Nnamdi Azikiwe University Journals
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DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY AMONG SUPERMARKET CUSTOMERS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA
No full textThe impact of digital transformation on retail competition and customer relationships remains underexplored in emerging and resource-constrained markets. This study examines how mobile commerce, social media engagement, and personalization influence customer loyalty among supermarket customers in Onitsha, Nnewi, and Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. Grounded in Relationship Marketing Theory, the study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. The population comprised customers of selected supermarkets in the three cities. Using the Taro Yamane formula, a sample size of 396 was determined and increased to 495 to account for non-response. A multistage sampling technique was employed: supermarkets were selected using simple random sampling, and customers were approached on-site at random for questionnaire administration. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, yielding 397 valid responses for analysis. Instrument reliability was confirmed, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from 0.768 to 0.968. Data were analyzed using OLS multiple regression in SPSS version 31.0.1.0. Results show that all three indicators positively and significantly influence customer loyalty. Social media engagement had the strongest effect (B = 0.324, p < 0.05), followed by mobile commerce (B = 0.254, p < 0.05) and personalization (B = 0.135, p < 0.05). The model was statistically significant (F = 72.137; p < 0.05) and explained 35.5% of the variance in customer loyalty (R² = 0.355). The study concludes that active social engagement and reliable mobile shopping channels are key drivers of customer loyalty in supermarkets in Anambra State, while personalization remains comparatively underdeveloped. The study recommends strengthening these digital capabilities in supermarkets to enhance customer loyalty
GLOBAL TRADE GOVERNANCE AND THE NIGERIAN LEGAL SYSTEM: ADVOCATING FOR WOMEN INCLUSION.
No full textThe study examines the interaction between global trade governance and Nigerian legal system and argues for inclusion of women in global economy. Global trade governance and the Nigerian legal system are interrelated issues that propel women to thrive in commercial sphere. This qualitative investigation aims to shed light on the interaction between global trade governance, Nigerian legal system and the need for repositioning of women for wealth. The method adopted is doctrinal via textbooks, internet material and case laws. The study explores prominent theoretical framework for comprehending international trade frameworks, Nigerian legal system and challenges of women’s exclusion in global economy, emphasizing their implications for development of nations and implementation of legal mitigation frameworks. This study explored prominent theoretical frameworks such as liberal trade theory, mercantilist/neo-mercantilist theory, institutional/regime theory, dependency theory and developmental theory that shed light on global trade governance. The work showed that, even though global governance cannot apply automatically in Nigeria by virtue of Section 12(1) of the Constitution, Nigerian legal system has aligned comprehensively with its provisions for effective global trade. However, women are still under-represented in global economy despite plethora of legal frameworks that provides for their inclusion. The work further reveals that economic empowerment bridges gender gap and reduces poverty at all levels. Furthermore, women advancement will help to attain the United Nation’s mandate on Sustainability development goal. These challenges are multifaceted and include: non domestication of treaties, digital divide, socioeconomic and cultural practices. The paper recommends for review and implementation of extant laws such as 1999 and domestication of relevant laws.
ROLES OF THE COURTS AND THE POLICE IN NIGERIA’S JUSTICE SYSTEM
No full textThe justice system in Nigeria is fundamentally anchored on the complementary roles of the courts and the police, which together ensure the maintenance of law and order, protection of fundamental rights, and the administration of justice. The police serve as the primary agency responsible for the prevention, detection, and investigation of crimes, as well as the arrest and prosecution of suspects in accordance with the law. The courts, on the other hand, function as impartial adjudicatory bodies vested with the constitutional authority to interpret and apply the law, determine the guilt or innocence of accused persons, and safeguard the rule of law through fair and timely adjudication. The Nigerian justice system rests primarily on two pivotal institutions: the courts and the police. Both bodies are constitutionally empowered to ensure public order, guarantee fundamental rights and promote accountability under the rule of law. This article examines the legal foundations, operational roles, and contemporary challenges confronting these institutions in performing their duties. While the courts administer justice through fair adjudication and interpretation of the law, the police serve as the frontline agency responsible for crime prevention, detection, and enforcement of legal directives. It also examines the distinct yet interdependent functions of the courts and the police within Nigeria’s justice system, highlighting their constitutional and statutory foundations, areas of collaboration, and points of friction. It also interrogates persistent challenges such as abuse of police powers, delays in judicial proceedings, corruption, inadequate resources, delays in court processes, police brutality, and weak oversight mechanisms undermine their effectiveness. inadequate funding, and weak institutional coordination, which undermine public confidence in justice delivery. The study concludes that effective justice administration in Nigeria depends on strengthened institutional independence, improved professionalism, enhanced accountability mechanisms, and sustained cooperation between the courts and the police to promote fairness, efficiency, and public trust in the justice system and further recommends the following strengthening institutional capacity, promoting professionalism, improving synergy between the courts and the police to enhance justice delivery in Nigeria.
THE SOUND OF DEMOCRACY: LEGAL AND PROCEDURAL EXAMINATION OF THE VOICE VOTE IN THE SENATE OF THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
No full textThe voice-vote remains one of the most enduring decision-making procedures in legislatures, symbolizing both the simplicity and immediacy of parliamentary democracy. Notwithstanding, its continued use raises important questions about transparency, accuracy, and democratic accountability in contemporary law-making. This article offers a detailed legal and procedural examination of the voice vote in the Nigerian Senate, interrogating how it is initiated, conducted, and ruled upon, the discretionary power it accords the Presiding Officer, and its normative foundation within practice. The study finds that while the voice vote is efficient for disposing uncontested matters, routine motions, and procedural questions, its reliance on auditory estimation introduces significant risks of partisan manipulation, and the suppression of minority voices. The article further finds that systemic challenges, including the absence of objective thresholds for determining “majority,” limited opportunities for Members to demand division, and insufficient technological support for verification, are structural barriers to participation and quorum visibility. These weaknesses undermine legislative credibility and public trust, particularly during contentious deliberations where precision is essential. The article argues that for the Nigerian Senate to embody the ideals of democratic decision-making, voice voting must be complemented, and in some contexts replaced by more transparent, verifiable, and participatory voting procedures. Drawing on comparative analysis from two jurisdictions- the United Kingdom and Canada, the article proposes reforms such as expanding electronic voting infrastructure, tightening the procedural conditions for voice-vote rulings, strengthening safeguards for calling divisions, and enhancing transparency measures such as audio archiving and recorded voting
INFLUENCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENT CHATBOTS ON BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS’ LEARNING ENGAGEMENT AND MOTIVATION IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES, EDO STATE, NIGERIA
No full textThis study assessed the influence of artificial intelligence chatbots on Business Education students’ engagement and motivation. It was carried out using a population of 519 undergraduate Business Education students in public universities in the 2023/2024 session, Edo State. It utilized the descriptive survey research design. A sample size of 150 was selected from the population using a simple random technique. The study utilized a questionnaire, which was validated by 3 experts in Business Education. Reliability of the instrument was determined by administering twenty (20) copies of the instrument to students of Business Education who were part of the population using the split-half method, and the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to determine the correlation coefficient, which yielded an r-value of 0.89. Data was analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and t-test. Findings revealed that chatbots adequately engaged Business Education students in learning as well as enhanced their motivation to learn in the period under review. It was recommended, among others, that authorities in Business Education should teach students how to balance the use of chatbots with effective human instruction to continue to maintain meaningful engagement and deeper motivatio
EFFECT OF TILLAGE METHODS ON YIELD AND GROWTH PERFORMANCES OF TWO MAIZE VARIETIES IN SANDY- LOAM SOIL IN OWERRI IMO STATE NIGERIA
No full textThe effect of tillage methods on yield and growth performances of two maize varieties in sandy loam soil in Owerri, Imo State was studied. The results of the study were statistically analyzed using randomized complete block design (RCBD). The least significant difference was determined at P < 0.05 level to the test difference between four main treatments; ploughing T1, harrowing T2, ploughing and harrowing combination T3 and no-till T4 with white and yellow maize P1 and P2 respectively were considered within each tillage methods. The estimated marginal mean for plant height (cm) was recorded; for ploughing operation (152.45cm for white maize and 151.06cm for yellow maize), for harrowing operation (148.36cm for white maize and 147.65cm for yellow maize), for ploughing and harrowing combination (154.66cm for white maize and 153.56cm for yellow maize), for no-till (147.84cm for white and 145.64 cm for yellow maize). The results showed highest values were recorded for ploughing and harrowing combination, followed by ploughing operation, harrowing operation and lastly no-till. Also, the white maize variety recorded higher values for maize height (cm) at maturity, stem girth (cm), grain weight (g), number of grain per ear, maize weight (g) and maize yield (t/ha); as follows 154.66cm, 4.55cm, 235g, 543, 42.34g, and 12.24t/ha respectively for ploughing and harrowing combination as against yellow maize variety of 153.56cm, 4.35cm, 234g, 541, 40.25g, and 10.11t/ha respectively. The study therefore recommends ploughing and harrowing combination method for increase production of maize
Perception and Attitude towards the Use of Institutional Repositories of Lecturers in Public Universities in Anambra State
No full textThe study investigated the perception and attitude towards the use of Institutional Repositories (IRs) of public university lecturers in Anambra State. Two research objectives and two research questions guided the study. Two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. A population of 1,747 lecturers from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (both the Uli and Igbariam campuses), and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka was used. Multistage sampling was used to select a sample size of 349 lecturers from the population. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire, which was validated by three experts, and the reliability was tested using 20 lecturers from Taraba State University, Jalingo. The research questions were answered using mean scores and standard deviation, while the hypotheses postulated were tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-test statistic. Findings from the study revealed among others that; there is a significant difference between the mean rating of male and female university lecturers on the perception of lecturers towards the use of IRs; and no significant difference between the mean ratings of male and female university lecturers on the attitude of lecturers towards the use of IRs in public universities in Anambra State. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that university management should intensify efforts in creating an avenue to educate the lecturers about IRs to have proper knowledge, perception, and attitude toward the use of IRs
Development of an AI-Driven Pest Detection and Control System Using YOLOv8 and ESP32-CAM
No full textThis study aims to develop an AI-driven pest detection and control system to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability by enabling real-time pest identification and automated, targeted interventions, particularly for smallholder farmers in resource-constrained regions like Nigeria. The system integrates the You Only Look Once version 8 (YOLOv8) deep learning algorithm with an ESP32-CAM microcontroller for real-time pest detection and control. A custom dataset of 151 pest images (e.g., cockroaches, rats) was compiled, annotated, and processed using the Roboflow platform. The YOLOv8 model was trained over 18 epochs, exported for on-device inference, and interfaced with a relay module to activate a pesticide-dispensing pump. Performance was evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and mean Average Precision (mAP). The system achieved a detection accuracy of 95.0%, with precision of 93.0%, recall of 92.3%, and an F1 score of 94.0%. The [email protected] reached approximately 0.45, indicating robust detection and localization. The dataset size (151 images) limits generalizability across diverse pest species and environmental conditions. The prototype’s enclosure is not fully weatherproof, restricting outdoor deployment. The system relies on a single control mechanism (pesticide pump), limiting flexibility. The system enables early pest detection and targeted interventions, reducing crop losses and pesticide overuse. Its low-cost, offline design using the ESP32-CAM makes it accessible for smallholder farmers, enhancing agricultural efficiency and profitability
Comparative analysis and optimization of quenched heat affected zones on mild steel weldment using artificial neural network
No full textThis study explores the comparative analysis and optimization of quenched heat-affected zones (HAZ) in mild steel weldments using coconut oil as an eco-friendly quenching medium. A sheet of mild steel was cut into 40 samples of size 60x40x10 and then cut into two equal halves before it was welded. The effects of coconut oil on the microstructure and mechanical performance of TIG welded HAZ were examined through controlled quenching experiments. The strength of the welded joint tested for mechanical properties like yield strength, tensile strength, elastic modulus, elongation and flexural strength. 30 experimental runs was carried out on the welded samples and the results showed average tensile strength, yield strength, flexural strength, elastic modulus and elongation of 471.89 MPa, 377.49 MPa, 731.06 MPa, 3009.53 MPa, and 21.82%, respectively. The findings indicate an increased tensile strength, a moderate hardening, improved flexural resistance and preserved ductility signifying that coconut oil provides balanced mechanical properties through its moderate cooling rate. Comparative literature supports these results, showing that vegetable oil quenchants (coconut oil) can achieve desirable mechanical performance with reduced distortion and favorable cooling behavior. This research reinforces the viability of bio-based oils as sustainable alternatives to conventional quenchants. Additionally, the integration of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) is highlighted as an effective approach for predicting and optimizing welding parameters and mechanical outcomes, offering enhanced accuracy over traditional statistical method