Covenant University Research Articles

Radon Monitoring: Pathway to Environmental Sustainability

One important dimension of environmental sustainability is the need to maintain ecosystem services critical to the human population. These services include providing food, shelter, and construction materials. It has been discovered that construction materials contain certain amount of radon. So humans are most susceptible to radon related problems because we spend at least one third of the day indoor. Maintaining environmental sustainability is crucial to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Radon monitoring is essential in determining the actual level of exposure in buildings. The indoor radon concentration in Covenant University Centre for Research Innovation and Development (CUCRID) has been studied using RAD7 radon detector machine. The result fro the study revealed that the average cumulative radon concentration for the building is 16.15 Bqm−3 which is lower than the permissible recommended level. Hence, it can be concluded that the radon level in CUCRID building does not pose any risk level to the occupants therefore the environment is safe for workers.

Assessment of Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in Residential Staff Quarters of Covenant University, Nigeria

Over the years, the quality of outdoor air has received more attention than indoor air quality because people generally assume that only ambient air is polluted. Studies have shown that humans spend 70-80% of their time indoors, ranging from workplaces to homes. Based on the findings of these studies, outdoor exposure measurement is insufficient to estimate the total exposure of humans to particulate matter, PM2.5 pollution. The increasing interest of researchers and international bodies in indoor air quality evidenced in the study of different indoor pollutants, placing PM at the forefront. The air quality in the residential staff quarters of Covenant University was examined by taking continuous measurements from the indoor environment for three (3) days using standard sampling and analytical methods Air Ae Steward, an air quality monitoring device. The concentrations of PM2.5 in eleven (11) residential apartments were determined. The results indicate substantial indoor levels of PM2.5 with the highest and least mean values of 91.0±5.0 and 34.0±4.0 µg/m3 respectively.PM2.5 indoor concentration was found to be higher than the World Health Organisation guideline value of 25 µg/m3.Considering that inhabitants of these facilities spend more time indoors, appropriate ventilation systems would reduce health related risksassociated with PM2.5.

The prospects of adopting e-learning in the Nigerian education system: a case study of Covenant University

The conventional method of education has shrunken adequate information access and acquisition capability. However, this as further widened the educational knowledge gap. This research study examined the prospect of adopting e-learning in the Nigerian educational system. The Unified Theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT)modelwas utilized in other to properly investigate the adoption of e-learning for an improved educational system in Nigeria. Adescriptive survey design was employed, and a quantitative research method was used for data gathering and analysis. A total of 574 responses was obtainedfrom the research study respondents. The study analysis result showed that the Average variance extracted (AVE) for actual use, behavioural intention, experience, effort expectancy, facilitating condition, performance expectancy and social influence was o.738,0.790,0.670,0.804,0.749,0.861,0.514 respectively, and the discriminant value for actual use, behavioural intention, experience, effort expectancy, facilitating condition, performance expectancy and social influence were 0.859,0.889,0.897,0.819,0.865,0.928 and 0.717 respectively. This analysis result suggests that the research model convergent and discriminate validity were acceptable. Furthermore, approximately 59.7% of the variance of behavioural intention (BI) to adopt eLearning was illustrated by the PE (Performance Expectancy), EE (Effort Expectancy), and SI (Social Influence); Where R2 = 0.597. Furthermore, about 77.5% of the variance of actual adoption (AC) of eLearning was explained by behavioural intention (BI) to adopt eLearning Where R2 = 0.775. The result suggests that Performance expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE) and Social Influence (SI) have a positive effect of the behavioural intention to adopt e-Learning and the behavioral intention would lead to the actual adoption of eLearning. Additionally, Facilitating condition (FC) and Experience (E) have a positive effect on the actual adoption of e-Learning. The result of the research study suggests that the adoption of e-Learningin Nigeria educational system is influenced by the ease of use, performance gain, public sway, adequate support, and proficiency.

Experimental evaluation of soil petrophysical attributes: Implications for sustainable agriculture

Agriculture is man’s major supplier of his needs, particularly his primary need which is food. Soil is a major component for sustainable agriculture production needs to be studied and understood. Soil’s characteristics determine the type of crop that would grow and the nature of the yield of the crop. The area of study is Covenant University farmland, where twenty soil samples from the farm were collected and petrophysical parameters such as conductivity and salinity were analysed on each soil sample.

Modelling curves of mean monthly minute-by-minute and hourly relative humidity, air temperature and solar radiation of Ota, Nigeria

Agricultural, biological, environmental and physical processes require one or a combination of temperature, relative humidity and solar radiation. One-minute-data of these parameters for Ota, Nigeria, for September - December 2012 were obtained from meteorological centre of the Department of Physics Covenant University. Using MATLAB, diurnal patterns of mean monthly minute-by-minute and mean monthly hourly were fitted. Fournier, Gaussian, Sum of Sine Functions and Exponential models were also fitted, with the accuracy of the models determined from the Coefficient of Determination (R2), Sum of Square Error (SSE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). Best-fit-model was Fourier, the worst being Exponential. Best models obtained in case of minute-by-minute basis occurred when R2 = 0.9998, RMSE = 0.02948 and SSE = 1.237 for air temperature; for relative humidity, R2 = 0.9998, RMSE = 0.1007 and SSE = 14.43 while for solar radiation, R2 = 0.9997, RMSE = 9.301 and SSE = 1.23e+005.In case of hourly basis R2 = 0.9991, RMSE = 0.09226 and SSE = 0.8512 for air temperature; for relative humidity, R2 = 0.9984, RMSE = 0.4976 and SSE = 1.981 while for solar radiation, R2 = 0.9995, RMSE = 6.631 and SSE = 351.7. The results can produce input for weather pattern information planning in Ota, Nigeria.

PSEUDO-INVERSE MATRIX MODEL FOR ESTIMATING LONG-TERM ANNUAL PEAK ELECTRICITY DEMAND: THE COVENANT UNIVERSITY’S EXPERIENCE

One of the major decision problems facing any electrical supply undertaking is the forecasting of peak power demand. A problem therefore arises when an estimate of future electricity demand is not known to prepare for impending possible increase in electricity demand. To overcome this problem, it is therefore imperative to evaluate the precise amount of energy required for a sustainable power supply to customers. In line with this goal, this study established a mathematical model of regression analysis using Pseudo-Inverse Matrix (PIM) method for the assessment of the historical data of Covenant University's electric energy consumption. This method predicts a more accurate and reliable future energy requirement for the community, with special consideration for the next one decade. The accuracy of prediction based on the use of PIM method is compared with the forecast result of the Least Squares Model (LSM), commonly used by engineers in making long-term forecast. The error analysis result from the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) performed on the two models using Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) shows that the PIM is the most accurate of the models. Though this method is examined using a University community, it can be further extended to cover the whole country, provided the historical data of the country's past electric energy consumptions is available.Keywords: error analysis, historical data, linear regression, peak demand, pseudo-inverse matrix.JEL Classifications: C53, L94, Q47DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.7566

Does Reward System Affect Employee’s Performance? A Case Study of Faculty in Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State of Nigeria

The central objective of this study was to assess the effect of reward system on employee performance, the role Covenant University's reward system plays in influencing the scholarly output of her faculty members and the significant effect that the Covenant University's reward system has on the number of authors that publish articles in SCOPUS Indexed journals in doing this, the study examined the impact of Covenant University's reward system on faculty's performance. To achieving this, the study established that there are indicators to measure research prowess of a faculty namely: number of articles indexed in SCOPUS, number of citations and the number of authors. In rewarding faculty for their performance, Covenant University evolved reward policies on Publication Support, Conference Support, Promotion, and Staff Development Support. These policies provide that employees will receive full payment to publish their articles in SCOPUS as well get support to attend conferences indexed in SCOPUS. The reward system also permits faculty to use these publications to seek for academic promotions in the University. In collating data, the study used secondary data by exploring the total number of publications, citations and authors indexed in SCOPUS for Covenant University over a period of 12months. Findings reveal that there is indeed a direct impact of these approaches to reward on the performance of Covenant University's faculty's scholarly output.

ASSESSMENT OF BLENDED LEARNING EDUCATION MODEL: UPTAKE AND REASONS FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION

The emergence and integration of information technology in modern age education training have changed the face of education across the globe. The need for the blend of information and communication technology tools in construction education training is of the high essence as it enhances students learning capacity through visuals and other means. Therefore, the study investigates the level of the blend of ICT with the traditional method of learning among lecturers within the built environment departments in Covenant University in Nigeria and reasons for its use were also examined. A survey method was adopted for the study; 125 structured questionnaires were administered to the randomly selected lecturers and 100 were retrieved. The data collected was analyzed with Mean item score, percentage, and Mann-Whitney U respectively. The result revealed that the adoption of the ICT tools, which include interactive whiteboards PowerPoint, a learning management system, and video clips among the lecturers is very high. The reasons attributed to its use is due to the visual platform it provides for the students while weblogs, web conferencing, and mobile phone were the lesser used tools. In conclusion, the study recommends that Covenant University management should increase the funding of ICT tools and also enhance the lecturers training in the use of blended learning style.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT: EMPIRICAL STUDY OF COVENANT UNIVERSITY SPORTS COMPLEX

The acceptable level of quality in construction projects has long been a problem. Significant resources are wasted on construction projects because of inefficient or non-existent quality management procedures. Therefore, this study evaluates the quality management and the quality grading practices in the construction project with emphasis on the Covenant University Sports Complex. The quantitative research strategy and questionnaire survey were used as the main data collection instrument for soliciting information from the project participants in order to determine the best key for quality management practice. Moreover, an ultrasonic pulse velocity tester was engaged to assess and evaluate the conditions of concrete structural members. It was found out that management commitment to quality is the most key for effective quality management practices in the construction project. In addition, the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) test carried out on the randomly selected structural members varied in the range 4.2km/sec to 4.6km/sec. From this, it is inferred that the quality grading and homogeneity of concrete in the tested reinforced concrete columns, beams and slabs fall in the range of "good to excellent concrete". The findings would assist project participants in implementing an efficient quality grading and management while executing construction projects.

Knowledge, Attitude and Pattern of Antibiotic Usage among Students of a Nigerian University

Objective: Antibiotic resistance is a major public health issue globally fueled largely by its misuse. Controlling this problem would require an understanding of the levels of awareness of the population towards antibiotics. This study assessed the baseline information on the knowledge, attitude and practice towards antibiotics among university students in Ogun State Nigeria. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2016 among a convenience sample of undergraduate students attending Covenant University, Ogun State, Nigeria. Self-administered questionnaires were employed to obtain information on knowledge, attitude and practice towards antibiotic usage. Results: A total of 357 students were recruited into this study. 60.6% of the participants had taken antibiotics in the 6 months preceding the study of which two-thirds stated that they seldom complete the antibiotic dosage. Doctors (53.1%) and Parents (22.9%) were responsible for most antibiotic prescriptions in this study. Knowledge assessment showed fair knowledge of antibiotic use and drug resistance. Conclusions: This study shows that the study population has average knowledge of antibiotics use hence the need to generate more awareness. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2019; 9(1): 10-15.

Cloud Computing Research in Nigeria: A Bibliometric and Content Analysis

In recent times, there is a growing global interest in cloud computing which has necessitated a huge financial and intellectual investment in cloud research and development and developing countries are not left out, especially Nigeria. The aim of this paper is to measure Nigeria’s contribution to the global cloud computing research endeavours in terms of quantity and impact. Bibliometric and content analysis was performed on research documents that were retrieved from the Scopus database based on defined search terms relating to cloud computing. The year of publication and the author’s country was limited to “2016” and “Nigeria” respectively. A total of 51 documents met the search criteria and the oldest article on cloud computing was published in 2011, while the publication output has increased consistently with the highest number of the document published in 2016. Covenant University emerged as the most productive institution. Malaysia emerged as the country with the highest number of collaborations with Nigeria. The trend of cloud computing research in Nigeria revealed a majority of original researches and research interests are focused on Education and the Software-as-a- Service model of cloud computing. Although, cloud computing research in Nigeria is still very nascent, the publication trends portend more growth in the research area in the nearest future.

Catalytic cracking of polyethylene plastic waste using synthesised zeolite Y from Nigerian kaolin deposit

The increasing rate of accumulation of plastic waste (PW) is quite disturbing to the world, particularly in developing nations due to its non-biodegradable nature and inadequate waste management practices. The need to properly manage this waste and utilize the potential and chemical energy value that can be derived from this waste justifies the encouragement and employment of newer and better recycling methods and technology of these wastes. Therefore, this has led us to explore the catalytic pyrolysis of plastic waste using zeolite Y synthesized from kaolin deposit in Covenant University, Sango Ota, Ogun state of Nigeria. A stainless steel packed bed reactor was used in the cracking of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic wastes into liquid fuel components at a temperature of 300 ℃ using zeolite Y catalyst. The liquid fuel obtained from the catalytic pyrolysis was analyzed using GC–MS. Fifty compounds were identified, which revealed the presence of mostly alkenes and aromatics in the hydrocarbons range of C8–C29. This is made up of 56% of gasoline fractions range of C6–C12, 26% of diesel and kerosene fractions range C13–C18, and 10% of fuel oil range C18–C23, while 8% is residual fuel range greater than C24.

8th International Biotechnology Conference, Exhibition and Workshop

THE 8TH INTERNATIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE, EXHIBITION AND WORKSHOP (IBCE&W, 2018) ORGANIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, COVENANT UNIVERSITY, OTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIAPREFACEInternational Biotechnology Exhibition and Workshop (IBCE&W) is aimed at employing biotechnological innovations as a modern tool to tackle major challenges confronting developing nations in Africa. IBCE&W is a formidable platform for the Biological Science Department to strive towards attainment of ReCITe Agenda of Covenant University.The conference was organized by the Department of Biological Sciences, Covenant University, in conjunction with Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN). It held from 12th to 13th March, 2018, at the Covenant University Centre for Research, Innovation and Discovery (CUCRID) Conference Hall, Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. It was themed Biotechnological Innovations: Panacea to Sustainable Development.In conformity to the SDGs, four subthemes were targeted at key aspects of economies of developing Nations, particularly those in the sub-Sahara Africa.

Psychopathology and Social Coping in Internally Displaced Victims of Terrorism

Terrorism is one of the greatest disturbances of social harmony across the globe. Millions of human lives and huge amount of property are lost to terror attacks. But its impact on mental health often goes unnoticed, and in so many cases, unaddressed. This study explored the impact of coping on psychopathology in internally displaced victims of terror using the cross- sectional survey design. The participants were 176 volunteers drawn from three IDP camps in Nigeria. 106 (60%) of these were male, and 69 (40%) were female. They ranged between 12 and 42 years in age ( X=27.41 ± 8.01). The Coping Strategies Inventory Short Form-32 was used to measure coping, while the SCL-90R was used to measure psychopathology. The result of data analysis using the SPSS-XXIII statistical package showed that the average SCL-90R domain scores of participants fell in the clinical range; and that social contact and social withdrawal were the most important coping strategies and protectors against psychopathology. The result bring to fore the impact of terrorism on public mental health and the need to include appropriate psycho-social programmes in the intervention packages delivered to displaced victims of terror. Funding Statement: No external funds were received for this study. All costs were borne by the authors. Declaration of Interests: Agoha, Benedict C.E., Igbokwe, D. O., Adeusi S. O., Laleye, O, & Odukoya, J.A. declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Research Ethics Committee of Covenant University and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Comparative Study on Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Annona Muricata Plant Parts Cultivated in Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

Annonamuricata plant parts possess a broad range of medicinal and biological properties. This research compared the chemical composition and antioxidant properties of Annonamuric at aparts. Proximate, mineral, total phenol and total flavonoid content as well as invitro antioxidant activity were examined. Results revealed the leaves contained significantly(p<0.05) higher composition of moisture (8.69±0.22%), ash (4.60±0.02%), protein (14.53±0.11%), crude fat (10.28±0.03%),chromium (0.38±0.05 mg/100g), nickel (1.75±0.04mg/100g), total phenol (1.01±0.03mgpyrocatechol/mL) and total flavonoid (1.12±0.03mgGAE/mL)compared to the respective values for root. Carbohydrate (9.29±0.24%), lead (0.13±0.02mg/100g) and cobalt (1.93±0.02mg/100g) composition was significantly lower(p<0.05) in the leaves compared to the respective compositions in the root. The leaf and root extract exhibited a concentration-dependent increase in hydroxyl radical scavenging activity with no observable(p<0.05)difference in their EC50 value. This study suggests the leaves of A. muricata found in Covenant University had better chemical composition when compared to the root. Nonetheless, these plant parts may be further exploited for not only their nutritive composition and mineral content but also a natural source of antioxidant agents.

Recycling and Reuse Technology: Waste to Wealth Initiative in a Private Tertiary Institution, Nigeria

The practice of collecting, treating, and managing solid waste prior to disposal has become a necessity in developing and modern societies. However, over the years, most waste has become regarded as having second-rate value and could be recovered and reused for valuable goods. However, the construction costs for conventional Material Recovery Facility(s) (MRFs) have been a major barrier for its implementation, and these technologies also require considerable technical expertise, which is not often available in developing nations for the successful operation of the MRFs. Covenant University, a private mission institution undertaking a waste-to-wealth scheme, is focused on managing and processing used materials to create reusable products. Such materials included PET bottles, paper waste, food waste from cafeterias, plastic food packs, nylon, tin cans, and others. Specific areas from the university which were chosen for the survey included the residential areas for staff and students and the two cafeterias. The waste generated was characterized so as to quantify the amount of recyclable waste generated, and also to find out which was most-occurring. The survey involved the use of structured questionnaires, on-site observations, and measurements. The study revealed that the average amount of recyclable waste generated per day in the institution were 55.56% food waste, 13.46% PET bottles, 12.64% other plastic, 9.63% nylon, 4.68% tin cans, and 4.03% paper. The study establishes that adequate waste characterization is a requirement for effective integrated solid waste management, which would boost resource recovery, reuse, and recycling.

200 Watts Portable Solar Generator for a Typical Barbing Salon

The need for power alternatives due to the instability of the on-grid supply becomes very essential. A portable solar generator is proffered to solve that problem as it would replace the environmentally unfriendly petrol and diesel generator being used by many in Nigeria today. The main aim of this work is to design and construct a portable solar generator capable of satisfying the load requirements for a typical barbing salon. Two barbing salons, one at Daniel Hall and the other at Chapel in Covenant University were surveyed for this project to determine their load requirements. The survey indicated a barest demand per hour of 215Wh and a peak demand of 525Wh. The peak demand was chosen as the target. The system has features such as metal frame box and wheel to enhance mobility and appropriately sized components such as the inverter, charge controller and battery. Furthermore, the system can be appropriately sized for other load categories not limited to homes as well as industrial applications. On completion, the final product will weight 45Kg that supplies both 230V 1000W AC and a regulated 12V DC power for a maximum time of 3 hours. With the average body weight indicated as 60.7 Kg this device can be conveniently moved by an average adult.

Introduction to Special Edition on Covenant University’s Perspectives on Nigeria Demography and Achievement of SDGs-2030

This special edition of African Population Studies (Etude de la Population Africaine) is the initiative of the Programme of Demography and Social Statistics, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria, to harvest in a single compendium, the various research outputs that could provide insightful understanding and enhancement of the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 (SDGs-2030) as it relates to Nigeria. The theme is Covenant University’s Perspectives on Nigeria Demography and Achievement of SDGs-2030. This expository compilation covers certain salient challenges of Nigeria, ranging from family breakdowns and wellbeing, Boko Haram insurgency, environment and climate change, effects of smoking, child mortality, agricultural output, human capital and inclusive growth, unsuspected self-help medical knowledge, and best approach to health-aid. The findings presented in this edition are ground breaking qualitative and empirical findings coming from indigenous data and knowledge in attempt to provide solutions to the problem of Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa as a whole.

2nd International Conference on Science and Sustainable Development (ICSSD 2018)

ICSSD 2018 PrefaceThe second series of the 2018 International Conference on Science and Sustainable Development (ICSSD 2018), with the theme “The Role of Science in Novel Research and Advances in Technology” was held from 14th to 16th May, 2018, in Center for Research, Innovation and Discovery, Covenant University (CUCRID), Nigeria. The conference was hosted by the Department of Physics, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria and supported by CUCRID, Covenant University, Petrodata Management Services Limited and some individuals. ICSSD 2018 had series of robust sessions including two (2) keynote speakers (Prof. Paulinus Ekene Ugwuoke and Dr. NANA Ama Browne Klutse), two (2) plenary speakers (Prof. Marvel L. Akinyemi and Prof. Solomon Oranusi), and nine (9) parallel sessions.Every Innovative society of knowledge emanates from excellent and relevant scientific research results. Science and technology are fundamentally the key drivers to economic advances, improvements in health systems, education and infrastructure. Empirical research results have shown that innovation leads to new and improved products and services, higher productivity, lower prices and new advances in scientific knowledge. Innovation geared towards sustainable development has the potential to lift economic growth, create green jobs, boost social development, while at the same time contributing to environmental protection and conservation. The development of solutions to these key global challenges, and the transition towards ‘green societies’ will require the mobilization of a wave of creativity and intensive research focused on need.

Analysis and comparison of tropospheric scintillation prediction models at Covenant University

Knowledge of tropospheric scintillation is an important phenomenon in the design of satellite communication system. One year (January 2015-December 2015) scintillation data extracted from Astra 2E/2F/2G Satellite link measurement installed at Covenant University, Ota (Lat: 6.7 oN, Long: 3.23 oE) southwest Nigeria, at an elevation angle of 59.9o and a frequency of 12.245 GHz was used in this study. The analysis and the result were compared with some reputable scintillation prediction models so as to obtain best performance model for Ota region. From the result, it was discovered that the Karasawa model gives the lowest percentage error rate for both fade and enhancement of about 0.57% at 0.1 percentage of time and 6.93% at 0.01 percentage of time respectively and therefore was best found fit for the prediction of propagation impairment for the region. However, the model should be tested further using higher frequency band such as Ka and V bands to confirm the accuracy of the model. The information provided in this study will help in fade margin for antenna sizing and performance needed for satellite communication link in the region.