Fountain University Journals
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Repositioning Women in Service, Leadership and Development in Nigeria: Experiences, Challenges and Opportunities
Get PDFThe debate on the role of women in governance and development processes has remained salient in scholarly discourse in Africa. The central thrust of the gender question is rooted in giving women greater opportunity to contribute to societal development through increased participation in governance and development processes. The debate interrogates two major fundamental facts about gender question in Africa’s public sphere. The first is the numerical strength of women across the nations in the continent. For example, women were credited with 49.2 % of the 2006 Nigerian population census (NPC, 2006) while women constitute approximately 50 % of African population (ECA, 2016). The second is the widely recognized proven competence of African women which they have demonstrated in various areas of human endeavours. At the heart of the gender debate is the thorny question of gender inequality defined in terms of advantages or opportunities available to boys and men relative to the female gender (Burn, 2019)
Anti-graft war: social media as tools for creating awareness for Biometric Verification Number (BVN) registration in Nigeria
Get PDFSocial media networks have been found to be potent channels of communication to the masses. Facebook and Twitter in particular have been found to be highly influential in sensitizing and mobilizing the populace towards vital issues such as elections, public health, protests like #OccupyNigeria and #EndSARS. Against this background, the paper interrogated the effectiveness of social media’s usage in creating awareness for the Biometric Verification Number (BVN) registration of bank customers aimed at checking illicit financial transactions in Nigeria. The theoretical underpinning of the paper was anchored on diffusion of innovation, and uses and gratifications theories. Whereas the study employed survey method, its population comprised bank customers resident in Abeokuta, the capital city of Ogun State. A sample of 150 respondents was selected randomly and a structured questionnaire was administered to gather quantitative data. Findings showed that social media networks were effective in informing and mobilizing bank customers about BVN registration. Majority of the respondents became aware and knew about BVN project through the social media accounts of banks, email and bulk SMS. Also, the extent to which banks utilized the various social media networks was very high. But the study concluded that respondents lacked confidence in email and SMS about BVN for fear of rising incidence of cyber fraud. Therefore, it recommended that the Bankers’ Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should direct banks to consolidate using mainstream and social media.KeywordsSocial media, BVN registration, awareness, cyber fraud, anti-graft wa
Optimization of Conditions for Xylanase Production Using Aspergillus tubingensis Under Different Carbon Sources
Get PDFXylanases are hydrolytic enzymes with wide range of applications in food processing, bleaching of pulp in paper manufacturing industry, bio-conversion of biomass wastes to fermentable sugars and enhancing nutrient digestibility in animal feeds. The optimization of growth conditions and evaluation of an appropriate substrate as carbon source among cassava peels, corn cobs, wheat bran and rice husk on xylanase production by novel strain of Aspergillus tubingensis under Solid State Fermentation (SSF) was investigated. The fungal isolate was identified based on ribosomal RNA gene and ITS gene sequencing analysis as Aspergillus tubingensis. Results showed that Corn cobs had the highest xylanase production among the four substrates. Corn cobs recorded the highest value of xylanase production at pH of 6.0 (107.97 U/g), after incubation period of 72 hour (111.23 U/g), at temperature of 30 oC (44.26 U/g) and at ratio 1:3 (45.68 U/g). The optimum growth conditions for xylanase production by Aspergillus tubingensis were: pH 6.0, incubation period of 72 hours, temperature of 30 oC and substrate concentration of 1:3 (4g of substrate per 12mL of fermentation medium). Corn cobs showed the highest yield of xylanase activity (111.23±0.31 U/g), followed by Rice husk (101.91±0.72 U/g), Wheat bran (89.30±1.16 U/g) and Cassava peel (87.03±0.57 U/g). In conclusion, among the various agro residues that were used as carbon sources, Corn cobs had maximum xylanase activity. Various culture conditions were optimized by using one factor at a time method and the maximum xylanase production was obtained at pH of 6.0, incubation period of 72 hour, temperature of 30 oC and substrate concentration of 1:3 under solid state fermentation. It is therefore suggested that some other notable environmental and fermentation factors that influence metabolism-mediated production yields of xylanase like aeration, agitation, carbon and nitrogen sources, metal ion requirement, inoculum size etc. should be optimized for maximum production of enzyme.
Keywords: Solid State Fermentation, Cassava peels, Corn cobs, Wheat bran, Rice hus
In vivo Trypanostatic Activity of Tephrosia linearis Extract on Trypanosoma evansi
Get PDFIn vivo antitrypanosomal activity of 70% methanol extract of Tephrosia linearis was evaluated. Mice infected with Trypanosoma evansi in different groups were administered 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg body weight/day of the seventy percent (v/v) (methanol/water) crude extract of T. linearis intraperitoneally. The positive control group was treated with standard drug, berenil, while the negative control was infected and treated with normal saline. Doses of 300 and 400 mg/kg bw i.p. per day were found to significantly reduce the parasite loads and sustained the animals in the respective groups up to 3 and 4 weeks beyond the experimental period. There is drop in the percentage PCV during the first six days of the treatment but this was reversed in the subsequent days, except in the negative control group. The animals administered the highest effective (trypanostatic) dose of 400 mg/kg body weight for five consecutive days prior to infection were observed to develop infection 72 h post inoculation. The LD50 determined was found to be 2800 mg/kg bw. It is obvious that, higher doses of 300 and 400 mg/kg bw has trypanostatic effect. Though, the extract could not show any prophylactic activity, further purification may possibly yield a fraction with trypanocidal effect.
Keywords: Tephrosia linearis, Methanol extract, Trypanosoma evansi, Antitrypanosomal activity, In viv
Equity in Healthcare Financing: An Empirical Investigation of Nigerian Situation
Get PDFThis study measures the extent to which healthcare payment in Nigeria deviates from proportionality in healthcare. The methodology is guided by Kakwani Progressitivity index (KPI) and data were extracted from the most recent Nigerian Living standard survey (NLSS) conducted in 2018/2019. It was observed that the healthcare payment system is regressive, which suggests negative vertical inequity. Implying that when the size of the income received and size of healthcare payment from income among the five socioeconomic groups is compared, the health payment system favours the non-poor. This paper suggests that an active alternative means of paying for healthcare services should be provided to close the gap between income and healthcare payment that will result to equity in healthcare payment. Specifically, healthcare payment policy that will make the poor to be at par with non-poor should be introduced.
 
Educating Women on Effective Participation in Nigerian Politics
Get PDFOver the years, there exists an on-going conflict about women’s right to political administration of her country or community where she finds herself. It is becoming a great concern to many that women are relatively deprived of their rights to politics and even a burning issue in the different parts of the world. Although some elites have taken it as mere propaganda being blown out of proportion usually because of reasons such as religious or cultural inclination, the fact remains that women are not equal to men in Nigerian politics and other countries of the world. The fact is that when women’s rights asserted are being stood upon, the expectation from women participation in politics would hinder the progress of the country. Therefore, this position paper considers educating women on effective participation in Nigerian politics and the impact of women in politics. Suggestions to eliminating women deprivation were discussed and recommendations towards improving the level of women participation in Nigerian politics were made.KeywordsEducating, women, gender participation, politic
Unethical Marketing Practices and Emerging Consumerism in the Downstream Sector of the Nigerian Petroleum Industry (A Study of Bovas & Company Limited)
Get PDFThe study focused on consumerism and unethical marketing practices of firms in the downstream sector of the Nigerian petroleum industry. It was inspired by the reported cases of unethical marketing practices and the emerging consumerism in the sector as observable in the consumers’ positive perception and patronage of Bovas & Company Limited’s Filling Stations, as against the dissonance expressed towards other Service Stations within its proximity. Survey research design was adopted and data was analysed through the use of correlation coefficient so as to ascertain the degree of relationship between the variables. The findings showed that unethical marketing practices has a positive effect on the emerging consumerism in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry in Nigeria. The study therefore recommended that relevant law enforcement agencies should improve on their monitoring and enforcement efforts geared towards checkmating unethical marketing practices of petroleum marketers in Nigeria, while petroleum marketers that indulge in unethical practices are advised to stop if their operations must remain sustainable.
Keywords
Consumerism, unethical marketing practices, petroleum industr
Local Government in Britain and Nigeria: Lessons from Comparative Perspective
Get PDFAbstractDespite the fact that Nigeria was colonized by Britain and inherited local government administrative structure from her former colonial rulers, there are lots of differences in the establishment, structure, composition, finance, functions, pattern and efficiency in local government administration in both countries. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to examine the differences in Nigerian Local Government System with/to that of Britain. The study adopted democratic participatory theory as the basis of the argument and relied on documentary method for its analysis. The paper finds that local government in Nigeria has been subjected to the control of both state and federal governments and other challenges such as poor service delivery and corruption among others. It was thus recommended that Nigerian Government must emulate her former colonial ruler (Britain) and respect the provisions in the constitution that grants autonomy to local governments as a third tier of government and seek ways to ensure transparency, accountability and make provision for democratically elected Local Government Councils as this will lead to the development of the Local Councils.KeywordsLocal government, local administration, democratic participation, constitution, service deliver
Antibacterial Efficacies of Extracts of Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratus) on Some Clinical Microbial Isolates
Get PDFThe spread of new infections and the emergence of multidrug resistant strains of microorganisms necessitate the search for new antimicrobials with focus on plant extracts. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of the extracts (aqueous and ethanolic) of lemon grass known usually for bioactive essential oil (Cymbopogon citratus) was investigated in-vitro, against selected clinical isolates (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans). Antimicrobial efficacy of the extracts was assessed using the agar-well diffusion and broth-dilution techniques. The aqueous extract of C. citratus was more efficacious as it showed higher antimicrobial activity against all the test isolates at all tested concentrations. In contrast, only two of the test isolates; P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were susceptible to the ethanolic extract with minimum inhibitory (MIC) concentrations of 2 mg/mL (against S. aureus) and 12.5 mg/mL (against P. aeruginosa). The MIC of the aqueous extract were (mg/mL): 2, 6.25, 12.5, 25 and 50 against S. aureus, E. faecalis, P. aeruginosa, E. coli and C. albicans respectively. Meanwhile, both the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. citratus exerted only a bacteriostatic effect against the five test isolates at all concentrations. Quantitative phytochemical screening of the two extracts revealed the presence of more concentration of active compounds in the aqueous extract than the ethanolic extract which plausibly accounts for its greater antimicrobial activity. This study has shown that, in difference to the use of its conventional essential oil, solvent extraction of Cymbopogon citratus is also a potent source of efficacious antimicrobials. Further works to determine the respective mechanisms of action(s) of the extracts’ active principle is being projected.
Keywords: Lemon grass, Clinical isolates, Antimicrobial efficacies, Bioactive compounds
Purification of Wickerhamomyces anomalus Keratinase and Its Prospective Application in Poultry Feed Industries
No full textAnimal wastes emanating from cow horns, hooves and feathers are keratinous in nature which can only be degraded by keratinolytic microorganisms. Consequently, the pollution resulting from the accumulation of these wastes in response to growing livestock demand is posing a significant threat to human health and the environment. This study was carried out using cow hooves as the substrate for the production of keratinase from fungal identified as Wickerhamomyces anomalus 9 (18S rDNA gene sequencing) was isolated from soil rich hooves using basal salt agar medium and potato dextrose agar. The keratinase of the isolate was assessed using skim milk agar and the enzyme was produced by solid-state fermentation. The crude enzyme was purified using ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange and gel-filtration chromatography. The specific activity of the enzyme was 0.29 U/mg with a yield of 45% and a 7.25 purification fold. The optimal pH and temperature of the enzyme were 8.0 and 60 oC respectively. The enzyme was observed to be thermo-stable at 50 oC between for 30 minutes. The kinetics revealed that the Vmax was 0.384 U/min with Km 86.95 mg/ml. The native molecular weight of the enzyme was found to be 34 KDa. There were significant differences at 95% confidence with poultry feed treated with Wickerhamomyces anomalus keratinase in moisture, ash content, crude fibre, crude fat, nitrogen content, crude protein and carbohydrate compare to the untreated feed. These results suggest an environment-friendly approach for biodegradation of cow hooves wastes for the production of keratinases, animal waste management as well as a promising tool for chicken feed additives.
Keywords: Biodegradation, Chromatography, Cow hooves, Keratinase, Pollutio