Lagos Nigeria Research Articles

Association between periodontal disease and systemic disease: Awareness and knowledge among medical outpatients in Lagos state university teaching hospital (LASUTH)

Background: The bidirectional relationship between periodontal diseases and systemic health has recently attracted research attention. Knowledge of this relationship among the populace has not been encouraging. Hence this study is aimed at determining the level of knowledge of the medical outpatients of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Lagos Nigeria about periodontal disease, and its association with general health. Method: A cross-sectional survey involving 400 medical outpatients in LASUTH. Demographic characteristics, knowledge of periodontal disease, and its association with systemic illnesses were collected via a self-administered questionnaire. Each correct response attracted a score of 1 and 0 respectively. Data was analyzed using SPSS 23 software. Mean and standard deviation was calculated for quantitative variables and appropriate tests were used for hypothesis testing. Bivariate association of the age, sex, level of education, and knowledge of periodontal diseases and the relationship with systemic diseases were estimated. Binary logistic analysis was carried out to control for confounders. Significance was determined at p≤0.05. Result: Age ranged from 20-79 years. 51-65 years old formed the largest age group in the study. Male to female ratio was 1:1.2, 124 (31%) had adequate knowledge of periodontal disease while 31 (7.8%) had adequate knowledge of the association between periodontal and systemic diseases. Age (p=0.00) was statistically significant with knowledge of both periodontal disease and its association with systemic diseases. Level of education shows statistical significance (p≤0.05) with knowledge of periodontal disease only. Logistic regression reveals a significant association between age, educational status, and the knowledge of periodontal disease (p≤0.05), while the secondary level of education was the only significant factor in the knowledge of the association between periodontal disease and systemic diseases p≤0.05. Conclusion: Knowledge of Periodontal disease and its association with systemic illnesses among the population studied is grossly inadequate, especially among the lower rung in educational status and the elderly. There is a need for a widespread awareness program via lectures and social media to engage all age groups and social status.

ISOLATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND BIOCIDAL STUDIES OF PREDOMINANT BIOFOULING PROTEUS STRAINS AND FUNGI ON BOAT HULLS

Coliform bacteria occurring in bio?lms were isolated from the hulls of boats at the Ojo water front, Lagos Nigeria using MacConkey agar and Eosine methylene blue agar. They were subsequently identi?ed by phylogenetic analysis using 16S rDNA sequences and assessed for antimicrobial susceptibility to industrial in-can biocide (Acticide BX-H). All the sequences were classified using the Ribosomal database project (RDP) and submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Analysis using 16S rDNA indicated that the 16 strains sequenced belonged to the Enterobacteriaceae family and included Proteus mirabilis strain BB2000, P. mirabilis strain UT5, P. vulgaris strain CYPV1, P. penneri strain YCY34 and Proteus sp.CIFE_HT14. Fungi isolated were Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Candida albicans and Penicillim chrysogenum. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) observed was 20µL/ml for P. mirabilis, P. vulgaris and P. penneri strains respectively. For fungal isolates, MICs were 40µL/ml, 40µL/ml, 20µL/ml, 40µL/ml and 40µL/ml for F. oxysporum, A. flavus, A. niger, C. albicans and P. chrysogenum respectively. Zones of inhibition recorded were 20.25mm, 17.75mm, 15.50mm, 15. 22mm and 14.50mm for P. penneri strain YCY34, P. vulgaris strain CYPV1, P. mirabilis strain BB2000, P. mirabilis strain UT5 and Proteus sp. CIFE_HT14 respectively. Result of the study showed that the biocide has a broad spectrum antimicrobial activity.

Technology Transfer and Industrial Linkages for Entrepreneurial Development: A Study of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Lagos Nigeria

This study examined the relationship between technology transfer and industrial linkages in the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Lagos Nigeria. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. Primary data was generated through structured questionnaire. The population for the study was fifty-three (53) employees in Technology Transfer Division and Industrial Linkages Division. The entire population was used as a sample size the population was small hence indicating a census. The reliability of the instrument was achieved by the use of the Cronbach Alpha coefficient with all the items scoring above 0.70. The hypothesis was tested using the Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23.0. The test was carried out at a 95% confidence interval and a 0.05 level of significance. The finding revealed that there is a significant relationship between technology transfer and industrial linkages in the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Lagos Nigeria. The study recommends that Research Institute-industry linkages are essential for stimulating technology transfer in Nigeria. Therefore, there is a need to improve the linkage between Research Institute-industry linkages in technology transfer.

Effect of Green Human Resource Management Practices and Green Work Life Balance on Operational Efficiency in Selected Hospitality Firms in Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria

Operational efficiency is delivering of quality goods and services to clients in the most cost-effective and timely manner. The growing threat of unsustainable use of natural resources is one of the most significant environmental factors, alongside deforestation, biodiversity loss, ozone layer deterioration, global warming, and climate change. Unfortunately, the tourism and Hospitality Industry's in Nigeria is complicit in this regard; hotels are renowned for high water consumption, interior recycling of enormous volumes of garbage, and air quality difficulties, among other things. Observed among the problems in the Hospitality Sector is the reduction on return on assets, return on capital employed and other indicators due to poor operational efficiency stemming from lack of proper green human resource management practices and green work life balance initiatives. Therefore, this paper examines the effect of green human resource management practices, green work life balance on operational efficiency of selected hospitality firms in Lagos and Ogun states Nigeria. The data collected through the primary sources (questionnaire) were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics employing regression analysis. The study revealed that Green human resource management practices, green work life balance had significant and positive effects on operational efficiency in hospitality firms in Lagos and Ogun States Nigeria (Adj. R2 = 0.372, F (4, 363) = 89.861, p < 0.05).

Determinants of Digital Banking Convenience and Customer Satisfaction of Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria

The banking industry has enjoyed customer loyalty for over a decade with a high customer retention rate across board but the emergence of technology within the banking sector has aroused the interest of customer to switch from one bank to the other. Worst still, competitors from adjacent information technology driven industries and other financial organization are now flooding the market with innovative, creative and technology-driven idea which is a deviation from the conventional banking system and customers now are making decisions much faster and have access to a plethora of offers, leaving financial institutions struggling for customer loyalty. Therefore, the study examined the determinants of digital banking convenience and its effect on customers’ satisfaction in selected money deposit banks in Lagos State, Nigeria.The research designs adopted for this study was survey research design. The target population for this study was customers of the selected deposit money banks in Lagos State, Nigeria. The sample size for the study was 140 and simple random sampling technique was adopted for the study. The research instrument was questionnaire which was validated by the supervisor and the reliability was 0.731. The data for the study were analysed using simple regression analysis.The study showed that digital banking has significant effect on customers’ satisfaction in selected deposit money banks in Lagos State, Nigeria. The finding also revealed that speed of delivery has significant effect on customers’ satisfaction of deposit money banks in Lagos State, Nigeria with Adj R2 = 0. 173; F-Statistics (df = 4, 432) = 27.559 and p-value = 0.000. The study revealed that ease of use has significantly effect on customers’ satisfaction of customers in deposit money banks in Lagos state Nigeria with Adj R2 =0.340; F-Statistics (df = 4, 432).= 66.312 and p-value = 0.000.The study concluded that customers prefer digital banking services which would pave for sustainable development to the banking industry. It is however recommended the gains of this innovation should be consolidated through provision of more service points and user-friendly customer-oriented financial products.

Qualitative Analysis of Quality of Life of Frontline Health Care Workers During Covid-19 Pandemic in Lagos State

Frontline health care workers seem to be the most affected category of people during any pandemic. Therefore, the study assessed quality of life of frontline health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Lagos State. This study adopted descriptive phenomenology research design. An interview guide was used to determine quality of life of frontline healthcare workers. The sample consisted of 14 interviewees while qualitative data collected were subjected to thematic analysis. The result of findings revealed that frontline health workers experienced fatigue, discomfort, helplessness, fear and concern for COVID-19 patients, and traumatic experiences. Findings further revealed that there was too much workload at a time because of the increased COVID-19 patient compared to the available volunteers, fear of contracting the virus, the joy of seeing their patients getting well and reuniting back with their families. It was recommended among others that the welfare of health care workers should be put as priority in Lagos State and Nigeria in general as this may discourage brain drain causing limited number of frontline healthcare workers available during outbreak of infectious disease.

An Assessment of the Impact of Quality Assessment System on Building Projects in Lagos State, Nigeria

Quality practices focus on producing quality buildings in terms of aesthetics, durability, functionality, reduced cost and time completion of project. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of quality assessment system on building projects in Lagos state. In order to realize this aim, the study examined the impacts of quality assessment system on building project in the study area. The study employed a descriptive case study design where data was collected from senior managers, project managers, engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, and technical managers working with building construction companies in the Lagos Metropolitan Area using the mixed method approach. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaire from 109 randomly selected participants and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was collected through interviews with 9 purposively selected respondents and analysed using the thematic analysis technique. The study shows that quality assessment help us timely completion of construction projects within planned budget, improvement of the image of the firm Quality assessment as well as reduced project delivery time. The study concludes that the most visible impact of implementing quality assessment was an increase in customer satisfaction as conducting quality assessment reduces the number of customer complaints and helps the companies to reduce material wastage, increase confidence and team spirit among project workers, improve safety records, and enhance the image of the company. The quality assessment has a significant positive impact on project delivery in Lagos Nigeria.

Motivational Factors and Achievement of Classroom Teaching Effectiveness in Nigerian Public Secondary Schools

Abstract This paper examined the effect of teachers' motivational factors on the achievement of classroom teaching effectiveness in public secondary schools in Nigeria. A survey research design was used for the study. The respondents were 200 qualified teachers, both males and females randomly selected from 10 public secondary schools in Agege Local Government area of Lagos Nigeria. The research instrument for the study was the questionnaire titled Teachers' Motivation Questionnaire (TMQ). The data collected were analyzed using percentage and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r-test) at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that if teachers are adequately motivated, they would discharge their duties in the classroom efficiently and effectively. Based on the findings, it was recommended that to ensure classroom teaching effectiveness, a teacher needs not only adjustment and regular payment of salaries and allowances, but the right technology and facilities for efficiency and effective classroom management. Government, parents, and the society were also asked to assist by providing motivational incentives such as housing, car loans, and subsidized health care services as well as organizing skill-development seminars and workshops for teachers. Teaching personnel should be led and not bossed to be effective and efficient. Keywords: Motivational factors, achievement, classroom, teaching effectiveness

Numerical modelling of sediment transport in southwest coast of Nigeria: Implications for sustainable management of coastal erosion in the Bight of Benin

Coastal erosion is widespread across the Bight of Benin owing to the perturbation of the sediment transport by the installation of the major ports of Lomé (Togo), Cotonou (Benin), and Lagos (Nigeria), among other factors. While different coastal management measures have been put in place to mitigate the effects of this hazard, they have seldom lessened the damage caused by it. To this end, this study examined the coastal processes in Southwest Nigeria (Barrier-Lagoon and Mud coast sections) through the numerical modelling of the hydrodynamic, spectral-wave, and sediment transport for three months to apprehend the poor performance of the management measures. Model results reveal that the nearshore current is mainly directed eastward with the persistent exposure of the area to wave-action. Two major sediment transports; the eastward/south-eastward and westward/north-westward sediment transports, were also identified. The predominance of these sediment transport patterns implies that the continuous adoption of reactive, site-specific hard-engineering coastal management approaches will give counter-productive results. Thus, to sustainably manage the coastal erosion problem across the Bight of Benin, there is the need to adopt a long-term, regional perspective with a cascade of coastal management measures covering all areas under the influence of the predominant sediment transports.

Sustaining urbanization while undermining sustainability: the socio-environmental characterization of coastal sand mining in Lagos Nigeria.

Sand mining is a global activity that has attracted wide attention due partly to its invaluable positive contributions to development and partly to its negative socio-environmental impacts. While sand mining supports urbanization by providing essential aggregate materials for urban real estate and construction sectors, it however undermines environmental sustainability especially in coastal regions. In spite of this, very sparse research has explained the socio-environmental dimensions of sand mining in Nigerian coastal communities. This study therefore explored the drivers and impacts of sand mining based on the data from a survey of residents in four Lagos sand mining coastal communities. Results showed that sand mining activity is driven by a number of urbanization related factors while sand mining impacts are underlined by a number of sustainability related factors. However, using exploratory analytical techniques we found that four urbanization components described the drivers of sand mining and four sustainability components described the impacts of sand mining in Lagos. The paper concludes on the puzzling dilemma of sand mining that supports thriving urbanization but undermines environmental sustainability in Lagos. The implications of the findings for environmental sustainability in Lagos coastal areas were concisely presented.

Manufacturer and Distributor’s Performance Measurement: A Case Study of Small-Scale Manufacturing Company in Lagos Nigeria

Manufacturer and Distributor’s Performance Measurement: A Case Study of Small-Scale Manufacturing Company in Lagos Nigeria

Occurrence and Clinical Characteristics of Vaginitis among Women of Reproductive Age in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: Vaginitis is an important public health problem globally. It is associated with gynaecological and obstetric complications. Vulvovaginal candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis are mainly responsible for vaginitis. The aim of this study is to determine the occurrence, clinical characteristics and associated risk factors of vulvovaginal candidiasis and bacterial vaginosis among women of reproductive age attending Primary Health Care centres in Lagos Nigeria. Methods:This cross-sectional study recruited 258 women with genital complaints after obtaining their informed written consent between May 2017 and March 2018. Structured questionnaires were administered and high vaginal swabs were collected for laboratory examination. The results were analysed with descriptive statistics, chi-square and simple logistic regression. Results: Out of the 210 (81.4%) of the women with one or more vaginal infections, 105 (50.0%), 26 (12.4%) had bacterial vaginosis, and vulvovaginal candidiasis respectively while 78 (37.1%) had both vulvovaginal candidiasis and bacterial vaginosis. Only 1 (0.5%) participant had trichomoniasis and bacterial vaginosis. History of abortion and age below 25 years were associated with vulvovaginal candidiasis while pregnancy, history of miscarriage, age at first sexual activity and discharge were associated with bacterial vaginosis. Itching was associated with both vulvovaginal candidiasis and bacterial vaginosis. Conclusion: This study revealed vulvovaginal candidiasis and bacterial vaginosis as important cause of genital complaints among reproductive age women in Lagos. Health education, robust diagnosis and early treatment are needed in order to reduce the associated risk factors, disease burden and complications.

Supply Chain Management: Empirical Case Study of a Small-Scale Manufacturing Company in Nigeria

The supply chain of a manufacturing company can be classified into three categories namely: 1) supplier chain; these are a network of suppliers of raw materials, machinery, and other requirements for daily operations for the company; 2) internal chain; these are departmental or functional relationships within the organization like production, finance, marketing, logistic and quality control departments all interacting together to achieve the goals and objective of the company; and 3) customer chain; these are networks used for products distribution to the final consumer which includes the product distributors and retailers in the marketplace as may be applicable. In a developing country like Nigeria where government infrastructures are poor or in some cases none in existence, the survival of a small-scale manufacturing company often depends on how effectively its supply chain is managed. In Nigeria, suppliers of machinery and raw materials to most manufacturing companies are from low-cost but high-tech countries like China or India. The problem with the supply chain from these countries apart from the language barrier between these countries and Nigeria is also that of product quality and after-sales support services. The internal chain also requires funding to employ an experienced and trained workforce to deliver the company’s goals and objectives effectively and efficiently which is always a challenge for small scale manufacturers including product marketing. In Nigeria, the management of the supply chain by small scale manufacturers is further complicated by unfavourable government policies. This empirical research is a review and analysis of the supply chain management of a small-scale manufacturing company located in Lagos Nigeria. The company performance for the past five years has been on the decline and company management thinks there is a need for a review of its supply chain management for business survival. The company’s supply chain is analysed and compared with best global practices in this research and recommendations made to the company management. The research outcome justifies the company’s need for a strategic change in its supply chain management for business sustainability and provides a learning point to small-scale manufacturing companies from developing countries of Africa.

BUSINESS PERFORMANCE OF MSMES AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN: A CASE STUDY OF THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SECTOR

Covid-19 pandemic had created the “new normal” in our society and this has led to a colossal economic loss for lots of businesses across the globe. This study intends to evaluate the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on business performance of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in food and beverage sector within the Ikeja local government, Lagos Nigeria. Structured questionnaire was developed and was divided into four parts: The demographic, financial, sales and operational performance. The financial, sales and operational performance scales were with 3 different periods (pre Covid-19 lockdown, Covid-19 lockdown and partial Covid-19 lockdown) with respect to the Covid-19 pandemic (15 items). Financial performance before Covid-19 lock down and lockdown and partial lockdown era shows r= -0.762 and 0.436 respectively at p<0.01. Also, financial performance during lockdown and partial lockdown era is r= -0.438 at p<0.01. Financial performance and sale with operational performance during Covid-19 lock down period shows r= -0.284 and 0.210 respectively at p=0.004 and p=0.032 respectively. There was no statistically significant difference with the years of business experience [F(2, 101) =0.251, p=0.779] on financial performance during Covid-19 lockdown. On how effect of the Covid-19 pandemic was felt on business performance with gender, there was no statistically significant difference between males and females on the combined dependent variables: F (5,102) =1.308, p=0.267; Wilks’ Lambda=0.937; partial eta squared=0.063, The Covid-19 pandemic with the lockdown that associate with it had a negative impact on the financial performance of the MSMEs that were involved in this study when compared with the period when there was no lockdown.

Transitioning to electrified, automated and shared mobility in an African context: A comparative review of Johannesburg, Kigali, Lagos and Nairobi

This article focuses on the drivers and barriers afforded by three innovations—automated vehicles, electric mobility, and ridesharing and bike-sharing—in the four African urban areas of Johannesburg (South Africa), Kigali (Rwanda), Lagos (Nigeria) and Nairobi (Kenya). We ask: what are the drivers behind these innovations in these regions? What are the potential barriers? And what implications for policy or sustainability transitions emerge? Based on a review of the academic literature, we argue that these innovations are particularly important at providing low-carbon transitions for the transport sector, even though low-carbon development is an important topic that is under-researched in many developing economies. We begin by introducing these three innovations and justifying our four case studies. We base the research design on an interdisciplinary critical and umbrella literature review. We then discuss the results of our review, which is organized as a dualism of positive drivers and negative barriers, before discussing how to better harness innovation for low-carbon mobility in an African context. We find that the possible benefits of our three innovations exist only juxtaposed against negative barriers; no innovation is purely positive or negative and all of them have multiple dimensions of positivity and negativity. Although we have treated each of the three innovations as fairly isolated from one another, there are emergent (and potentially strong) couplings or entanglements between them, e.g. between electrification and two-wheelers or automation and ridesharing. In some contexts, hybridization, incrementalism and leapfrogging are seen as positive attributes and desirable characteristics of planning and technology adoption.

Hybridized off-grid fuel cell/wind/solar PV /battery for energy generation in a small household: A multi-criteria perspective

In this paper, the robust capability of HOMER and Criteria-COPRAS is deployed to explore the prospect of selecting a renewable energy system. The energy system consisting of wind turbines, solar photovoltaic (PV), fuel cell (FC), electrolyzer, hydrogen storage, and battery energy storage is intended to power a residential load in Lagos Nigeria. Based on the economic metric, the results show that the optimal system is a PV-Battery whose total net present cost (TNPC) and initial investment cost are $9060 and $3,818, respectively. However, if the energy systems are ranked based on multiple criteria (economic, technical and environmental aspects), the most preferred of the feasible energy systems is a hybrid PV-FC-wind-battery (TNPC-$10,324, initial cost: $7670). The study results indicate that, for viability in the adoption of hydrogen energy storage as part of the hybrid energy system, the selection metric should be based on more than one criterion.

Trade, Violence and Diplomacy on the Coast of Ikorodu: The Resistance of Balogun Mabadeje Jaiyesimi

From the 1850s, British influence in Lagos and coastal Nigeria expanded, leading to the annexation of Lagos in December 1861 and the establishment of Lagos Colony in 1862. This period also witnessed the British quest for the control of coastal and inland trade routes. Ikorodu’s location north of Lagos and on the lagoon, and its control of trade from the coast to Sagamu, the main city of Remo, involved the town in larger struggles between the Ijebu kingdom and the Egba settlers at Abeokuta, and in the expansionist plans for Lagos under Governor Henry Stanhope Freeman (1862–4) and his successor, Captain John Hawley Glover (1864–6).
 This article explores how Ikorodu successfully manoeuvred between these differen interests under the leadership of Balogun Mabadeje Jaiyesimi to defeat its external aggressors and to increase its independence. It not only addresses the dearth of published work on Ikorodu but also provides a response to Earl Phillips’ discussion of the unsuccessful 1864–5 Egba attack on Ikorodu. Unlike Philips, who suggests that the Egba defeat was primarily engineered by John Glover, this article emphasises the importance of Balogun Jaiyesimi’s strategic and negotiating skills, which led to the formation of a local coalition between Ikorodu and its neighbouring towns, especially Igbogbo, to ensure Ikorodu’s military victory.

Dealing with impact of COVID-19 on transportation in a developing country: Insights and policy recommendations

While developed nations have established policy frameworks for dealing with various macroeconomic shocks, developing countries respond to the influx of COVID-19 on heterogeneous scales, borne out of varying institutional bottlenecks. These inadequate transport facilities are not diversified enough to deal with an impending public health crisis. With the growing divergence in public transport management procedures and societal responses and willingness to adjust to a "new normal" transport procedures in time of COVID-19 and post-pandemic, it becomes expedient to learn evidence-based policy responses to transport service delivery. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with commuters and operators were thematically analysed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on transportation in Lagos Nigeria. The analysis revealed that increased cost of transportation, financial sustainability, changes in travel needs and loss of revenue were the significant impacts of the pandemic. This study contributes such that transport stakeholders can better understand how to navigate their transportation needs at this time of global uncertainty. The understanding of these impacts advances policy recommendations that are most inclined to the development objectives of developing nations in the time of COVID-19 and beyond. The limitations and suggestions for further research were discussed.

Residents perception of crime characteristic and its causation across residential densities in Mushin, Lagos Nigeria

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine crime characteristics and its causation in Mushin Lagos Nigeria. The incidence of urban crime in Nigeria has been associated with increasing urbanization, high poverty level, congestion, unemployment, deprivation, income inequality, poor physical planning and design, political democratization, disorganization and moral decadence and breakdown in infrastructure. Hence, tackling urban crimes in selected communities within Lagos state will address several issues, creating inclusiveness and safer communities.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were collected through questionnaire administration on three income groups, cutting across 14 communities in the study area. Multistage sampling techniques were adopted to select six communities (Idi Araba, Idi Oro, Fadeyi, Ilasamaja Papa Ajao and Ilupeju), 60 streets and 144 respondents for this study. Respondents selected for this study are individuals who have stayed in the communities for more than five years.FindingsThis study reports no statistically significant variation in the crime occurrence by type across the selected communities. However, residents experienced a high occurrence of crime against a person in robbery, assault and pocket-picking, especially among the low-income earners. The same trend was observed in crimes against property such as theft, burglary and store breaking in the low- and middle-income areas, whereas burglary, theft and car theft have high occurrence in the high-income areas. In addition, crimes against morality inform of gambling, prostitution and offences against public peace were high in the low- and high-income areas, whereas gambling, prostitution and bribery are common in the middle-income areas.Practical implicationsThis study identifies appropriate policies for combating crime. Collective values promote citizen participation and encourage Do It Yourself in the communities. Stakeholders’ crime prevention mechanism will create safer communities. Social crime prevention and environmental design is an instrument for creating safer cities.Originality/valueThe outcome of this study addresses goal 11 of the SDGs if properly managed.

Pediatric brain abscess - etiology, management challenges and outcome in Lagos Nigeria.

Background: Brain abscess in children is a neurosurgical emergency with potentially catastrophic outcome despite the advances made in neuroimaging techniques and antibiotic therapy. Symptoms are nonspecific and may vary with the child’s age, location, size, numbers and stage of abscess, and the primary source of infection. Treatment is usually with broad-spectrum antibiotics in combination and surgical evacuation in most cases or antibiotics alone in selected cases with clear-cut indications. This study was to document clinical characteristics, etiological factors, and spectrum of bacteriologic agents responsible for pediatric brain abscess in an African city, the challenges and management outcome over the study period.Methods: This was a retrospective study over an 11-year period involving 89 children who presented with brain abscess. Information of interest was extracted from the medical records of each participant. The results from data analysis were presented in charts and tables.Results: Eighty-nine children aged 0.85–15.7 years (median age of 6.4 years) met the inclusion criteria. The male-to-female ratio was 1.8:1. Headache (80%), fever (78%), and hemiparesis (78%) were the most common symptoms. Brain imaging deployed was CT scan in 56 (63%), MRI in 9 (10%), and transfontanel ultrasound scan in 24 (27%) children. Seventy-one (80%) children had antibiotics with surgical evacuation while 18 (20%) children received only antibiotics. In 19 (27%) children, the culture of the abscess was negative. In 53 (75%) children, Gram-positive aerobic organisms were isolated. A total of 75 patients (84%) had a favorable outcome.Conclusion: Pediatric brain abscess still poses significant public health challenge, especially in resource-limited regions. Successful management of brain abscess requires high index of suspicion for early diagnosis, referral, and intervention.