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Comparison of Cost of Purchase and Lease of Mine Equipment as a Strategy for Production of Run-Off Mine – a case study of Zibo Fm Quarry and Roadstone Quarry, Ondo state, Nigeria.
No full textThis research compares the cost of purchasing mining equipment with the cost of leasing mining equipment for the production of run-off mines. To achieve this objective, questionnaires were given to the quarry managers and also personal visitations were made. The data/information acquired from the questionnaires and personal visitations were subjected to statistical analysis. The results show that the total revenue for lease and purchase of mine equipment in Zibo FM for ten years are ₦ 11,263,200,000 and ₦11,289,142,610, the total investment for lease and purchase are ₦ 2,280,031,600 and ₦ 1,149,871,600, while the payback periods for lease and purchase option is 3 months 2 days and 2 months 28 days. The net present value for lease and purchase are ₦4.493 109 and ₦ 4.478 109. The total revenue for lease and purchase of mine equipment in Roadstone Quarry for ten years are ₦ 2,026,200,000 and ₦ 2,042,917,220, the total investment for lease and purchase are ₦ 1,943,499,520 and ₦ 707,619,520, while the payback period considering lease and purchase option is 17 months 10 days and 14 months 22 days. The net present value for lease and purchase are ₦ 7.292 108 and ₦ 6.882 108
An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship between Minimum Wage, Investment and Economic Growth in Ghana
No full textThe paper determines whether minimum wage stimulates economic growth in Ghana, for the period 1984-2013, using autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration, within an error correction framework. A preliminary test provides evidence of correlation between minimum wage and investment, thereby allowing for an examination of the wage-growth relationship. Four equations are used to determine the relationship between minimum wage and economic growth. The results from the simple regression of minimum wage on economic growth indicate a positive and statistically significant impact of minimum wage on economic growth both in the long-and short-run. However, the results from other estimations of the wage-growth relationship when investment, credit to the private sector and an interaction term of wage and investment are controlled for precludes any naïve policy formulation which may be solely based on the positive wage-growth relationship obtained. Specifically, the results from the other estimations imply minimum wage can only be growth enhancing if it is met by simultaneous increases in investment spending, as well as deliberate and sustained policies aimed at ensuring credit to finance private investment are readily available, easily accessible, and affordable. In addition, the ratio of public investment to tax revenue must increase as minimum wage increases since such complementary changes are more likely to lead to economic growth
Kinetic Assessment of Trypsin Immobilized onto Macroporous Polyacrylamide Gels (MPAAGs)
No full textThis paper exposes some kinetic consequences of covalent immobilization of enzyme trypsin, onto the supermacroporous polyacrylamide monolithic cryogels with epoxy functionality (Epoxy-MPAAGs), of initial total monomer concentrations 5, 10 and 15% (w/v). The specific activities of the immobilized trypsin were determined and found to be 12.6, 280 and 116 U/gprotein for 5, 10 and 15% (w/v) cryogels respectively at 30 °C. These results suggest improvement in specific activity with the increase in the initial total monomer concentrations. The kinetic parameters KM and vmax were determined at 30 °C for both the immobilized trypsin and the free trypsin by using the enzyme catalysed hydrolysis of N-α-benzoyl-D, Larginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA). The immobilized trypsin onto the 5% (w/v) cryogel attained KM of 0.83 mM and vmax of 63 U/g-protein. The KM values for the immobilized trypsin conjugates did not differ much from that of the free trypsin (0.56 mM) under similar conditions. Activity results from the immobilized trypsin onto the 5% (w/v) cryogel, obtained under the incubation (12.8 U/g-protein) and flow-through conditions (12.6 U/g-protein) were significantly the same. Due to their mechanical stability and good flow properties, the monolithic Epoxy-MPAAGs cryogel-trypsin conjugates have prospects for applications both in stationary and on-line flow-through bio-catalytic systems/bioreactors
Basic Education under Local Governments in Tanzania: A Theoretical Analysis
No full textThis paper describes local government administration of basic education on the basis of different foci deriving from different theories, to demonstrate variations that emerge as stakeholders assess performance and quality of basic education service delivery. Dual-state, public choice and broken window theories are utilized to analyze data from district education officers and heads of secondary schools about central-local government relations vis-à -vis resources at disposal for making basic-education related decisions; inclusion of local communities’ opinions and interests in basic education programmes; and availability of adequate structures and by-laws to deter mismanagement, minor crimes and offences which otherwise impede the effectiveness of basic education programmes managed by local governments as major providers. The evidences accruing from this analysis indicate that basic education administration under local government in Tanzania, can achieve desired goals and objectives if available structures are revised to devolve more decision-making power and resources to local governments. Â
An Identification and Assessment of the Needs and Necessary Conditions for Transferring Students from Informal to Formal Education System, a Case Study of Complementary Basic Education (COBET)
No full textComplimentary Basic Education in Tanzania (COBET) is a communitybased programme that provides opportunity to over aged children to be enrolled in formal education system. COBET was a programme initiated to provide opportunity for the acquisition of basic education to out of school children aged between 8 to 18 years. Dar es Salaam is one of the Tanzania regions which lead in terms of children wondering in the street. Therefore, studying the situation of COBET, identify and assess the needs and necessary conditions for transferring students from these COBET centres to formal education system is very important as it will give chance to street children and those pupils dropout from formal primary schools back to formal education system through COBET. In this study a sample of 424 eligible COBET students from Dar es Salaam region were used. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to study the needs and necessary conditions for transferring COBET students to formal education. The study reveals that 53% of the total respondents were males whereas females were 47%. PCA reveals that the needs and necessary conditions for active COBET centers were being explained by three components in each dependent and independent variables. The findings suggest that, the needs and necessary conditions for active COBET centers include availability of students/pupils, books, desks, premises (classrooms) and COBET facilitators
Evaluation and Deployment of Rice Genotypes Resistant to Rice Yellow Mottle Virus Disease in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania
No full textRice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) is the most important biotic stress undermining productivity of the crop envisaged to spur economic growth and improvement of livelihoods in Tanzania. In efforts to exploit economic and ecofriendly natural host resistance for sustained disease management, reactions of 60 promising rice genotypes selected from various germplasm to a mixture of isolates of the virus under artificial inoculation in the Southern highlands zone represented by Kyela district were studied. Twenty of the most promising entries were further verified on farm at two lowland rainfed and two upland ecologies in the district. Resistance or susceptibility of the genotypes was determined by severity of symptoms as scored on a standard international evaluation scale ranging from 1 to 9 and plant height reduction measured as the difference in height between inoculated and uninoculated plants. Results indicated that RYMV isolates used differed by their virulence and the varieties by their vertical resistance. Observed reactions ranged from highly susceptible to highly resistant. About 50% of the genotypes showed a high level of resistance while 20% were highly susceptible. The intermediate reactions were 0% resistant, 10% susceptible and 20% moderately resistant. Susceptible cultivars recorded up to 75% reduction in height and death of plants whereas those resistant had mild symptoms and negligible plant height reduction. Highly resistant genotypes were immune to infection by the virus across all locations. Five of the highly resistant cultivars namely Salama M55, M57, M19, M35, IITA 235 were acceptable to farmers in terms of cycle length, plant and grain types. Further research to enable official release for commercial use and wide scale accessibility of seed to farmers was deemed necessary to ease damage from RYMV. The varieties can also be deployed as sources of resistance in cross breeding programmes to improve the local susceptible cultivars whose background is already acceptable to farmers. Exhaustive screening of germplasm collections to identify diverse sources of novel genes for resistance was also recommended together with verification of high resistance of genotypes across regions
Economic Evaluation of Insect Pests Management in Cashew Productionin Mtwara, Tanzania
No full textCashew production is severely constrained by sucking insect pests such as coconut bugs, cashew mosquito bugs and thrips. They damage flushing foliar, floral shoots and developing nuts. Weaver ants (Oecophyllalonginoda) have for long been considered as effective biological control agents against pests. Before changing from one production method to another, farmers need to consider costs and incomes resulting from the change. This paper evaluated economic benefits of managing cashew insects using weaver ant, Karate and control. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications in, Mtwara during 2012-13 and 2013-14. The statistically significant treatments were subjected to economic analysis using the partial budget and MRR. Discounted financial indicators (NPV, BCR and IRR) were used. The study revealed that damage caused by each pest was significantly loweron trees with weaver ants and in the plots treated with Karate® than was the case on the control trees. There was no significant difference in the damage between O. longinoda and Karate® treated trees suggesting that the two treatments are equally effective. The difference in the damage levels was directly reflected in the mean cashew yield. Switching to weaver ants was feasible due topositive net change in benefits. MRR was highest forweaver ants at 235% in 2012/13 and 405% in 2013/14 seasons. Weaver ant indicated highest NPV (TZS 32 640), BCR (2.5:1) and IRR (57%). The use of weaver ants was economically feasible management strategy to be adopted by farmers and was recommended
Access and Use of Information Communication Technologies by Agricultural Extension Agents in Tanzania
No full textMany studies have focused on the use of ICT by farmers; however, little attention has been on the use ICT by agricultural extension agents who are the bridge between source of agricultural knowledge and technologies on one hand and the smallholders on the other. Based on a cross sectional study of agricultural extension agents enrolled at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), in this paper we present, as a point of departure, the extent of access and usage of ICT by agricultural extension agents in Tanzania. Also, factors that influence the use of ICT by Agricultural Extension Agents are assessed. Finally, a conclusion is made and recommendations offered based on the findings.Â
Development of Multimedia Teaching Aids for Selected Physics Sub-Topics from the Topic of Simple Machine in Tanzanian Secondary Schools
No full textStudents studying science subjects in most Tanzania secondary schools experience poor understanding of scientific concepts. Despite of several efforts made by stakeholders in alleviating the problem, it still persists. This might have been caused by among others, the lack of appropriate teaching aids to aid demonstration of difficult concepts in the subject. The objective of the study was to develop educational multimedia teaching aids for Hydraulic Press System and Screw and Jack sub-topic prototypes from the topic of simple machine in physics subject book two and assess their effectiveness in complementing classroom teaching in selected secondary schools. The study was both qualitative and quantitative in nature, with semi-structured questionnaires for assessment of interactive educational multimedia courseware as quantitative part, and collected data from 134 students from three selected secondary schools from Dar es Salaam and Singida regions. Prior to development and assessment of multimedia teaching aids, requirements for system design were collected from 80 Form two students and 3 physics teachers from Jangwani girls and St. Anthony secondary schools in Ilala and Temeke municipalities in Dar es Salaam region. Requirements were also collected from interview with examination officers from NECTA as well as from documentary review. The study findings revealed that the developed multimedia teaching aid prototypes assisted 88.8 per cent of the students to understand difficult concepts in physics more clearly, and about 74 per cent of them were motivated to learn the subject; thus, improving their way of learning the subject. Â
Evidence Based Decline in Coconut Productivity along the Coastline of Tanzania
No full textThis paper attempts to find out and discuss the productivity status of coconuts along the coast belt of Tanzania. According to the current statistics, Tanzania is a major producer of coconut in Africa and ranks the eleventh in world. Between 1979 and 2004, there was a significant increase of coconut production in Tanzania due to implementation of the National Coconut Development Program (NCDP). However, since phasing out of NCDP in 2004, little is known and even less is documented on the status of coconut production and productivity in the country. This study was conducted along the coastal belt where more coconuts are produced with smallholder farmers who produce about 95% of the coconuts in Tanzania. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were applied. The results showed a decline of area under coconut cultivation per household by twenty two percent between 2004 and 2014. Also there is a decline of productivity in nuts per Ha per household by eleven percent compared to during the NCDP period. The multiple problems facing the coconut productivity identified to be; low funding for extension services and research development, poor dissemination of improved technologies, absence of initiatives for coconut farm revival, planting and replanting of new coconut seedlings. The way forward is for the Government and coconut stakeholders to strengthen extension services and allocate fund for coconut sub-sector development. Also the Government should consider the establishment of coconut board which will enforce the development of coconut along the value chain. Â