Covenant University Research Articles

Time Management Practices, Character Development and Academic Performance among University Undergraduates: Covenant University Experience

Background: University undergraduates are representative of the Nigerian youth population; and sustainable development in any nation depends on the resourcefulness of her youth. This necessitates the need to drive excellence among Nigerian undergraduates through quality education and advice. Quality education is demonstrated in character and in learning; and characters of discipline, responsibility and diligence serve as the hallmark of excellence among university undergraduates. It is hypothesized that time management practices will be positively related to character development and academic performance among university undergraduates. Method: The case study and ex-post facto research designs were adopted in this study. Questionnaire was administered to 120 Diploma and Certificate students of Leadership Development Programme in Covenant University. Results: The findings revealed a positive relationship between character development and time management practices (r = .44, p .05). Conclusion: It was concluded that in the quest for academic excellence, building

Characterization of Root-knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) Associated with Abelmoschus esculentus, Celosia argentea and Corchorus olitorius

Vegetable crops are highly susceptible to a wide range of pests and diseases among which are the root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne species). Traditionally, identification of Meloidogyne species had been based on use of morphological characters such as the perennial pattern. In recent times, accuracy of nematode identification using only morphological tools has been challenged due to similarities in morphological characters of some nematode species. The aim of this study was to identify the root-knot nematodes associated with some vegetable crops cultivated on Covenant University farm, Ota, South-west, Nigeria using molecular tools and to determine the population densities of Meloidogyne spp. on the selected vegetable crops. Plant-parasitic nematodes were extracted from soil and roots of Abelmoschus esculentus, Celosia argentea and Core horus olitorius cultivated on Covenant University farm. The nematode species were identified and counted under a compound microscope. The molecular characterization of the Meloidogyne species was done using single adult female nematodes and eggs which were picked out for DNA extraction and amplified with specie-specific primers through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and separated on 0.5% agarose gel. High population of plant- parasitic nematodes was recorded on the vegetable crops cultivated on covenant university farm. Also significantly higher population (p<0.005) of Meloidogyne spp. were found in association with C. argentea and Corchorus olitorius than those recorded on Abelmoschus esculent us from the vegetable farm. The molecular characterization of the Meloidogyne species from the farm indicates Meloidogyne incognita as the nematode species associated with the vegetable crops.

A Review of Open &amp; Distance Education and Human Development in Nigeria

Distance Education have a lot of potential gains – such as meeting the education needs of the teeming population of qualified students who could not gain admission to tertiary institution; some of these are indigent students who could hardly afford formal tertiary education and so need to work and learn simultaneously. More so, the higher institutions in Nigeria are hardly able to absorb 30% of applicants on a yearly basis. With population increase, the situation is becoming aggravated with each passing year. The current state of the study centers needs urgent attention. This study, therefore, focused on empirically ascertaining the state of Open and Distance Education (ODE) in Nigeria and strives to evolve a pragmatic solution to the challenge of ODE in Africa. The research designs adopted for the first phase of this study is the case study design. The second phase of the study is devoted to test-running the proposed Information and Computer Technology (ICT) based solution. From findings in this study, the speculation that there are pertinent challenges in the current ODE practices in Nigeria has been confirmed. Thus, providing information required for improved platform for ODE implementation in Covenant University and hence the proposed recommendations

Assessment of soil salinity using electrical resistivity imaging and induced polarization methods

2D imaging involving geoelectrical resistivity and time domain induced polarization has been used to assess the spatial variability of the physical properties of subsurface soil in Covenant University Farm, southwestern Nigeria. Apparent resistivity and chargeability of the induced polarization effect were concurrently measured along six traverses using Wenner array. The observed data were processed to produced 2D inverse models of the subsoil resistivity and chargeability. Soil samples were also collected and analysed for conductivity and salinity levels. The results show that the salinity level in the soil is within the range for normal soil and therefore healthy for plant growth. The inverse model sections were integrated with the laboratory test to qualitatively assess the salinity, degree of compaction, and thickness of the soil in the farm. Other petrophysical properties such as clay volume, moisture content and organic matter which are related to soil conductivity were also inferred. The study demonstrates that geoelectrical resistivity imaging can be a useful tool for effectively assessing the variations of soil condition in large tracts of land for precision agriculture. Key words: Soil salinity, 2D imaging, geoelectrical resistivity, induced polarization, precision farming.

Effects of Characteristics of Nigerian Students on Perceived Satisfaction of Academic Facilities in Private Universities in Ogun State, Nigeria

Students' retention amongst the competitive private Universities in Nigeria leads to issues of students' satisfaction which is relatively sparse in literature. This study thereby examined the relationship between selected students' characteristics (sex, age, year of study and type of sponsorship) on the students’ satisfaction in three (3) private Universities in Ado - Odo Local Government Council, Ogun State, Nigeria. A total of four hundred and thirty two (432) questionnaires, representing 76% of the sample size, were used for analysis. The result of the analysis using cross-tabulation, Mann-whitney U Test and Krustal Wallis showed that there is no close relationship between sex, age, year of study and type of sponsorship and satisfaction with academic facilities in the Universities. However, this result is not totally conclusive, particularly for Covenant University, as further analysis revealed that mode of sponsorship is significant. Further research is thereby advocated.Key words: Students' Characteristics, Satisfaction, Academic, Facilities, Private Universities, Nigeria

English

The study examined issues of backlogs and how Covenant University Library known as Centre for Learning Resources (CLR) responded to the challenge. Relevant literature was perused for causes of backlogs and how other libraries tackled the situation when they were confronted. CLR was quick to address the issue of backlog through the employment of more Librarians; acquisition of web-based Library Management Software; all Librarians were made to be involved in cataloguing with close supervision by the Technical Services Librarian and record of individual&rsquo;s work generated weekly. Further ways of handling backlogs were also suggested. &nbsp; Key words: Backlog, information, catalogue/ Cataloguing, Library

VIRTUAL LEARNING IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Currently, local area network (LAN) is commonplace in the Nigerian tertiary institutions and can be a good platform for distributing and disseminating instructional materials. Thus, this paper proposes to improve the quality of academics through online provision of learning resources based on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS); wired and wireless access to contents; and availability of the system 24/7. The system is based on third party software or FOSS called phpBB and Windows 2003 Server Active Directory Services. Both are installed and configured on an intranet. It has a discussion forum which is accessed through Hypertext Transfer Protocol using a web browser; and directory services for files/folders upload and download based on a set of privilege levels in Discretionary Access Control List (DACL) as a way of improving security. The system leads to the development of a virtual campus in Covenant University. Also, it has helpedimprove the quality of teaching by making lecture notes availably on the intranet, lecturer/studentinteraction, accessibility to teaching materials and reduce student’s idle time. The system helps in no small measure to correct the problems plaguing the educational sector such as examination malpractice, decline standards of education and cultism, as students are gainfully engaged in academic and social activities. The creation of a virtual campus would enhance the level of e-participation, and e-readiness of the graduate for the employment market. In particular, it bridges the divide between the developed and the developing nations.

Comparative Evaluation of in vitro Antioxidant Properties of Cajanus cajan Seed and Moringa oleifera Leaf Extracts

Aims: This study was carried out to compare the antioxidant potentials of hydromethanolic extracts of seed of Cajanus cajan and the leaf of Moringa oleifera. These plants have been associated with alleviating oxidative stress related conditions. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and Covenant University Sango, Ogun state Nigeria, between August 2012 and September, 2012. Methodology: Different analyses for determining antioxidant potentials were used to compare the antioxidant properties of the plants: hydroxyl radical scavenging test, ascorbic acid value, total polyphenols, total flavonoids content, ferric reducing antioxidant power, 2, 2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6sulphonic acid (ABTS) scavenging test, 2,2-diphenyl2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (lipoprotein). Original Research Article International Journal of Biochemistry Research & Review, 4(2): 163-172, 2014 164 Results: The total phenolic contents of Cajanus cajan and Moringa oleifera were 83.0 ±0.02 and 541.0 ± 0.02 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram dry weight (mg/GAE/g DW) respectively. Also, the results obtained for total flavonoids in Cajanus cajan and Moringa oleifera were 46.0±.01 and 645.0±0.10 mg pyrocatechol equivalent per gram dry weight respectively. It was observed that Moringa oleifera leaf extract has significantly higher antioxidant potentials than the Cajanus cajan seeds extract (p<.05) Conclusion: Data suggest that Moringa oleifera leaf extract had higher antioxdant potentials in comparison with that of Cajanus cajan seeds. Further research in determining the benefits of Moringa Oleifera leaf and Cajanus cajan seed extracts due to their antioxidant potential in animal model is therefore recommended.

The Acceptability and Comparative Study of DTMF and Speech for Banking Transactions in Nigeria

Aims: This article reports the development and the experimental results of the acceptability testing and comparison of speech and dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) for interacting with a speech application for carrying out banking transactions. Study Design: A within-subjects experiment where each of the participants tested both the DTMF only and speech only modalities was carried out. Each one filled a questionnaire after testing each modality Place and Duration of Study: Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria, between May 2013 and June 2013. Methodology: Voice Objects 11 was used as the development platform. Voxeo Prophecy 9 was used as the implementation platform while MySQL 5.5 was used as the database management system for storing each customer's account details. X-Lite soft phone 3.3 was used for testing the system. 50 undergraduates of Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria participated in the evaluation. Each one tested the system using DTMF and speech separately. After each round of the tests, each one filled a questionnaire for the modality tested in a bid to measure the acceptability and user satisfaction with the modality. Results: The entire system’s satisfaction ratings for DTMF were significantly higher (M=36.18) than for speech (M=34.76), t(49)= -1.46, tcrit =2.0, P=.05. For modality evaluation, speech was more satisfying (M=12.22) than DTMF (M=12.18), t(49)= 0.14, tcrit =2.0, P=.05. For modality entertainment, both speech and DTMF were rated equal (M=13.94), t(49)=0, tcrit =2.0, P=.05. For modality naturalness, speech was more natural (M=10.2) than DTMF (M=9.44), t(49)=- 2.41, tcrit =2.0, P=.05. 52% of the subjects chose DTMF modality, whereas 48% chose speech (p = .05). Conclusion: Dialogue systems are a widely acceptable technology for carrying out banking transactions in Nigeria. It will provide a cost-effective and easily accessible means of carrying out banking transactions

Prevalence of Plasmodium and Salmonella Infections among Pregnant Women with Fever, Presented to Three Hospitals in Ogun and Lagos State, South-West Nigeria

Aims: The study was undertaken to establish prevalence of plasmodium and salmonella infections among pregnant women manifesting fever, presented to three hospitals in Lagos and Ogun state, Nigeria. To determine the rate of co-infection with respect to the use of widal test and stool culture as diagnostic tools for typhoid fever and To characterize and Identify the S. typhi isolates associated with co-infection. Study Design: This research is Cross sectional. Pregnant women who were manifesting fever presented to two hospitals in Ogun State and Lagos State, Nigeria were tested by two diagnostic methods each for Plasmodium and Salmonella infections. Place and Duration of Study: Covenant university Canaan Land, Microbiology

Investigation of Radiation Levels in Soil Samples Collected from Selected Locations in Ogun State, Nigeria

Present study measured the terrestrial radiation and evaluated absorbed dose rates from primordial radionuclides 238U, 40K and 232Th in sixty soil samples collected from north, west, east and south of Ewekoro cement factory premises, Owowo village situated adjacent to the factory and Covenant University, Ogun State using the gamma ray spectrometry method. The gamma absorbed rate and annual effective dose equivalent were calculated so as to estimate the hazard index of the primordial radionuclides. Measured concentrations of radionuclides in Ewekoro cement factory soils were as follow: [232U {1.60±1.60 Bqkg−1 (east) - 2.56±0.08 Bqkg−1 (north)}, 232Th {44.78±1.83 Bqkg−1 (east) - 56.62±1.96 Bqkg−1 (north)}, 40K {261.54±12.67 Bqkg−1 (south) - 342.08±14.17 Bqkg−1 (east)}] and Owowo village [232U {1.78±0.09 Bqkg−1 (east) - 2.62±0.08 Bqkg−1 (north)}, 232Th {50.07±1.93 Bqkg−1 (west) - 61.69±1.89 Bqkg−1 (north)}, 40K {244.11±13.38 Bqkg−1 (north) - 296.40±14.90 Bqkg−1 (south)}]. These locations have higher concentration of all radionuclides than that of Covenant University soils, which are as follows: [232U {0.62±0.07 Bqkg−1 (south) - 1.07±0.06 Bqkg−1 (north)}, 232Th {30.23±1.87 Bqkg−1 (south) - 38.87±1.78 Bqkg−1 (east)}, 40K {243.35±12.57 Bqkg−1 (south) - 301.15±13.55 Bqkg−1 (north)}]. The mean absorbed dose and annual equivalent effective dose is 40.88 nGyr-1 and 0.05 mSv respectively. The study found that the activity concentrations and radiological hazard index from samples from Ewekoro and the neighbourhood are consistently higher than those from Covenant University however; the values are less than the recommended safe levels.

Modelling removal of microbiological contaminants along a series of constructed wetlands

The rate of removal of microbial pollutants along a series of constructed wetlands for treating wastewater in Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria were monitored from inlet to the discharge point into river Atuara and at 300 m upstream and downstream. The microbiological test results analysed were those of most probable number (MPN) of coliforms (Escherichia coli), coliform counts in cfu/100 ml, staphylococcus (cfu/ml), salmonella (cfu/ml), salmonella and shigella (cfu/ml), total viable count (cfu/ml) and fungi (cfu/ml). Exponential and linear models were used for the MPN trend. The exponential model fitted the trend better than the linear model having correlation coefficients of 0.954 and 0.814 respectively. Linear models fitted to the other contaminants resulted in correlations ranging from 0.958 to 0.994. It can be concluded that rate of removal of pollutants is proportional to the area covered by macrophytes in the wetland. These models were also used to predict adequacy of the constructed wetland to treat wastewater.

A Microcontroller-Based Active Solar Water Heating System for Domestic Applications

A potential solution to adequate and sustainable electricity supply problems in most developing countries is dependent on proper harnessing of solar (radiant) energy. Owing to the over dependence on fossil-fuel based energy, there is an exponential rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere, thereby causing severe environmental degradation and ozone layer depletion. This paper seeks to apply the readily available radiant energy source to solar water heating, and establish possible economic benefits to its use in domestic applications for residents of Covenant University campus. The microcontroller-based active solar water heating system (ASWHS) is designed to effectively absorb radiant energy using solar collectors, and store it as hot water in a water tank via a direct current (DC) circulation pump powered by a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system. The design also incorporates an auxiliary electric heater which is put to use only when there is insufficient radiant energy. A case study is reported to show the importance of the ASWHS for domestic water heating. The maximum design efficiency and the expected energy output of the solar collector throughout its working life is 79.94% and 498,225kWh respectively. A reduced dependence on grid supply and/or fossil-fuel based generator sets during hot water demand periods is recorded using the ASWHS with a high payback period of 15 years; and a lower unit cost (US$0.01/kWh) of the ASWHS makes it more economically viable as compared to the unit cost (US$0.18/kWh) of the grid supply for the same amount of energy consumed.

Application of vertical electrical soundings to characterize aquifer potential in Ota, Southwestern Nigeria

A knowledge of hydrogeophysical parameters of aquifers is essential for groundwater resource assessment, development and management. Traditionally, these parameters are estimated using pumping test carried out in boreholes or wells; but this is often costly and time consuming. Surface geophysical measurements can provide a cost effective and efficient estimates of these parameters. In the present work, geoelectrical resistivity data has been used to characterize and evaluate the aquifer potential at Covenant University, Ota, southwestern Nigeria. Some thirty-five vertical electrical soundings (VESs) were conducted using Schlumberger array with a maximun half-current electrode spacing (AB/2) of 240 m. The geoelectrical parameters obtained were used to estimate longitudinal conductance and transverse resistance of the delineated aquifer. Both the longitudinal conductance and transverse resistance, which qualitatively reflects the hydraulic properties of the aquifer, indicate that the aquifer unit is characterized with high values of hydraulic parameters; consequently a good groundwater potential. Thus, groundwater resource development and management in the area can be effectively planned based on these parameters.

Evaluation of Library Materials Usage and Services in Private Universities in Nigeria

This study evaluates the use of library materials and services in four private Universities in south west Nigeria: Babcock University, Covenant University, Lead City University, and Redeemer University. The objective is to assess the degree of the usage of university library resources and services, clientele's perception on the adequacy of the available library resources and services, and the level of users' satisfaction. The data for this study was elucidated through the use of questionnaire, the questionnaire was administered to 255 registered users of the four universities' library and 200 questionnaires were duly filled and returned. The respondents were selected through random sampling of those using the library at that particular time. The finding shows inadequate of library holdings of books and audio visual materials. However, the university libraries' users appreciated the reserved resources system. Finally, it is being recommended that a good percentage of fund should be made available regularly to run the university libraries, there should be acquisition policy/guideline documented and strictly followed by University libraries in acquiring information resources into the library, there should be consistent shelf-reading to put the books in their right places on the shelves, and library staff should adopt marketing strategies in order to make the libraries user friendly, thereby encouraging users for more patronage.

Demographic Factors As Determinant Of Effective Communication among Academic Library Personnel in South West, Nigeria

The study focuses on demographic factors (education. Socio-economic and cultural background) as determinant of communication effectiveness among academic library personnel. Survey research method was adopted for this study whereby questionnaire was used to elicit response from respondents and samples were drawn from the personnel of libraries such as Kenneth Dike (UI), Lead City University Library, Nimbe Adedipe Library (FUNNAB) and Centre for Learning Resources (Covenant University).The total of 201 copies of questionnaire were found usable out of 209 distributed in the highlighted libraries. Purposive sampling technique was used based on the existing knowledge of the population. The study revealed that the level of education, as well as the cultural belief of library personnel plays a significant role in their information sharing pattern. The study also found out that low economic status affect effective communication among library personnel which in turn have impact on the services render to library clients. The study however concluded that effective communication is needed to modify behaviour, achieve productivity and meet goals.

Waste Characterisation and Recoverable Energy Potential Using Waste Generated in a Model Community in Nigeria

Reclaimable energy generated from waste is a major source of environmentally sustainable energy that is not yet explored in Nigeria. This study therefore, investigated the energy recoverable potential from waste, using waste materials generated in a model community in Nigeria. For the model community of the country, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria was used, because of its existing form of waste management system. Solid waste generated in this model community was characterised into its separate components and this was then subjected to an estimation model by which the recoverable energy potential from the waste was evaluated. For this, method of waste to energy calorific value evaluations were employed for predicting equivalent energy availability from the waste in kWh and in equivalent tonnes of oil. Results obtained from the study show abounding viability of favourable energy potential that could be as high as 8967.13 MJ day -1, equivalent to 2490.87 kWh day -1 or 0.6227 tonnes of oil equivalent per day. These findings bare suggestions of the need for the development of waste management system infused with energy reclamation policy, from waste, for supplementing communal energy needs and annexing other social benefits accruable from such policy implementation. © 2012 Asian Network for Scientific Information.

Occurrence and health implications of high concentrations of Cadmium and Arsenic in drinking water sources in selected towns of Ogun State, South West, Nigeria

Selected biomakers, Cholinesterase (ChE) and phagocytic activities have been investigated with the exposed green mussel Perna viridis in Indonesian coastal waters. An operative effect-based monitoring on two polluted sites and one reference area were investigated for aquaculture enterprises and human health aspects. Between two heavily polluted sites, green mussels from Cilincing indicated a lower level of the ChE activity than those from Kamal Muara. The phagocytic activity of green mussels from the polluted sites demonstrated significant higher activity than that of green mussels from the pristine site, Pangkep. However, there were no significant differences of phagocytic activities between the polluted sites. This might indicate that the existing pollutants in Jakarta Bay were more neurotoxic rather than immonotoxic substances. The results showed clearly that both selected biomarkers were potential valuable tools for effect-based monitoring and pollution impacts in coastal zones of Indonesia. Key words: Green mussel, biomarkers, coastal zone management, Indonesia.

The effect of colour on the perception of taste, quality and preference of fruit flavoured drinks

The effect of colour conditioning on taste, quality and liking perception of fruit flavoured drinks was investigated in this study using a Between-Subjects Experimental Design. This study utilized twenty four (24) psychology students of Covenant University as participants. The colour of the fruit drink served as the independent variable while dependent variables such as taste, quality and liking perception were measured.Six research hypotheses were stated and tested. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in the association of colour with taste based on gender (t =. 29, p>0.05). Colour was observed to have a significant effect on taste and quality perception (t=2.10, p

Attribution patterns, attitude and knowledge of Hiv/Aids on sexual behavioural change among students of Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria

Sexual behavioural change is central to HIV/AIDS control programme. This study was carried out among students (n = 603; average age = 18.9) of Covenant University, Nigeria. The study was designed to examine the impact of attribution patterns, attitude and knowledge of HIV/AIDS on sexual behavioural change. Three hypotheses were raised. Regression analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson’s r were used to analyze the data. The results show that attribution patterns and attitude towards HIV did not influence sexual behavioural change. In effect, knowledge of HIV was the best predictor of sexual behavioural change of respondents. The study also revealed that there was a significant effect of gender on sexual behavioural change of respondents while there was no significant effect of age. Another result shows that there was a strong correlation between perceived benefits and all the other variables. Fourteen percent (14%) of the respondents are sexually active, 520 or 86% indicated they are not sexually active. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of the respondents do not know of anyone who is HIV positive or died from AIDS while 11% knows someone who is HIV positive or had died from AIDS related complications. This study shows that young people using the perceived benefits variable in the Health Belief Model (HBM) coupled with adequate knowledge of HIV knowledge have the power and ability to change their risky sexual behaviour.