Owerri Municipal Research Articles

Influence of Multimedia Networking and Communication Technology on Primary School Pupils’ Academic Performance in Owerri Municipal of Imo State

Influence of Multimedia Networking and Communication Technology on Primary School Pupils’ Academic Performance in Owerri Municipal of Imo State

Assessment of Passengers Satisfaction With Intra –Urban Transport Services in Owerri Municipal

Assessment of Passengers Satisfaction With Intra –Urban Transport Services in Owerri Municipal

Influence of Environment on Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Biology Students in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State

The influence of environment in which students generally and specifically science students study on their academic performance is the main concern of this study. Biology, both as a subject and a discipline is a natural environment friendly endeavour. The environment of its study by students is very crucial. The objectives of the study included examining the influence of school location, security of school environment, home background of the students and cleanliness of the school on secondary school student’s performance in Biology. The sample size was six hundred and thirty-five (635) students (10% of the population) selected from five secondary schools out of the ten public schools. From the results, it was that concluded all the environmental factors considered in the study influenced the academic performance of Biology students in Owerri Municipal. It is recommended that all stakeholders in biology education of students should encourage and facilitate stronger partnerships between schools and home to ensure that everyone participates actively in and support students’ academic endeavors in biology through ensuring a healthy and secure school environment.

Assessment of Passengers Satisfaction with Intra – Urban Transport Services in Owerri Municipal

Assessment of Passengers Satisfaction with Intra – Urban Transport Services in Owerri Municipal

Formulation of a Robust Closed-Circuit Television Design For Owerri Municipality

ABSTRACT In this research study, a thorough field survey was conducted to ascertain the actual outlook of Owerri Municipality. The road-map of the city in question, which served as an aid towards preparing the survey, was obtained from the Works Department of the Owerri Municipal Council Headquarters. The survey was carried out using the Google cloud-based survey software. The outcome of the field work was holistically analyzed and evaluated using the Google cloud-based Spreadsheet. The required engineering design for installation of a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) in the area was eventually realized. Keywords: Owerri Municipality, CCTV, Road map, Design, Google, Software.

AN ASSESSMENT OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTANTS (PM2.5, PM10, CO2, SO2, NO2 AND CO) CONCENTRATIONS ON AIR QUALITY USING AIR QUALITY INDEX IN EASTERN NIGERIA

The rate at which atmospheric pollution is increasing in the world as a whole is quite alarming, having a negative effect on the health of humans and the environment. The alarming rate of pollutants in the atmosphere led to this study which was carried out in Douglas Road, Owerri Municipal Council (urban) and Ezihe village, Uzii, Ideato North Local Government Area (rural) in Imo State, Nigeria with the aim to investigate and assess the effect of industrial activity on the air quality of the survey areas, to ascertain its impact on the environment and to compare the overall results of the air quality assessment with the Air Quality Index (AQI) ratings. The air quality status of the sampled areas was analyzed using Gasman Air Monitoring Meter (Models 1200-19831) and Air Ae Steward Meter (Haz-Dust Tm; PM2.5 and PM10, Model: HD1000). The results of the air quality assessment in the urban and rural areas of the state analyzed were in the ranges of 99.30-124.70 µg/m3 for PM2.5, PM10 (138.70-168.00 µg/m3), relative humidity (62.67- 68.33 %), pressure (1008.70-1011.70 hpa), temperature (28.33-35.67 oC), elevation (18.70-82.67 m), cloud (55.67-99.33 %) and wind speed (1.28-1.57 m/s). Other results in (ppm) were: SO2 (0.63-0.70), NO2 (0.27-0.37), CO (33.00-38.67), CO2 (6,500.00-10,166.27). The air quality Index (AQI) ratings of the obtained results showed that, in the rural area, it was rated from poor (D) to very poor (E) while in the urban area, it was rated very poor (E) to hazardous (F). There is need for a routine monitoring of the air quality in Eastern part of Nigeria and in Nigeria as a whole to ensure safety, and a few helpful recommendations were suggested in this study for positive impacts on the environment.

Perception of school teachers towards integrating ict in senior secondary school curriculum: aftermath of covid-19 pandemic


 The study is aimed at determining the perception of school teachers’ towards integrating ICT in senior secondary school curriculum content delivery, aftermath of Covid-19 pandemic. The study adopted a survey research. The Population of the study consisted of all 310 Senior Secondary School teachers (78 males and 132 females) in Owerri municipal Council of Imo state. The sampling technique used is purposive since the population is small. The researchers designed an assessment questionnaire which was used for data collection. It has a reliability co-efficient of 0.83 determined through cronbach alpha. The data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation in answering the research questions while the hypothesis was analyzed using independent t-test analysis tested at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study showed that senior secondary school teachers have positive perception towards integrating ICT in senior secondary school curriculum content. It was therefore recommended among others that the government should speed up the expansion of its existing ICT and remote learning capacity in senior secondary school curriculum, especially for learners with disabilities who may need access to assistive technology. This is based on the fact that senior secondary school teachers have positive perception on the workability of ICT integrated curriculum in senior secondary school.

Analysis of Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Owerri Municipal and Its Environs, Imo State, Nigeria (2005 – 2015)

Land use/land cover changes in Owerri Municipal and its environs which included Orogwe, Ubomiri, Emii, Uratta, Ihiagwa and Egbu were studied as being driven by rapid population growth for urbanisation. The study applied the digital technology of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (ARC GIS 9.3 Version software). These tools were implored to generate land use/land cover maps for the period; 2005, 2010 and 2015 and to determine the area in km2 of each of the six classes of land use/land cover types, the percentage change of the total area covered, accuracy of the overall classification including the Kappa coefficient, while a classification scheme was used to develop the classified land use/land cover maps. Also satellite imagery for the period (2005-2015) was imputed into the ENVI 4.5 software environment, composited, digitized and exported to the Arc. GIS where they were clipped with the study area. The extracted image of the study area was then exported back to the ENVI 4.5 environment for Arc.GIS environment in TIFF format. This was followed by a colour separation in the imagery repeated for all the raw satellite imagery. Image interpretation was done on ENVI 4.5 software based on a set of pixels of the Region Of Interest (ROI). Results are that Kappa coefficient values were high enough for the period of study with 0.9099, 0.9557 and 0.9685 for 2005, 2010 and 2015 respectively indicating a strong agreement between the classified maps and ground referenced information. Integrating GIS and satellite remote sensing with high spectral, spatial and temporal resolution at the local scale to develop urban environmental monitoring, effective land use planning and management of the current growth pattern were among others recommended.

Lactation Management Techniques Possessed by Women in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State

Lactation Management Techniques Possessed by Women in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State

Comparative Analysis of the Status of Implementation of School Health Services in Public and Primary Schools in Owerri Municipal, Imo State, Nigeria.

Effective school health service helps to reduce ill health, increase school attendance, academic performance, decrease school dropout rates, and additionally plays a role in identifying children with emotional, behavioural, and mental health problems for proper assessment and appropriate interventions. To assess the status of the school health services in selected public and private primary schools within Owerri Municipal Local Government Area, Imo State. A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out from March to April 2017. Out of the 48 government approved primary schools, 36 (12 public and 24 private) schools within Owerri Municipal LGA were assessed. Relevant data was obtained from school head teachers and direct observation was done where applicable. The responses were scored using a validated School Health Programme evaluation scale. The overall mean score for School Health Services in Owerri Municipal LGA was 13.14 with the mean scores of 14.42 for private and 10.58 for public schools which were significantly lower than the minimum acceptable score of 19. The private schools performed better than public schools in practice of School Health Services and their mean difference was statistically significant (p=0.012). School health personnel were available in fourteen (38.9%) schools, out of which one (8.3%) public school had health personnel. All (100%) schools had first aid boxes, but none of the schools had the boxes completely stocked. School health clinics were available in one (8.3%) public school and 5 (20.8%) private schools. School meals were served in six (25%) private but none in public schools. The overall status of school health services in primary schools within Owerri Municipal LGA is poor. The private schools performed comparatively better than public schools. These findings therefore portray the need for implementation of the National School Health Policy by the State Ministries of Education and Health. Keywords: Implementation, School Health Services, Public and Primary Schools.

STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTING FOOD POISONING IN CATERING ESTABLISHMENTS IN OWERRI MUNICIPAL, IMO STATE, NIGERIA

This study determined the strategies for preventing food poisoning in catering establishments in OwerriMunicipal, Imo State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was used to carry out the research. The populationfor the study was staff of the fast foods located in Owerri Municipal. Ten fast food centres were randomlyselected and 130 respondents served as the sample size. Questionnaire was used for data collection and theanalysis of standard deviation. The results showed that there is prevalence of food poisoning in most cateringcentres in Owerri Municipal (2.7). The results also showed that the various causes of food poisoning incatering establishments included poor hygiene practices, poor sanitary practices and food handling duringfood preparation, storage and processing (X3.5). On the appropriate measures to prevent food poisoningthe results showed that proper hand washing, washing of cooking utensils and personal hygiene wereamongst the important measures to prevent food poisoning. The study showed that utilizing these strategieswill go a long way to prevent food poisoning thus ensures food safety. Therefore, National Agency for FoodDrug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) should conduct seminars and workshops to educate the publicand the food handlers on food hygiene practices. The food handler employers should ensure strict adherenceto personal and food hygiene practices in their establishments.

Knowledge of Health Impacts of Noise Pollution on Adult in Owerri Municipal Council, Imo State, Nigeria

Knowledge of Health Impacts of Noise Pollution on Adult in Owerri Municipal Council, Imo State, Nigeria

Prevalence of Substance Abuse Among Secondary School Adolescents in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State

Substance abuse can be described as any chemical abuse, implying the use of one or more substances in a manner that its user excessively and progressively consumes the substance in large quantities or in a manner detrimental to themselves or to those around them. The study examined the prevalence of substance abuse among secondary school adolescents in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. Two research questions and hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study comprised all 4,435 Senior Secondary School II students in the ten public secondary schools in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State. A sample of 420 students was drawn for the study using the simple random sampling technique (balloting) and proportionate sampling technique. A self-structured questionnaire titled “prevalence of substance abuse among adolescents in secondary schools” (POSAASS) and interview question on students’ substance abuse for teachers, principals and counsellors were used to obtain data. The questionnaire was designed on a four-point Likert scale. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was ensured. The test-retest method and Cronbach alpha method was used to establish the internal consistency and a reliability coefficient of 0.85 was obtained. Responses to the research questions were answered with mean and standard deviation, while the hypothesis was tested with independent t-test statistics. The findings of the study revealed that there is a high prevalence of substance abuse among the adolescents in secondary schools in Owerri Municipal council of Imo state, with alcohol rating as the most used and abused substance (100%) and stimulants the least used and abused substances (20.71%). Other substances that are used and abused among adolescents’ in secondary schools in Owerri Municipal council of Imo state include cigarettes (89.76%), and menthol sweet melted in carbonated drinks (98.1). Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that there should be constant regulation and monitoring by parents of the kind of company their children keep, counselling and health education of the adolescents in schools by the school health nurse and counsellors.

Examination of The Impacts of Road Rehabilitation On Real Estate Values in Owerri Metropolis, Imo State (2010-2020)

Transportation’s most significant impact on land development occurs when access is provided to land, as increased access to land raises its potential for development. Since 2010, Owerri Metropolis has witnessed unprecedented development within the socio-economic and political life of the state through road rehabilitation projects. Development and rehabilitation of road is essentially important to real estate activities, and the real estate market has experienced quite a number of developments as a result of the road infrastructure and rehabilitation going on over the years as many roads have been rehabilitated to solve the problem of traffic congestion in Owerri Metropolis. It is presumed by the researcher that the effect of road rehabilitation on the surrounding area is adding value to real estate. This study therefore examined road rehabilitation and its impacts on real estate values in Owerri Metropolis, Imo State. The study focused extensively on the road rehabilitation projects in Owerri Metropolis from 2010 to 2020 with a view to establishing how the residents as well as real estate values has been affected positively and negatively over the years. The population of the study consists of107 Estate Surveyors and Valuers, 39Real Estate Developers and 23,293 real property owners in Owerri Metropolis, consisting of Owerri Municipal, Owerri West and Owerri North LGAs, Imo State. The research adopted the survey method using structured questionnaires, personal interviews and observations as data collection instruments, with107 Estate Surveyors and Valuers, 39 Real Estate Developers and673 property owners constituting the sample size. The data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical tests. The hypotheses were tested using One-Sample T-Test. The study revealed that the process of road rehabilitation poses numerous challenges, and these challenges were significant enough that they exert negative influences on the residents at the time of execution. However, on completion, the benefits were more significant than the challenges that they go a long way to exert great positive influence on the values of real estate in the neighborhood. The study concluded by recommending that the rehabilitation of more roads will continue to present more benefits to the residents, and by so doing will continue to enhance real estate values in Owerri Metropolis, Imo State.

Qualifications of Head Teachers and the numbers of Healthcare Personnel available in Public and Private Schools in Owerri Municipal, Imo State, Nigeria

Globally, in spite of the fact that school age children do not suffer from the high mortality of preschool children; there exist significant burden of morbidity among them. School health services are the curative and preventive health services, provided for the promotion of the health of school population to enable them benefit maximally from the school system. The aim of the study was to assess the Qualifications of Head Teachers and the numbers of Healthcare Personnel available in Public and Private Schools in Owerri Municipal, Imo State, Nigeria. A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out to assess school health services in 36 government approved primary (12 public and 24 private) schools within Owerri Municipal LGA. Relevant data was obtained from school head teachers using an evaluation scale and direct observation was done where applicable. The responses were scored using the School Health Programme evaluation scale. Thereafter, a prospective (pre-test – post-test) study was carried out in two public primary schools between May to December 2017 (two academic terms). Within the period (September to December 2017) an intervention was carried out which involved the running of school clinics in two selected public primary schools. School attendances were kept during the pre-intervention and intervention periods using a check off list for monitoring daily attendances and reasons for absenteeism. The overall mean score for School Health Services in Owerri Municipal LGA was 13.14 with the mean scores of 14.42 for private and 10.58 for public schools which were significantly lower than the minimum acceptable score of 19 (p<0.001 respectively). Six (16.7%) schools, all of which were private schools scored up to the minimum acceptable score of 19. The private schools performed better than public schools in practice of School Health Services and their mean difference was statistically significant (p=0.012). School health personnel were available in fourteen (38.9%) schools, out of which one (8.3%) public school had health personnel. School health services in both public and private primary schools within Owerri Municipal LGA is poor and also the availability of health personnel in the scho

Factors associated with health seeking delay in the screening of cervical cancer among women in Imo state, south Eastern Nigeria

Background to the studyCervical cancer is a curable disease if diagnosed early. The mortality rate due to cervical cancer is high worldwide, mainly because of the absence of a functioning screening process and the advanced stage of the disease at diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the factors associated with health-seeking delay in the screening of cervical cancer among women in Owerri Municipal LGA, Imo State. MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional research design was employed in this study on factors associated with health-seeking delay in the screening of cervical cancer among women in Owerri Municipal LGA. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for the study, and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used in the analysis of the data gotten from the study. A probability-based multi-stage sampling method was adopted for the study in recruiting 432 women who participated in it. ResultResults from the study showed that most of the women, 117 (27.1 %), were between the ages of 22 and 27. The study found that a high percentage of the respondents, 350 (81.0 %), had heard about cervical cancer screening, and when they were asked who they thought should be screened for cervical cancer, 154 (35.6 %) said women between the ages of 15 and 40. Further findings revealed that, 420 (97.2 %) said they had not been screened for cervical cancer. The study also demonstrated that 260 (60.2 %) believe long distance has an impact on your access to health care. The findings of this study revealed that age (P = 0.0247), educational level of women (P = 0.0214), and monthly income of the women (P = 0.0062) were all significantly associated with health-seeking delay in cervical screening. ConclusionThe study concluded that there is no limited knowledge about cervical cancer among women in Owerri Municipal. Long distance to screening facilities, educational background, and monthly income are significantly associated with the delay in seeking health services for cervical screening. RecommendationThe study recommended that there should be massive awareness and participation in the screening program across the state.

Childcare Services Adopted by Female Bankers with Children Aged 1-5 Years in Owerri Municipal, Nigeria

The study basically concerns itself with child care services adopted by career mothers in banks with children (0-5) yrs in Owerri Municipality. Four research objectives guided the study and a structured questionnaire was used to elicit data from the respondents which consist of career mothers working in the various 30 banks in the study area, while data collected were analysed using Tables and mean scores calculated. Based on the findings of this study, the researchers reached the conclusions that career mothers in banks have various ways of taking care of their children (0-5)yrs in Owerri Municipality and encounter a range of challenges including mother’s difficulty to understand who the children are, children refuse to obey mothers when mothers are available, mothers lose grip on their children in terms of respect, tiredness makes mothers adopt permissive parenting, children make extra demands of attention when mothers are available, are encountered by career mothers in banks in bringing up their children (0-5yrs) in Owerri Municipality. Despite the challenges, there are possible strategies adopted by career mothers in banks to help them cope with these challenges in Owerri Municipality which are; career mothers in banks should spend extra time with their children, consider adopting punitive measures in parenting, as well as, motivation and family incentives. Career mothers should also share appropriately their time between work-life balances.

Analysis of Rainfall Trend and Pattern in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

The study analyzed the rainfall trend and pattern for Owerri municipal, Imo state. The data collected is secondary. A remote sensing daily rainfall data from 1981 to 2020 from CHIRPS data archive given in millimeter (mm) was downloaded. In order to achieve the aim of the research, data analysis was conducted on the rainfall data. Some of the statistical methods used includes mean, variance, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and standardized anomaly index (S.A.I). The annual rainfall and monthly rainfall for Owerri municipal, Imo state were analyzed and charts were presented which show fluctuation in rainfall trend and pattern. The least annual rainfall happened to be in 1983 of about 1662.9mm, which is followed by that of 2001 of 1828mm. The wettest annual rainfall occurred in the year 1995 of 2962.2mm which happened to be the peak of the study, followed by 1999 of 2837.9mm. It was shown that the month July from 1981 to 2020 experienced more rainfall than that of August. The four decadal rainfall presented for the study shows; near normal condition to very wet condition (1981 – 1990), near normal condition (1991 – 2000), extremely dry conditions to near normal condition (2001 – 2010), and near normal condition to extremely dry condition (2010 - 2020). The hypothesis was tested using chi-square, the results shows there is no significant difference in trend and pattern of rainfall in owerri, thus, the null hypothesis was accepted. The study generally show there is a little or no singnificant change in the rainfall pattern and trend in Owerri from 1998-2020 and hence recommend that there should be more monitoring of rainfall activities in order to curtail it excesses in flooding and agricultural loss.

Microbiological Examination of Meat-pie sold in Owerri Municipal

Background: Microbial pollution of baked foods like meat-pie sold by street hawkers has become a world health challenge. Pastries foods sold in Nigeria cities are consumed by huge sector of people both the old and young. Method: This present study was carried out to monitor the microbiological quality of street foods like meat-pie sold in Owerri municipal area of Imo state. These were analyzed by standard procedures to ascertain the colony forming units/ gram of meat-pie samples. The aerobic colony counts samples were categorize as sufficient, capable and insufficient collection according to public health laboratory services, UK guidelines for total coliform counts, because guideline were used. Result: All the plates studied indicated the evidence of coliform. The outcome of the study prove that the meat-pie samples studied in Owerri municipal were heavily polluted with microbes, proving the non-enforcement of inspection and inadequate of maintenance of standard contact to hygienic aspect of meat-pie. Conclusion:It is insinuated that proper ethics of hygienic and sanitary conditions has to be maintained both personally and institutionally from preparation to cleaning, is required in street food centers to avoid any food born hygienic outbreak in future

Microbiological Examination of Meat-pie sold in Owerri Municipal

Microbiological Examination of Meat-pie sold in Owerri Municipal