotherapy and Magnesium sulphate iontophoresis significantly (p = 0.003 and p = 0.02 respectively) reduced elbow flexors spasticity at 6th week. However, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) when the three interventions were compared.
Conclusion: The three interventions were effective in alleviating spasticity of the elbow flexors of stroke survivors but none was superior over the other
IMPACT OF FUSARIUM SOLANI ON BRAIN, LIVER AND SPLEEN OF MOUSE INFECTION MODELS
No full textBackground: Fusarium species infection is on the increase leading to morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised hosts. There have been several reports of disseminated infection of Fusarium species in immunosuppressed patients over the last 25-30 years.
Aim: The study aimed to determine the histopathological impact of the isolated Fusarium solani on the histomorphology of brain, liver and spleen tissue of albino mice.
Material and Methods: Isolates of Fusarium solani from humans and plants were obtained from clinical samples of patients and different plant products respectively. All the samples collected, were cultured immediately on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar slant containing 50 mg/l of chloramphenicol and 5 mg/l of gentamicin. Identification of isolates was carried out macroscopically and microscopically using standard mycological methods. Test mice were challenged with isolated conidia of Fusarium solani while the control mice were unexposed. After 30 days, randomly chosen surviving test mice and control were sacrificed. The brain, liver and spleen of the animals were aseptically excised for tissue burden estimation and further histological processing for light microscopical examination.
Result: In vivo virulence studies of Fusarium solani on mice brain, liver and spleen organs revealed disseminated infection of multiple organs and mortality. The presence of fungal propagules was detected in all organs, with the highest concentration found in the spleen. There were intense inflammations of the internal organs especially excretory organs compared to the control where there was no inflammation seen. Histopathological findings on the brain showed extensive oedemas with blurring of the white and grey matter junction and extensive destruction of the Purkinje cells. Splenic tissues also revealed complete destruction of the splenic bulb and presence of extensive destructive granulomas with many Langhans giant cells formed. There was also evidence of infections in the liver tissue ranging from intense hepatocyte swelling with hyperchromatic nuclei to intense periportal mononuclear cell infiltrates arising from diffuse toxic hepatic injury.
Conclusion: This study showed strong evidence of Fusarium solani pathogenicity in mice from various pathological manifestations and physical signs observed