Makurdi Benue State Research Articles

Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Microorganisms Found in Fura De Nono Sold in Different Markets in Makurdi Benue State

Fura de Nono, a traditional fermented dairy and millet product popular in Nigeria, is widely consumed for its nutritional value. However, its production, often under unsanitary conditions, raises concerns about microbial contamination and public health risks. This study investigates the microbial load in Fura de Nono samples collected from local markets in Makurdi, Nigeria, assessing the presence of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Using standard microbiological techniques, including colony counting and biochemical tests, the study identified harmful microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, and Salmonella species. Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed resistance in certain isolates, posing additional risks to consumers. The findings underscore the urgent need for improved sanitation practices among vendors, routine microbiological testing, and better regulatory enforcement to ensure food safety. The study concludes with policy recommendations to enhance hygiene practices and establish a certification system for vendors to protect public health.

Late Cancer Presentation and Increase Palliative Care Burden on Healthcare Delivery in Makurdi Benue State: A Need for Strategic Intervention

The study employed a narrative review design for the purpose of identifying statistical findings on late-stage cancer diagnosis from previously published studies to use as evidence to describe the prevailing incidence of patients’ presenting with late-stage cancer disease in Benue State. The data were searched from journals indexed in Google scholar, Semantic scholar, ResearchGate, Cross-references, PubMed, DOAJ, and Abstract journals. The statistical results obtained from the review shows that, late-stage cancer presentation among people who develop the disease is a common situation in Nigeria. Specifically, to Benue State one among the few published studies reported that patients who had presented with advanced clinical diseases as evidenced by fungating masses, palpable axillary nodes, are indications of histologically established metastatic disease. Another study applying the FIGO Staging method revealed that (81.8%) presented with advanced stage disease ranging from stage IIb–IV and stage III disease was the commonest with (42.9%) of cases. A recent study revealed that (46.7%) of patients were diagnosed with stage II disease. Whereas (49.1%) presented with advanced stage III and (1.3%) stage IV disease respectively. Based on these evidences, is the pertinent need to solicit for a strategic intervention by various stakeholders in the health system to establish a specialized palliative care service facility in Benue State. Late cancer presentation is an eligible condition for palliative care; early and routine referral of cancer patients for palliative care will accord patients the benefits of enjoying improved QOL and delay of early death from the disease.

Gravida and maternal age group effect on the weight of an infant

This paper makes use of Two-way Analysis of Variance approach to check whether significant difference exists in the weight of an infant as it relates to gravida and maternal age or not. Five hundred and thirty-three (533) samples on the weight of an infant, maternal age and gravida sourced from Family Support Programme (FSP) Makurdi Benue State, Nigeria was used. Maternal age was divided into five (14-19, 20-25, 26-31, 32-37 and 38-43); the level of gravida (number of pregnancies) considered are gravida one (1), gravida two (2), gravida three (3) and gravida four (number of pregnancies greater than or equal to four). The results revealed that significant difference exist between the maternal age as it relates to the weight of an infant since the p_value of 0.0001 is less than 0.05 alpha level of significance. Significant difference was also seen in gravida since the p_value of 0.0001 is less than 0.05 alpha level of significance. As a result of significant difference observed in both maternal age and gravida, multiple mean comparison was carried out to identify the mean weight that actually differs. It was discovered that the mean weight of an infant in gravida four (4) is different from that of gravida one (1) and two (2), in addition, gravida 3 and 1 were statistically significant. Maternal age one (14-19) was also found to be different from every other age group.

E-Commerce Strategies and Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises in Makurdi Benue State Nigeria

The overall purpose of this study was to examine the effect of e-commerce strategies such as social media marketing, online advertisement and electronic payment on performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Makurdi Benue State Nigeria. The problem was to ascertain the effect of social media marketing, online advertisement and e-payment system on performance of SMEs. The study was anchored on Resource-Based View Theory by Birger Wernerfelt, (1984). This theory is appropriate for the study because it portrays the various the resources such as e-commerce strategies that SMEs can adopt so as to achieve greater and improved performance. A survey research design was adopted and primary data of well-structured questionnaires were used to elicit information from the respondents. The study population comprised of 1711 selected SMEs in which Taro Yamane formula was used to select the sample size of 324. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and percentages. The hypothesis were tested using multiple regression analysis and the results show that all the dimensions, social media-marketing (.000<0.05), online-advertisement (.002<0.05) and e-payment system (.000<0.05) has positive significant effect on performance of SMEs. The study concluded that e-commerce strategies have positive significant effect on performance of SMEs in Makurdi Benue State Nigeria.

SENSORY, GC-MS AND FTIR ANALYSIS OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF HIBISCUS SABDARRIFFA AND VERNONIA AMYGDALINA HERBAL TEA WITH BLENDS OF GINGER AND LEMON ZEST

The use of herbal remedies, especially in the form of teas for management of various diseases is gaining increasing popularity, making them the main stay of health care system, especially among the rural populace in the developing countries. Therefore, it is imperative to carryout proper analysis and screening of these plants, such as Hibiscus Sabdarriffa and Vernonia Amygdalina, to investigate their informed use. This research aimed at producing herbal teas from leaves of Hibiscus Sabdarriffa and Vernonia Amygdalina with additives of ginger and lemon zest with acceptable sensory attributes and also to investigate the phytocomponents of these herbal teas produced using GC-MS spectroscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. Ginger, lemon zest and fresh leaves of Hibiscus Sabdarriffa and Vernonia Amygdalina were collected from modern market areas of makurdi Benue State, authenticated by a plant taxonomist in Department of Botany, University of Agriculture Makurdi. Aqueous extracts of the herbal teas were analyzed using GC-MS Clarus 500 Perkin Elmer system. Identification of functional groups of samples (was done using FT-IR spectroscope (Shimadzu, IR Affinity 1, Japan). Results: FT-IR analysis of the herbal tea samples revealed the presence of phytochemicals like alkanes, alkenes, Carboxylic acids, phenols, alcohols, flavonoids, aromatics and saturated aliphatic esters,. GC-MS analyses of aqueous extract of the samples provided different peaks determining the presence of twenty two compounds with highest abundance. Twelve compounds were identified for Vernonia Amygdalina herbal tea sample and ten for Hibiscus Sabdarriffa herbal tea sample. The findings from this research showed that herbal teas produced from leave of Hibiscus Sabdarriffa and Vernonia Amygdalina had acceptable sensory attributes and also contains bioactive constituents of pharmacological importance for management of diseases which were identified by GC-MS and FTIR analysis.

The effect of organic manure on the growth and yield of carrot (Daucus carota.) grown in Jos, and Makurdi Benue State, Nigeria

The experiment aimed to evaluate the effect of organic manure on the growth and yield of carrots (Daucus carota L.) grown in Jos and Makurdi Benue State, Nigeria. The treatments used were organic manure sources (Poultry dropping (20t/ha), Cow dung (20t/ha), Goat manure (20t/ha), dung site (20t/ha) and control (zero application and) the spacing used between plants and rows were 15 and 75cm, respectively. The experiment was laid in a randomized complete block design with three replications. During the investigation, some physiological variables, such as plant height and the number of leaves were measured. Other characteristics like aerial weight, root weight, root length, rot diameter, harvest index and over-all yield were also recorded. The results of the investigation revealed that carrot responded to nutrient sources with poultry dropping and Jos producing better in both growth and yield parameters. All the parameters studied significantly (P ≤ 0.05) responded to nutrient source with poultry dropping been superior in both growth and yield-related characters such as plant height at 8WAT (32.20), the number of leaves 8WAT(122.20), aerial weight (10.27g), root weight (18.02g), root length(12.81cm), root diameter (4.00mm), harvest index (0.71) and over-all yield (5.10t/ha). Carrot grown in Jos outgrows those cultivated in Makurdi in both growth and yield-related character. Based on the results obtained it could be suggested that the use of poultry dropping which is better in both growth and yield characteristics will lead to optimum yield in carrot cultivation in the study areas. Keywords: Carrot Manure, growth, Organic nutrient and yield

Impact of Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) on Job Performance of Non-Teaching Staff in Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi Benue State, Nigeria

The study investigated the impact of Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information system (IPPIS) on the job performance of non-teaching staff in Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Three specific objectives with corresponding research questions guided the study and three hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a survey research design and was carried out in Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM), Nigeria. The target population of the study is 2,109 non-teaching staff of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi. The population comprised 1,294 Senior staff and 815 Junior staff. The sample size is 336 gotten by the use of Taro-Yamane formula. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used for the study because each stage involves different sampling techniques. The sampling techniques used at different stages include; Proportionate Stratified random sampling technique and simple random sampling techniques respectively. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire title Impact of Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System on Job Performance of Non-Teaching Staff Questionnaire (IIPPISJPNTSQ). The reliability of the instrument was estimated using Cronbach Alpha method and an overall reliability coefficient of 0.77 was obtained. The data collected were analyzed using Means and Standard Deviation to answer the research questions and Chi-Square Goodness of fit-test to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the analysis of data, the findings of the study revealed that; timely payment of salaries, prompt payment of promotion arrears and fraud detection significantly impact the job performance of non-teaching academic staff in Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State positively. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations among others were made; government should as a matter of necessity compel the consultants to redesign the software in such a way that will not permit manipulation but must also be able to recognize MDAs peculiarities. Also, since the current salary administration in public universities in Nigeria is still characterized by inconsistency, the researcher further recommend that federal government should urgently review the payment platform in order to eliminate or reduce the mirage of irregularities and payment inconsistencies that have undermined its progress. Finally, Sharp practices by implementers or MDAs collaborators should be dealt with, culprit should be arrested, tried and sanctioned to serve as deterrence.

Effect of Non-Financial Incentives on Employee Performance: A Study of (Birs) Makuirdi, Benue State Nigeria

This article examined the impact of non-financial incentives on employee performance: A study by BIRS Makurdi Benue State. The aim of the study was to achieve the following objectives. A study by BIRS Makurdi, Benue State aims to determine the impact of non-financial incentives on employee performance. The study focused on BIRS Makurdi staff in Benue State, which has a population of 449. The Taro Yamane formula was used to calculate the sample size, resulting in a sample size of 499. First-hand information was used for the study. The main data collection tool used was a questionnaire. Using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences, both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were used to test the developed hypotheses (SPSS 21). Tables and simple percentages were used to present the raw data extracted from the primary source. Employee recognition with a beta coefficient of -0.192, training and development with a beta coefficient of 0.946 and career advancement with a beta coefficient of -0.025 were found to have significant and non-significant effects on employee performance in BIRS Makurdi Benue- Country. Conclusion: At BIRS Makurdi, Benue State, this study experimentally examined the impact of non-financial incentives on employee performance. The study concludes that non-financial incentive strategies significantly improved employee performance at BIRS Makurdi in Benue State in line with the findings.

Comparison of Infiltration Rates of Soils for Run-Off Management and Irrigation Planning in Makurdi Benue State, Nigeria

Understanding of initial infiltration rates and steady state infiltration rates of soil is very important for runoff management and irrigation scheduling. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi in 2018 to evaluate the initial and steady state infiltration rates of soils in Makurdi, Nigeria. Infiltration test was carried out using double ring infiltrometer at eighteen points. Initial and steady state infiltration rates and the cumulative infiltration were then calculated. Soil samples were collected from the adjacent area of the marked points at 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depths for routine analysis. Undisturbed soil samples were also collected for the measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, total porosity and moisture content determination. Simple descriptive statistic of mean, variance and standard deviation was used to analyze the data. The soils were predominantly sandy loan texture, with percentage sand, silt and clay as 710.7, 118.9, and 170.4 g kg-1 respectively. Soil bulk density and saturated hydraulic conductivity were 1.40 g cm-3 and 10.27 cm hr-1 at 0 – 15 cm depth, while soil organic carbon and CEC were 0.67 % and 6.62 cmol/kg respectively. The initial infiltration rate ranged from 7.40 - 87.46 mm hr-1 with a mean of 44.09 mm hr-1, meanwhile, the steady state infiltration rate ranged between 4.99 – 22 mm hr-1, with a mean value of 15.42 mm hr-1. High soil bulk density caused moderate to low infiltration capacity. The mean values for the steady state infiltration rate suggest that the soils of the study area have moderate infiltration capacity, therefore, water application for irrigation should be less or equal to the infiltration capacity of the soils to minimize water loss by surface runoff and erosion.

Health Care Delivery System and the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality in Hospitals of Makurdi Benue State Nigeria

The objectives of this publication are to find the historical background of maternal and child health care delivery, the incidence of maternal and child mortality, causes of maternal and child mortality, challenges in accessing maternal health care services of Nigeria. Data for the study were sourced from both primary and secondary means. Primary data was drawn through questionnaire and hospital records. Questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 369 respondents out of 4,740 population of staff of four purposely selected largest hospitals in Makurdi, Benue State. The sample size was determined through Taro Yamane’s formula, while the Bourley’s proportional allocation formula was used to determine the sample size per each hospital. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics like tables, percentages, mean and standard deviation, while the test of hypotheses were done through Chi-square. The analyzed result shows that; the availability of maternal and child health care services in the hospitals were poor; accessibility of maternal and child health care services was also poor; Furthermore, Maternal and infant mortality is essentially high and increasing in hospitals of Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria. Several challenges are militating against effective healthcare delivery, therefore, the study recommended, among others, that government and other stakeholders should make conscious efforts to ensure that adequate facilities, tools, and equipment are provided for the hospitals to enhance the quality of maternal and child healthcare services in the Benue State of Nigeria.

Evaluation of Heat Stress on Bakery Worker in Makurdi Benue State, north east Nigeria.

Nigeria being a tropical nation with high temperature and some Nigerian bakeries use mud oven which expose workers to direct contact with heat increasing their risk of heat stress. This research work tends to evaluate heat stress on bakery workers in Makurdi, Benue State. Forty questionnaires were validly filled and handed in from the workers at the various bakeries. Data such as age, duration of exposure as well as heat stress estimation and satisfaction level were filled in and data were analysis using statistics and results shows that heat stress reduces efficiency and productivity in workers poses health risk in workers such as heat cramps, heat rashes and in severe cases even heat stroke which may threaten the life of these workers. The results from measurements in this work has shown that bakery workers in Makurdi metropolis are highly exposed to heat stress and are likely to experience one disorder or the other with possible death consequences. It was also found that heat stress is often an overlooked problem as most workers lacked proper knowledge of control measures and employers have made little or no effort to prevent heat stress disorders.

PERFORMANCE OF SESAME (SESAMUM INDICUM L.) VARIETIES AS AFFECTED BY ORGANIC AND INORGANIC FERTILIZERS IN BILLIRI, GOMBE STATE AND MAKURDI BENUE STATE NIGERIA

Field experiment was carried out during the rainy season of 2019 in Tal, Billiri Local Government, Gombe State and Teaching and Research farm University of Agriculture Makurdi Benue State. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the performance of five varieties of sesame under organic and inorganic fertilizer. Treatments consisted of five varieties of sesame (E-8, NCRIBEN-01, NCRIBEN-02, NCRIBEM-031 and YANDEV-55) and five fertilizers (NPK, Poultry dropping, cow dung, goat manure and control). These were factorially combined and laid in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results of the study revealed that sesame generally responded to both varietal, fertilizer and location effects. All the parameters studied have significantly (P≤0.05) responded to the both varietal, fertilizer and location effects where variety NCRIBEN-01 and E-8 was observed to perform higher in both growth character and grain yield. NPK fertilizer and Benue location was significant in both growth, yield related character and overall yield. Based on the result obtained it can be suggested that the use of E-8, NCRIBEN-01 and NPK fertilizer will lead to optimum yield for farmer in Billiri local Government, Gombe state and Benue State Nigeria

Effects of Mineral and Organo-mineral Fertilization on Sweet Potato (Ipomea batata {L} Lam) in Makurdi, Benue State, Southern Guinea Savanna Nigeria

A Research was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the University of Agriculture Makurdi Benue State located between 7 0 45’N and 8 0 37’E during 2019 cropping season to evaluate the effect of mineral and Organo-mineral fertilization on growth and yield of sweet potato ( Ipomea batata {L} Lam). The fertilizer sources used as treatments were: NPK20:10:10 (100, 200 and 300 kg/ha), Poultry manure (2, 5 and 8t/ha), Fertiplus (2, 5 and 8t/ha) and control. The treatments were laid out in a Randomized Complete block Design (RCBD) and replicated three times. Vines of sweet potato was sourced from National Root Crops Research Institute Umudike, cut into 25 cm long and planted at a spacing of 0.3 m (100 cm x 30 cm) inter-row and intra-row respectively which gave a plant population of 33,333 plants per hectare. The growth parameters of sweet potato were significantly increased (vine length, plant girth, number of leaves, leaf width) over the control. The longest vine length (153.30 cm) at 12 WAP was obtained from poultry NPK 300 kg/ha and the least from the control (11.80 cm) at 4 WAP. The longest leaf length (12.27 cm) was obtained from Fertiplus 8t/ha at 12 WAP and the least (6.00 cm) from the control at 4 WAP. The broadest leaf width (10.80 cm) was obtained from poultry 8t/ha at 6 WAP and the least (5.27 cm) from the control at WAP. The highest yield (48.67) in terms of number of marketable roots was obtained from poultry 5t/ha and the least (18.67) from the control. The highest weight of marketable root 18.70 t/ha was obtained from poultry manure 5t/ha and the least 2.97 t/ha from the control. Application of 5t/ha of poultry manure is recommended for soil fertility improvement and root yield of sweet potato in the study area. Keywords: Organo-mineral, Fertilization, Sweet Potato, Southern Guinea Savanna DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/11-12-02 Publication date: June 30 th 2021

Measurement and Assessment of Occupational Exposure to Solar Ultraviolet Radiation in Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State, Central Nigeria

This work measured and modeled Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation exposure of outdoor workers (Traders, Drivers/Commuters and Construction workers) within Makurdi Metropolis. Digital broad band meter was used to measure Irradiance across the three occupations under consideration. Polymer Polysolphone dosimeters were used to quantify the amount of solar UVR absorbed by workers of these occupations, UV/VIS-Spectrophotometer was used to measure both post and pre-absorbance while GPS was used to measure the coordinate of the Sampling sites. The Polymer Polysulphone dosimeters were fitted on vital solar radiation access areas on a plastic human shape and placed in the sun from 9:30am- 4:00pm (6 hours 30 minutes). The result shows that head top had the highest values of 8.73 kJ/m², 6.67 kJ/m² and 7.40 kJ/m² for drivers/commuters, construction workers and traders respectively while the dosimeters worn under clothe cover had the least values of 2.06kJ/m², 2.56kJ/m², 3.07 kJ/m² at the market square, car park and construction site respectively. Similarly, UV Irradiances at various intervals were measured and the cumulative exposures calculated to be 610.98kJ/m², 1923.84kJ/m² and 3526.92 kJ/m² respectively. The work sets a reliable baseline data for solar UV radiation monitoring in Makurdi Benue State, Nigeria.

Challenges of Poultry Farming In Makurdi Benue State, North-Central Nigeria

The study assessed challenges of poultry production in Makurdi Area of Benue State, North Central Nigeria. Information on production activities, management and problems were collected from 50 poultry farmers in the study area using structured questionnaire and assessment through direct observations. The data were analyzed using tables, frequency distribution and percentages. From the analysis, the poultry enterprises are confronted with a number of constraints mitigating against their efficient operation. Majority (66%) of the poultry farms in Makurdi were of low to medium scale with flock size of < 1000 birds. The problems of low capital, high input costs, diseases and adverse weather conditions were identified in the study area. High cost of feeds and at times scarcity of layer feeds are major problems. They also identified proper marketing outlets especially for broiler sales. All these problems can be tackled by making loans/grants easily accessible by the government and encouraging farmers to organise themselves into cooperatives. By so doing their resources can be pooled together for meaningful development of their farms and the poultry industry in Benue State. Extension services should include creating awareness of the importance of biosecurity measures on farms in order to limit infections.

Survey for Newcastle Disease Virus Antibodies in Local Chickens, Ducks and Pigeons in Makurdi, Nigeria

This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Newcastle disease (ND) among some local poultry species from live bird markets (LBM) and households in Makurdi Benue State, Nigeria. A total of 543 (300 local chickens, 199 pigeons and 44 ducks) sera samples were collected between October 2018 to April 2019. Sera samples were tested using Haemagglutination inhibition HI) test. The overall seroprevalence of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) antibodies was 9.9% (54/543). The prevalence of antibodies to ND was found to be higher in ducks 20.5% (9/44), followed by local chickens 10% (30/300) and pigeons 7.5% (15/199) respectively. There was statistical significant association (P = 0.000817) between location of sampling of local poultry and seropositivity for ND. Also there was a statistical significant association (P = 0.0348) between species of local poultry and ND antibody titre. This study revealed that local chickens, ducks and pigeons in Makurdi could play significant role in the epidemiology and transmission of ND to susceptible commercial exotic birds or other local poultry species especially when reared in close proximity. The study concluded that the prevalence of ND antibodies indicated the presence of the virus among the population and ducks and pigeons could be reservoirs and carriers for NDV. Vaccination campaign should be organized for local poultry species for the control of ND in the study area.

Characterization And Susceptibility Pattern of Gram Negative Bacteria Isolated From Urinary Tract of Pregnant Woman Attending Antenatal Clinic In Makurdi Metropolis

The study investigated the susceptibility pattern of gram negative bacteria isolated from pregnant women attending antenatal at Bishop Murray hospital, Makurdi Benue State Nigeria. A total of 40 clean catch midstream urine samples were collected from the hospital laboratory in sterile bottles and taken to the school laboratory. Inoculation of the samples to the media was done using the streak method. Twenty eight (28) samples contained gram negative isolates identified by colony morphology, microscopy and biochemical test which included: Escherichia coli 12(30%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 9(22.2%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae 7(17.5%).The susceptibility of the isolated bacterial strains were tested against 10 different antibiotics using the disc diffusion method and their activity was evaluated by observing zones of inhibition, measured and recorded. The results showed that E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia were highly susceptible to ciprofloxacin (with zone inhibition 26.50 mm, 24.50 mm, and 25.00 mm respectively), Augmentin (21.3 %) Tarivid (20.6 %), Streptomycin (14.3 %), Gentamycin(18.0 %), Perfloxacin (10.0 % with Pseudomonas completely resistant), Septrin(15.3 %), Amoxacillin (12.9 % with E. coli completely resistant) Sparfloxacin (11.0 % with Klebsiella resistant). The isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol with no zone of inhibition

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Helminths from the Fingernails of Primary School Pupils in Makurdi Benue State

Intestinal helminth infections are widely distributed throughout the world and children are the most affected population. The present study was carried out to assess the prevalence of intestinal helminths in children of primary schools in Makurdi, Benue State. Sterile cotton balls soaked in 10% formol saline were used to swab the underneath of the fingernails to collect 200 nail dirt samples from the school pupils of different ages and gender. The parasites were isolated from the dirt of both gender and prevalence was recorded. The direct mount method was used in the identification of parasites. The prevalence of parasites was presented as descriptive statistics, while the relationship between several variables (such as age and gender) and the presence of parasites were determined by Chi-square test. The level of significance used was P<0.05. The highest prevalence was observed for Ascaris lumbricoides (35%) whereas the lowest prevalence was found for Strongyloides stercoralis (15%). The other parasite found was Ancylostoma duodenale (30%). Overall prevalence was found to be 10%. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic helminths was found to be higher in males with 13.19% than in females with 7.34%. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of the infection among gender. The distribution of intestinal parasitic helminths among the selected primary schools indicated that there was no significant difference in the occurrence of the helminths between the schools. The occurrence of fingernail parasites among children in primary schools can cause chronic infections which can negatively affect all aspects of children’s health.

The Physicochemical Potentials of Water from Bore Holes, Tube Wells, Water Harvesters, Water Hawkers and Direct Fetching from Open Water Sources Like Lakes and Rivers in Makurdi Benue State and Keffi, Nasarawa State Nigeria. A Quest for Sustainable Develo

World Water Day- 22 March 2018 with the theme ‘Nature for Water’ – is exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we are facing in the 21st century. The Sustainable Development Goal 6 committed the world to ensure that everyone has access to safe water by 2030 .Looking around our environment are simple but definite sources of water that can generate up to 5000l water or more at a time year round . Some boreholes, rivers, tube wells, water harvesters, water hawkers and direct fetching from open water sources like lakes and rivers within 2 areas Keffi Nasarawa State and Makurdi Benue State Nigeria were sampled and analysed for physicochemical and bacterial load properties. Results are displayed side by side the WHO /Nigeria Guidelines for Drinking Water standards 2005 .Relatively high values are recorded for total solids , total hardness ,color , conductivity and bacterial load per 100ml in both cities which can be treated with simple and available water treatment equipment . Sustainable Development Goal 6 ensuring that everyone has access to safe water by 2030 is realizable and affordable if the proper will is in place. Keywords : Sustainable , Guidelines, physicochemical, water and equipment DOI : 10.7176/CMR/11-4-02 Publication date : April 30 th 2019

Proximate Analysis of Some Selected Infant Formula Sold in Makurdi Metropolis

Infant formula is a synthetic version of mother’s milk and belongs to a class of food materials known as dairy substitutes. This study was designed to evaluate the proximate composition of some selected infant formula sold in Makurdi metropolis. Six (6) different brands of infant formula samples were purchased from the major markets, Wadata market and North bank market Makurdi Benue State, North Central Nigeria. The six different brands comprise of three (3) infant milk formulae and three (3) infant cereal formulae. Samples on some Selected Infant Formulae were analysed in the laboratory for proximate composition and the data were subjected to Analysis of Variance to rank the significant differences in means. There were significantly different (P<0.05) across the selected infant formulae sample for moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fate, crude fibre and carbohydrates. The result shows that FRISOGOLD significantly (P<0.05) has the highest moisture content (11.60%) with cowbell having the lowest (2.45%) while the ash content of cowbell was found to be the highest compared to other formulae. In conclusion, the commercial baby food samples (MYBOY, NAN and cowbell) have a low moisture content which suggests an asset as this prolongs the shelf life and also inhibits microbial activity on these products thereby preventing spoilage.