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Influence Of Indoor Air Temperature On Occupants’ Thermal Sensation In Architecture Design Studios Of Universities In Southeast Nigeria
Get PDFAir temperature is usually the most important environmental variable that affects human sensation in a thermal environment. Determining the effect of the indoor air temperature, on occupants’ perception of a thermal environment in design studios where architecture students spend long periods of time daily is therefore important. The study investigated design studios of six institutions that offer architecture in southeast Nigeria, to evaluate the influence of the average daily indoor air temperature on the occupants’ thermal sensation. The field survey was carried out during the rainy season (April-October) of the year 2018, for a period of seven months in the undergraduate design studios of the six institutions, which were selected based on, cluster random sampling method. Data loggers were mounted in the architecture design studios to record the daily temperature readings during the survey periods while data on thermal sensation was obtained through the administration of questionnaires to the students as the air temperature reading was collected. Pearson product moment correlation was used to test the nature of relationship between the two variables- average daily indoor air temperature readings and thermal sensation. The result from the analysis shows a moderate and highly significant relationship between the two variables. It follows therefore, that the average daily air temperature significantly influences occupants’ thermal sensation in the architecture design studios in southeast Nigeria. The paper recommends that there should be adequate consideration of the number/total area, location and position of openings in architecture design studios to ensure increased air flow, which aids body cooling, and curb the adverse effects of raised indoor air temperature
Stemming Plastic Bag Pollution In Anambra State: Willingness Of The Public To Accept Alternative Bags
Get PDFWith billions of plastic bags in circulation, their presence is seen everywhere and every day. Bags are a fundamental part of our everyday life especially when we go shopping. Plastic bags have dominated the bag market for years, beating others to become the most sought after by consumers. However, it is now clear that plastic bags play a role in polluting the environment and impacts on the environment negatively due to poor and prolonged degradation process. Following the negative impact of plastic bags several countries have placed a partial or total ban on plastic bags while some have used levies instead to curtail their use. It is also reported that other countries are considering or are at the verge of placing bans. Hinged on the concept of waste management hierarchy, this research appraises the willingness of plastic bag consumers in Anambra State, (Southeast) Nigeria to accept the usage of alternative bags. The result showed that 83% of respondents demand for plastic bag when they shop while 70% indicated they get upset when it’s not provided. 60% preferred plastic bags to other alternatives, 65% had knowledge about the environmental impact of plastic bags, while 85% want a total ban on plastic bags. The study also showed that an average of 1 to 3 bags were used daily, giving a total of 90 bags in a month per person. An increase in production of alternatives, public enlightenment, and use of incentives are part of recommendations made towards reducing the impact of plastic bags on the environment. 
Enhancing Urban Environmental Quality Through The Restoration Of The Neglected Green Spaces In Aladinma Estate In Owerri Urban
Get PDFA well-balanced urban environment can enhance living conditions and the quality of life of urban residents. This is because the state of the urban environment affects the urban environmental quality. The pressures of urban life in some developing countries often make it difficult for the residents to take care of the environment. Also, urban schemes and developments in the urban areas have created a high concentration of urban residents and consequently the improper use and neglect of green spaces. Some of them have become refuse dump sites and places for other undesirable activities such as petty trading and activities of roadside tradesmen. These green spaces within neighbourhoods and layouts were created by Planning Authorities in order to enhance the urban environmental quality, but they have become neglected, misused and therefore, negate the urban environment. The study set out to investigate the conditions of the neglected green spaces in Aladinma housing estate, Owerri, Nigeria. The study was a survey research using questionnaires administered on residents of some selected layouts in Owerri including Aladinma estate. Obtained data was analysed using the Chi square statistical tools. Findings reveal that the poor condition of these spaces is due to undesirable human activities. These spaces could become well-functioning green spaces, if the activities that negate them are removed, thereby improving the quality of urban life in these layouts
Appraisal Of Building Conditions In Public Secondary Schools In Onitsha, Nigeria
Get PDFPart of the functional requirements of buildings is to provide safe and enabling environment for the performance of various human activities. Most buildings, however, begin to exhibit signs of deterioration with the advancement of time, even when all the original elements are replaced. A poorly maintained school building in a dilapidated environment hampers the quality of life and contributes largely to unfriendly behaviour amongst users and threatens its socio-political environment. There is an increased awareness that the conditions of buildings in public secondary schools in Nigeria are in deplorable conditions of infrastructural disrepair due to poor maintenance practices. This study therefore focuses on building conditions in public secondary schools in Onitsha, Nigeria with a view to determining the underlying factors responsible for the present conditions of buildings in the schools. A survey of seven (7) schools out of twenty three (23) public secondary schools was conducted. Data were obtained using structured questionnaire and observation schedule. These were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. The results indicated that majority of the building elements in the schools were in deplorable conditions requiring either minor or major repairs. The results also showed that building dilapidations in the schools were due to lack of documented maintenance manuals to guide maintenance operations, engaging the services of unskilled professionals in maintenance, age of buildings, neglect, poor maintenance culture and poor maintenance funding. Based on the findings, the paper recommended that adequate measures be put in place to address the existing deficiencies in the building conditions in order to attain secure, comfortable and user-friendly environments that effectively support the delivery and realization of educational goals and objectives in those schools
Tenure Of Residents As A Determinant Of Maintenance Conditions Of Residential Buildings In Housing Development Corporation Estates In Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria
Get PDFBuilding maintenance is the effort made to restore the status of a building to its original use or for a new function. Occupied residential buildings, in public housing estates in Nigeria have been found to lack adequate maintenance attention from the facility providers. Also, this state of affairs has been associated with socioeconomic characteristics of residents. This study therefore sought to investigate the tenure status of the residents and its relationship with the maintenance conditions of residential buildings in Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ESHDC) estates in Enugu metropolis with a view to developing improved maintenance guidelines for public residential building design. Survey design method was applied and it focused on four of ESHDC housing estates. A multistage stratified random sampling method was adopted in the selection of the study sample. Point Biserial Correlation analysis was used tool to test the relationship between the variables. With p<0.5, the study found significant correlation between the two i.e. that tenure status of residents influences maintenance conditions of the buildings within the study population. The policy implication of these findings were that for improved building maintenance condition, efforts should be made to encourage long/permanent tenures by residents of the estates as this would likely lead to higher commitment to maintenance. 
Climate Change And Food Security In Nigeria
Get PDFThis paper starts with painting a gloomy picture of African agriculture, which can be worsened by climate change. Against the conceptual bases of climate change and food security, it explores the causes of climate change, its reality, evidence and manifestation in Nigeria. It explores the available strategies for mitigating climate change impacts in Nigeria. This reveals gross inadequacies in terms of governance, absence of a national adaptation programme of action, national climate change policy and strategy and action plan on climate change. The policy implications of these were discussed including massive deforestation, galloping urbanization, management of wetlands, widening governance space, the role of the media and vulnerability assessment. The message of the paper is that too little is being done and too late
Investigating The Comfort Temperature For School Children In A Warm And Humid Climate Of Imo State, Nigeria
Get PDFThermal conditions in classrooms influence the physical and social development and the overall well-being of a student\u27s life. Understanding the relationship between thermal conditions in classrooms and the perception of the thermal environments by the students will help in providing sustainable classroom blocks. This paper presents the results of a study relating to thermal comfort in three selected naturally-ventilated classroom schools located in the warm and humid climate of Imo State, Nigeria. The aim was to determine the perception of the thermal environment by young children aged 7-12 years in these classroom spaces. The investigation was carried out during the rainy and dry seasons where the environmental parameters in the surveyed classrooms were measured, together with simultaneous subjective assessment of the subjects through the use of questionnaires. Regression analysis was applied between the mean thermal responses of the children and the mean operative temperatures to determine their optimum temperature, the preferred temperature, and their comfort range. Results indicate that the subjects accepted the indoor thermal environments beyond the range specified by the International standards such as ASHRAE and ISO. For the combined classrooms all season, the optimum temperature obtained for the young children was 28.8oC with a preferred temperature of 27.4 oC and comfort range of 25.8-31.6oC. The findings in this paper may add value to the thermal comfort data base and also provide useful input in the provision of classroom blocks that are sustainable
Tax Regimes In Indigenous Nigerian Societies: Lessons For Sustainable Tax Administration In Contemporary Governance
Get PDFThis study surveyed tax regimes in indigenous Nigerian societies in order to understand how the indigenous administrations funded provision of common facilities and services in pre-colonial era. Secondary archival sources and other existing literature were reviewed to show that taxation was successfully practiced by indigenous administrations in Nigeria before the advent of colonial rule. This study revealed the positive inclusive features of indigenous tax system and concluded that modern tax reformation efforts should adopt inclusivity principles to achieve broad based consensus in taxation process by Nigerians. Unanimous buy-in into tax administration by the citizens will make for improved public revenue generation in this era of low national earnings due to global decline in crude oil prices which is the major income earner for the country. The paper finally recommended tax reforms in Nigeria to reflect similar positive features like those of indigenous tax system so that the people will accept and support the modern taxation system the same way as they supported indigenous tax regimes in pre-colonial era.  
Average Monthly Income Of Residents As A Predictor Of Residents’ Satisfaction In Private Housing Estates In Enugu, Nigeria
Get PDFSocioeconomic status of residents fashion their aspirations and contributes as they make housing decisions that influence their level of satisfaction. Interest in residents’ satisfaction study grew mainly with widespread consumer protection awareness over the years; thus, interests in housing has shifted from production to marketing, then to adaptation of housing output to the aspirations of the residents. The objective of this study was to investigate the average monthly income of residents and its relationship with residents’ satisfaction with level of maintenance of facilities in private housing estates in Enugu, with a view to providing appropriate feedback criteria meant for improving housing satisfaction in the design and development of private housing estates. The methodology adopted for this research was survey design. The focus was on four private housing estates in Enugu metropolis randomly selected from the research population. After stratification, based on housing type, two hundred and fifty-six occupied housing units were randomly selected. Data was collected from primary sources using questionnaires and observation schedules. Average monthly income of residents (which is a socioeconomic variable) and residents’ satisfaction with level of maintenance of facilities were interval variables; therefore, Pearson Product Moment correlation tool was used to test the significance of the relationship. It was established that there is a significant relationship between average monthly income of residents and residents’ satisfaction with level of maintenance of facilities in the private housing. This implies that amount of money earned by residents affects their level of satisfaction with maintenance of facilities within the population of study. It was recommended that private housing rent be made affordable (i.e. 30% of average monthly income), so that the residents can afford maintenance of facilities in the estate, thereby achieve satisfaction. This is because availability of funds is of primary importance for the purposes of maintenance works
Fostering Urban Environment Adaptation To Climate Change In Nigeria
Get PDFClimate change has become one of the most pressing issues of the 21st century and against the background of rising concerns over its pernicious effects, this paper evaluates the realities of climate change challenge in the Nigerian urban environment with a view to proffering adaptation strategies towards urban climate change fitness. Using content analysis and relying solely on secondary data obtained from existing literature, the paper explores the salient conceptual and theoretical issues related to climate change as well as the intricacies of the threats it poses to the built environment. Urban greenness was identified as a veritable strategy for strengthening adaptability to the vagaries of climate change in Nigerian cities and innovative approaches expedient towards this end were discussed. Finally, the paper highlights the need for mainstreaming climate change issues into urban planning in Nigeria and recommends practical steps for the furtherance of the same in the interest of sustainable development