Geographical Zones Of Nigeria Research Articles

Examining the roles and relationships of actors in community health systems in Nigeria through the lens of the expanded health systems framework

BackgroundCommunity health system (CHS) exists through the actions and activities of different actors within and outside communities. However, these actors, their roles and their relationships with one another have not...

Periodontal Status and Glycaemic Control among Type 2 Diabetic Patients- a Comparable Study between 2 Teaching Hospitals in 2 Geographical Zones in Nigeria

Background: There is clinical evidence that periodontitis and diabetes mellitus (DM) are interconnected. Thus, periodontitis can promote systemic chronic inflammation that can exacerbate type 2 diabetes mellitus.
 Methodology: Data was collected with self-administered questionnaire. Glycaemic control and periodontal status were evaluated by glycated Hb values and CPI respectively. Analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics Armonk New York). Association of glycaemic index with periodontal status was explored by the χ2 test and statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.
 Results: One hundred and eighty-five participants with type 2 diabetes were recruited with a female predominance in both centers. Majority of participants were above the fifth decade. The mean duration of diabetes was 8.97±7.14. 73.3% of participants in UPTH and 84.7% in LASUTH were out of (p=0.001). One-fourth of participants in LASUTH and 14.2% of participants from UPTH had poor oral hygiene. Twice participants in LASUTH had good glycaemic control compared to those in UPTH (p=0.001). The periodontal status of majority of the participants in the two centers was between CPI score 2 and 4 (p=0.02). The association between good glycaemic control and gender and between good glycaemic control and age were statistically significant (p=0.014; p=0.001).
 Conclusion: The periodontal status of participants did not worsen with poor glycaemic control. However, education was significantly associated with extent of control. Periodontal care should be incorporated into the management of the diabetics for improved quality of life.

COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of Safety Practices among Eye Care Workers in Nigeria

Abstract Objective: To assess safety practices among eye care workers in Nigeria during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This research was a cross-sectional study. A structured electronic questionnaire was distributed among eye care workers (ophthalmologists, optometrists, ophthalmic nurses) across the six geographical zones of Nigeria. Information on socio-demographics, COVID-19 infection, current working conditions and safety practices were obtained. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc. Chicago Illinois, USA) for windows, version 22. Results: A total of 236 eye care workers participated in the study; their mean (±SD) age was 37.13 (±8.141) years, 125 (53%) were females, and 145 (61.4%) worked in a tertiary care hospital. All participants described COVID-19 as a viral disease and 98.3% agreed that the disease can affect the eyes. Outpatient clinic consultation was recorded as the highest (77.7%) service provided during the pandemic. Regarding preventive practices, 95% of eye care workers wore facemasks, 82.4% wore gloves during ophthalmic examination and Hazmat suit was the least used protective device (2.5%). About three-quarters (77.5%) reported feeling unsafe in their working environment and 63.9% were dissatisfied with the personal protective device provided by hospitals to eye care workers. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge for eye care workers; with the practice of ophthalmology posing a high risk of transmission of the virus. Efforts should be made to provide the required personal protective devices needed for optimum protection of eye care workers in healthcare settings.

Parametric Analysis of Rainfall Variability Over Some Selected Locations in Nigeria

Rainfall is one meteorological parameter that affects virtually all human activities. For instance, the amount of rainfall received in an area is an important determining factor in estimating or quantifying the amount of water available to meet various demands, such as agricultural, industrial, domestic water supply, and power generation. Climate change has generally been accepted to be a result of the emission of excess greenhouse gases. It has caused an increase in flooding, severe and more frequent droughts, increase in wildfires, and heatwaves in various parts of the globe. Climate change is said to have a considerable impact on the variability in hydro-meteorological variables such as rainfall, temperature, and evaporation. In this study, we carry out a parametric analysis of rainfall variability over some selected locations in Nigeria and determine the trend using surface observation data from seven weather stations. The datasets of rainfall used in this study were acquired; from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) for a period of 30 years (1980 to 2010) from seven locations; which are Abuja, Enugu, Ikeja, Ilorin, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt, and Sokoto, representing the six geographical zones of Nigeria. The results gotten showed an upward movement in the trend line which indicated an increase in the amount of rainfall received by the study areas. While some Cities (Maiduguri, Sokoto) received a large increase in the amount of rainfall received yearly, others received a slight increase such as Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ilorin, Abuja and Enugu.

Anopheles gambiae larvicidal and adulticidal potential of Phyllanthus amarus (Schumach and Thonn, 1827) obtained from different localities of Nigeria

Objective: To screen phytochemicals in ethanolic leaf extracts of Phyllanthus amarus collected from three different geographical zones in Nigeria and evaluate their effects on larva and adult of Anopheles gambiae. Methods: The sample extracts of Phyllanthus amarus prepared with ethanol solvent were tested against Anopheles gambiae at two important developmental stages of its life cycle using slightly modified WHO protocols. Results: Alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, and terpenes were detected in each extract. Among these samples, the extract from northwest exhibited the highest larvicidal activity (LC50=263.02 ppm), followed by southeast and southwest extracts (LC50=288.40 and 295.12 ppm, respectively after 48 h), while the extract from southwest exhibited the highest adulticidal activity (LC50=275.42 ppm), followed by northwest and southeast extract (LC50=301.99 and 316.22 ppm, respectively after 24 h). A 50% larva mortality was almost attained at 600 ppm after 48 h duration of exposure to the northwest extract. Conclusions: The tested samples possess strong larvicidal and adulticidal property against Anopheles gambiae which depends on their chemical composition and localities of collection. Further studies are needed to explore the insecticidal activity against a wider range of mosquito species, and to identify active ingredient(s) of the extract responsible for such activity.

Determinants of SMEs intention to adopt Islamic crowdfunding model in Northwestern Nigeria

Purpose The study aims is to examine the determinant factors of small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs’) intention to adopt the Islamic crowdfunding model as alternative sources of finance. Design/methodology/approach Using a survey questionnaire, 385 responses were received from owners and managers of SMEs in three states (Kano, Kaduna and Katsina) of northwestern Nigeria and analyses using PLS-SEM 3.0 software. Findings All hypotheses were found to be significant. Research limitations/implications The research focused only on northwestern Nigeria; there is a need for further research to focus on other geographical zones in Nigeria. Practical implications Crowd funders and policymakers can use these findings to enable the adoption of the Islamic crowdfunding model. Originality/value The previous study has not examined the role of technology acceptance model in the adoption of the financial model; these findings contribute to the crowdfunding literature by filling this gap.

Financial Coping Strategies of Households during COVID-19 Induced Lockdown

This paper focuses on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown on the financial resources of households, their survival strategies, and planned coping strategies. It employed the survey method of research in which 288 questionnaires were administered online and delivered by hand to respondents across the six geographical zones of Nigeria. The study used frequency and percentages to analyze the perceptions of households regarding their survival strategies, government supports, and the effectiveness of compliance to government orders. The questionnaire was designed to elicit relevant information regarding how households coped with the COVID-19 induced lockdown in Nigeria. It was found that most households had no contingency savings to address such emergencies; therefore, the lockdown put a lot of strain on the personal income and savings of households. It was also found that the household rating of government supports was very poor which led to partial compliance with the stay-at-home order. Finally, it was found that the most preferred coping strategy was to take salary advance, followed by going back to work and borrowing. The study recommends contingency savings habits to households and controlling the inflation rate to the government as important steps for returning towards normality. The government of Nigeria needs to prioritize the health sector in budget allocation for proper healthcare delivery. The study also recommends contingency savings habits to households and social inclusion to the government along with giving out bailouts to households, firms, and industries to boost the economy.
 Received Date: May 06, 2020 Last Received: October 10, 2020 Acceptance: October 29, 2020

The Religion-Environment (Climate Change) Connection

Abstract Following Lynn White’s thesis of 1967 which indicted some Christian values for the current ecological crisis, many studies have been conducted on the connection between religion and environment/ecological crisis. These studies have sought to know whether religious beliefs and values influence environmental/climate change perceptions of people. However, while these studies have been geographically biased, their results have remained inconclusive. This study therefore examined this age-long debate with evidence from Nigeria. The study involved 30 church leaders drawn from Catholic, Anglican and Pentecostal churches in five geographical zones in Nigeria. The data was analyzed using descriptive analytical method. Findings show that religious values/schemas in forms of Eschatological/End-Time beliefs, Dominion beliefs, Theological fatalism, Pessimism etc. influenced climate change perceptions among the church leaders. The study also found that religious affiliation and theology mattered with respect to the influence of some religious beliefs. The implications of findings for the research on religion-environmental/climate change connection are discussed.

Incidence, clinical characteristics, and risk factors of peripartum cardiomyopathy in Nigeria: results from the PEACE Registry

AimsThe aim of this study was to describe the incidence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) in Nigeria.Methods and ResultsThe study was conducted in 22 hospitals in Nigeria, and PPCM patients were consecutively recruited between June 2017 and March 2018. To determine factors associated with PPCM, the patients were compared with apparently healthy women who recently delivered, as controls. Four hundred six patients were compared with 99 controls. The incidence and disease burden (based on the rate of consecutive recruitment of subjects) varied widely between the six geographical zones of Nigeria. From the North–West zone, 72.3% of the patients was recruited, where an incidence as high as 1 per 96 live births was obtained in a centre, while the disease was uncommon (7.6% of all recruited patients) in the South. Majority of the patients (76.6%) and controls (74.8%) (p = 0.694) were of Hausa–Fulani ethnic group. Atrial fibrillation, intracardiac thrombus, stroke, and right ventricular systolic dysfunction were found in 1.7%, 6.4%, 2.2%, and 54.9% of the patients, respectively. Lack of formal education (odds ratio [OR] 3.08, 95% confidence interval [1.71, 5.53]; P < 0.001), unemployment (OR: 3.28 [2.05, 5.24]; P < 0.001), underweight (OR: 13.43 [4.17, 43.21]; P < 0.001) and history of pre‐eclampsia (OR: 9.01 [2.18, 37.75]; P = 0.002) emerged as independent PPCM risk factors using regression models. Customary hot baths (OR: 1.24 [0.80, 1.93]; P = 0.344), pap enriched with dried lake salt (OR: 1.20 [0.74, 1.94]; P = 0.451), and Hausa–Fulani ethnicity (OR: 1.11 [0.67, 1.84]; P = 0.698) did not achieve significance as PPCM risk factors.ConclusionsIn Nigeria, the burden of PPCM was greatest in the North–West zone, which has the highest known incidence. PPCM was predicted by sociodemographic factors and pre‐eclampsia, which should be considered in its control at population level. Postpartum customary birth practices and Hausa–Fulani ethnicity were not associated with PPCM in Nigeria.

Effect of off-farm income on multi-dimensional poverty among rural farm households in Nigeria

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of the different components of off-farm income on multi-dimensional poverty. Furthermore, the study aims to measure multi-dimensional poverty and also identify the determinants of multi-dimensional poverty in Nigeria. The paper reveals the different contributions of the dimensions of education, health and living standard.Design/methodology/approachThe study focuses on rural farm households in Nigeria. Data are obtained from the Nigeria General Household Survey, 2013. The survey covers both urban and rural areas of the 36 states of Nigeria. Owing to the interest of this study in the rural farm household’s sub-sector, a nationally representative sample of 836 rural farm households are selected for the study after the data merging process. Rural farm households in this paper earn 50 percent of their total income from crop and livestock production. The paper employs the Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to measure multi-dimensional poverty across the six different geographical zones of Nigeria. The probit regression model is used to estimate and analyze the effect of off-farm income components on multi-dimensional poverty and also to identify the determinants of multi-dimensional poverty.FindingsThe results of the study show that among the off-farm income components, the non-farm wage income and non-farm self-employment income have negative association with multi-dimensional poverty. Findings show that multi-dimensional poverty is high in Nigeria with deprivations in health contributing the most. Northern Regions have a higher estimate. Results reveal that sex, age, number of adults, formal credit access, access to extension services and location characteristics are key determinants of multi-dimensional poverty. The MPI for Nigeria averaged 47 percent. Across regions, deprivation in the health dimension contributes about 44 percent to multi-dimensional poverty. Deprivation in living standards contributes 40.5 percent, while deprivation in education contributes 15.5 percent to multi-dimensional poverty.Research limitations/implicationsDue to the nature of the data used, the health indicators (nutrition and child mortality) are absent but proxies are used instead. Future research could introduce gender dimensions.Practical implicationsImproving the involvement of rural farm households in non-farm self-employment sector could improve their livelihoods and prevent migration to urban centers, especially among the youths.Social implicationsImproving the quality of health, education and living standards will lead to lower poverty levels in Nigeria. Farmers can best reduce their multi-dimensional poverty by engaging in more off-farm jobs.Originality/valueThis paper provides information to policy makers on the effect of different components of income from the off-farm sector on multi-dimensional poverty alongside with the determinants of multi-dimensional poverty at a national level for the rural farm households. By using MPI, the contribution of the different dimensions used in computing the MPI across the six geographical regions within the country is revealed. This provides policy makers with more information for development purposes.

Rain Fade Analysis at C, Ka and Ku Bands in Nigeria

Rain fade has continued to be a major concern to communication systems designers. The effect of these dynamic fluctuations of the received signal due to rain is very pronounced in the tropical region. This paper pertains to the analysis of rain fades at C, Ku and Ka bands at some selected stations covering the main geographical zones of Nigeria. The ITU-RP propagation model was used to calculate the fade depth at 6 GHz, 8 GHz, 12 GHz, 16 GHz, 20 GHz, 30 GHz and 40 GHz. The rain fade correlate with signal attenuation. Attenuation distributions for percentages of time for signal unavailability were also estimated. The results show that values of attenuation for vertically and circularly polarized signals are less than those of the horizontal polarization at all the frequencies. It is found that rain fade is less severe in the Northern part of the country and is most severe in the southern part of Nigeria, with Port Harcourt, Lagos and Nsukka experiencing the highest rain impairment. Key words: Propagation, rain rate, attenuation, rain fade, communication links DOI : 10.7176/JEES/9-3-16 Publication date :March 31 st 2019

Genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains isolated from livestock workers and cattle in Nigeria

Molecular typing techniques are useful in understanding tuberculosis epidemiology; yet, they have been under-utilised at the human-animal interface in Nigeria. Sixty-four Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates including 42 M. tuberculosis, 13 M. bovis and nine M. africanum obtained from livestock workers (LW, n = 47) and their cattle (n = 17) in three geographical zones of Nigeria were genotyped to identify and evaluate the genetic diversity of the circulating MTBC using spoligotyping. Distribution into clades of M. tuberculosis revealed; 45.3% Uganda I- [SIT46- cattle: 1; LW: 28], 14.1% Latin American Mediterranean- [SIT61, cattle: 1; LW: 8], and 1.6% T- [SIT53—LW: 1]. The M. bovis strains were 6.3% SB0944 [cattle: 4] and 1.6% each of SB0300, SB1026, SB1027 and SB1439 [cattle: 4]. Seventeen MTBC isolates [cattle: 7; LW: 10] yielded 14 new spoligotype patterns including three M. tuberculosis strains (three isolates), five M. bovis strains (five isolates) and six M. africanum strains (nine isolates), two of which belonged to MAF1. Only few families namely, the not previously described Uganda I-, LAM and SB0944 are predominant among the LW and cattle, with other types in lower prevalences. The strain population structure indicates an intriguing diversity and possible zoonotic linkage with consequences for TB control in the country. The need to employ newer molecular techniques such as Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit-Variable Number Tandem Repeats and whole genome sequence to decipher circulating MTBC strains in Nigeria is advocated.

Evaluating the Attitude of Nigerian Anatomists Towards Body Donations for Medical Education

The use of dissection in anatomy has long been considered a cornerstone in medical education irrespective of nation, racial background or medical school. Anatomy education in Nigeria is faced with the challenge of insufficient supply of cadavers. Body donation could be a possible solution to the inadequate supply of cadavers for medical education in Nigeria. Very little is known about body donation in Nigeria as well as the attitude of Nigerians towards body donation. In this study the attitude of Nigerian anatomists towards body donation was evaluated. Questionnaires were sent to anatomists in three universities in Nigeria covering three geographical zones in Nigeria. A total of fifty-eight (58) responses were obtained. The use of unclaimed bodies (58.6%) and the use of 3D models (46.6%) were the major solutions proposed for cadaver insufficiency. 85.5% of the participants thought that body donation campaigns could increase people’s willingness to donate their body for anatomical study. Only 47% of the participants were willing to campaign for body donation while 53% of the participants were not willing to campaign. Only a few of the participants (25%) were willing to donate their bodies for anatomical study. Their unwillingness was mainly due to religious reasons (26.5%), culture and tradition (12%) and also restrictions from family members (18%). Some even had reasons they would not disclose (28.5%). They could recommend body donation to others but will not recommend it to their relatives.

A Review of Onshore and Offshore Wind Energy Potential in Nigeria

As a result of continued growth in demand for energy in Nigeria and the need to augment fossil fuel sources with renewable energy, this paper review research trends on Offshore and Onshore wind energy potentials in Nigeria, for possible power generation. Researches on development and design of small scale-wind turbine as well as their application for small-scale electrification were also discussed. This paper further examined the suitability of different geographical zones in Nigeria for offshore and onshore power generation, using results of prior researches and also stressed that Wind Energy Technology (WET) is widely underutilized in Nigeria. Several factors militating against this development were briefly highlighted and some suggestions were raised for future work within the realm of wind energy technology.

Perception of Maize Processors Towards Utilization of Maize Value Addition Techniques: Implications for Rural Entrepreneurship Development – A Study in Nigeria

Purpose: Huge losses in maize production lead to reduction in farmers’ income and food insecurity. However, it is expected that the value chain approach would provide processors with actionable methods capable of increasing productivity and income. However, maize producers and processors in the study area are still faced with post-harvest wastages and limited products along maize value chain; Hence, the study. Research Method: The data for this study were gathered through an interview schedule from 120 maize processors in Nigeria. Appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical tools such as frequency counts, means, standard deviations chi-square and correlation analyses were used to analyze the data Findings: The results revealed that majority were female with the mean monthly income was N 51,000.33. A total of 17 value addition techniques were identified and indigenous ones include pap making (39.5%) and solid gel making (32.5%). Majority were small scale local processors producing for their immediate communities and where almost equal numbers of processors were operating either on part time or full time basis. 56.7% had a favorable perception towards the utilization of maize value addition techniques. Sex and occupation had a significant association while years of schooling and income had significant relationships with the perception towards the utilization of maize value addition. Research limitations: The study was limited in that it did not cover all the geographical zones in Nigeria since there was no grant to support the research. Originality/value: The study identified different maize value addition techniques utilized by the processors and the characteristics of the enterprise in the study area.

Recyclable resources from municipal solid waste: Assessment of its energy, economic and environmental benefits in Nigeria

In this paper, the potential of recyclable municipal solid waste in each of the six geographical zones in Nigeria is presented with the aim of evaluating its energy saving potentials, economic and environmental benefits. The amount of recyclable materials in a stream of municipal solid waste is evaluated based on population model spanning from 2017–2036, waste generation model and recycling collection rate gathered from local literature, reports and publication from relevant institutions. The environmental advantage from recyclable municipal solid waste is conducted based on evaluation of its greenhouse gas emission potentials while the economic potential is estimated using cost adjustment factor method. Some of the results indicate that plastic is the most prominent recyclable waste in all the cities in the South-East, South-South and all the Northern parts of Nigeria. However, paper is the most available recyclable material in the waste stream of the cities in the South-West. The results also reveal that a total of 89.99 toe (1046.43 GW h) of energy could be saved per annum by recycling the recyclable waste materials rather than producing new products from the virgin materials. The saving in electricity could provide electrical power for about 9.8 million people based on available statistics of average electricity generation of 29,697,360.1 MW h and per capita electricity consumption of 107 kW h in Nigeria. Furthermore, a total of 11.71 million USD economic benefits could be realized which equivalent to about 16,562 jobs annually. The environmental assessment result indicates that a total of 307.364 ktons CO2eq of GHG emission reduction could be achieved annually.

Wind power utilization assessment and economic analysis of wind turbines across fifteen locations in the six geographical zones of Nigeria

The possibility of utilizing wind energy for electricity generation at 15 different sites across the 6 geographical zone of Nigeria is investigated in this paper with the aim of providing scientific information that can lead to optimal investment in wind technology for electricity generation. The data used for the study were obtained from the Nigeria Meteorological Station (NIMET), Oshodi Lagos and they consist of daily average wind speeds measured at the anemometer height of 10 m over a period 4–16 years. The sites are identified for different wind power application based on their wind power potential. The appropriate wind turbine for the viable sites for grid integration is determined from their capacity factor estimation. The unit costs of energy of the turbines are calculated using the present value cost method. One of the key results reveal that sites S2 (Jos) and S3 (Kano) have excellent wind resources and are economically viable for grid integration application. This paper is useful at providing concrete scientific information on wind power potential and the economic viability across the various geographical zones that could aid renewable energy policy for the development of wind power in Nigeria.

Modulation of cytochrome P450 3A4 mediated quinine metabolism in healthy volunteers by two honey samples from different floral and geographical sources

Background: Honey is widely used both for its nutritional and medicinal benefits and reports exist to suggest it may alter the disposition of conventional drugs whose metabolism is mediated by CYP3A4. The study aimed at investigating the effect of multiple dose administration of honey sourced from two different geographical zones in Nigeria, on an antimalarial, quinine and its CYP3A4 mediated metabolism. Methods: In a randomized cross-over study, twenty healthy volunteers divided into two groups A and B [A used honey (HA) from Northern and B used honey (HB) from Eastern Nigeria; n=10 respectively] received single oral doses of 600 mg quinine sulphate tablet alone and after 7 days administration of 10 ml of honey (HA or HB) twice daily. Blood samples collected at the 16 th hour following quinine administration were subjected to HPLC analysis. Results: Compared to baseline, 10 ml of honey HA significantly increased (0.86±0.22 versus 1.36±0.43) (p 0.05) (0.84±0.19 versus. 0.69±0.34) of the metabolic ratio of quinine in group B volunteers. Also, the geometric mean [95% CI: 0.63(0.45, 0.91)] of quinine metabolic ratio in the presence of honey HA alone was significantly increased (p=0.02, t-test). Conclusions: Honey sample from Northern Nigeria significantly stimulated CYP3A4-mediated quinine metabolism as reflected by an increased metabolic ratio of quinine. In conclusion some honey samples may have the potential to significantly modulate CYP3A4 activity, thus honey effects cannot be generalized.

Trends in extreme temperature over Nigeria from percentile‐based threshold indices

ABSTRACTThis study analyses spatial and temporal trends in extreme temperature indices over Nigeria. The percentile indices were calculated from newly homogenized daily minimum and maximum temperature data for the period 1971–2012 for 21 stations in Nigeria. Indices describing the characteristics of hot extremes and cold extremes are calculated with the RClimDex software. The annual and seasonal trends in these indices are obtained using the ordinary least square fit and the statistical significance tested using the R‐based modified Mann–Kendall test. We examine characteristics of these indices for the entire country and separately for the three geographical zones in Nigeria: Guinea, Savanna, and Sahel. The spatial and temporal patterns of trends in the indices indicate that Nigeria has experienced statistically significant increase in the frequency of hot extreme and decrease in cold extreme events. Although majority of the stations have significant trends in warm days and warm nights, the annual trend is greatest in warm nights. In addition, the rate of warming in minimum temperature (‘warm nights’) is stronger in June, July, August (JJA) and September, October, November (SON) compare with December, January, February (DJF) and March, April, May (MAM). As for the trends in cold days and cold nights, the trends in cold nights are larger than for cold days at both the annual and seasonal scales. The regional analysis indicates that trends in warm nights and cold nights are most pronounced in Guinea and Sahel regions.

Promoting Youth Employment in Benue State, Nigeria: A Study of Open Apprenticeship Scheme of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE)

Youth unemployment has remained one of the present and steady social problems that characterise Nigeria as a developing economy. Measures to address this social problem have featured prominently in the development agenda of successive governments. However, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), established by the Babangida Administration in 1986, comes across as a consistent public policy on employment and wealth creation that has managed to endure over the years. Since its establishment, a number of schemes have been designed and implemented under the directorate to combat youth unemployment. One of such schemes is the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (NOAS). This study was undertaken to interrogate the implementation of the scheme in Benue State located in the North Central geographical zone of Nigeria. Within the framework of the neo-classical model of economic thought, these programmes of action are understood as a deliberate policy intervention by government to correct distortions in resource allocation occasioned by the laissez-faire market mechanism. The study employed both analytical and empirical approaches. Whereas the former reflects on state of the research in existing literature, the latter utilized survey research to probe into the implementation of NOAS. Findings reveal that NDE skills development programmes in Benue State is an initiative that can address youth unemployment. However, the objective of enhancing job opportunities through the skills acquisition of NAOS leaves much to be desired. The study recommends among others that; funding of NDE should be improved upon, the scope of NAOS should be expanded to accommodate graduates of tertiary institutions, and the general policy framework on education be reviewed to create a synergy between the formal school system and the job market in Benue State and by extension, Nigeria.