Lagos Mainland Research Articles

Factors Affecting Acceptance of Caesarean Section among Childbearing Age Women in Ebute-Metta, Lagos Mainland Local Government in Lagos State, Nigeria

The research study was centered on investigating the factors affecting the acceptance of CS among childbearing age women in Ebute-Metta, Mainland Local Government of Lagos State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey design and simple random sampling and purposive sampling technique was used to elicit information from 138 women attending Antenatal Clinic in Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta; State Health Centre, Ebute Metta; Primary Health Care Centre; St. Annes Infirmary for Women, Dawodu Lane, Ebute-Metta; Redeemed Christian Church of God Maternity Centre, Ebute Metta, out of which 129 was returned and dully filled. Data was analyzed using frequency tables, percentage, mean and Standard Deviation. Chi-Square statistical tool was used to test hypotheses. Result revealed that 94.6% of the respondents have high knowledge of CS as a method of delivery. 30.3% of the respondents agreed that CS is preferable to vaginal delivery as the pain in vaginal delivery is usually unpleasant, 55% agree that CS cost more than vaginal delivery. 49.7% of the respondents have experienced CS. Statistically, Knowledge of CS will significantly affect acceptance of CS among women of Childbearing age at X2= 65.163; df=22; p-value 0.000<0.05. Cultural belief will significantly affect acceptance of CS among women of Childbearing age at (X2= 88.271; df= 43; P-value 0.000<0.05. It was therefore concluded that Mothers should therefore be educated on the process involved in Caesarean Section delivery and the advantage, causes, importance of this method of delivery in saving the life of mother and baby. It was recommended that a well-organized and structured education / counselling session be organised during antenatal visit in order to help increase useful information about Caesarean section.

Evaluation of antibiotic use and analysis of ciprofloxacin and gentamicin residue in fish samples from farms in Lagos, Nigeria.

Antibiotic use in aquaculture for increase yield has been established over time; however, consumption of such fish may lead to inadvertent intake of sub therapeutic doses of antibiotics. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the extent of antibiotic use in fish farming and ciprofloxacin and gentamicin residues in fish that are consumed in Lagos, Nigeria. It was conducted in two parts: a survey of 60 fish producers to assess their use of antibiotics and an analysis of ciprofloxacin and gentamicin residues in fish organs using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The survey found that twenty-nine (48%) of the farms used antibiotics, with oxytetracycline being the most common (20%), followed by ciprofloxacin (15%); gentamicin (5%); neomycin (8.33%); and probiotics (13%). HPLC analysis of fish liver and fillet samples showed that Lagos Island had the lowest residual ciprofloxacin dose (0.3014ug/g), while Lagos mainland had the greatest residual ciprofloxacin dosage (113.78765ug/g). The mean gentamicin residue in flesh of fish from farms in Lagos Island LGA was 0.37ug/g while that obtained for liver of fish samples from Surulere LGA was 2.12ug/g). The largest (5.3240ug/g) and lowest (0.2661ug/g) residual gentamicin antibiotic concentrations were found in fishes harvested from farms located in Surulere and Lagos Island, respectively. The residue levels were within the permitted range set by the WHO, but continuous regulatory surveillance is necessary to prevent antimicrobial resistance spread and improved food safety. The study has revealed that fish produced in the study area contained residues of the commonly used antibiotics hence farmers should be encouraged to consult veterinarians in cases of disease treatment for judicious use of antibiotics while self-medication and purchase of antibiotics from vendors should be discouraged.

Bacteriological assessment of hawked ready-to-eat fried prawns retailed in selected locations of Lagos Mainland, Nigeria

Ready-to-eat (RTE) prawn product which characterizes many streets of Lagos Mainland undoubtedly exposes a large number of customers to bacteriological hazards of health risks but no ample report yet on the safety of this product in Lagos Mainland. This study examined the bacterial contaminants of health importance in the hawked RTE prawns samples. Ten nylon-wrapped RTE prawns each were randomly selected from Oshodi (OS), Ebute-metta (EM) and Ketu (KT) vending areas of Lagos Mainland and bacteriologically enumerated for Total Aerobic Bacterial Count (TABC), Total Staphylococcus count (TSC) and Total Coliform Count (TCC), all expressed in log CFU/g. Presence of Salmonella and Shigella was also determined and biochemically confirmed. The bacterial counts differed insignificantly (p<0.05) among the vending sites; lowest and highest mean TABC values (4.70±0.15, EM; 6.72 ± 0.18, KT), TSC (4.46±0.10, KT; 5.86± 0.13, OS), TCC (4.36±0.13 (OS); 5.55±0.06, (OS) and TEBC (0, (EM); 5.48±0.11, OS). Biochemically identified Staphylococcus aureus dominated the prawn products. Escherichia coli were detected with traces of Salmonella spp. The highest bacterial counts recorded in the entire RTE fried prawn products of this study are within the maximum limits recommended, implying their safe consumption. However, detection of Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. is an object of public health concern which demands an improvement in the hygiene practices of the product handlers.

Impact of Early Childhood Education Service Delivery on Working Class Parents

This study investigated the effect of early childhood education services on working-class parents in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State. The study was guided by four specific objectives which were to examine the impact of early childhood education service delivery on parental job preference, receptivity to in-house caregivers, receptivity to after-school service, and parental job performance in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State. The descriptive research design was adopted. The population for this study was all working-class parents with pre-schoolers but only 150 of them were sampled in the study using a simple random sampling technique. A researcher-designed questionnaire which had a reliability coefficient of .802 was used to collect the data needed for the study. The data collected were analysed using the descriptive statistics of frequency count, and percentage to present the respondent bio-data while the mean was used to answer the research questions. The study revealed that early childhood education service delivery has a positive impact on parental job preference and job performance while the early childhood education service delivery has a negative effect on parental receptivity towards in-house caregivers and after-school service in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State. Hence, it was concluded that early childhood education services have a positive effect on working-class parents in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among many others that ECCE providers should improve their staff requirement policy and ensure proper supervision to better enhance their compliance with the national minimum standard on ECCE so as to better satisfy the parents.

Tuberculosis preventive practices among treatment supporters in Lagos, Nigeria.

Tuberculosis (TB) treatment support is one of the recommended strategies to enhance treatment adherence and outcomes. Treatment supporters are at risk of contracting TB and adequate knowledge of TB and good preventive practices are required for their protection. This study aimed at assessing the knowledge and preventive practices of TB treatment supporters at Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) centers in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos state, Nigeria. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 196 TB treatment supporters selected from five DOTS centers in Lagos. Data were obtained using an adapted pretested questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the factors associated with self-protection practices. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean age of the participants was 37.3 ± 12.1 years. More than half of the respondents were females (59.2%) and immediate family members (61.3%). Overall, 22.5% had good knowledge of TB, while 53.0% had positive attitudes toward TB. Only 26.0% adequately protected themselves from infection. The caregiver's level of education (P = 0.001) and their relationship to the patient (P = 0.001) were significantly associated with good preventive practices in bivariate analysis. Not being related to the patient was a predictor of adequate TB prevention practices (adjusted odds ratio = 2.852; P = 0.006; 95% confidence interval = 1.360-5.984). This study revealed low levels of TB knowledge and fair preventive practices, especially among caregivers who are relatives. There is, therefore, a need to improve population literacy about TB and its prevention and a more focused orientation of relatives who volunteer as treatment supporters, through health education, with periodic monitoring during clinic visits, of how they prevent TB.

Molecular Detection of Measles Virus from Febrile Rash Illness Cases in Lagos State, Nigeria

Measles virus, an RNA virus of the genus Morbillivirus in the family Paramyxoviridae, is the etiological agent of measles disease, the fifth worldwide cause of death in children &lt; 5 years of age. Despite the ongoing immunization progress in Nigeria, several sporadic cases and outbreaks of measles are still being reported annually, even among the immunized in the country. Continuous surveillance and early detection by laboratory diagnosis is of importance for early management of cases and prompt containment of community spread. Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing was used for prompt diagnosis of all febrile rash illness (FRI) cases captured during routine disease surveillance activities in selected Health Facilities in Lagos State from 2016 to 2018. Whole blood or throat swab samples were collected and screened by RT-PCR from 140 consenting FRI patients accessing selected health facilities in Lagos State, Nigeria. Nine (6.4%) out of the 140 samples screened by RT-PCR were positive for Measles RNA. All the 9 measles positive cases were from children ages 1 – 5 years with females being more infected than males in ratio 3:1, although without any statistical significance (p= 0.7735). Out of eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) where FRI cases were sampled, only two of them (Eti-Osa and Lagos Mainland LGAs) account for the nine measles positive cases detected in this work. It is however a possibility that the number of LGAs with positive measles cases could have been more than two if all health facilities in the sampled LGAs were selected for the work, but within the limit of available resources, all health facilities could not be sampled.

Strengthening Gender Equality in Small Business and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS): Comparative Analysis of Kenya and Nigeria

There is an increasing understanding that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can protect the planet, reduce inequality and tackle poverty. However, many small business owners and entrepreneurs in Africa still see it as a misery. This study aims to determine whether the SDG's goal number five (5) is being used to motivate gender equality among small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa, particularly in Kenya and Nigeria. The study focuses on female entrepreneurs. The target population comprised 110 randomly selected businesses operating in Embakasi East constituency in the Embakasi ward in Nairobi County, Kenya, and Ikeja Local Government in Lagos Mainland of Lagos state Nigeria. The sample size was determined by relying on a prior study on women in business in Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research method, administering open-ended interviews to the respondents, and the response rate was 90.91%. Descriptive statistical analysis was adopted, and the examination of the data demonstrated that a significant number of women working in SMEs are unaware of the SDGs in the two countries despite the United Nations (UN) supporting gender equality. The research concludes that there is still a considerable difference between men and women in SMEs in Africa and the awareness of SDG goals is limited. It is recommended that the management of small businesses, regulators, and policymakers should increase the knowledge of the global goals for more awareness and sustainability adoption in African countries. This can also support sustainable business growth and close the inequality gap in small African businesses

LAGOS CINEMA AUDIENCE AND FILM CONTENT PREFERENCES: A USES AND GRATIFICATION APPROACH

Digitalized film houses are located in some parts of Lagos but that does not mean that all film viewers go as far as watching film content in cinemas and film theatres. Some are satisfied with viewing film on portable devices and on television. There is the need to know the cinema going members of the Lagos film audience as well as their film content preferences. Literature review dwelt on the theory, concept and context of Uses and Gratification. The theory thus becomes the underpinning force in this work. The Descriptive Survey research design was adopted, using structured questionnaires to elicit useful data from a sample population determined purposively. Items in the instrument were framed to garner information on key demographics of respondents, cinema going habits as well as their film content preferences. Collection of data was essentially primary and was directly undertaken by the investigator in the immediate pre-Covid 19 environment.Modern day digital cinema houses in Maryland, Ikeja, Surulere, Lagos Island and Victoria Island provided hubs for the clusters of respondents used in the study.Data was analyzed with the use of simple descriptive statistics, while presentation was in tables, frequencies and percentages. Results and findings would reveal that the cinema going film audience in Lagos comprise mainly young persons aged 18 to 40 who are students of tertiary institutions and employees in organizations around the city. These persons reside mostly on the Islands, Lagos Mainland and Ikeja, in that order. Furthermore, film content preferences range from Storyline, to Moral Lesson, to the quality of Acting, in that order. The research has succeeded in answering two burning questions as far as film viewing and cinema going in Lagos is concerned.

Strengthening gender equality in small business and achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs): Comparative analysis of Kenya and Nigeria

Many small business owners and entrepreneurs in Africa still see sustainable development goals as a misery. The study investigates whether sustainable development goal number five (5) is being used to motivate gender equality among small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa, particularly in Kenya and Nigeria. The study focuses on female entrepreneurs and female-owned businesses. Design/methodology/approach. A qualitative approach involving semi-structured in-depth interviews was considered with a target population of 110 participants selected from businesses operating in Embakasi East constituency in the Embakasi ward in Nairobi County, Kenya, and in Ikeja Local Government in the Lagos Mainland of Lagos state Nigeria. The primary interview data was gathered from businesses in the manufacturing, services, information technology, transport, trading, and communications sectors. Findings. From the population of 110 participants, the response rate was 90.91%. Results demonstrated that a significant number of women working in SMEs are unaware of the sustainable development goal number five (5) in the two countries despite the United Nations (UN) supporting gender equality globally. The research concludes that there is still a considerable difference between men and women in small and medium-sized SMEs in Africa, and the awareness of sustainable development goals is limited. Research limitations/implications. The restriction of the dataset from a small sample size of women-owned businesses operating in Embakasi East constituency in the Embakasi ward in Nairobi County, Kenya, and in Ikeja Local Government in the Lagos State Nigeria. The research criteria used to choose study participants were unique to the current research; future researchers may consider changing the research criteria and sample size to broaden the study's focus. Practical implications. The study advances empirical research on sustainable development goal number five (5) by offering evidence of its impact on women-owned businesses. Further, the study throws light on the need to the fact that gender equality is necessary and why women should receive funding and mentoring to help them succeed as business owners. Originality/value. The study provides a comparative study with evidence from two countries, Kenya and Nigeria, on sustainable development goal number five (5) and throws light on the relevance of gender equality on business performance as funding and mentoring will assist women-owned businesses. For Africa to flourish and grow economically, gender equality is crucial.

INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOURS IN MAINLAND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA: NEED FOR COUNSELLING SERVICES

This study examined inappropriate behaviours in public and private primary schools across Mainland Area of Lagos State, Nigeria using a survey research design. The population of the study comprised all the pupils in both public and primary schools in Mainland Area of Lagos State. Through random sampling from randomly selected schools in Lagos Mainland, 53 male and 95 female respondents were respectively selected for the study. An Instrument called Childhood Misbehaviour Inventory was constructed and validated to obtain the data used for the study. Research questions were answered using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-test statistics. It was found that inappropriate behaviours in mainland schools among pupils are bullying, lateness, not paying attention in the class, hatred for teachers, noise making, truancy, walking out of the class during lesson without permission, and sleeping in class. The study also revealed that these inappropriate behaviours in primary schools are as a result of lateness to class by teachers, child abuse, and poor parenting styles, peer influence, sibling rivalry, poverty, unconducive environment and poor parental care among others. The study recommends that counselling should be introduced and made compulsory for all primary schools in Lagos Mainland as a panacea to incessant cases of inappropriate behaviours among the pupils in primary schools so as to catch them young to exhibit appropriate behaviours.Keywords: inappropriate behaviours; students; public schools; private schools; counselling services.

Does Flooding Undermine the Management Capacities of the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Study of Lagos State, Nigeria

Given the dynamics of climate events (hazards) and their linkages to human health, it is imperative to continuallly check the impacts of these events on the public health system. While efforts have been made to understand fluvial flood and COVID-19 vulnerability and impacts, substantial gaps about impacts of their simultaneous occurrence on densely-populated communities abound. This paper presents an assessement of the occurrence of fluvial flooding and its potential to undermine the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos State, Nigeria. This study applied the indicator-based risk assessment method to determine the pattern of COVID-19 risk in the study area. Flood hazard and health facilities datasets of Lagos State were also used to determine the flood extent and pattern of flood-exposed health facilities in ArcGIS 10.7.1. Results revealed that Apapa, Eti Osa, Ibeju Lekki, Mushin, and Lagos Mainland local government areas (LGAs) were at a very high risk of COVID-19. Results also highlight six LGAs that should be prioritized in managing COVID-19 due to the exposure of the majority of its health facilities to flood. Far-reaching recommendations on the need to prioritize these flood-exposed health facilities for COVID-19 risk reduction, humanitarian aid and prevention strategies is made. Also, future research in the study area should explore sustainable strategies to adapt to COVID-19 and flood events from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Investigating the impacts of COVID-19 safety measures and related uncertainties among socially vulnerable groups in Lagos megacity

The emergence of the unique coronavirus disease (COVID-19), associated safety measures and impacts have been experienced differently across various sociodemographic and livelihood groups. As a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 restrictions, this study examined experiences and livelihood uncertainties from socially vulnerable groups. One hundred and fifty responses (150) were recorded from residents in Iwaya, and Makoko areas within Lagos Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos state. Complete lockdown or stay-at-home orders, compulsory face masks in public spaces, curfews, physical and social distancing and restriction of inter-state movements are some of the precautionary/safety measures introduced by the Government and enforced by security agents. The findings show that curfews and restriction of inter-state movements were two of the safety measures that had no or reduced impact (p-values > 0.01) on the respondents’ means of livelihood. Our results reveal that because a larger percentage of male participants are self-employed and owned personal businesses they were more affected by COVID-19 restrictions than females. 42.7% (64) of females and 57.3% (86) of males reported COVID-19-related anxieties and stress from fear of starvation, and contracting the virus, to impacts on money/finances, slow sales and businesses, food supply, job loss, erratic power supply affecting work from home options. 54.7% of respondents had more than 5 people living together, while 84.7% of housing types (128) are bungalows with several rooms inhabited by an average of three to four people per household. Increased stress, fear of hunger, loss of jobs and source of income were some of the negative impacts resulting from the introduction of the COVID-19 safety measures which adversely affected occupations like traders, people engaged in fishing activities, painters, carpenters, hairdressers and barbers, printers and bricklayers. Our work provides insights into the effects of the COVID-19-safety measures and subjective impact across vulnerable groups and occupations.

Willingness to use ice-fish box by fresh fish value-chain actors in Lagos State, Nigeria

A fish preservation technology was developed in the year 2016 by Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, (NSPRI) in a well-insulated container known as “NSPRI Ice-Fish Box” (NSPRI-IFB). The technology was disseminated to fresh fish value-chain actors (farmers, marketers, processors and transporters) in selected coastal local government areas of Lagos State namely Lagos Mainland, Epe, Badagry and Ikorodu which housed Asejere, Epe, Badagry and Ijede fish markets respectively in 2019. The study was conducted in these markets to ascertain the awareness status and determine the willingness of these actors to use NSPRI-IFB. Data were randomly collected from 110 respondents selected through a simple random sampling procedure using questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square statistical tool. Excellent numbers of actors (81.82%) are well aware of NSPRI-IFB while 27.27% of them declare they are not aware. Results further shows that actors are very willing to use NSPRI-IFB for fresh fish preservation (x̄ = 3.87) and transportation (x̄ = 3.81). However, they are not at all willing to use the technology for fish processing (x̄ = 1.67) and curing (x̄ = 1.73). Chi-square analysis reveals significant associations (p≤0.05) between willingness to use NSPRI-IFB and actors’ age and level of education. Conclusively, value-chain actors are well aware and are willing to use the technology. Fresh fish postharvest loss reduction policy should be directed towards mass adoption of NSPRI-IFB.

Effects of Training on Teachers’ Job Performance in Nigeria's Public Secondary Schools

Training plays an essential role in enhancing teachers' job performance in technical/engineering-based subjects and improving students' academic performance. This study intends to investigate the effects of training on teachers’ job performance in teaching technical/engineering-based subjects in public secondary schools. A field survey was carried out among teachers in selected public secondary schools within Lagos Mainland Education District Lagos-State, Nigeria. A simple random sampling technique was employed for this study, and questionnaires were distributed to 200 schoolteachers within the selected public secondary schools. Pearson product-moment correlation and T-test statistics were used in analysing the data collected. The study's findings revealed that teachers' training in teaching technical/engineering-based subjects in secondary schools improves job performance and students’ academic performance. The study's findings also showed that the training for technical/engineering-based subjects teachers ensure increased recognition, promotion, higher pay, and a sense of personal satisfaction. The study concluded that government and educational stakeholders should organise and expose technical/engineering base subject teachers to different on-the-job training that will allow them to grow professionally.

Willingness To Use Ice-Fish Box by Fresh Fish Value-Chain Actors in Lagos State, Nigeria

A fish preservation technology was developed in the year 2016 by Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, (NSPRI) in a well-insulated container known as “NSPRI Ice-Fish Box” (NSPRI-IFB). The technology was disseminated to fresh fish value-chain actors (farmers, marketers, processors and transporters) in selected coastal local government areas of Lagos State namely Lagos Mainland, Epe, Badagry and Ikorodu which housed Asejere, Epe, Badagry and Ijede fish markets respectively in 2019. The study was conducted in these markets to ascertain the awareness status and determine the willingness of these actors to use NSPRI-IFB. Data were randomly collected from 110 respondents selected through a simple random sampling procedure using questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square statistical tool. Excellent numbers of actors (81.82%) are well aware of NSPRI-IFB while 27.27% of them declare they are not aware. Results further shows that actors are very willing to use NSPRI-IFB for fresh fish preservation (x̅ = 3.87) and transportation (x̅ = 3.81). However, they are not at all willing to use the technology for fish processing ( x̅= 1.67) and curing ( x̅= 1.73). Chi-square analysis reveals significant associations (p≤0.05) between willingness to use NSPRI-IFB and actors’ age and level of education. Conclusively, value-chain actors are well aware and are willing to use the technology. Fresh fish postharvest loss reduction policy should be directed towards mass adoption of NSPRI-IFB.

Challenges of Regularisation of Informal Land Holdings in Lagos Mainland, Nigeria

This study investigated the regularization of informal land in Lagos Mainland in order to identify the challenges that are militating against formalization of such holdings. The objectives were to identify all areas that can be regularized by the public authority, to examine the factors militating against public efforts on informal land holders within Lagos-Mainland. The study was conducted with a survey of residents of Odogunyan-WAEC acquisition land community. A second survey was carried out for all professionals in the field of Town Planning, Estate Management and Valuation who were staff of the Directorate of Land Department in the Lagos State Lands Bureau. The data were analyzed mainly with descriptive and inferential statistical tools. Findings showed that factors such as high land charges by the government, complexity of modern methods of land holdings, increased rent seeking behavior, high land values, were considered as problems that hindered residents from formalization. Reducing the charges attached to land regularization is expected to have significant positive impact in Lagos State in general.

Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation Facilities: A Case Study of Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Access to safe drinking water will prevent water borne diseases, disability and death. Clean water and sanitation are crucial to healthy living. Access to good drinking water is indicated by safe water sources. Objectives: The study was conducted to determine access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities amongst residents of Lagos Mainland Local Government Area (LGA), Lagos. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out using mainly interviewer administered questionnaire to 381 participants of not less than 18 years which focused on questions on source of drinking water, sanitation facility and incidence of water borne diseases. Results: Response rate was 94.5%. Majority of the respondents (40%) were between 38-47 years old. Half of the respondents relied on sachet water as source of drinking water while 5% from pipe water in the compound. Majority of the respondents’ households (85%) had access to water within a distance of about 100 metres or less and within 15 minutes or less. About 60% of the household had government piped water into their compound. Majority of the households (80%) had flush toilets while 20% had improved pit latrine. Most of the respondents (80%) were aware that disease can be caused by unsafe drinking water. More than half (55.56%) of the households have not treated water related diseases in the last two months. Conclusion: The surveyed households had close access to safe drinking water. Sachet water was the main source of drinking water. The sanitation facilities in the studied area were adequate for healthy living and good quality of life.

Multiple insecticide resistance mechanisms in urban population of Anopheles coluzzii (Diptera: culicidae) from Lagos, South-West Nigeria

Malaria is a major public health challenge in Africa with Nigeria accounting for the highest burden of the disease in the world. Vector control has proved to be a highly effective component of malaria control, however, the development and spread of insecticide resistance in major vectors of malaria have been a major challenge. This study assessed resistance mechanisms in Anopheles coluzzii populations from Kosofe, Lagos mainland and Ojo Local Government Areas in Lagos, Nigeria where An. gambiae s.l is resistant to DDT and Permethrin. WHO susceptibility bioassay test was used in determining resistance status of An. coluzzii to discriminating doses of DDT and Permethrin while synergist assay was used to assess the involvement of monooxygenases in resistance development. Sub-species of An. gambiae s.l (An. gambiae and An. coluzzii) were identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) while Allele-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (AS-PCR) assay was used to detect knockdown mutation (kdr-West; L1014F). Biochemical assays were used in determining the activities of metabolic enzymes. High DDT resistance was recorded in An. coluzzii populations from the three sites. Mortality rate of mosquitoes exposed confirmed Permethrin resistance in Kosofe (50%) and Lagos mainland (48%) but resistance was suspected in Ojo (96%). All specimens tested were confirmed as An. coluzzii with low kdr frequency; 11.6%, 16.4% and 6.7% in Kosofe, Lagos mainland and Ojo respectively. Pre-exposure to synergist (PBO) before exposure to Permethrin led to increased mortality in all populations. Esterase activity was insignificantly overexpressed in Kosofe (p = 0.849) and Lagos mainland (p = 0.229) populations. In contrast, GST activity was significantly lower in populations from Lagos mainland (63.650 ± 9.861; p = 0.007) and Ojo (91.765 ± 4.959; p = 0.042) than Kisumu susceptible strains (120.250 ± 13.972). Monooxygenase activity was higher in Lagos mainland (2.371 ± 0.261) and Ojo (1.361 ± 0.067) populations, albeit significantly in Lagos mainland (p = 0.007) only. Presence of target-site mutation in all populations, increased mortality with pre-exposure to PBO and elevated monooxygenase in Lagos mainland population were confirmed. Multiple resistance mechanisms in some urban populations of An. coluzzii from Lagos, Nigeria calls for appropriate resistance management strategies.

Evaluation of the Microbial Contamination of Some Snacks: A Case Study of Lagos Mainland, Lagos State, Nigeria

This study was undertaken to evaluate the microbial contamination of some locally prepared snacks sold by street vendors in Lagos mainland, Lagos State, Nigeria. A total of (20) twenty snack samples- Meat-pie, Sausage roll, Egg roll, Puff puff and Doughnut were aseptically purchased in a sterilized polythene bags from four different locations in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area. The snacks were analyzed by standard microbiological methods using Bergey’s manual to determine the colony-forming units per gram, to isolate and determine the number of microbiological population contaminants. Unilag showed the bacteria count on snacks as follows: Meat-pie 1.50 × 106 cfu/ g), Sausage 2.20× 106 cfu/ g, Doughnut 3.20× 105 cfu/ g, Puffpuff 1.58x 106 cfµ/ g and Egg roll 9.80x105 cfµ/ g. At Yaba - Meat pie had bacteria count of 1.82x102cfµ / g, Sausage 7.00x101cfµ / g, Doughnut 1.09x 102 cfµ /g, Puff puff 3.64x104 cfµ/ g and Egg roll 5.00x101 cfµ/g. Snacks from Oyingbo had no growth on Meat pie, Doughnut and Puff puff but had bacteria cou nts on Sausage (1.00x102) and on Egg roll (1.95× 105 cfµ/ g).At Abule-Oja- Meat pie had bacteria count of 9.75x104 cfµ/ g, Puff puff 1.65x105 cfµ/ g and Egg roll 1.95x105 cfu/ g.The location with lowest bacteria count was Oyingbo which had no growth on a Meat pie, Doughnut and Puff puff, but had on Sausage 1.00x102 cfµ/ g and Egg roll 9.60x102 cfµ/ g. There were no coliforms in all the locations. Bacteria percentage range was 10.52% to 36.84%while Fungi percentage range was 0.71% - 37.59%. Four bacteria and seven fungi were identified: Bacillus cereus, Bacillus substillis, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus delbruckii with Aspergillus niger, Penicillium notatum, Trichoderma spp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Fusarium spp. and Aspergillus flavus. Bacillus cereus had the highest prevalence of 36.84%, Bacillus substillis 31.58%, Staphylococcus aureus 21.05% and Lactobacillus delbruckii 10.52%. Bacillus species were present at all sampled sites. It is concluded that the quality of these snacks can be improved by following quality control protocol and good manufacturing practices (GMP) in food.

Teachers’ Awareness and Competence in the Switch from Classroom-Based to Online Teaching During COVID-19 Pandemic in Lagos, Nigeria

In the COVID-19 era, success in online curriculum delivery requires expertise, skills and competence. The study appraised the teachers’ awareness and competence in the switch from classroom-based to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos Mainland secondary schools, Nigeria. The study examined teachers’ awareness and competence level in the switch from classroom-based to online teaching using a descriptive survey research design. Random sampling was used to determine the sample size, which comprises 378 public secondary school teachers. A self-developed questionnaire was used to generate data. Cronbach Alpha method was used to determine the reliability of the instrument, and the pilot study yielded a coefficient of 0.83, which was deemed high enough to make the instrument reliable for the study. Frequency counts, mean, and standard deviation were used to analyse the data obtained, while chi-square (?2) was used to analysed the null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that teachers are reasonably aware of the switch from classroom-based to online teaching. However, the results demonstrated that teachers have low competence due to a lack of technological resources and technical know-how. Recommendations were made, among others, that teachers should keep up with the latest developments in the teaching field via development programmes. More importantly, teachers should be well-versed in the use of digital to accomplish instructional objectives efficiently, confidently, particularly during COVID-19 when classroom-based instruction was suspended.