Local Government Area In Nigeria Research Articles

Effectiveness of Providing Cash Incentives and Training To Community Health Workers on Active Case Finding for Tuberculosis In Nigeria: A Cluster-Randomized Control Trial

Background Case detection for Tuberculosis remains low in high-burden communities. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are the first point of contact for many rural Nigerians and have been useful in active case finding. This study assessed the effectiveness of cash incentives and training on tuberculosis case detection by CHWs in six Local Government Areas in Nigeria. Materials and Methods A cluster randomized control trial with three arms was conducted. Arm A received cash incentives and training, Arm B received only training, and the control arm (C) received neither. CHWs already working in the communities participated. TB case notification and number of community outreaches held were used to assess intervention effects. Data were analyzed using STATA (v.13) and GraphPad Prism (v.8). Effect sizes were calculated using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Associations were tested using Chi-square (χ²) tests, with significance set at P=0.05. Results Arm A had a 14.4% increase in case notification, Arm B showed a 7.4% increase, and the control arm showed a 39.7% increase from the previous year. Arms A and B had lower odds of TB case notification post-intervention, compared to the control (OR = 0.819 and 0.769, respectively), with no significant difference between them. Arm A also saw a 144.8% increase in community outreaches, compared to 46.7% in Arm B and 22.7% in Control Arm C. Arms A and B had higher odds of carrying out community outreaches post-intervention compared to the control (OR = 1.995 and 1.195, respectively), but no significant differences were found between the groups regarding community outreach. Conclusion While the interventions resulted in an increased number of community outreaches compared to the control, case notification improved more in the control arm than in the intervention arms. Nevertheless, the findings highlight the potential of combining cash incentives with training to improve TB control efforts at the community level. Further exploration of the implementation process may shed light on the observed outcomes and guide future intervention strategies.

Socio-Economic Factors Impacting Education Attainment in Primary Schools in Katagum LGA, Bauchi State Nigeria

In recognizing education as a fundamental right, Nigeria has striven to eliminate barriers that impede access, ensuring that learners from diverse backgrounds can thrive and contribute meaningfully to society. This endeavor is grounded in the belief that education is not just a privilege but a powerful catalyst for personal growth, social progress, and global harmony. However, despite this, Nigeria has the highest number of children not enrolled in school even globally. This study explores socio economic factors affecting enrollment in primary schools in Katagum Local Government Area in Nigeria. The Human Capital Theory by economists Gary Becker and Theodore Schultz guided this study. A qualitative study, framed within an interpretivism paradigm, drawn on a phenomenology design was used. 29 participants were purposively sampled from the study’s population who are stakeholders of primary education including parents, teachers, head teachers and Education Secretary while the data were generated using interviews and focus group discussions and thematically analysed. Trustworthiness was ensured and ethical principles were adhered to. Findings revealed that the stakeholders perceived socio-economic factors affecting enrollment in primary schools as poverty, child labour, distance norms and location of the school, influx of Internally Displaced Persons, belief system and unemployment. It was envisioned that, strategies like abolishing of school fees, shifting socio-cultural norms, introduction of skills acquisition, school’s improvement projects and offering financial incentives to poor families would improve and sustain enrollment in primary schools.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Risk Assessment of Particulate Matter in Five Health Centers in Akure, Nigeria

This study presents a comprehensive assessment of indoor particulate matter (PM) concentrations, focusing on PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 in five primary health centers (PHCs): Arakale (Urban), the Federal College of Agriculture (FECA) (Urban), Iju (semi-urban), Oba-Ile (semi-urban), and Owode (Rural) within Akure local government areas in Nigeria. The primary novelty of this research lies in its detailed exploration of the toxicity potential of these PM fractions, providing valuable insights into the local air quality and associated health risks. This study assesses the health implications by calculating the toxicity potential (TP), relative risk (RR), excess risk (ER), and attributable fractions (Afs) for cardiopulmonary and lung cancer mortality. The results reveal varying RR values for all-cause mortality, with Arakale showing a slight elevation (RR: 1.061), indicating potential health risks. ER values for cardiopulmonary mortality range from 14.728 ± 7.25 to 19.04 ± 0.38, emphasizing the substantial excess risk associated with long-term PM2.5 exposure. The study also uncovers Afs for cardiopulmonary mortality ranging between 11.03 ± 0.31 and 19.22 ± 0.04, underscoring the significant contribution of PM to cardiovascular and respiratory health risks. Similarly, Afs for lung cancer mortality range from 10.03 ± 0.012 to 17.13 ± 0.10, highlighting the substantial association between PM2.5 exposure and lung cancer risk. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted air quality management strategies and public health interventions in the studied locations to mitigate the heightened health risks associated with particulate matter pollution. The calculated RR, ER, and AF values offer crucial insights into the complex relationship between PM exposure and adverse health outcomes, providing a foundation for informed decision-making and future research endeavors.

Mapping heterogeneity in family planning indicators in Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Nigeria, 2000–2020

BackgroundFamily planning is fundamental to women’s reproductive health and is a basic human right. Global targets such as Sustainable Development Goal 3 (specifically, Target 3.7) have been established to promote universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services. Country-level estimates of contraceptive use and other family planning indicators are already available and are used for tracking progress towards these goals. However, there is likely heterogeneity in these indicators within countries, and more local estimates can provide crucial additional information about progress towards these goals in specific populations. In this analysis, we develop estimates of six family indicators at a local scale, and use these estimates to describe heterogeneity and spatial–temporal patterns in these indicators in Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Nigeria.MethodsWe used a Bayesian geostatistical modelling framework to analyse geo-located data on contraceptive use and family planning from 61 household surveys in Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Nigeria in order to generate subnational estimates of prevalence and associated uncertainty for six indicators from 2000 to 2020: contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR), modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR), traditional contraceptive prevalence rate (tCPR), unmet need for modern methods of contraception, met need for family planning with modern methods, and intention to use contraception. For each country and indicator, we generated estimates at an approximately 5 × 5-km resolution and at the first and second administrative levels (regions and provinces in Burkina Faso; counties and sub-counties in Kenya; and states and local government areas in Nigeria).ResultsWe found substantial variation among locations in Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Nigeria for each of the family planning indicators estimated. For example, estimated CPR in 2020 ranged from 13.2% (95% Uncertainty Interval, 8.0–20.0%) in Oudalan to 38.9% (30.1–48.6%) in Kadiogo among provinces in Burkina Faso; from 0.4% (0.0–1.9%) in Banissa to 76.3% (58.1–89.6%) in Makueni among sub-counties in Kenya; and from 0.9% (0.3–2.0%) in Yunusari to 31.8% (19.9–46.9%) in Somolu among local government areas in Nigeria. There were also considerable differences among locations in each country in the magnitude of change over time for any given indicator; however, in most cases, there was more consistency in the direction of that change: for example, CPR, mCPR, and met need for family planning with modern methods increased nationally in all three countries between 2000 and 2020, and similarly increased in all provinces of Burkina Faso, and in large majorities of sub-counties in Kenya and local government areas in Nigeria.ConclusionsDespite substantial increases in contraceptive use, too many women still have an unmet need for modern methods of contraception. Moreover, country-level estimates of family planning indicators obscure important differences among locations within the same country. The modelling approach described here enables estimating family planning indicators at a subnational level and could be readily adapted to estimate subnational trends in family planning indicators in other countries. These estimates provide a tool for better understanding local needs and informing continued efforts to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services.

Simulation of excess lifetime cancer risk due to the presence of radon in groundwater in Wamba town of Wamba local government area, Nasarawa state, Nigeria

The measurements of Radon concentration in ten groundwater (4-wells and 6-boreholes) from Wamba town of Wamba Local Government Area of Nigeria had been carried out. The annual effective dose (AED) and the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) due to ingestion of the groundwater was established to ascertain the risk outcome from the samples. Radon concentration was detected using RAD7. The minimum Radon concentration was 0.146 Bql-1 while the maximum was 0.474 Bql-1 with mean average of 0.3134 Bql-1 which are within the United States Environmental Protection Agencies (USEPA) 11.1 Bq/L recommendation. Moreso, the maximum and minimum Annual Effective Dose (AEDing) was 3.5×10^(-6) and 1.10×10^(-6) Sv/yr which are also within the 0.1 mSv/yr World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation, while the maximum and minimum Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) was 1.44×10^(-5) and 4.50×10^(-6) respectively. Cumulative probability simulation of the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) was carried out using Oracle Crystal Ball software validated by 10 and 90% percentiles. Comparison of all the results with the European Union (EU)/World Health Organization (WHO) value of 500 Bq/L recommendation revealed that all the samples analyzed have Radon concentration below the recommended limit. The average mean Radon concentration in the ten locations from Wamba Town are within the recommended levels as confirmed by the simulation results. At 10% Probability, the highest risk was found in Event center (1.26×10^(-5)) while the lowest was found in the water sample collected from Angwan dalatu (1.05×10^(-6)) while at 90% probability the highest (1.62×10^(-5)) and lowest (1.37×10^(-6)) risk was found in the same Events center and Angwan dalatu. Though there is variation in the results based on locations which means that the concentration of Radon gas depends on the geological nature of the bedrock and generally increases with the uranium concentration in the local geology. The Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) dose results are far lower than the UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiations) recommended maximum contamination level of 0.003875. Therefore, no indication of any likelihood of cancer incidence as a result of waterborne radon within the studied community that may demand urgent intervention from radiological point of view.

Prevalence of non-communicable diseases and risk factors of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia in four local government areas in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and risk factors associated with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E) in women of reproductive age (WRA) in Nigeria.DesignA cross-sectional survey was administered to...

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the fresh catfish trade in local government areas in Nigeria: A case study

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the fresh catfish trade in local government areas in Nigeria: A case study

Core self-evaluations and job embeddedness: Influences on career adaptability and work engagement in Nigerian public sector employees

This study examined the mediation effect of job embeddedness and the moderating effect of core self-evaluation in the relationship between career adaptability and work engagement among a sample of 387 employees of 12 local government areas of Nigeria (female = 42.89%, male = 57.11%; with bachelor’s degrees = 35.66%, below bachelor’s degrees = 64.34%). Data were collected using standardised measures of job embeddedness, core self-evaluation, career adaptability, and work engagement at two-time points in two months. Following regression analyses, results indicated that career adaptability was higher with work engagement and job embeddedness. Core self-evaluation moderated the direct effect of career adaptability on employee work engagement and the indirect effect of career adaptability on employee work engagement via job embeddedness, thereby increasing work engagement. The findings suggest career adaptability as a critical resource for employee work engagement with job embeddedness and positive core self-evaluations.

Issues Surrounding Socio-Economic Development in the Local Government Areas in Nigeria: A Focus on Financial Budgeting

Developing nations are in dire need for socio-economic growth and development and this desired growth is determined by the economic structure, the political economy and the amount of strategic development plan with purposeful resolve of the National, State and Local governments. More so, development being a long-term, medium-term and sufficiently complemented by short-term plan/ or financial budgeting is paramount to the socio-economic advancement of every nation. Hence, the study examines issues surrounding socio-economic development in local government areas in Nigeria . It is the focus of this study to critically dissect the pivotal role of budgets in local government administration as a socio-economic development strategy of the Nigerian State. The lack of political will and lopsided political structure were found as explanations for the lack of socio-economic development at the local government level. Nigeria, being an independent country is standing on tripod government structure which necessitates the need for the federal, state and local governments to harness resources and efforts to restructure as well as diversify the Nigerian economy. The study also recommends that, local governments should enjoy financial autonomy to enable them participate in building the economy through the initiation and execution of developmental programmes for the local population.

On the Quality of Age and Sex Data in the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria Using the 2006 Census: Caution for the Upcoming Count

This study focuses on the quality of age and sex data in the 774 local government areas of Nigeria (except Kaura LGA, not published) using the 2006 census. The results indicate that all of the LGAs had very poor-quality age and sex data. The North-West state of Sokoto had the worst United Nations Joint Score (96.95), while Edo State in the South-South had the least Joint Score (22.81) among the states, indicating a better quality of data. Ukwuani LGA produced the best JS of 22.79, while Abadam LGA in the NorthEast state of Borno generated the worst JS of 162.54. The northern region of Nigeria is home to 330 (82.3%) of the 401 LGAs classified as grossly inaccurate based on the Joint Scores. Similarly, 50 out of the 60 LGAs with a UN JS above 100 are in the Northern Region. The notion that the Northern Region of Nigeria is larger than the Southern Region in population size may be a product of massive misreporting and random allocation of ages during the 2006 population census, as clearly seen in the NW and NE zones of Nigeria. Education of the populace, training and proper emoluments of enumerators and supervisors, punishment of census offenders, and digitization of the census process are recommended in the forthcoming census in Nigeria.

Teachers’ Opinions on the Forms, Causes, Consequences, and Possible Solutions to Deviant Behavior Among Senior School Students in Ilorin, Nigeria

This research examined teachers’ opinions on the forms, causes, and consequences of deviant behavior among senior school students in Ilorin South Local Government Area in Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive form of survey research. The study population consisted of teachers of public senior secondary schools in Ilorin South; the study group was comprised of 322 teachers selected from 23 schools in the area using the purposive sampling technique. A questionnaire designed by the researcher with 28 items using a four-point Likert scale was used to elicit the necessary data from the respondents. The tool was checked for content validity and the split-half method revealed a reliability index of 0.68. A descriptive statistical method of percentages was used to answer the research question. The findings revealed that lateness, truancy, disrespect of the school authority, and examination malpractice were some of the forms of deviant behavior prevalent among the students. Also, access to illicit drugs and over- or under-pampering of children were considered some of the causes of deviant behavior, while academic failure, increased dropout rates, increased social vices, and an inconducive teaching and learning environment were thought to be the consequences of deviant behavior. Therefore, the provision of adequate facilities, monitoring of students’ activities at all times, and professional counselling are possible solutions to the problem of deviant behavior among the students.

Seroprevalence of Influenza A Virus in Dromedaries in North-Western Nigeria.

Although influenza A virus is endemic in wild waterfowl, domestic poultry, swine, humans, bats, cetaceans, dogs, and horses, there is a paucity of data on the potential role of camels in zoonotic transmission of the virus. To estimate the seroprevalence of the influenza A virus in camel populations, four local government areas of Nigeria that share an international border with the Niger Republic were selected. Blood samples from 184 one-hump camels (dromedaries) were collected and tested for influenza IgG antigen by ELISA. Each camel's demographic variable, such as age, gender, location, production system, and usage, was recorded. The overall seroprevalence rate of influenza virus IgG in this study was 10.33% (95%CI: 6.33-15.66%). In the bivariate model, there was no significant difference in gender, age, site location and production system, except for usage. There was a significantly lower seroprevalence rate among camels used for labour (odds ratio (OR) = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.10-0.97) than those used for meat consumption; however, not after adjusting for other variables in the model. Increase surveillance through early detection, prediction, and risk assessment of pathogens in animal reservoirs and environmental contamination as One Health strategies to reduce potential human spillover is recommended. Molecular epidemiology studies could better elucidate the role of camels in the dynamics of disease transmission pathways.

Measurement of Radon Concentration in Water within Ojo Axis of Lagos State, Nigeria

Background: The problem of radon (Radon-222) in water is one of the daily health hazards faced by those in Ojo Axis, Nigeria. Therefore, continuous monitoring of radon contamination in different types of water is essential. In the present work, sixteen groundwater and surface-water samples (wells, boreholes, and sachets) were collected from six different locations within the Ojo Local Government area in Nigeria. The water samples collected were stored in 75 cl bottles that were already sterilized with distilled water to avoid contamination. Water samples were then taken to the laboratory for the analysis of radon levels using a RAD7, an active electronic device produced by the Durridge Company in the USA. The radon level in the water is higher than the safe limits of 11.1 Bq/L, as per EPA regulations, except for two sample points from the studied areas. The total annual effective doses from ingestion and inhalation for drinking and groundwater were higher than the safe limit of 0.1 mSv y−1 that is recommended by the World Health Organization and the European Union Commission. Conclusions: The obtained results underline the importance of the development and/or updating of databases regarding radon levels in drinking and groundwater in the Ojo Local Government area in Nigeria.

Evidence of gender equity in pupils’ achievement in phonics, when exposed to adult and children-generated illustrations

The study examined evidence of gender equity in pupils achievement in phonics, when exposed to adult and children-generated illustrations in Njikoka Local Government Area of Nigeria. The study employed a non‐equivalent quasi‐experimental 2 x 2 factorial research design. Some 158 primary two pupils from 4 schools were used for the study. The English Achievement Test (EAT) was used to collect data. Three hypotheses were tested. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results showed that there was a significant main effect for the mode of illustration on pupils’ achievement in phonics F(1,153) = 21.315, p=.000; there was no significant main effect of gender F(1,153) = 1.082, p =.300, and there was no significant interaction effect of mode of illustration and gender F(1,153) = .701, p =.404. The study recommended that since the children-generated illustrations were more effective in teaching phonics and enhancing pupils achievement in phonics, the Ministries of Education should ensure that textbook authors incorporate children-generated illustrations in the instructional materials for pupils in primary schools. Mode of illustration had no differential effects on male and female pupils achievement in phonics.

Hydrochemical and Bacteriological Studies of Streams in Calabar South Local Government Area, Nigeria

This paper presents the results of hydro-chemical and bacteriological analysis of water obtained from streams in Calabar South Local Government Area in Nigeria. Water samples were collected from five different streams in the local government area. The water samples were analysed for physic-chemical and bacteriological parameters. From the analytical results obtained, the different parameters tested were as follows: pH (3.81 – 5.35), TDS ( 2.28mg/l – 152.75mg/l), turbidity (0.12NTU – 44.07 NTU), DO ( 7.10mg/l – 10.40mg/l), BOD ( 0.35mg/l – 0.56mg/l), Fe (0.14mg/l – 0.91mg/l), Pb (0.03mg/l – 0.59mg/l), Zn (0.02mg/l – 0.87mg/l), Mn (0.76mg/l – 1.82mg/l), Cu (0.02mg/l – 0.18mg/l), THC (28 per 0.1 ml – 96 per 0.1ml), and total coliform count (23mg/l – 88 mg/l). Most of these parameters were highly objectionable for portable water sources. The bacteriological analysis showed isolation of specified bacterium from all the samples. It was observed that the water sources were quite unreliable for drinking when compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) Standards.

Recent retreat and flood dominant areas along the muddy Mahin coastline of Ilaje, Nigeria

The rates of retreat around the world, especially in low-lying coastal areas, have been pernicious in recent years. For some time, coastal retrogradation may follow a historically observed trend. However, a slight increase in ocean and climate indices, including sea level, temperature, and precipitation, can cause significant modification in the littoral profile. This study reports the recent changes and possible future threats along the Mahin mud coastline, Ilaje Local Government Area of Nigeria, West Africa. This study aims to understand the present evolution of the coastal area in order to manage the environmental and human risks in the future. Satellite images and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) map in the Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to evaluate the retreat rates of 20 years and delineate flooded coastal areas under some sea level rise (SLR) scenarios. Results showed that the areas of retreat dominance in recent years were once mostly accreting. In comparison, some areas that were receding have gained more land. Still, the rates of retreat in other areas have further intensified. Based on the DEM map analysis results, coastal flooding may very soon extend several kilometers inland, covering large areas of the southeastern sector. Therefore, this observation is essential to ensuring appropriate coastal protection plans are put in place.

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity and determinants of canine rabies evidence at Local Government Area Level in Nigeria: Implications for rabies prevention and control

Canine rabies poses a significant risk to humans and animals in Nigeria. However, the lack of reliable tools to evaluate the performance of existing canine rabies control programs to inform public health policy decisions poses a severe obstacle. We obtained canine rabies surveillance data from the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) and supplemented these data with rabies diagnoses reported in the published studies from Nigeria. To uncover contextual factors (i.e., environmental and sociodemographic) associated with canine rabies evidence at the Local Government Area (LGA) level, we classified LGAs in Nigeria into four categories based on evidence availability (i.e., LGAs with NVRI data or published studies, both, or no evidence). We described the geographical and temporal variation in coverage. We fitted a multinomial regression model to examine the association between LGA level canine rabies evidence and potential sociodemographic and ecological determinants of canine rabies evidence. The effective annual testing during the 19 years was less than one dog/100,000 Nigerian resident-year. Our results showed that 58% of Nigerian LGAs (450/774) had not been targeted by the existing national rabies surveillance or studies on rabies, including ten states capitals with high human populations. While 16% (122/774) of Nigerian LGAs concentrated in Taraba, Adamawa, and Abia had canine rabies evidence from published studies, none of these LGAs was represented in the NVRI rabies surveillance data. We also observed an increasing trend in rabies evidence over time towards the eastern part of Nigeria. Our multinomial regression model indicated that education level, poverty, population density, land use and temperature were significantly associated with canine rabies evidence at the LGA level. This study underscores the value of combining canine rabies evidence from different sources to better understand the current disease situation for targeted intervention.

Christianity and Environmental Care in Nigeria: The Role of Christians in Addressing Indiscriminate Refuse Disposal

Scholars in the field of theology and biblical studies have extensively explored eco-theology from Genesis creation narratives especially 1:26 and 28. In spite of the good numbers of literature in this field of study, less is known in the area of contextual eco-theology that focuses on Christians and environmental care in Uvwie, Nigeria. Therefore, using the eco-theology approach in the interpretation of Genesis 2:15, this paper examines the importance of Christians’ involvement in environmental care by using Uvwie Local Government Area of Nigeria as a focus point. Drawing on the understandings of דַ בָע) abad) and רַ מָ ש) shamar) in Genesis 2:15 which are translated to mean ‘to serve’, to ‘tend’, ‘to dress’ or to ‘care’, it argues that דַ בָע) abad) and רַ מָ ש) shamar) are veritable Biblical and theological bases for Christian involvement in environmental care in contemporary society such as Uvwie. It shows that Genesis 2:15 implies environmental stewardship and environmental conservation and as such a theological basis for Christians in Uvwie-land to develop a positive attitude towards the community and its environment and desist from dumping refuse indiscriminately in the community. As such this paper contributes to the discourse on climate issues in Africa. Besides, humanities scholars will appreciate the essentiality of Christians’ contribution to a sustainable clean and green environment by becoming custodians of God’s creation.

Characterization of freshwater snail intermediate hosts of schistosomes in four communities from Osun State, Southwest Nigeria

Aim: Freshwater snails of the genus Bulinus act as essential intermediate hosts of Schistosoma haematobium, a trematode parasite that causes urogenital schistosomiasis. The snails are widely distributed throughout Nigerian waters. Since species identification of the Bulinus snails is important for appropriate control strategies of urogenital schistosomiasis, this study therefore aimed at identifying the Bulinus species responsible for transmission of the infection in four communities located in an endemic Local Government Area of Nigeria. It also aimed at using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) as a more affordable method than sequencing to characterize Bulinus snails from schistosomiasis endemic regions in Nigeria. Methods: In this study, 100 freshwater snails morphologically identified as Bulinus species were collected from four communities located in a previously reported schistosomiasis endemic Local Government Area (LGA), namely Olorunda LGA in Oshun State, Southwest Nigeria. All snails were screened for schistosome infection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the DraI gene. Molecular identification of the snails was done by PCR amplification of their entire internal transcribed spacer region including the 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene and RFLP. Results: Five of the 100 snails were positive for schistosome infection. PCR-RFLP profiles showed bands of different sizes for 26 other snails including the schistosome-infected ones. RFLP analysis showed that 11 of the snails belonged to the freshwater snails of the genus Physa while 13 belonged to the freshwater snails of the genus Bulinus, including Bulinus globosus (8) and B. truncatus (5). The species of the remaining two snails could not be resolved using the reference profiles from our previous studies. Conclusion: This study confirmed previous observations that limited morphological uniqueness within the Bulinus groups hinders their identification, and RFLP is a cheaper alternative method to sequencing that can be used by laboratories with limited resources for Bulinus species identification.

Exploring Alternative Funding Sources for Sustainable Development of Local Governments in Nigeria

This paper examines the impact of Government revenue allocation and Commercial Banks’ loans for the development of Local Government Areas in Nigeria in this current democratic dispensation. It investigates the use of traditional funding sources of total Local Government expenditure (that is recurrent and capital expenditures) together with Banks loans to the Agricultural sector as proxies of sources of finance for the funding of developmental projects in Local Government areas of the country. Time series data spanning a period from 1999 to 2020 (22 years) years were analysed using Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF). The findings revealed a highly restrictive impact of statutory revenue allocation on the socio-economic development of the third tier of Government. A significant proportion of public revenue allocation is for recurrent expenses, with minimal impact on the provision of needed infrastructures for the expansion of the socio-economic amenities in the rural areas. Similarly, the banks’ loans to the Agricultural sector has contributed to gross domestic product, however, this has not equally facilitated meaningful development nor improved agricultural modernisation in the rural areas as much as desired. Public borrowing has not halted the rural-urban drift through the provision of social and economic infrastructures. The paper, therefore, recommends the necessity of exploring alternative sources of financing for the sustainable development of the rural economy in Nigeria, given the important role of the rural and semi-urban economies in the overall national economy. A more responsive, creative and innovative financing strategy such as the establishment of a multi-level Rural Development Financial Institution might be appropriate that would fund five (5) identified critical areas of rural development like rural road network development, rural housing, rural energy, primary health centre, and rural-based small scale industries.