Niger State Research Articles

Relationship between secondary school science teachers’ teaching experience and students’ performance in Minna, Niger state

The study was conducted to determine the relationship between Secondary School Science Teachers’ Teaching Experience and Students’ Performance in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. Secondary school Science teachers and students used for this study are Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics teachers and students. The study was guided by one research question and a corresponding hypothesis. Correlational research design was used for the study. A total of one hundred and twenty three (123) Science teachers and three hundred and eighty five (385) Science students made up the sample size of the study. Instrument used for data collection from Science teachers is a Likert type questionnaire designed by the researchers and titled “Questionnaire on Science Teachers’ Teaching Experience (QUSTTE)” The instrument was validated by experts and its reliability coefficient was also determined to be 0.72 using Cranach Alpha statistical tool. Data collected from Science teachers was correlated with SSIII Science students’ Mock examination result conducted by Niger State Ministry of Education (NSMOE) during 2022/2023 academic session to establish a relationship. Findings of the study revealed a positive relationship between Science teachers’ teaching experience and students’ performance. Based on this finding, it was recommended that Science teachers’ teaching experience should be one of the major criterions to be considered by the government during recruitment of Science teachers. In addition, Government should intermittently expose Science teachers to training and retraining programs through seminars, conferences and workshops so as to improve their mastery of their respective subject areas as well as their teaching experience.

Metropolitan Flood Risk Characterization Using Remote Sensing, GIS, and Fuzzy Logic (RS-GIS-Fl) Approach: Suleja, Nigeria

Climate change exacerbates extreme events like floods, droughts, heatwaves, cyclones, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires, affecting human populations and environments worldwide. Despite varying impacts across regions, no area is immune to climate change consequences. To mitigate these effects, this study employs Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing, and Fuzzy Logic System to map flood vulnerability zones in Suleja Local Government, Niger State, North Central Nigeria. The research integrates satellite and GIS datasets to prepare Suleja's Flood Zonation Mapping. Rainfall data from Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station Data (CHRPS), Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP), and parameters like Slope, Elevation, Nearness to Water Bodies, Land Use Land Cover, and Drainage Density are utilized to identify flood vulnerability. The flood vulnerability map categorizes the area into five zones: Very Low Risk (40.9%), Low Risk (18.9%), Medium Risk (27.6%), High Risk (7.1%), and Very High Risk (5.5%). Considering the stochastic nature of flood characteristics, this study emphasizes the importance of integrating hydro-climatic and physical catchment parameters, leveraging bias-adjusted satellite data to minimize uncertainty. Effective flood management requires quantifying risk, susceptibility, and hazard components to establish a robust control framework. This research contributes to the development of data-driven flood mitigation strategies in vulnerable regions like Suleja. By harnessing GIS, Remote Sensing, and Fuzzy Logic System, policymakers and stakeholders can make informed decisions to protect communities and infrastructure from flood risks.

Detection of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Genotypes Among HIV-Infected Women in Four States in Nigeria.

Introduction The World Health Organization states that almost all cervical cancer cases are linked to infection with high-risk human papillomavirusestransmitted through sexual contact. Implementing effective surveillance and preventive measures would enable the prevention of most cervical cancer cases, especially in HIV-infected women. Every year, about 12,000 women in Nigeria are diagnosed, with almost 8,000 deaths. HPV cervical cancer testing capacity is low in Nigeria. Testing scale-up and sensitization efforts across health facilities, including cervical tissue sample collection, are needed to reduce the cases of cervical cancer. This study aimed to assess the genotype-specific prevalence of clinically relevant high-risk HPV among women living with HIV in Nigeria. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among adult HIV-infected women attending health facilities in four Nigerian states. From August to October 2022, cervical tissue was collected into PCR cell media, transported to the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, and assayed for HPV presence and genotype using the Cobas 6800 System (Roche Diagnostics). Statistical analysis was conducted with Stata 2. Results A total of 4423 cervical swab samples were tested. The ages of women ranged from 18 to 72 years (mean 36.61±8.61). In our study, we found that 16.3% of participants tested positive for HPV. Among the high-risk HPV genotypes detected, HPV16 was present in 1.44% of participants, HPV18 in 1.29%, and other high-risk HPV (OHR-HPV) in 11.35%. Additionally, co-infections were observed, with 0.98% of participants testing positive for both HPV16 and OHR-HPV, 1.12% for HPV18 and OHR-HPV, and 0.12% for HPV16, HPV18, and OHR-HPV concurrently. However, 7.4% of the total results were deemed invalid. Conclusion OHR-HPV is prevalent among HIV-infected women across the north and west geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Policies and interventions geared towards curtailing the incidence of cervical cancer are fervently solicited.

Review of: "Assessment of Quality, Bacterial Population and Diversity of Irrigation Water in Selected Areas on Minna, Niger State, Nigeria"

Review of: "Assessment of Quality, Bacterial Population and Diversity of Irrigation Water in Selected Areas on Minna, Niger State, Nigeria"

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE IN BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY IN ONDO AND EKITI STATES, BEFORE COVID-19

Education is a fundamental process that facilitates human learning, skill development, and knowledge transfer. It plays a pivotal role in fostering economic growth, improving quality of life, and shaping societies. This study focuses on the performance of secondary school students in Biology and Chemistry in the Nigerian states of Ondo and Ekiti from 2015 to 2018. The research examines the comparative performance of these subjects and explores factors that might contribute to variations. Using an ex-post facto research design, the study analyzed data from the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to determine academic outcomes. The results indicate significant differences in performance between the two subjects and the two states. Students in Ondo state performed better in Biology, while those in Ekiti state excelled in Chemistry. Factors that caused the differences in their performances included access to learning tools, student attitudes, students’ resource availability, students’ interpersonal relationship, students’ regularity to class, parental education, and the learning environment, were discussed. The study suggested that laboratory facilities be improved, teacher should be trained, and class sizes be optimized to enhance student achievement.

Improving Contraceptive Service Quality and Accessibility for Adolescents and Youth Through Proprietary Patent Medicine Vendors in Four Nigerian States.

In Nigeria, health care services and commodities have increasingly been accessed through private sector entities, including retail pharmacies and drug shops (also called proprietary patent medicine vendors [PPMVs]). However, PPMVs cannot provide long-acting or permanent methods, and concerns have been raised about their quality of services and their need to better comply with government regulations. This article describes how The Challenge Initiative's (TCI) family planning program supported 4 state governments in Nigeria to develop a model to strengthen public-private partnerships between PPMVs and primary health centers (PHCs) to leverage PPMVs to provide adolescents and youth with high-quality contraceptive information, services, and referrals to PHCs. The intervention implemented a hub-spoke model by strengthening the linkages between neighboring PPMVs and large PHCs for delivering contraceptive services to adolescents and youth. The steps in the implementation process included: (1) introducing the intervention to state governments, (2) selecting PPMVs as spokes and high-volume PHCs as hubs, (3) conducting whole-site orientations jointly with PPMV and PHC staff, (4) strengthening referral links between PPMVs and PHCs, (5) implementing supportive supervision and coaching, and (6) strengthening client data management. TCI worked with the state and local ministry of health to improve PPMV operators' knowledge, attitudes, and skills to deliver adolescent- and youth-friendly services. Implementing the PPMV intervention with state governments and PHCs strengthened the public-private partnership. A functional referral system in Plateau State demonstrated significant success, enabling increased contraceptive choice and adherence to regulations for adolescents and youth. We recommend that the government strengthen the working relationship between PPMVs and PHCs, incorporate PPMVs into the routine supportive supervision of the state health system, and incorporate a referral linkage with PHCs into the design and implementation of PPMV programs.

Evaluation of Health Challenges Among Pregnant Women Visiting Paiko Town Clinic and Model Clinic for Antenatal: A Case Study Paiko Paikoro Local Government Niger State

The study aims to assess the health challenges pregnant women are facing in Paiko, Paikoro Local Government and the study went further to compare pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in two healthcare clinic facilities in Paiko with the view to ascertain their health challenges and taking into consideration of age variation. However, few women have medical conditions that emerge during pregnancy, and different women have medical issues before they become pregnant, that could prompt intricacies. It is vital for women to get medical services previously and during pregnancy to diminish the danger of pregnancy entanglements. The type of study conducted in the two clinics in Paiko was a descriptive cross-sectional study. This study was conducted to describe the patterns of health challenges occurring in pregnant women in the study area. A stratified sampling technique was used in this study conducted within the two clinics among the pregnant women in Paiko, Paikoro local government however the tools for the collection of data are questionnaires and interviewers (face-to-face interviews). Data were collected from the two clinics using the techniques mentioned above. The questionnaires were administered to the pregnant women from the two clinics and observations were made from the study population. Data collected were through primary and secondary means, which is questionnaire and interview. The pregnant women were sensitized about the information in the survey template in other to enlighten then about the survey study plan and the required data from them. <i>Result:</i> The findings revealed major health challenges that pregnant women face was High Blood Pressure, Ulcer, and Malaria etc.

Assessment of HPV Knowledge and Awareness among Students and Staff at IBB University, Niger State, Nigeria: Implications for Health Education and Prevention.

In Nigeria, statistics reveal that there is a high rate of cervical cancer among women and a significant lack of awareness surrounding Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which poses a substantial risk of HPV infection. This cross-sectional survey, conducted at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) University, focuses on adapting and exploring the factors that influence a 20-item scale to measure HPV knowledge, evaluating knowledge-associated patterns and HPV-associated risk factors. We examined HPV vaccination rates, infection awareness, vaccine awareness, and the impact of ethnicity on HPV knowledge. Various validated forms were adapted to measure HPV awareness and knowledge. Non-parametric tests addressed non-normality. Data were presented using median and IQR and categorical data were frequency-based. Bivariate tests (Mann-Witney, Kruskal Wallis) explored knowledge-associated factors, while quantile regression (75th percentile) examined HPV knowledge factors. Variables were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. The adapted 20-item knowledge scale revealed strong reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.913), ensuring internal consistency. The median knowledge score was 0, with an interquartile range (IQR) of 0-5. Our findings revealed a significant lack of awareness and knowledge about HPV; only 34.8% of the population were aware of HPV infection and 25.0% were familiar with HPV vaccination. Furthermore, ethnicity was found to be significantly associated with knowledge of HPV. This study emphasizes the necessity for targeted interventions to enhance HPV awareness, especially within specific ethnic groups. Despite a robust knowledge scale, educational initiatives such as seminars/conferences about HPV and cervical cancer remain crucial in addressing this gap, ultimately reducing HPV infection and cervical cancer risks in Nigeria.

Resistivity Prospecting for Groundwater Potential at the Proposed Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Teaching Hospital, Lapai, Niger State

Resistivity methods have been increasingly used for aquifer characterisation due to their high level of effectiveness. In this study, electrical resistivity survey was carried out at the Proposed Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Teaching Hospital Lapai Niger State Nigeria in order to study the groundwater potential with a view of determining the depth to the bedrock and thickness of the overburden protective capacity. Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) using Schlumberger array was used to occupy thirty (30) VES stations using ABEM Terrameter (SAS 300) for the acquisition of apparent resistivity data. The field data obtained was analysed using computer software (IPI2win) which gave the secondary geoelectric parameters of depth, layer thickness and layer resistivities. The results revealed heterogeneous nature of the subsurface geological sequence comprising top soil (clayey-sandy and sandy-lateritic), weathered layer, partly weathered (fractured basement) and fresh basement. The resistivity value for the topsoil layer varied from 20Ωm to 600Ωm with thickness ranging from 0.5 to 7.2 m. The weathered basement had resistivity values ranging from 15Ωm to 593Ωm while the thicknesses varied between 2.75 and 33.04m. The fractured basement had resistivity values ranging from 201Ωm to 835Ωm and thicknesses having values between 11 and 20.4m. The fresh basement (bedrock) had resistivity values ranging from 1161Ωm to 3115Ωm with infinite depth. The depth from the earth’s surface to the bedrock surface varied between 2.5 to 47.75m. The VES 10, 11 and 19 had very good overburden protective capacity and can serve as good sites for borehole drilling.

Impact of Small-Scale Business Organization on Economic Development: A Case Study of Hamdala Special Bread Bakery Kwangwara, Kontagora, Niger State, Nigeria

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; This work has revealed clearly that small scale businesses has suffered a lot of set back as a result of lack of amenities, poor funding, economic of scale, improper management, illiteracy and other factors. The source of finance of small businesses are not enough to help them expand as expected. Small scale business has impact on the development of a country through provision of jobs, revenue generation to government and to also a boost to the standard of living. Also it was also realized that government intervention is weak and need to be enforced. The research design and procedure for data analysis and test of hypothesis revealed that this study is based on the following: government programs and policies, economic growth and development, job creation and poverty alleviation. From the finding of this research, the small scale business has impact on economic development because it has been able to create job and alleviate poverty. However, government intervention to small scale business is not encouraging, more policies should be profound and implemented properly.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

The Status and Challenges of HIV Services in Niger State: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Providers and Clients

&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Introduction&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;: The incidence of HIV/AIDS in Nigerian is on the decline, but with the trio of high inflation, high unemployment, and high terrorism in the country; lot of synergies are still needed to end the HIV scourge. &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Objective&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;: The study was carried out to determine the status of HIV services in Niger state. &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Method&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;: A cross-sectional survey, using a simple randomization sampling method, and the client’s viewpoint in health facilities across Niger state was undertaken to examine the challenges faced by HIV service providers. Data from 351 HIV providers, 361 clients were collected using questionnaires; IBM and Pearson correlation were used for descriptive and inferential statistics respectively. &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Results&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;: The mean age of the providers was (M = 30.50, SD = 8.2). Challenges included poor salary (M = 2.44, SD = 1.16), staff shortage (M = 3.01, SD = 1.24), lack of recognition &amp; incentives (M = 2.57, SD = 0.99; M = 2.63, SD = 1.08), others were infrastructural deficit, inadequate funding, training and materials; poor electricity and internet; lack of research and unionism among others. The non-enabling factors challenges were burnt out (M = 3.01, SD = 0.99), insecurity (M = 3.51, SD = 1.09), working extra hours (M = 3.02; SD = 0,98), migration desire (M = 3.87, SD = 1.06). &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Conclusion&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;: It is highly overdue, that all HIV stakeholders in the country take complete custodian of all HIV service components; come up with a sustainable policy to steer toward HIV eradication program, by increasing the enabling factors, and reducing the non-enabling factors.

Acceptability of smart locker technology for dispensing chronic disease medication among patients and healthcare providers in Nigeria.

Smart lockers are automated delivery machines. They have been used in dispensing ARVs and Tuberculosis medication to chronically ill patients in South Africa, Kenya, and Eswatini. However, there is no evidence of smart lockers in dispensing chronic disease medication in Nigeria. This study aimed to assess the acceptability of smart lockers in dispensing chronic disease medication and to describe the barriers to accessing care among patients with chronic diseases medication in 5 states in Nigeria. We conducted a cross-sectional study among healthcare workers and patients living with chronic diseases in five Nigerian states of Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue, and Niger between November and December 2021. A total of 1,133 participants were recruited (728 patients and 405 healthcare workers). The results revealed that most patients and healthcare workers agreed that using smart lockers for drug dispensing will lead to reduced transportation costs, hospital waiting times, the workload of healthcare workers, and decongestion of health facilities. The majority of the patients living with chronic diseases (43%) and healthcare workers (51%) showed high acceptability for the use of smart lockers. The use of smart lockers in dispensing chronic disease medication in Nigeria is feasible, and patients and healthcare workers are willing to accept the smart lockers, provided that a patient-centred implementation strategy is developed.

Raw, Unadulterated African Honey for Ulcer Healing in Leprosy: Protocol for the Honey Experiment on Leprosy Ulcer (HELP) Randomized Controlled Trial.

Leprosy leads to nerve damage and slow-healing ulcers, which are treatable with routine therapy. There has been a recent resurgence of interest in the use of honey for the treatment of different kinds of wounds. The aim of this study, Honey Experiment on Leprosy Ulcer (HELP), is to evaluate the healing properties of raw, unadulterated African honey in comparison with normal saline dressing for the treatment leprosy ulcers. This is a multicenter, comparative, prospective, single-blinded, parallel-group, and 1:1 individually randomized controlled trial to be conducted at The Leprosy Referral Hospital, Chanchaga in Minna, Niger State, North Central Nigeria, and St. Benedict Tuberculosis and Leprosy Rehabilitation Hospital in Ogoja, Cross River State, South-South Nigeria. Raw, unadulterated honey will be used in the ulcer dressing of eligible, consenting participants in the intervention group, whereas those in the control group will be treated by dressing with normal saline. The main outcomes will be the proportion of complete healing and the rate of healing up to 84 days after randomization. Follow-up will be conducted 6 months after randomization. We aim to enroll 90-130 participants into the study. Blinded observers will examine photographs of ulcers to determine the outcomes. The recruitment of trial participants began on March 14, 2022, and has been continuing for approximately 24 months. Our study will provide an unbiased estimate of the effect of honey on the healing of neuropathic ulcers.

Spatial Dynamics of Land Use Land Cover of Minna City and Environs, Niger State, Nigeria

Aims: Spatial dynamics of land use land cover of Minna city and environs, Niger State, Nigeria.&#x0D; Study Design: Survey and longitudinal research were carried out.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Minna town, Niger State, Nigeria between 1990 and 2022.&#x0D; Methodology: This study investigated the dynamics of land use land cover of Minna city and environs, Niger State, Nigeria using satellite remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technique. &#x0D; Results: Findings of the study showed that in 1990, land use type was dominated by agricultural land (50%), followed by vegetation land (30%). However, built-up area was less than 10% indicating that urban heat stress was limited. It was observed that the built-up area concentrated on the center and north-western segments of the city. In 2010, bare ground dominated the land use type of Minna city and environs at the rate of 45%. This was followed by agricultural land at the rate of 35%. The built-up area occupied 15% of the entire land surface area of the city, indicating a tremendous rise from the previous decades. In 2022, the land use type showed a tremendous rise in agricultural land at the rate of 37%. This was followed by bare ground at an alarming increase of 36%. The built-up area ranked third at the rate of 20%, showing that the city had a severe urban heat effect due to heat generated by urban pavement materials.&#x0D; Conclusion: Thus, the practice of sustainable land use, good implementation of forest practice, appropriate water resources conservation and the promotion of alternative livelihood to agriculture should be implemented for the Minna inhabitants to reverse the situation of LULC changes without further delay.

Analysis of Proximate, Mineral and Phytochemical Composition of fresh and dry Vernonia amygdalina (Bitter Leaf) in Bida Metropolis, Niger State

Vernonia amygdalina is tropical shrub with high biomass yield which is used to prepare several dishes, it is also utilized as herb for health improvement. This study was carried out to determine, the proximate, mineral and phytochemicals composition of fresh and dry bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) leaves in Bida metropolis. The Vernonia amygdalina leaf samples were evaluated using standard procedures. The result of the proximate analysis show that percentage dry matter and moisture content shows significant (p&lt;0.05) difference between the samples. The percentage ash content and the crude fiber of both samples does not differ significantly (p&gt;0.05). The mean percentage of crude protein, crude fat and carbohydrate were significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher in the dry bitter leaf when compared with the values of the fresh bitter leaf. The mineral composition shows Sodium (0.07 ± 0.00 and 0.08 ± 0.00), potassium (0.04 ± 0.00 and 0.06 ± 0.00), calcium content (0.20 ± 0.03 and 0.47 ± 0.02), magnesium (1.33 ± 0.10 and 0.98 ± 0.00) and Phosphorus (2.11 ± 0.17 and 2.18 ± 3.41). The phytochemical analysis shows that flavonoid value was significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher in the fresh bitter leaf sample than the dry bitter leave sample. The dry bitter leaf sample significantly (p&lt;0.05) recorded high value in alkaloid, oxalate and cyanide when compares to the values obtain from the fresh bitter leaf sample. Both the dry and fresh better leaf sample did not differ significantly in term of phytate and tannin composition. According to this study, the leaves of Vernonia amygdalina, both fresh and dry, have varying and significant amounts of secondary metabolites (alkaloid, flavonoid, cyanide, oxalate, and phytate), mineral elements (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and Phosphorus), and proximate compositions (moisture, ash, crude fat, crude fibre, protein, and carbohydrate). The outcomes demonstrate the significant health benefits of the two leaves.

Assessment of Quality, Bacterial Population and Diversity of Irrigation Water in Selected Areas of Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

This research was carried out in the cropping season of 2016 to determine the quality, bacterial population, and diversity of irrigation water in selected areas of Minna, Niger state. The treatments comprised four locations where irrigation agriculture is practiced in Minna, namely Bali in Chanchaga, Fadikpe, Mechanic Village in Keterin Gwari, and Soje-A in Kpakungu, where water samples were collected at 3 points from the water sources and mixed together to represent the locations. The treatments were replicated three times and fitted to a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The physical, chemical, and biological properties of the irrigation water were determined according to standard methods. Results obtained showed that bacterial population and diversity were significantly affected by location and that all the physical and chemical properties of the irrigation water were significantly affected by location except for chemical oxygen demand (mg/l). Fadikpe had the highest bacterial population (2.5×108 CFU/ml) and was the least diverse. Other locations were equally diverse, with Soje-A having the lowest bacterial population (2.8×107 CFU/ml). Averagely, the bacterial population found in the irrigation water of Minna may not be biodegrading. _B.subtilis _, which has a higher potential for biodegradation, was unable to reduce the biochemical oxygen demand in this research. Water from Chanchaga recorded the best quality for irrigation, even though values of some of the physicochemical properties were higher than values recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization standard. Further studies should therefore be carried out to establish the potentials of _B.subtilis _in the bioremediation of Chanchaga water and to investigate the biodegrading potential of _Escherichia coli_ since it correlated negatively with total dissolved solids, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and iron.

Cost and returns analysis of upland and lowland rice production among farmers in North Central Nigeria

Sustainability of the rice production and farmers’ income in Nigeria raises a serious concern due to the rising costs of production inputs and other factors beyond farmers’ control. As a result, the study compared the cost and returns of rice production in North central, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 387 rice farmers in the study area. Descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis and seeming unrelated regression were used to analyze the dataset collected. The findings revealed that most of the rice farmers were male, averagely young and have at least 9 family members in their respectively households. Results from Kwara State showed that total cost is higher among the upland rice farmers compared to their lowland counterparts, but reverse was the case in term of net profit, as this favoured the lowland rice farmers. For Niger State and pooled data, the lowland rice farmers had higher net profit than the upland rice farmers. Seemingly unrelated regression estimates indicated that costs associated with fertilizer, herbicide, seed, pesticide and labour used were significant and influencing factors affecting the revenue of rice farmers in the study area. While inaccessibility to cheap farm inputs was the major constraint affecting the rice farmers, other challenges include lack of storage, inadequate rainfall and inadequate credit facilities. The study recommended seamless access to improved rice varieties by the farmers as this can scale up adoption of improved technologies, boost production and ultimately the net revenue of rice farmers. Farmers are also advised to join and/or form a registered occupational groups through which credit facilities can easily be accessed, to expand the farming operations because of the positive and complementary role of social group and access to credit.

Human Rights Abuse and Policing in Nigeria: a case study of Niger State

Human Rights Abuse and Policing in Nigeria: a case study of Niger State

The Effects Of Interactive Instructional Television On Upper Basic Students’ Academic Achievements In The Hausa Language

The study is titled “The Effects of Interactive Instructional Television on Upper Basic Students’ Academic Achievement in Hausa Language. The study was quasi-experimental and specifically, the non-equivalent comparison group design was adopted. The study used 120 Upper-Basic II from Minna Educational Zone, Niger State. The study answered two (2) questions and tested two (2) null hypotheses. Hausa Language Achievement Test (HALAT) was the data collection instrument. Expert duly validated the instrument and has a reliability coefficient index power of 0.780. The mean and standard deviation were equally used to answer the questions raised by the study. The independent sample t-test was used to test the study’s null hypotheses at 0.05 alpha. The study discovered significant differences between the academic achievement scores of the experimental and the comparison groups. By implication the upper basic students taught Hausa language with interactive instructional television outperformed their counterparts taught with lecture technique. The study found that gender does not affect the performances of the experimental group signifying that the students who were taught the Hausa language with interactive instructional television performed credibly well irrespective of their gender. In light of the above, the study recommends Hausa language teachers should be encouraged to use interactive instructional television in their classrooms for their students’ optimum academic excellence in Niger State; Niger State government, through the Ministry of Education, donor Agencies and influential individuals should support and provide all the funds needed for the procurement and maintenance of instructional television for maximum efficiency and service delivery.

Variability of micronutrients status along topographic positions and toxicity potential of soils under rice cultivation in Niger State, Nigeria

Micronutrients are important for good crop performance. There is limited quantitative data on the content and distribution of micronutrients in soils under rice cultivation in Niger state, particularly, on the soils of Baddeggi and Makusidi. To achieve this, soil samples were purposively collected along topographic positions (upper-slope, mid-slope, lower-slope and bottomlands) in the two areas. To assess the distribution of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), a total of sixty-four composite samples were collected at 0-15 and 15-30 cm depth and were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The results revealed that the mean values of available Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu were 182.40, 41.90, 7.90 and 6.50 mg/kg for Baddeggi and 254.30, 275.13, 16.25 and 7.88 mg/kg for Makusidi respectively. The very high Fe and Mn in the study sites may lead to toxicity of these elements. The Cu and Zn were also relatively high, and their deficiencies are unlikely to occur in the study area.