Kwara State Nigeria Research Articles

Bacteriological Assessment of Selected Hand-Pumped Boreholes Water Sources in Malete Environs, Kwara State Nigeria.

ABSTRACT Ground water is an important source of water for domestic use, especially in developing countries such as Nigeria. Groundwater is generally very clean but can become polluted with nutrients and toxic chemicals when surface water carrying these substances drains into the groundwater environment. This study assessed the microbial quality of water (hand-pumped boreholes) at six areas in Malete environs. Water samples were collected in triplicates and subjected to physicochemical (temperature, pH, conductivity, turbidity, salinity and hardness), microbiological (heterotrophic and coliform counts) and molecular analysis using standard methods. The temperature generally ranged from 26.45±0.20 to 29.3±0.19 ºC, pH ranged between 7.6 ± 0.00 and 8.2 ± 0.012. Turbidity was generally <5 NTU, conductivity was <250µS/cm and hardness was <150 mg/L. The values were within acceptable range stated by World Health Oganization (WHO) and the National Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ). Escherichia coli, Stapylococus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca were found in some water samples. Faecal coliform was found in 83.3% of the hand-pumped boreholes, these high prevalence of contaminated water is attributable to the largely contaminated environments around some of the wells which was littered with various forms of refuse. Public awareness on the dangers associated with the construction of hand-pumped boreholes at a distance less than 15 meters away from the septic tank should be increased. Also hand-pumped boreholes water samples that do not meet the standard should be treated before consumption.

Physicochemical and Heavy Metals Characteristics of Soil from Three Major Dumpsites in Ilorin Metrpolis, North Central Nigeria

Impact of waste disposal and management is a worldwide phenomenon leading to health impact most especially in underdeveloped and developing world. This study was undertaken to assess the major contaminants in some municipal waste disposal sites and the prospective impact to the surrounding domestic water supply source as well as the impact on the health of the people in the city. This is carried out by studying variousphysico-chemical parameters of soil which were collected from three municipal dump locations namely; Ita-Amodu, Sawmill garage and Kuntu areas in Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State Nigeria. The geochemistry of the dumpsites were studied with respect to important parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, sulphates, chlorides, nitrates, moisture content, organic matter and heavy metals having the following constituents present in its composition- Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), and Copper (Cu). The study revealed that the three different soils samples: “(A) Ita-Amodu”, “(B) Sawmill Garage”, and “(C) Kuntu”) have pH of 7.1, 7.2 and 6.8, respectively. Temperature of 24.2, 26.4, and 28.0 oC, Organic matter compositions of 0.95%, 0.73%, and 1.14%. The Moisture contents were 3.93%, 2.89%, and 3.48% respectively. The chloride contents of the samples was found to be 31.76 mg/L, 48.98 mg/L, and 91.63 mg/L, while nitrates were found to be 0.10 mg/L, 0.06, mg/L and 0.23mg/L, with a sulphate values of 1.96 mg/L, 2.35 mg/L, and 2.14 mg/L. The conductivities were 1.79 μs/cm, 2.23 μs/cm, and 1.15 μs/cm respectively. Heavy metal analysis from the waste soil were found to contained copper (Cu) - 0.03 mg/L, 0.028 mg/L, and 0.031 mg/L, zinc (Zn) - 0.04, mg/L 0.009 mg/L, and 0.066 mg/L), cadmium (Cd) - 0.516 mg/L, 0.62, mg/L and 0.048 mg/L), Lead (Pb) - 0.063 mg/L, 0.07 mg/L, and 0.056 mg/L), and iron (Fe) -0.518 mg/L, 0.62 mg/L, and 0.190 mg/L. 
 Keywords: Dumpsites, Heavy metals, Ilorin, Moisture contents, Nitrates.

Web Information Seeking Behavior of Undergraduate Students in Kwara State Nigeria

The study examined Web Information Seeking Behavior of undergraduate students in Kwara State Nigeria. The study evaluated the web information seeking behavior of undergraduate students by considering search engines, scholarly databases and educational blogs. Private, State and Federal Universities were fully represented in the study. 100 questionnaires’ each were distributed to three universities in Kwara State which represented each category of university. Descriptive analysis, One-Way ANOVA and Cross-tabulation were carried out in the analysis of data using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. Results showed that the major evaluating criteria of information sources by undergraduate students were the relevance of the information source with only few students giving consideration to the author and currency of information source. The study further evaluated search engines, scholarly databases and educational blogs, results showed that search engines remains the proffered information source for undergraduate students with more than 50% of undergraduate students rating search engines authoritative, accurate, accessible and relevant. The study further showed that accessibility, authority and relevance significantly influence students’ preference for search engines. This study evaluates the web information seeking behavior of undergraduate students by focusing on the role of information literacy. This study has implications in improving the information literacy skills of undergraduate students in Nigeria.

The Incidence of Vibrio Cholerae as an Indicator of Pollution of Oyun River in Ilorin, Kwara State Nigeria

Bacteria, which are the most common pathogens in water, gain entrance into water mostly through fecal contamination and this poses significant risks to human and animal health. The causative agent of cholera is globally autochthonous to the aquatic environment and it’s not confined to only cholera endemic areas. This study is a survey of the microbiological quality of Oyun River and most importantly using the detection and incidence of Vibrio cholerae as an additional indicator of pollution of faecal origin. Molecular characterization and confirmation of bacterial isolates were done via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing. The microbiological and molecular analysis revealed the presence of E. coli, Streptococcus thermophillusTH1435, Vibrio Parahaemolyticus wp_051483013, Enterobacter cloacae strain sugR_1, Vibrio campbellii HYO1 Vibrio cholerae and Thermobaculum terenum in the Oyun River. Further sequence analysis revealed the presence of six new strains of enteric bacteria which was allocated the following accession numbers after deposition at the GenBank (MT275484; MT275485; MT275486; MT275487; MT275488; MT275489). The confirmation of isolates from the Vibrio genus and other enteric bacteria posits that the pollution is of faecal origin and thus, adequate monitoring to control activities along the riverside should be upheld by both the citizens and government authorities to avoid preventable outbreaks.

Retrospective Analysis of Rifampicin-resistance Pattern of Mycobacterium tuberculosis among Presumptive Tuberculosis Patients in Secondary Referral Hospital Offa, Nigeria

Introduction: Early detection of drug resistant tuberculosis with more sensitive and accessible method together with appropriate control measures among other factors are keys to interruption of transmission and mortality rate. 
 Study Design: This study conducted a retrospective review of presumptive TB register of patients screened for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and rifampicin resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) using Xpert MTB/RIF assay at General Hospital Offa in Kwara State Nigeria between January to December 2018 in order to access the on-going efforts such as quarterly surveillance, improved infrastructural facilities and intense media advocacy on Tuberculosis by Kwara state government on prevention of Tuberculosis in Kwara State.
 Results: Overall, 63 (10.6%) of the sputum samples collected were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis while 4 (6.3%) showed rifampicin resistance out 63 (10%) of patients positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There is high recovery rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis among women than men as this study recovers 52.4% and 47.6% in male and female respectively. Adults appear to be more vulnerable to TB and the vulnerability tends to increase with age.
 Conclusion: This study documents low frequency of rifampicin resistance tuberculosis particularly within female population using highly sensitive and specific Xpert MTB/RIF in Kwara State.

VALIDATING THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF NEGOTIATION STYLE BETWEEN PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGIES AND COMMUNICATION STYLE ON MARITAL SATISFACTION AMONG NIGERIAN

This study validating the mediating effect of negotiation style between problem solving strategies and Communication style on Marital Satisfaction among Nigerian. To achieve the purpose a cross-sectional survey design was adopted with a sample of 385 married couples in Kwara state Nigeria. The instruments used tagged ‘Problem-Solving Strategies, Communication and Negotiation styles on Marital Satisfaction Scales’ contained 80 items spread among the 16 sub-constructs, 4 Likert’s type was adopted throughout the scale. The data collected were entered into Microsoft Excel 2016 and SPSS 20 for data cleaning and were filtered to the SmartPLS 3. The data was check for normality using two indicators of Skewness and Kurtosis. The data analysis was conducted using Partial least square structural equation modeling approaches with SmartPLS 3 software. The measurement construct was evaluated by items loading, composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE). The results revealed that the measurement construct assessed in this study showed acceptability with validity and reliability test results presented in the preceding sections. The indicator reliability, convergent validity examined through the factor loadings. Thus with the effect of all the measurement requirements, it can be concluded that the mediating effect of negotiation style between Problem-Solving Strategies and Communication style on Marital Satisfaction can be used to the resolved marital problem among the couples as an alternative option for marital counselor ministry of social welfare and the religious leaders.

Effect of Lineament and Drainage Orientation on Groundwater Potential of Moro Area Central Kwara State Nigeria

Objectives: This study investigates the effect of lineaments and surface water flow direction on groundwater prospect of Moro area of Central Kwara, Nigeria using landsat imagery, drainage pattern, and groundwater potential map in a bid to determine the causes of persistent borehole failure and low yield. The study involved the extraction of lineaments from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery and construction of drainage network. The geographic information system (GIS) environment was effectively used for the lineament analysis. The lineaments and drainage system were superimposed on an already existing groundwater potential map generated from vertical electrical sounding data in the area. The lineament map showed that most of the structures are found in the north-eastern and south-western parts while other areas were characterized by scanty and no lineaments (structures). The superimposition of lineaments on drainage patterns showed that they are not structurally controlled. The results obtained from the superimposed lineament and drainage system correlates reasonably with the groundwater potential map. The groundwater potential in the area was therefore characterized using the degree of interaction between the lineament and drainage system. The north-western, central and parts of the southern region of the study area were demarcated as having high groundwater potential while others are characterized with moderate potential except a small portion in the south-western part which is of low groundwater potential. It is inferred that the weak lineaments and drainage pattern interaction is responsible for the low recharge rate of aquifers resulting in low groundwater potential in some part of the study area. Keywords: Lineament, Drainage, Groundwater Potential, Moro Area, Orientation.

Bacteriology of Some Liquid Herbal Products Sold in Ilorin- Kwara State Nigeria

Purpose: This study aims to establish the safety and/or potential public health dangers associated with the consumption of liquid herbal preparations (LHP) sold in Ilorin-Kwara State. Methods: Ten LHPs were randomly collected from three locations, kept under cold chain and transported to the Laboratory. All samples were evaluated for bacterial load using aerobic plate count method and bacterial isolates were presumptively identified using standard microbiological methods. Furthermore, Gram negative bacteria were identified using 12A Microbact ® Identification kits. Results: Sixty percent (60%) were fresh and faint, 4 (40%) were stale and putrid in smell as well as free of foreign matter. pH and bacterial load of samples ranged from 3.60 to 9.75 and 2.5 x 102 to 4.4 x 106 CFU/ mL respectively. Five (5) genera of bacteria, namely; Klebsiella species 10 (29.41%), Bacillus subtilis 8 (23.53%), Enterobcter spps. 7 (20.59%), Staphylococcus aureus 6 (17.65%) and Serretia marcescens 3(8.82%) were isolated from these LHPs. All isolates were resistant (100%) to Sulphamethoxazole trimethoprim combination. Amoxocillin clavulanate was active against 62.50% of K. pneumonia and S. marcescens isolates. Also 50% of K. oxytoca and E. gergoviae were susceptible to Amoxocillin clavulanate combination. Approximately, 8 (80%) of LHPs had bacterial load of 2.5 x 102 to 4.4 x 106 CFU/ mL and 2 (20%) yielded no growth. In addition, 40% of LHPs had bacterial load of 106 CFU/mL beyond the 104 CFU/mL permissible limit stated by European Pharmacopoeia. Conclusion: The observed high bacterial load and the presence of S. aureus as well as enteric bacteria of public health importance in these LHPs underscore the potential risk inherent in the consumption of these preparations. Therefore, public health awareness campaign on the dangers of unapproved LHPs consumption should be instituted. Keywords: Liquid herbal preparations, bacterial contaminants, Ilorin metropolis

LABOUR-USE AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY: IMPLICATION FOR RICE FARMING IN KWARA STATE NIGERIA

Farm labour productivity is a measure of efficiency with which labour is used on the farm for the production of specific farm products. However of recent there has been a constant decline in the supply of agricultural labour as a result of several factors among which are increased off-farm employment opportunities as a result of industrialization. It is therefore imperative to compare the level of productivity for hired and family labour particularly in rice production one of the crops for which Nigeria is known to be a major importer. Methodology: Using survey data from Kwara state Nigeria, this article compares family and hired labour productivity in rice farming. The analytical tools used are the descriptive statistics, multinomial logit and production function analysis. Results: The result showed that hired labour is more productive than family labour and was found to be significantly correlated with a negative coefficient. The household size, farming experience and wage rate are the factors found to significantly influence the type of labour used. While the farm size, quantity of fertilizer used and the type of labour used significantly influence productivity. Conclusion: The study therefore recommended that rice farmers be given improved access to credit facilities to help them cover the cost of wage rate. This will help them increase their productive capacity and thus improve food security among the rural households.

“Hunting Is Our Heritage; We Commit No Offence”: Kainji National Park Wildlife Poachers, Kaiama, Kwara State Nigeria

ABSTRACT So far, studies on wildlife poaching in Nigeria have focused on its health implications, motivations, and rationalizations. The methods of operation employed by the poachers to thwart enforcement of anti-poaching laws have not been examined. It is in an attempt to bridge this gap that this study examined wildlife poaching at the Kainji National Park (KNP) Kwara State, from the poachers’ perspective and the various attendant schemes employed by the poachers to evade arrest and prosecution. This study interrogated how enforcement of laws against criminalized acts could be frustrated through adoption of schemes to evade arrest and prosecution, if a cultural group defines such criminalization as an incursion on their cultural heritage. It also examined forces propelling wildlife poaching at the Park. The study is of the firm believe that knowledge of these schemes would be useful to park rangers in adopting a more effective approach to tackle the crime. Knowledge of the cultural forces propelling poaching would also be useful to the government in initiating appropriate approaches to address them. The exploratory research design was employed for the study while the qualitative method was used to collect primary data. Narratives were generated through in-depth interviews with wildlife poachers at Kaiama community. Findings from the study showed that community rationalization and justification of hunting as their heritage, and perception of establishment of KNP as an incursion on their heritage was a major force propelling illegal hunting while the consequent tactics adopted by the poachers to evade arrest were: use of mystical powers, decimation of vultures, bribery, use of community residents as informants, prediction of park rangers’ movements, sale of hunted animals to only familiar customers and new customers introduced by old customers, and utilization of their mastery of the forest environment. Poachers remain persistent in the act due to availability of a variety of animals to poach, and corruption among the park rangers.

Climate Variation Assessment Based on Rainfall and Temperature in Ilorin Kwara State Nigeria

In recent times and across the globe, the concept of climate has gained much relevance because of its dynamic and complex nature and the significant influence it has on various aspects of the environment, including the increasing threat of global climate change. This study focuses on the assessment of climatic variation in Ilorin based on the variations in rainfall and temperature within the period 1980-2015. Time Series Analysis was used to determine the trend of rainfall and temperature within the period 1980-2015. The 5-Year Moving Average was used to smoothen the time series and to eliminate unwanted fluctuations. Linear Regression was used to estimate the value of variable Y (total rainfall or average minimum temperature), corresponding to a given value of variable X (time), while MAKESEN software was used to determine the temporal trend of rainfall indices within the study period. Furthermore, the study focused on the spatial variations of total rainfall and average minimum temperature in the study area. The result revealed that there is downward trend of 0.814 mm per year in the annual mean rainfall and also there is an upward trend of 0.029 per year in average annual minimum temperature and total annual maximum temperature has an upward trend of 0.01 mm per year. Thus, the rainfall is decreasing and temperature tends to increase. Key word: Climate variability, Rainfall, Temperature, Period, Temporal trend, Kwara state

Insure them and improve their welfare: effect of Hygeia Community Health Insurance on households’ welfare in Kwara State, Nigeria

The Hygeia Community Health Plan was designed such that agriculture-based households can have access to affordable healthcare services. It is also aimed at providing financial risk protection against catastrophic healthcare costs which if persistent, could possibly drive them into poverty. This paper used a well-structured questionnaire to solicit responses on the effect of the Hygeia Community Health Plan on the welfare of farming households in Kwara State, Nigeria. A two-stage sampling technique was used to sample 175 farming households comprising of 115 beneficiaries and 60 non-beneficiaries from Shonga, Bacita and Lafiagi districts of Edu local government area of Kwara State, Nigeria. The ordinary least square and logit model were used in the analysis of the data for this study. The results of the analysis showed that the Hygeia community health plan was positively and statistically significant in influencing the per capita income, per capita calorie intake and the food security status of farming households in the area. Therefore, it was recommended that the government should create an enabling environment or partner with private insurance organizations. This will help them work out a plan to help rural households in other parts of the country access affordable healthcare services easily. This will help in the attainment of the universal access to health services in Kwara State and country Nigeria at large.

Agricultural Production Activities, Profit Efficiency Nexus Livelihood Diversification among Public Servant Households in Kwara State Nigeria

Agricultural production activities are gradually becoming important livelihood diversification among urban and peri-urban households whose main occupation is public service. The study focuses on livelihood diversification through agricultural production activities among public servants in Kwara State, Nigeria. Both primary and secondary data (production records) were collected. Three hundred and thirty public servants comprising 150 fish farmers, 60 broiler farmers and 120 arable crop farmers were randomly selected through field survey with the aid of structured questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using Herfindahl‐Hirshman index (HHI), net margin and stochastic frontier profit function regression analysis. Fish, broiler and arable crop production were profitable with mean profit of ₦132,260 per 1000 fingerlings, ₦912 per bird and ₦89,564 per ha and mean profit efficiency of 72.6%, 74% and 68% respectively. The HHI of diversity revealed a significant level of income diversification to agricultural production activities. These contributed about 40%, 36.5% and 29% to total household income of public servants who engaged in fish farming, broiler production and arable cropping respectively. Public servant farmers should form a formidable group to enjoy economic of scale to purchase agricultural inputs and should be given adequate training through their cooperative by inviting resource personnel.

Determination of Selected Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Neem Seed Husk Ash Blended Cement

Neem tree (Azadirachtaindica) is a tropical evergreen tree scattered all over the country, hence its availability can add to the list of materials used as pozzolan. This study investigated the characteristics of Neem Seed Husk Ash (NSHA) blended cement produced in the factory. Neem fruit was collected from Olooru town and Ilorin metropolis in Kwara State Nigeria, after collection, the seed was removed with the use of Decorticator huskers, sun dried for 3 days to reduce its moisture content and burnt in a furnace at a temperature of 650 ± 50 oC. The chemical composition (SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3) and physical characteristics were determined. Blended cement was produced by intergrinding 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50% by weight of NSHA with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) clinker and gypsum. OPC without NSHA served as the control. The blended cements produced were analyzed for chemical composition using X-Ray Flourescence Analyser (XRF). The physico-mechanical properties of blended cement (fineness, initial and final setting time, heat of hydration) produced was examined. The total percentage of SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 for NSHA is 75.35%. Factory produced NSHA – blended cement is suitable as it satisfied the maximum requirement of 375 minutes for final setting time and 45 minutes minimum initial setting time, hence it can be used for construction work where strength is not a priority

Identification And Efficacy Of Strategies For Teaching Entrepreneurship Education Among Students In Tertiary Institutions In Kwara State Nigeria

The paper examined business educators’ perception of the strategies for teaching entrepreneurship education and the efficacy of the strategies in developing entrepreneurial skills among students in tertiary Institutions in Kwara State. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study consists of 82 Business educators from all the Tertiary Institutions in Kwara State that offer business education programme. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze data related to research questions, while t-test statistics was used in testing the two null hypotheses of the study. The study revealed that the identified strategies are used by lecturers in teaching entrepreneurship education, and that majority of these strategies are equally effective in developing entrepreneurial skills among students in tertiary institutions. The two null hypotheses of no significant difference were retained at 0.05 level of significance which therefore indicates that the opinion of male and female business educators do not differ significantly on the strategies of teaching entrepreneurship and the efficacy of the strategies in developing entrepreneurial skills among students in tertiary institutions in Kwara State, Nigeria. It was recommended among others that entrepreneurship lecturers should continue to adopt the identified strategies in the teaching and learning of entrepreneurship education, since they are highly effective in inculcating entrepreneurial skills among students in tertiary institutions in Kwara State, and also that curriculum planners should build in dynamic entrepreneurship skills into the curricular at all fields of study so as to make the curricula at every level of education be geared towards the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills for self-reliance.

Validating the Measurement Model of Problem Solving Strategies and Marital Communication Styles among Secondary School Teachers in Nigeria

The aim of this study is to assess the model of problem solving strategies and marital communication styles among married couple in Nigerian. To achieve the purpose a cross-sectional survey design was adopted with a sample of 385 married couple in Kwara state Nigeria. The instruments used are tagged ‘problem solving strategies and marital communication styles Scales’ contained 40 items spread among the 8 sub-constructs, 4 Likert’s type was adopted throughout the scale. The data collected was entered into Microsoft Excel 2016 and SPSS 20 for data cleaning and were filtered to the SmartPLS 3. The data was check for normality using two indicators of as Skewness and Kurtosis. The data analysis was conducted using Partial least square structural equation modeling approaches with SmartPLS 3 software. The measurement models were evaluated by items loading, composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE). The results revealed that, the measurement model assessed in this study showed acceptability with validity and reliability tests results presented in the preceding sections. The convergent validity examined through the factor loadings, composite reliability (CR), and average variance extracted (AVE). Thus with the satisfaction of all the measurement requirements, it can be concluded that, the developed problem solving strategies and marital communication styles Scales validated in this study can be used to assess the problem solving strategies and marital communication styles Scales among married teachers in kwara state Nigeria.

The Significance of Active Evaporative Cooling System in the Shelf Life Enhancement of Vegetables (Red and Green Tomatoes) for Minimizing Post-Harvest Losses

Tomatoes in its natural state remains highly sort after as a result of its domestic relevance in most homes. In a bit to reduce the amount of losses that occurs after harvest, storage amongst many others is seen to be a very germane consideration to enhancing the shelf life of tomatoes. Samples of red tomatoes were gotten from a popular market in omu-aran town, Kwara state, Nigeria and green tomatoes samples were gotten from the green house in Landmark University teaching and research farm, omu-aran, kwara state Nigeria. The samples were stored in an active evaporative cooling system for a period of seven days. A few samples were also placed in the ambient environment of the evaporative cooler to carry out a load-test on the cooler. The emerging result shows that after the seventh day, the red tomatoes and green tomatoes that was stored in cooler had a percentage weight loss of 8.65% and 1.54% respectively. While the red and green tomatoes samples that was stored in the ambient environment had a percentage weight loss of 47.20% and 5.14% respectively. This outcome implies that the evaporative cooler with an average cooling efficiency of 86.01% was able to optimize the shelf life of the red and green tomatoes.

Prevalence and associated risk factors of Eimeria species in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

Coccidiosis remains a serious concern of great economic impact on domestic animals including rabbits. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence, species diversity, and associated risk factors of rabbit coccidiosis in Ilorin, Kwara State Nigeria. Fecal samples were examined using the floatation technique (positive samples were sporulated for identification of the different Eimeria species). 169 out of 215 (78.6%,) rabbits were found to be infected with Eimeria species. A total of seven Eimeria species (Eimeria coecicola, Eimeria irresidua, Eimeria perforans, Eimeria magna, Eimeria intestinalis, Eimeria stiedai and Eimeria flavescens) were identified. Of these, Eimeria coecicola was the most prevalent (48/215; 22.3%), while E. flavescens (8/215; 3.7%) was the least prevalent. Weaners (80.0%) were more infected than bunnies (79.1%) and adult (77.5%). Females had a higher infection rate (79.4%) than males (77.4%). Californian breed were more infected (84.9%) compared to Chinchila (83.7%), Dutch breed (80.9%), and New Zealand White (63.6%). Rabbits kept in the deep litter housing system had higher prevalence rate (95.2%) compared to those raised in the battery cage system (71.9%). Coccidiosis was more prevalent during the wet season than the dry season. This study concludes that Eimeria infections of rabbit is endemic in Ilorin, Kwara State with breeds and housing type been significant risk factors associated with the infection. This study provides the baseline information as the first report on the different Eimeria species affecting rabbits in Nigeria.

Characterisation and grading of three selected timber species grown in Kwara State Nigeria according to EN 338 (2009) for structural use

This paper is aimed at classifying three potential timbers grown in Nigeria using EN338 (2009) strength classification for structural size specimen. The timbers namely Vitex doniana, Ceiba pentandra and Pseudocedrela kotschyi were obtained in Ilorin, Kwara State of Nigeria. Physical and Mechanical properties of the selected timber species were determined in accordance with EN 13183-1 (2002) and EN 408 (2003) for structural timbers. Four point bending tests based on EN 408 (2003) with specimen 50x50x1000 mm were carried out using a Universal Testing Machine (UTM) to determine the bending strength and Modulus of Elasticity of the each timber specie. Characterisitc values of Bending strength, Modulus of Rupture and Density were determined using EN 384(2004). The timber species; Vitex doniana, Ceiba pentandra and Pseudocedrela kotschyi had equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of 15.70%, 13.71 % and 24.28 % respectively. Strength grading of timber species was then conducted by adjusting the material properties values of species to 12 % moisture content using the required adjustment factors. The timber were then graded according to EN338 (2009). Pseudocedrela kotschyi had the highest density of 813 kg/m3 followed by Vitex doniana (706 kg/m3) while Ceiba pentandra had the lowest density of 402 kg/m3. Vitex doniana, ceiba pentandra and Pseudocedrela kotschyi were assigned to strength class D30, C16 and D35 respectively in accordance with EN338(2004).Keywords: Bending strength, classification, density, modulus of elasticity, Nigerian grown timber structural use

Characterization of Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State (Nigeria) fireclays as suitable refractory materials

Studies have shown that adequate attention needs to be paid on processing of solid minerals that are potentially available in Nigeria to address its economic problem. Clays from five major towns in Baruten Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria were examined using ASTM guidelines to determine their suitability for refractory applications. The clay samples were classified as Alumino-Silicate refractories due to high values of Al2O3 and SiO2. The results showed apparent porosity (19.4-25.6%), bulk density (1.83-1.90 g/cm3), cold crushing strength (38.7-56.1 N/mm2), linear shrinkage (4.4 – 9.3%), clay contents (52.71-67.83%), moisture content (17.0-23.6%), permeability (68-82 cmsec-1), plasticity (16.7-30.4%), refractoriness (>1300oC) and Thermal Shock Resistance (23-25 cycles) for the clay samples, which were measurable with the established standards for fireclays, refractory clays/brick lining or alumina-silicates and kaolin. Hence, the natural clays could suitably replace imported clays in some refractory applications. Appropriate use of information from this study would improve Nigeria’s industrialization and economic diversification.Keywords: Apparent Porosity, Bulk Density, Clay, Shrinkage and Refractory