59 research outputs found
Indigenous technology as a basis for science and technology education in junior secondary schools : a Sierra Leonean case study
No full textThis study investigates two issues: a) the usefulness of indigenous technology as an approach for teaching science and technology to junior pupils of secondary schools in Sierra Leone. b) the factors which influence its implementation. In order to carry out this investigation, the author developed a fifteen lesson module on energy, using the `coalpot', a significant indigenous technology device as centre-piece. The module was tried out in three schools in Sierra Leone, using a total of 224 pupils. Other members of the sample were experimental teachers (who taught the module) and non-experimental (who only evaluated it) and science educators. Using the triangulation method, data were collected by achievement tests, questionnaires, structured and unstructured observations and informal discussions. The results were statistically analyzed using the SPSS/PC and Minitab Computer packages. It emerged from the findings that indigenous technology is a useful approach for teaching science to junior secondary school pupils, irrespective of the problems encountered. The post-achievement test results show that on the whole, the module had a positive effect on pupils' learning. The study also shows that indigenous technology has the potential to generate pupils' interest and improve their attitudes towards science. The factors which can become barriers to the implementation of an innovation like this one, were identified and shown to be teacher- and school-related. It is recommended among other things that science education researchers, teacher trainers, curriculum developers and teachers collaborate to develop and document instructional materials based on indigenous technology. That indigenous technology be incorporated into teacher training methodology courses so that trainee teachers will have a longer period to become familiar with both the content and the teaching strategies that may be used.</p
Identifying the distribution, causal pathogens, and potential solutions for managing Botryosphaeria stem blight disease of blueberry in Alabama
No full textIn response to the surging global demand for nutritious foods, blueberry production has doubled in the last decade. However, sustainability of blueberry production is challenged by diseases such as Botryosphaeria stem blight, which is caused by fungi in the Botryosphaeriaceae family. Botryosphaeria stem blight can lead to rapid leaf wilting, chlorosis, reddening, and distinct stem discoloration, often resulting in significant yield loss. Management options are largely limited to cultural practices due to the limited success of chemical controls. Currently, no blueberry cultivar is known to have sufficient and lasting resistance to Botryosphaeria stem blight. The identification of resistant genotypes is hindered by knowledge gaps in isolates’ identity and virulence, as well as non-standardized screening protocols. To address these challenges, this study surveyed blueberry stem blight pathogens in Alabama and surrounding regions to evaluate the distribution and identity of the causal pathogens. A total of 47 symptomatic blueberry samples were collected from Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi between 2021 and 2022. Phylogenetic analysis based on three genomic regions revealed that species in the Botryosphaeriaceae were encountered on 36% of disease samples, followed by other families such as Sporocadaceae (13%) and Diaporthaceae (11%). Within Botryosphaeriaceae, Neofusicoccum and Lasiodiplodia are the most common genera. Virulence testing using attached-stem assay showed that isolates of Neofusicoccum species caused longest lesion length four weeks after inoculation. Inoculating four blueberry cultivars ‘Star’, ‘Legacy’, ‘Miss Alice’, and ‘Vernon’ with Neofusicoccum parvum and Neofusicoccum sp. confirmed virulence of the isolates and revealed significant difference in lesion length due to treatment and cultivar, but no treatment x cultivar interaction (P < 0.05) was detected. Based on our findings, eighteen blueberry cultivars are currently being screened with the same two species. We hope to uncover sources of resistance to Botryosphaeria stem blight from this larger-scale screening and contribute to sustainable blueberry production
Opening the ‘black box’ of national digital identity systems: another invisible border for Africans?
No full textBiometric digital identity systems have been promoted as a solution for Africa’s development challenges. By providing accurate and reliable identification of citizens, these systems are expected to enable better planning and resource allocation by states. However, this optimistic view overlooks the border logic embedded in the design and deployment of these systems. In this article, the author critically examines the assumptions and implications of biometric digital identity systems in Africa. By broadening the debate on the intersection of African ‘mobilities’, responsible innovation, and the deployment of biometric technology, the author attempt to pry open the ‘black box’ of national digital identity systems and contends that the diffusion of these systems in Africa is driven more by the Global North’s border interests than by the local populations’ development needs.
Wealth, household heterogeneity and livelihood diversification of Fulani pastoralists in the Kachia Grazing Reserve, northern Nigeria, during a period of social transition
No full textBACKGROUND: A mixed methods study was undertaken in the Kachia Grazing Reserve of northern Nigeria. Surveys in March, June and October 2011 included focus group discussions, key informant and in-depth household interviews, concerning livelihood practices, animal health, ownership, and productivity. In May 2011, 249 Fulani families fleeing post-election violence entered the reserve with their livestock, increasing the number of households by one third.RESULTS: Despite being settled within a grazing reserve, over half of households sent all their cattle away on seasonal transhumance and another third sent some away. Cattle accounted for 96% of total tropical livestock units (TLU), of which 26% were cattle kept permanently outside the reserve. While all households cited livestock as their main source of income, 90% grew crops and 55% derived income from off-farm activities. A multiple correspondence analysis showed that for each extra member of a household its TLU value increased by 2.0 [95% CI, 1.4-2.7], while for each additional marriage its TLU increased by 15.7 [95% CI, 7.1-24.3]. A strong association was also observed between small herds, small households with only one wife, alongside marked geographical wealth differences within the reserve. New immigrant families had larger household sizes (33) and livestock holdings (122 TLU) than old settlers (22 people and 67 TLU). Prior to the mass immigration, the distribution of TLU per person was unimodal: 41% of households were classified as 'poor' and 27% as 'medium', whereas post-immigration it was bi-modal, with 26% classified as 'very poor' and 28% as 'medium'.CONCLUSIONS: While cattle remain the principal source of Fulani income and wealth, the inhabitants of Kachia Grazing Reserve have diversified their livelihood strategies to respond to changing circumstances and stress, especially the limited availability of grazing within the reserve and political insecurity outside, resulting in continued transhumance, the maintenance of smaller livestock holdings and pushing households into poverty.</p
Effects of Pension Fund Assets on Capital Market Performance in Nigeria
No full textThis research looked into how pension funds held over a long stretch can provide a lot of capital to the market in the long term rather than giving out speculative capital over a short period. It studied how pension funds impact capital market performance in Nigeria. To do this, data from the quarterly reports of National Pension Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin from 2014 to 2019 (spanning 24 quarters) was used. The sample group was comprised of 50 companies, including 24 Pension Fund Administrators. This study looked into seven Closed Pension Fund Administrators (CPFAs) and nineteen Approved Existing Schemes (AESs). Everyone was included in the research, and it was conducted by looking at what happened in the past. Analysing the data collected from a secondary source, it was found that private equity had a noticeable effect on the financial market in Nigeria. It was recommended that the government should make policies to make sure more people invest in private equity, since it helps the Nigerian financial market. The results also showed that the regulations by the government weren't doing enough to get pension reform and economic reform to link up, and there were other problems with the regulations that didn't help create trust in the reform.Corresponding Author: Oluyemi Ayodele OLONIT
A Review of Botryosphaeria Stem Blight Disease of Blueberry from the Perspective of Plant Breeding
No full textStem blight of blueberry caused by fungal pathogens in the family Botryosphaeriaceae presents a major challenge to global blueberry production. Since its first documented outbreak in North Carolina, USA in the 1950s, Botryosphaeria stem blight has been reported in the blueberry production regions of more than nine countries across five continents. The lack of effective management strategies or resistant cultivars makes disease control especially challenging. With the goal of illuminating directions for future Botryosphaeria stem blight management, especially through resistant-cultivar development, this review summarizes the latest information on the distribution and causal pathogens of this disease, the pathogenicity of fungal species, disease resistance of blueberry cultivars, and currently recommended management practices. DNA sequencing techniques have revealed multiple fungal species that are associated with this disease. However, a lack of reliable methods to screen cultivars for stem blight resistance remains a major bottleneck for the development of resistant cultivars. Future studies should focus on at least four key areas: (1) the development and adoption of uniform and reliable screening protocols; (2) utilization of diverse and well-characterized Botryosphaeriaceae isolates for germplasm screens; (3) field evaluations of cultivar resistance and management practices; and (4) exploration of new tools for disease management and prevention
A Linguistic-Stylistic Analysis of the Nigerien National Anthem
No full textThis paper analyses the newly adopted Nigerien national anthem entitled “L’honneur de la patrie” (The honour of the Fatherland) from a linguistic-stylistic perspective. Drawing its conceptual insights from Simpson’s (2004) and Meyer’s (2009) models of language, and the descriptive qualitative research method, the study specifically examines how the author of this new anthem uses language to create stylistic effects therein. The findings reveal that the author employs, at the phonological level, for example, such phonological schemes as alliteration and assonance. They also exude that, at the graphological level, he organises his anthem into three stanzas, none of which has rhyming lines. But these stanzas are marked by the presence of some internal rhymes. The findings further unveil that, at the morphological level, the author uses both open-class and closed class words, the dominant type being open-class words. As the analysis indicates too, most of the words in the text are mono-morphemic and polysyllabic words. The author employs, as it also proves, two word-formation processes, inflection and derivation, the most dominant type being inflection. Moreover, the findings show that, at the syntactic level, the three stanzas in the anthem deviate from the usual SVO word order, and are all marked by syntactic variation. Finally, they reveal that, at the semantic level, the author employs antonyms, synonyms, lexical and structural repetitions, etc. in the text. In conclusion, it can be deduced from the linguistic-stylistic analysis that the author deploys all the aforementioned linguistic resources to encode the oneness of Niger or the unity of all Nigeriens
Clinical Volunteering through the Pandemic: An Experience from Final Year Medical Students in Nigeria
No full textFirst reported in Wuhan, China, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread globally causing it to be declared a pandemic. Its widespread nature necessitated lockdown measures in world nations including Nigeria. Instituted lockdown measures led to the closure of tertiary institutions in the country. Medical schools were designated as high-risk institutions due to possible exposure to COVID-19. With no measures for virtual learning, academic activities were put on hold, thus posing a challenge for medical students. The author in this article discovered an opportunity to learn in the midst of the lockdown by volunteering at a healthcare institution. In the course of volunteering, the author had symptoms highly suggestive of COVID-19. However, it was not confirmed by a Polymerase Chain Reaction test due to obstacles surrounding COVID-19 testing in the country. Following recovery, the author participated in risk communication to members of his community to curtail the spread and dispel the myths concerning COVID-19. While the volunteering experience provided an opportunity to continue medical education, it is vital that there be a shift in the Nigerian educational system to one where academic activities are not disrupted by pandemics or other situations that might not permit on-site learning
The Role of Indigenous Languages in National Development: A Case Study of Nigerian Linguistic Situation
No full textIndigenous languages are indispensable cultural legacies without which all forms of human interactions can be carried out. National development is the development of individuals in a nation. Individuals can develop educationally, socially, politically, economically, and culturally through interaction with government agencies that disseminate policies through various indigenous languages. Development indices such as internal cohesion, integration, unity, economic wellbeing and citizens’ participation in governance are promoted through indigenous languages. Based on these assertions, the author studied the current linguistic situations in Nigeria and found that native languages play fundamental role on issues such as democracy, technology, metalanguage and linguistic globalization .There are however some challenges in the optimum utilization of these mother tongues. The major problems being orthographic inadequacy,the multiplicity of minority languages, linguistic desertification and deforestation and language endangerment.The author then suggests a way forward.
Electoral Behaviour in Ekiti 2014 Governorship Election in Nigeria
No full textThe June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State, South West Nigeria, was adjudged to be free and fair.
However, the election was unique in the sense that the incumbent governor, Kayode Fayemi lost in all the 16
local government areas of the state, while the winner, Ayodele Fayose, was a former governor impeached in
2006 on account of corruption. This paper examines what informed the political behaviour of the Ekiti people in
this particular election. The paper relies on newspaper commentaries, as well as interviews conductedby the
author with a few voters two days after the election. The paper offers sufficient reasons why the so called “power
of incumbency” did not work in favour of the APC candidate in the June 21 Ekiti election
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