State North Central Nigeria Research Articles

An Examination Of Traditional Craft As A Component Of Tsangaya System Of Education In North Central Zone Nigeria

An examination of traditional craft as component of tsangaya system of education in north central zone Nigeria. A survey research approach and a Multi-Stage Cluster Sampling procedure. Data was gathered from 297 respondents drawn from tsangaya schools from 3 selected states in north-central Nigeria, kwara, Nasarawa and Niger State. The collection of data was using a questionnaire that was structured and well-validated. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the data analysis. The outcome revealed the overall mean score of 3.93 for the ten skills needed as agreed by the respondents. The overall mean score of 3.71 of the five attitudinal items as agreed. The overall mean score of 4.05 of the four awareness statements listed as agreed. The cluster mean score of 3.46 shows serious challenges towards Traditional Craft Skills. The findings show that awareness has the highest Beta value (B=0.729, P<0.05). The findings supported the formulated hypothesis, therefore, we reject H0. Followed by attitude with (B=0.400, P<0.05) the findings also supported the hypothesis, therefore, we reject H0. The challenges had the lowest Beta value of (B=0.022, P<0.05) and also have a significant impact on the traditional craft skills. The findings equally supported the formulated hypothesis, therefore, we reject H0. In conclusion, attitude and awareness had a serious impact on entrepreneurship skills acquisition program. Hence, Adj.R2 of 98.6% as shown on Table 5 is an indication of another 1.4% unexplained factors that are not considered in this study. Therefore, its recommended that Governments at all levels (Federal, State and Local governments) should come up with more effective means of supporting the traditional craft in Tsangaya School’s system in north central Nigeria

Assessment of Serum Triglycerides in Pankshin Plateau State North Central Nigeria

The study shows the evaluation of serum triglycerides. Triglycerides are the main constituents of body fats acids. The study was held in pankshin in plateau state. The distribution shows 5(5%) of the adults have 141-164mg/dL, 6(6.0%) of adults have 40-140mg/dL and the remaining 89 (89.0%) were above 165mg/dL. This clearly shows that most of the adults within Pankshin town have high triglycerides. The table presented results of serum triglycerides based on age ranges which 52 adults that were below 50 years were examined which 6(6.0%) were normal, 39(39.0%) have high serum triglycerides, 7(7.0%) have low triglycerides. A total number of 48 adults where above 50 years were examined which 5(5.0%) have normal serum triglycerides, 33(33.0%) have high serum triglycerides and the remaining 10(10.0%) have low triglycerides. This implies that most adults below 50 years have high triglycerides than others above 50 years. The table presented 41 males were sampled in this study which 6 (6.0%) of the male were normal of serum triglycerides, 31(31.0%) were high of triglycerides, 4 (4.0%) were low of triglycerides while 59 females were examined but 5(5.0%) have normal serum triglycerides, 46(46.0%) have high serum triglycerides and the remaining 6(6.0%) have low triglycerides. This clearly shows that most of the people sampled in this study have high level of serum triglycerides but male had normal triglyceride than female.

Assessment and Bioaccumulation of Metals in Parts of Crops from Farmland Environment and Their Health Risk, Kogi State Northcentral Nigeria

Assessment and Bioaccumulation of Metals in Parts of Crops from Farmland Environment and Their Health Risk, Kogi State Northcentral Nigeria

Evaluation of Natural Radionuclides in Selected Dumpsites in Gboko, Makurdi and Otukpo Towns of Benue State North Central Nigeria

The activity concentrations of some radionuclides in dumpsites samples were collected from 8selected locations in Gboko, selected locations each in Makurdi and Otukpo metropolis respectively of Benue State have been determined using the Gamma ray Spectroscopy (model T35240K). The soil activity from Gboko ranges from 13.10±0.25 Bq/Kg to 22.56±0.32 Bq/Kg for 40K, 0.35±0.00 Bq/Kg to 0.71±0.00 Bq/Kg for 238U and 0.12±0.00 Bq/Kg to 1.20±0.00 Bq/Kg for 232Th respectively with mean value of 19.15±0.29Bq/Kg for 40K, with the mean value of 0.60±0.00 Bq/Kg for 238U, and with the mean value of 0.14±0.00Bq/Kg for 232Th respectively in Gboko. The soil activity from Makurdi ranges from 12.88±0.24 Bq/Kg to 22.23±0.32 Bq/Kg for 40K, 0.37±0.00 Bq/Kg to 0.66±0.00 Bq/Kg for 238U and 0.09±0.00 Bq/Kg to 0.21±0.00 Bq/Kg for 232Th respectively with the mean value of 18.76±0.29Bq/Kg for 40K, mean value of 0.52±0.00 Bq/Kg for238U and with mean value of 0.15±0.00 Bq/Kg for 232Th respectively in Makurdi. The soil activity from Otukpo ranges from 10.42±0.22 Bq/Kg to 23.59±0.33 Bq/Kg for 40K, 0.41±0.00 Bq/Kg to 0.68±0.00 Bq/Kg for 238U and 0.14±0.00 Bq/Kg to 0.20±0.00 Bq/Kg for 232Th with the mean value of 17.86±0.36 Bq/Kg for 40K, with the mean value of 0.54±0.00 Bq/Kg for 238U and with the mean value of 0.17±0.00 Bq/Kg for 232Th respectively in Otukpo. The mean absorbed dose rate in air from Gboko ranges from 0.91±0.00 to 1.35±0.00 , the mean absorbed dose rate in air from Makurdi ranges from 0.80±0.00 to 1.17±0.00and the mean absorbed dose rate in air from Otukpo ranges from 0.74±0.00 to 1.28±0.00while the annual effective dose for Gboko varied from 0.0011±0.00 to 0.0016±0.00 , the annual effective dose for Makurdi varied from 0.0009±0.00 to 0.0016±0.00 and for Otukpo varied from 0.0009±0.00 to 0.0015±0.00 .The results showed that, dose rate are lower than the safe limit of 0.07mSv/y...

Pattern and Incidence of Covid-19 Vaccine Reactions among Adult Clients in a Tertiary Health Facility in a North-Central State of Nigeria

Introduction: As a result of the rapid development and approval of the COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic, there was serious misinformation about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. Providing evidence-based proof of the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine could dispel this scepticism. The study aimed to assess the pattern and incidence of COVID-19 vaccine reactions among adult clients in a tertiary health facility following immunization. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care institute among recipients of the first dose of the of the COVID-19 vaccine between April and July 2021. Study populations were adults above 18 years. Participants were assessed for any reactions four times. Immediately after vaccination and later, same day one, day 2, day 3, and on/after day 7. A telephone interview was conducted, and the recipients were assessed according to the time and type of reactions, actions taken following reactions, and severe forms of reactions. Results: A total of 1535 participants were assessed post-COVID-19 vaccination reactions, and 805 (52.4%) reported at least one of the COVID-19 vaccine reactions following vaccination, and less than a percent reported perceived severe adverse reactions. Pain at the injection site (5.0%), myalgia (2.8%), and headache (1.6%) were the common adverse events reported immediately after vaccination. The majority of the respondents (93.4%) were willing to take the second dose of the of the COVID-19 vaccine. The major factor associated with COVID-19 vaccine reactions following vaccination was the age group. Conclusion: Many people still experience a certain type of discomfort after vaccinations; this discomfort is often mild to moderate and is more prevalent in young adults. Most of the reactions resolve after a few days without intervention.

Taxation Potency on Human Capital Development: Verdict from Panel Fixed Effect Model

This study examined taxation impact on human capital development in North Central States in Nigeria. The data emanated from the state boards of internal revenue, office of Accountants general, state planning commission of the selected states in North Central Nigeria and the National Bureau of Statistics' document from 2010 to 2020. The selected states are Kwara, Niger, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states. The study used econometric model to examine how taxes affect growth of human capital development. The numerical estimate of the co-efficient in various equations was obtained using panel data analysis through pooled regression, fixed model, random effect model and Hausman test. The findings showed that personal income tax and value added tax have positive and significant effect on human capital development. Road tax has positive and insignificant effect on human capital development. More so, external loan has positive and significant effect on human capital development in North central states Nigeria. It is concluded that taxation significantly impacted human capital development in north central states, Nigeria. It is recommended that taxation funds should be fully channeled by government into development of human capital properly, and meticulously utilized and managed efficiently to absolutely attain and improve human capital in North central states, Nigeria. Also, government should involve the usage of electronic means for collection of taxes from road users in order to track or drive all the road users into tax net, and to reduce or eradicate road tax evaders so as to enhance revenue drive.

DOES INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING STANDARD NARROWS AUDIT EXPECTATION GAP?

The many arguments advanced by scholars as to International Financial Reporting Standard’s capacity to enhance audit procedures and outcomes underscores this research’s quest for determining whether International Financial Reporting Standard could help with the perceptional dilemma that triggered the long lingering Audit expectation gap crisis. To this end, this study assays stakeholders’ perception as to whether the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standard could have certain narrowing impact on Audit expectation gap. The study adopted a mixed research design (i.e. exploratory and survey designs) by which structured questionnaires were administered to a purposeful randomly selected sample of 400 respondents drawn from audit practitioners, academics, accounting standards issuers, and members of professional accounting bodies within the North Central States of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory to collect data which were analyzed using multiple regression with the help of STATA 13 software. Result of the analysis revealed that both International Financial Reporting Standard induced quality financial report and complexity of audit work could narrow audit performance expectation gap in a significant positive manner, while International Financial Reporting Standard’s induced audit quality was negative in narrowing the expectation gap. We recommend however, that even with the significant result leading to rejection of the null hypotheses, standard setters should look at ways to draw up standards that will harmonize accounting standards and auditing standards in a way that clearly spell out how every category of reportable transactions should be reviewed and reported so as to improve the quality of what auditors deliver to the public.

Review of Emerging and Re-Emerging Zoonotic Pathogens of Dogs in Nigeria: Missing Link in One Health Approach

Dogs live in close contact with humans as pets, for hunting, for security, and as a source of income. In addition, the meat is also consumed by some tribes in Nigeria. Dogs could therefore serve as reservoirs, carriers, and transmitters of zoonotic diseases. This review evaluates the literature from 2000 to 2020 for the prevalence and incidence of zoonotic pathogens associated with dogs in Nigeria. The results obtained show that overall, parasites constituted a majority (64%) of the zoonotic pathogens (or species) identified in dog hosts. A good number of studies have examined the role of ticks in the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Further, bacteria make up 22% of the zoonotic pathogens. From this study, it appears that rabies is the major pathogen in dogs for which there is reliable evidence linking contact between humans and dogs. Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria and Plateau State in north-central Nigeria were the most frequently studied states, while prevalence/disease surveillance studies constituted 80% of the overall papers assessed. Interdisciplinary collaborations as well as research and diagnosis policy amendments are missing links to fully appreciate the role of dogs in the transmission of zoonotic diseases in Nigeria. Policies should integrate a one health approach in the Nigerian health system, whereby diagnostic screening of humans and animals by physicians and veterinarians includes zoonotic pathogens for more accurate diagnosis and control.

Background Study on the Estimation of Horizontal Dilution Potential of air Pollutants in North-Central Nigeria, Using Wind Data

The study gives a background estimate of the dilution potential of air pollutants (SO2, NO2 and CO) in three selected North Central States of Nigeria. The research was carried out using wind impact area diagram, obtained by using standard deviation to calculate analysis of pollutants and other variables of spread whose concentration were determined downwind. The results indicate that Makurdi and Lafia have varying wind direction persistence (p) approximately 1.0m2 for all the months. This can cause variation in wind directions. It also indicate unstable pattern of wind observation in this cities. For Makurdi, lowest and highest value of potential stands at M (12.15 m2) and (42.5 m2) were observed in April and May accordingly. For Lafia, values obtained by potential impact stands at M (2.20m2) and (67.50 m2) for the months indicated. Finally, Jos has (p) equal to 1.2m2 through all months, showing steady wind compared to two cities of Makurdi and Lafia and the predominant wind direction during the period of October 2018 to February 2019. Lowest and largest values of dilution potentials M (1.50m2 and 113.37m2) were obtained for February and December of the same year under review. Lowest values of m (dilution potential) indicate lower dilution potentials in these cities which indicate high concentration of inert pollutants while larger value of M predicts high volume of wind speed with a big impact area. The study showed that, dilution potential can be applied in comparing the wind data in line and space. It also portrays that wind impact diagram gives a good representation of wind along with area of high pollutants concentration as compared to wind rose. Finally, the information obtained from the research suggests air quality monitoring stations are required in Makurdi, Lafia and Jos for effective monitoring of air pollutants in these cities.

Geospatial Analysis of Solar Energy Potentials in Niger State, Nigeria

Solar energy has been identified as the largest renewable resource on earth, and it is more evenly distributed in Sunbelt locations than wind or biomass use. In this paper, geospatial methods were used to examine solar energy potentials in Niger State Northcentral Nigeria. Observed insolation data from Nigeria meteorological station was used over the study period 1988–2018. A Digital Elevation Map (DEM) and solar radiation of the area were used as input parameters. Slope and slope aspect were calculated using the DEM. Slope, slope aspect, and solar radiations of the study area were reclassified and weighted using a Hierarchical Analytical Process (AHP). The variability analysis was done using a standardized variable index. It was observed that the months of February, March, and April were the highest with average solar radiation of 6kWh/m²/day, while July and August, on average, had the lowest solar radiation of 4.4kWh/m²/day. The results showed the areas with moderate solar energy potential; good solar energy potential and very good solar energy potential. It was revealed that the amount of available solar power in Niger is 414.651 X 10⁶ MWh. The study has demonstrated the potential of geospatial technology in the analysis of solar energy potentials, making it suitable for the investigation of other renewable energies. The results also identified the enormous availability of solar energy potentials in the state as well as the most suitable site for solar energy farms.

An analysis of the effects of urbanization on urban drainage systems in Ankpa, Dekina and Oguma Towns of Kogi State in North Central Nigeria

Managing complex environmental problems such as flood disaster require up to date technology. Much of these disasters can be prevented and reduced through the use of technology such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing as well as questionnaire administration. The spatial analytic capacity of GIS is employed to carryout hydrological analysis such as drainage network, DEM, Slope, flow direction and accumulation, stream order. Also land use and land cover analysis was done to examine the changes in land cover pattern across the study area. Different datasets were extracted from satellite imagery (landsat TM and OLI) of the Study area. ArcGIS 10.8 and Idrisi Terrset were used for the land cover change spatial analyses. The results from image analysis revealed that built-up area have been increasing significantly in the area due to increasing population pressure, it increases from 11.70%, 9.74% and 13.15% in 1990 to 18.12%, 16.05% and 19.37% in 2021 for Ankpa, Bassa and Oguma (Dekina) respectively. The flood risk vulnerability map reveals that about 15.44% (835.73 km2) and 15.81% (856.25 km2) of the study area have very high and high susceptibility to flooding inundation, respectively. The vulnerable zones are located on the lowest part of the plain which is responsible for the high flood vulnerability experienced in this area. It can be deduced that the magnitude of the flood hazard of a given area is a function of both the distance to the river and the elevation of the area in question. The result of the questionnaire analysis indicates that 67.55%,65.96% and 61.48% strongly agreed that shallow drainage channels in Ankpa, Dekina and Oguma are the major drainage challenges in the study area while 65.70%, 56.73% and 56.46%, strongly agree that several homes are destroyed when drainage fail and 56.20%, 63.32%, and 57.26% strongly agree that availability of social services is responsible for the increase population upsurge to urban centers. It is believed that the result of this research can be used as a means of regulating development along the plain and also serve as a decision support when making policies relating to drainage and flood management around urban centres.

Perceived Impact of Accreditation on the Management of Universities in North Central Nigeria.

The higher education sector in North Central Nigeria is experiencing a notable shift, focusing more on accreditation as a crucial tool to evaluate university quality. Accreditation ensures that institutions meet set standards, aiming to enhance the region’s higher education system. However, there’s an urgent need to understand how accreditation affects university management, specifically in terms of staffing sufficiency and environmental cleanliness in public universities. The study investigated the perceived impact of accreditation on the management of universities in North Central Nigeria, utilizing two research questions and two hypotheses as a guide. A survey research design was employed for this study. Out of the population of 14,347 academic and senior non-academic staff members from Federal and State Universities in the North Central States of Nigeria, a sample of 388 staff members was selected. The sample selection was determined using the Taro Yamane formula for sample size determination and involved a multi-stage sampling procedure. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire titled “Accreditation and Management of Public Universities Questionnaire” (AMOPUQ). To ascertain the instrument’s reliability, a trial-test was conducted in the South-East Geo-political Zone. The collected data were analyzed using the Cronbach Alpha Coefficient to determine the internal consistency. An overall internal consistency reliability coefficient of 0.87 was obtained. The structured questionnaire developed by the researcher underwent scrutiny by two experts in Educational Administration and Planning, one from Agricultural Education and one from Measurement and Evaluation, both from the College of Agricultural and Science Education, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi. Additionally, an expert from Education Management at Benue State University provided input. They assisted in vetting the instrument, ensuring content clarity, accuracy, and relevance to elicit the required information. Descriptive statistics, such as mean and standard deviation, were used to answer the research questions. Furthermore, the hypotheses were tested using Chi-square (χ2) test of independence statistics at the 0.05 alpha level of significance with SPSS version twenty. The study found that accreditation has a significant impact on the adequacy of teaching and non-teaching staff and environmental sanitation in public universities in North Central Nigeria. Among the recommendations made, accreditation bodies should establish mandatory staffing standards as part of the accreditation process. This would necessitate organizations seeking accreditation to meet specific staffing requirements, ensuring their commitment to adequate staffing levels. The implementation steps would include defining clear staffing standards, incorporating them into accreditation criteria, conducting regular audits, providing support and resources, monitoring and improving staffing levels, and collaborating with stakeholders.

Availability, and price of anti-hypertensives and antidiabetics in public and private health facilities in Jos, Plateau State and environs North Central Nigeria

Background: One of the elements restricting access to medicines is high medicine prices. This can have a detrimental effect on patients' health as well as the healthcare system in terms of lack of patient  compliance with treatment and subsequent hospitalisation for serious complications. The aim of the study is to evaluate the availability and price of antidiabetics and antihypertensives in private and public health centres in Jos and environs. Method: This study is based on a methodology developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and HealthAction International (HAI), 2004. It uses a short list of medicines to determine the prices of medicines in different health sectors. Data Analysis was done using the SPSS software. The median price ratio for each drug was calculated as well as the percentage availability. Results: Most antihypertensives and antidiabetics were sold above the international reference price, median price ratio was above 2.5 for all the drugs surveyed. The mean availability of antihypertensives was 85.43% for generic and 1.59% for branded. In public pharmacies, the mean availability of antihypertensives was 79.45% for generic antihypertensives, and 2.37% for branded antihypertensives. Conclusion: In both public and private pharmacies availability of Branded antihypertensives and antidiabetics were very low compared to their generic counterparts. The poor availability of essential medicines is likely to be multifactorial, further facilitated by cash-flow constraints, inadequate local manufacturing capacities and resulting import dependencies.

Performance Evaluation of Waste Stabilization Pond for Treatment of Wastewater from a Tertiary Institution Campus Located in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Appropriate treatment of wastewater before disposal into the environment or reuse is very important in the quest to protect the environment and safeguard public health. This paper investigated the performance evaluation of a waste stabilization pond (WSP) for treatment of wastewater from a tertiary institution campus located in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State in North Central Nigeria. The waste stabilization pond of the tertiary institution campus was designed for a wastewater flow rate of 12,945 m3/day. In order to evaluate the performance of the WSP, a model was developed following the Froude’s number dimensional analysis technique. The model was evaulated based on a wastewater flow of 0.4 m3/day. The final effluent from the maturation pond had 80 mg/L BOD, 195 mg/L COD, 75 CFU/100ml Total Coliforms, 610 mg/L Total solids, 19 mg/L Total Nitrogen, 210 mg/L Chloride, 28 mg/L Phosphate, 1.3 mg/L Ammonia and 7.0 pH. The WSP was able to achieve an overall efficiency of 77.78% reducing all quality parameters to recommended limited with exception of total nitrogen and phosphate. The implementation of this design will go along way to aid the treatment of wastewater from the campus of the university.

Understanding Flood Vulnerability in Local Communities of Kogi State, Nigeria, Using an Index-Based Approach

In West Africa, the impacts of flooding are becoming more severe with climate warming. Flood-prone communities in Kogi State in north-central Nigeria are affected by annual flooding and some extreme flood events. The negative impacts remain a major obstacle to development, environmental sustainability, and human security, exacerbating poverty in the region. Reducing and managing the impacts of flooding are increasingly becoming a challenge for individual households. Analysing vulnerability to flooding (a function of exposure, susceptibility, and lack of resilience) and identifying its causes using an index-based approach to achieve sustainable flood risk management were the focus of this study. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect relevant data from 400 households in 20 purposively selected communities. Based on expert opinions and an extensive literature review, 16 sets of relevant indicators were developed. These indicators were normalised and aggregated to compute the flood vulnerability index (FVI) for each community. This was then used to compare, classify, and rank communities in terms of their vulnerability to flooding. The results of the study showed that the selected communities were at varying levels of the risk of flooding. Four of the communities including the Onyedega, Ogba Ojubo, Odogwu, and Ichala Edeke communities were found to have very high vulnerability to flooding compared to others. Several factors such as poor building structures, lack of evacuation and flood management measures, over-dependence of households on agriculture, lack of diversification of economic activities, and weak household economic capacity were identified as causes. These findings are useful for developing flood risk reduction and adaptation strategies, such as ecosystem-based approaches, to reduce current and future vulnerability to flooding in Nigeria and other developing countries with similar conditions.

Evaluation of Links between Maize Farmlands and Infrastructures in the North Central Nigeria Using Geospatial Techniques

This study, aimed at evaluating the link between maize farmer lands and infrastructures. The main objective of the study was to find out the existing links between farmlands and infrastructures within the maize supply chain in the North Central States of Nigeria. The investigation was carried out using questioners to assess the constraints of farmers in supply chains, multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted to sample the respondents in Kuje Area Council and Mararaba. A total of 130 respondents were interviewed using a structured interview guide. Results indicated that the majority of the farmers have no access to adequate infrastructural facilities such as roads, processing facilities, storage facilities and markets. Proximity analysis was also carried out analyzing GRID3 data for farmlands, roads and market points using ArcGIS 10.8. The result also shows that the majority of the maize farmlands are not close to the markets and there are no major roads connecting the farms to the transportation of farm produce. Farmers are infrastructural constraints at the production, transportation and marketing stage. The study, therefore, suggests a more viable infrastructural facility for farmers to interconnect farmland, to enable farmers to have access to good roads, storage and processing facilities which will enhance the maize value chain.

Assessment Level of Compliance with Public Procurement Act

Public procurement is the acquisition of works, goods, and services by procuring entities using public funds. The study assesses the level of compliance with the public procurement act (PPA) 2007 in the north-central states of Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to construction stakeholders in those seven (7) institutions that make up the northern-central. A census survey was used to collect data from contractors, physical planning unit staff, consultants, and procurement administrative units that have executed Tertiary Institutions Fund (Tetfund) projects within 2012-2016. Data collected were analyzed using the relative importance index (RII), Kruskal Wallis, and Dunnett's test. The study revealed that all institutions have a good level of compliance with the tenet and component of the act for the procurement process. The study also shows that there is a significant difference in the level of compliance with the Act by Federal Universities. There was no significant difference in the level of compliance in University of Ilorin (UniIlorin) and Federal University Lafia (UniLafia), University of Abuja (UniAbuja) and Federal University Lokoja (FULokoja), University of Jos (UniJos), and Federal University of Technology Minna (FUT Minna), UniIlorin and FUT Minna, FULokoja and UniJos. The level of compliance of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) is significantly different from other universities. The study indicated that the compliance level is very high, with an overall RII of 80.3% and 91.2% of respondents affirmation of the use of open competitive bidding, which represents fairness, accountability, and openness. The study also affirmed that understanding of tenets of the Act is very high in the study area. The study recommends that there should be a strong understanding between the stakeholders in the construction industry to increase the compliance rate of the PPA (2007) and enhance adequate monitoring of unethical behaviours.

Assessment of Household Out-of-pocket (OOP) Contributions to Health Expenditure in Niger State North Central Nigeria

In Nigeria, revenue for financing the health sector is collected from pooled and un‐pooled sources. The un‐pooled sources contribute over 70% of total health expenditure, and this can be Out-of-Pockets (OOPs) in the form of fees to healthcare providers at the time of service. The aim of the study was to estimate the out-of-pocket health expenditure of the households in Niger State. A cross-sectional quantitative study was carried out among 1,235 households made up of 6,482 individuals using a multi-stage stratified probability sampling technique. Data was collected using a well-structured survey instrument and analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS statistical software version 23. Findings shows that the annual per capita out-of-pocket expenditure on health services was approximately ₦19,463 ($46.9), and 64% of the total OOP expenditure is spent on public facilities. 32% of the OOP was incurred mainly from accessing maternal health services, with 56% likely to incur catastrophic expenditure. 75% of the sampled population expressed willingness to enroll into a form of health insurance, and an average household is willing to pay a monthly premium of ₦798 ($1.9) for health insurance. The study shows the urgency with which policy makers need to increase public healthcare funding and provide social health protection plans against informal OOP health payments. Furthermore, for Niger State to achieve the recommended benchmark of 30% OOP as a percentage of total health expenditure, it is critical that the newly signed into law contributory health insurance scheme is well designed, successfully implemented, and financially sustainable.

Coinfection of Tuberculosis and HIV in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS are major public health issues globally. The burden of these diseases is particularly significant in Nigeria due to the high TB and HIV/AIDS prevalence. This meta-analysis for the 1st time addressed the TB/HIV coinfection prevalence in Nigeria at the regional level. A total of 58 relevant publications comprising 80 studies (n = 44,508) were obtained from PUBMED, ScienceDirect, African Journals Online, and Cochrane Library databases using carefully constructed keywords combinations. The PRISMA guideline was followed for this meta-analysis. Two independent reviewers conducted the publication screening, data extraction and methodological quality appraisal with a third reviewer serving as arbitrator. The pooled estimates were calculated using the random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q and I 2 statistic. Univariate and multivariate meta-regressions were done to predict sources of between-study heterogeneity. Overall, the pooled prevalence of TB/HIV coinfection was 25.8%. The highest coinfection prevalence of 34.3% was recorded among the North Central States of Nigeria, while the least prevalence of 19.3% was recorded among the Southeastern states of Nigeria. There was a paucity of published articles from the Northeastern states of Nigeria. There was a significant heterogeneity between studies (I2 > 90%, p < 0.001), but meta-regression analysis only explained < 10% of it. This study has shown that the prevalence of TB/HIV coinfection remains significantly high in Nigeria. Constant surveillance should be rigorously implemented with special attention given to the Northeast due to the ongoing crises that are compounding the problem.

Emotional Intelligence as a predictor of productivity and occupational stress of employees in electrical industries

The study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence, occupational stress and productivity of employees in electrical industries. Research questions were answered while null hypotheses formulated were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlational research design and was carried out in North Central States of Nigeria. The population for the study was 301 employees in electrical industries. The entire employees were involved in the study. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire titled Emotional Intelligence, Occupational Stress and Productivity Questionnaire (EIOSPQ). Five experts face- validated the instrument. The internal consistency of the questionnaire items was determined using Cronbach alpha reliability method and coefficients of 0.88 was obtained for Electrical Occupational Stress, 0.94 for Productivity of workers in electrical occupation, 0.85 for Emotional intelligence of employees. The overall reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.96. Out of 301 copies of EIOSPQ administered, 295 copies were completed representing 98.01 percent return rate. Pearson product moment correlation and regression analysis were employed to analyse data for answering research questions and hypotheses. The findings on hypotheses revealed that: EI significantly predicts productivity of employees in electrical industries, EI does not significantly predicts occupational stress of employees in electrical industries, emotional intelligence was a significant moderator of the relationship between occupational stress and productivity of employees in electrical industries, demographic variables were not significantly influenced emotional intelligence and productivity of employees in electrical industries. It was recommended that employees in electrical industries should be sensitized through workshops and seminars on how EI can influence their productivity and occupational stress in their occupations.