Afe Babalola University Based Journals
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Synthesis of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Modified Rutile (TiO2/MWCNTs) Composite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Textile Wastewater
Get PDFPhotocatalysis has emerged as a sustainable and efficient approach for the treatment of industrial wastewater, offering the potential to degrade persistent organic pollutants under light irradiation. This study explores the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of textile wastewater using a TiO2-based nanocomposite photocatalyst. The composite was synthesized by modifying rutile TiO2, derived from natural rutile ore, with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) through a hydrothermal process. The microstructure, morphology, chemical composition, surface area, and phase structure of rutile-TiO2, MWCNTs, and the TiO2/MWCNTs nanocomposite were characterized using different characterization techniques including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Photocatalytic activity was evaluated by measuring the degradation of organic pollutants, with chemical oxygen demand (COD) and phenol concentration as indicators, under both artificial and natural sunlight irradiations. The results revealed that the incorporation of MWCNTs significantly enhanced the photocatalytic performance of rutile TiO2. Under visible light, phenol removal efficiencies were 59% and 42% for the TiO2/MWCNTs nanocomposite and rutile-TiO2, respectively, while under sunlight, the removal rates increased to 73% and 56%. Similarly, COD reduction was 55% for TiO2/MWCNTs compared to 35% for rutile-TiO2 under visible light, and 73% versus 56% under sunlight. These findings demonstrate that MWCNT modification improves the photoactivity of rutile-TiO2, offering a cost-effective and sustainable approach to wastewater treatment using photocatalysts derived from natural ore. This study presents a viable alternative for synthesizing TiO2-based materials for environmental remediation
Design and Construction of an Aquaponics System: A Sustainable Approach to Enhancing Local Food Security in Offa, Nigeria
Get PDFThe design of an aquaponics system is a major drive in achieving a sustainable agricultural practice, tackling environmental problems, and food security. Aquaponics provides a conservative technique that integrates both hydroponics and aquaculture in regions with minimal arable land. This current study aims to design and build an aquaponics system that is suitable and beneficial to its environment. The objectives of building the aquaponics system are to cultivate fish and plants in a closed system that can reduce the requirement for chemical-based nutrients and increase water-use efficiency. Preliminary assessment, design, and preparations of drawings were applied to obtain a suitable plan for the aquaponics system. Civil, construction, plumbing, welding, and planting works were conducted to physically implement the aquaponics system. A farm base of 8 m X 4 m (hydroponics) was built alongside a concrete tank base of (3 m x 2 m x 0.6 m) to hold the fish tank of 2000 L (aquaculture). A canopy material was then laid to hold water in the hydroponics section. Twelve pieces of polystyrene (2.1 m X 1.2 m) were laid to float inside the hydroponics system with each one carrying 9 lightweight disposable cups to serve as planting mediums. Rice husk and palm kernel shells were filled into the cups to grow the plants (cucumber and pepper). Plant and growing medium weights were considered in determining the number of growing mediums(cups) in the hydroponics system. Other works done included plumbing for water, welding for the aquaponics structure, and installation of a cover. This current study incorporates organic waste materials as systematically grown mediums to create additional nutrients, increase grow mediums for optimized plant production, and reduce cost. The result of the study showed a shorter growth cycle for the plants (pepper and cucumber) between germination and flowering indicating a higher infusion of nutrients created by the hydroponics system. The result of the study can be applied as a guide to designing and building an effective aquaponics system and a tool for developing systems that can reduce food insecurity and farming techniques
Semi Empirical Modelling of Alkaline Water Electrolysis Green Hydrogen Using Biosynthesized Lye and Caustic Soda Electrolytes
Get PDFSemi empirical modelling of an alkaline water electrolysis system for green hydrogen production was carried out in this paper. Green hydrogen which is an alternative to fossil fuels and other sources of energy because of its renewability and sustainability is produced via alkaline water electrolysis utilizing biosynthesized lye (KOH) and caustic soda (NaOH) obtained from charring unripe plantain peel and electrolysing sea water respectively. The alkaline water electrolysis process was carried out at electrolyte concentrations of 25 g/L, 30 g/L and 35g/L for KOH and NaOH, at temperatures 45 oC, 55 oC, 65 oC, 75 oC and 85 oC, applying a voltage of 9 volts and running the electrolytic process for 15 minutes to obtain the volume of hydrogen generated at the cathode. The models developed were for the cell voltage of the energy consumed, the Faraday’s efficiency of the alkaline water electrolysis and the gas purity of the hydrogen produced. All R2 values which represent the coefficient of determination were within the range of 0.96-0.999, indicating that the semi empirical models were a good fit to represent the alkaline water electrolysis, with the exception with the cell voltage models at 30 g/L of KOH and 30 g/L NaOH which had an R2 values of 0.7826 and 0.782 respectively. Also, a pop and combustion test was carried out to determine the presence and flammability of hydrogen at the cathode of the electrolytic cell
Effect of Heat Treatment on the Mechanical Properties of Aluminium 6063 Reinforced with Alumina, Titania, and Hybrid Powders
Get PDFThe research examines the mechanical behaviour changes of alumina and titania-reinforced Aluminium 6063 composites after T6 heat treatment. The stir casting method combined with 3 wt% or 6 wt% reinforcement followed by a heat treatment solution at 520°C for 2 hours, then water quenching and artificial aging at 180°C for 8 hours. Tensile properties and hardness were enhanced through heat treatment such that peak hardness reached 116 HRB in 6 wt% TiO₂ composites. Tensile strength increased by 44.8% in 3 wt% TiO₂ composites (192.8 MPa), and peak hardness reached 116 HRB in 6 wt% TiO₂ samples. The impact strength of materials decreased with reinforcement addition, but heat treatments introduced marginal improvements when working with low reinforcement amounts. The research findings present essential knowledge to improve Aluminium 6063 composites for automotive and aerospace sector applications
Designing an Explainable Intrusion Detection System (X-Ids) Using Machine Learning: A Framework for Transparency and Trust
Get PDFTraditional machine learning-based Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) operate as black boxes, creating critical challenges in cybersecurity. The opacity of models like deep neural networks erodes analyst trust, complicates incident response, and introduces compliance risks due to unexplainable threat classifications. The purpose of this works is to design an Explainable IDS (X-IDS) framework that integrates interpretable AI (XAI) with ML-driven detection and reduced time required to generate explanations per prediction, hence improve transparency and trust. The system features Multi-model architecture (Random Forest, SVM, DNN) with SHAP/LIME explanations, Real-time dashboard providing global feature importance and local prediction justifications and Human-centric design co-developed with security professionals. The Method includes the use of NSL-KDD and CICIDS2017 datasets, processed though Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) for imbalance correction. We did comparative analysis of interpretable (Decision Trees) vs. high-accuracy (DNN) models. Explainability through the use of SHAP for global feature attribution and LIME for instance-level explanations was introduced. The quantitative evaluation metrics (F1-score, latency) and human evaluation (15 security experts) were used. The Trust Enhancement which was 4.5/5 trustworthiness rating from analysts implies reduction of false positive dismissals by 78%. From NSL-KDD dataset, the Balanced Performance was 97% F1-score with 4.8miliseconds XAI overhead - optimal for Security Operation Centre (SOC) operations. The Mean incident triage time was observed to reduce from 18.7 to 6.2 minutes via intuitive explanations which implies improved actionable transparency. The system is Open Framework - Publicly available implementation that bridges accuracy-explainability gaps in ML in cybersecurity. This work demonstrates that strategic XAI integration transforms IDS from opaque alert generators into collaborative defence tools, enabling human-AI teamwork against evolving cyber threats
Extraversion, Scientific Dependency and the Democratisation of Knowledge
Get PDFPaulin Hountondji is best known for his (in)famous critique of African philosophy as ethnophilosophy. However, while his criticism of African Philosophy has generated much debate, his analysis and critique of extraversion and scientific dependency, the pervading attitude among Global South scholars marked by an intellectual reliance on the Global North academia for relevance and validity have not attracted as much attention. This paper interrogates Hountondji’s critique of extraversion in the light of contemporary global discourse on global epistemic inequalities and the imperative of knowledge democracy. Utilising the qualitative method of research through critical analysis of library texts, it avers that 1) Houtondji’s recognition and acknowledgment of the fact of extraversion and scientific dependency implies a corresponding recognition and acknowledgement of distinct, particular knowledges; 2) his critique of extraversion and scientific dependency necessarilyy implies an acknowledgement of a form of epistemicide/epistemic injustice of/on local knowledge systems. It thereafter, utilising the analytic and synthetic methods of research, argues that Hountondji’s critique places him firmly in the realm of postcolonial scholars who have theorised on the need for the decolonisation and democratisation of knowledge. 
Ancestral Veneration as a Metaphysical Issue in Yòrùbá Culture: Exploring the Spiritual Agency of Social Reconstruction in a Glocal Context
Get PDFAfricans are in the habit of venerating the dead among them who qualify as ancestors. The practice of ancestral veneration in Africa, particularly amongst the Yòrùbá people of West Africa, is premised on their belief in continual existence after death. The supposition is that the dead, who have now become ancestors, play active roles in their activities, in the plight of their children and grandchildren and their lives entirely. The ancestors are believed to possess the ability to influence either positively or negatively the fortune of the living. Belief in the existence of ancestors amongst Africans is paramount in African traditional religious belief systems. The ancestors are taken to be intermediaries between the living, the divinities and the Supreme Being. Ancestors therefore occupy an important place in African, particularly Yòrùbá ontology. Communion with ancestors therefore takes the form of veneration, in which the people honour, respect and look after them in their afterlives as well as possibly seek their guidance for the living descendants. Among the Yòrùbá people, ancestral veneration takes various forms as being evident in their traditional practices. The Yòrùbá have requirements for the conferment of ancestor-hood on a deceased soul, and as such not everyone who dies becomes an ancestor in Yòrùbá ontology. The task of this paper is to interrogate the practice of ancestral veneration as a metaphysical issue that is evident among the Yòrùbá people of Africa, while also delving into the discussion of the basic requirements for ancestor-hood amongst the Yòrùbá. This paper presents ancestors in Yòrùbá culture as spiritual agents of establishing social order, based on the belief in their continual relevance in the physical world. The role of ancestors as spiritual agents of social reconstruction will also be interrogated against emergent and dominant forces, such as globalisation, using the framework of glocalisation
An Assessment of Environmental Education Awareness, Attitudes and Engagements for Environmental Sustainability in Nigeria: A Case Study of LAUTECH Students
Get PDFEnvironmental sustainability necessitates awareness, an attitude regarding oneself and the environment, along with proper conduct and ethical values, which Environmental Education (EE) provides. Therefore, EE is critical in developing countries such as Nigeria, which are confronted by significant environmental problems such as deteriorating ecosystems, erosion, flooding, loss of biodiversity, and climate change. Because the ability to handle environmental challenges depends heavily on the young, as it is easiest to attain greater consciousness among them, this study assessed students’ EE exposure and awareness, knowledge of environmental problems, attitude and perceptions towards environmental sustainability, engagement to promote environmental sustainability and barriers to engagement. Using a questionnaire survey and convenience sampling, this study sampled 300 LAUTECH students from various academic disciplines, levels and demographic backgrounds. The collected data were analysed using IBM SPSS to generate descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage and mean. The findings revealed that most of the respondents have heard of EE (4.19), primarily through informal education (3.77). Also, the environmental problems the respondents are mostly familiar with are pollution and waste management problems (4.22). While the students are highly interested in pursuing actions that promote environmental sustainability, they are constrained by restricted access to information on environmental issues (3.46) and organisations that promote environmental sustainability in Nigeria (3.24). The study recommended that Education for Sustainable Development, which includes EE and sustainability topics, should be incorporated into core subjects of the National Education Curriculum in Nigeria. Also, EE should be intensified formally and promoted informally through online sources, study groups, environmental clubs and partnerships with environmental NGOs
Examination of Legal, Regulatory and Operational Challenges of Book Publishing in Nigeria
Get PDFIn Nigeria, there are many challenges which are incapacitating book publishing and these can be grouped into three broad classifications, namely; legal, regulatory and operational challenges. There is no way a critical analysis can be done on the book industry in Nigeria without dissecting the challenges facing the sector. The aim of this paper is to find an ending solution to these issues in order to enhance maximal performance of the sector for national growth. In discussing the legal challenges of book publishing, the Copyright Act of 2022 which is the principal instrument that governs intellectual property rights in Nigeria is the primary source of this paper while references from other works of scholar shall be the secondary source of information. This paper concludes by suggesting that to book publishing contribute to national developments, the legal framework must be reviewed and regulatory institutions must be strengthened to sanitize the industry. Above all, operational challenges are curbed in order to open the floodgate of solutions to the numerous shortcomings in the industry which have hitherto prevented the sector from making significant impact on the nation’s economy
Effect of Agribusiness Clusters and Youth Policy Engagement on Promoting Sustainable Agricultural Practices among Young Agripreneurs in Southwest Nigeria
Get PDFThe agricultural sector in Nigeria faces significant challenges, including insufficient youth engagement and limited adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, despite its potential for economic growth and employment. This study investigates the effect of agribusiness clusters and youth policy engagement on the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices among youth agripreneurs in Southwest Nigeria. Adopting a cross-sectional survey design, the study sampled 369 youth participants from Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti states, who participated in agribusiness training programmes funded by national and international development partners. Using descriptive and inferential statistics, including multiple regression analysis, the findings revealed that agribusiness clusters (β = 0.29, t = 5.44, p < 0.05) and youth policy engagement (β = 0.43, t = 8.17, p < 0.05) significantly predicted the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. The study highlights the importance of collaborative networks and inclusive policymaking in promoting sustainability and recommends investing in agribusiness clusters as hubs for innovation and fostering youth participation in policy development. These approaches are critical to empowering youth, enhancing sustainability and driving agricultural transformation in Nigeria