Personnel In Nigeria Research Articles

Use of Social Media for Modern Reference Service Delivery in Academic Libraries in Nigeria

The technology driven environment today is pressing hard on every aspect of human endeavour. This demands that academic libraries use the latest technologies and trends to make their services more popular, interesting and user friendly. Appropriate and adequate integration of the social media network will evolve in the recasting of reference services, as it provides an avenue to reach out to the users in their preferred environments as well as aid in a more dynamic, exciting and easier reference services delivery. There is dearth of literature on the use of social media for reference services in academic libraries, particularly in Nigeria which can be attributed to scarcity of research on this topical area. This work seeks to ascertain the application of social media to reference services in academic libraries in Nigeria. Questionnaire instrument was used for data collection. Survey questionnaire was designed for library personnel involved in reference services in academic libraries in Nigeria. 100 copies of questionnaire were distributed to the librarians and other library personnel at the National seminar in 2011 held at Kogi State University, Nigeria. 62 copies were filled and returned, given a response rate of 62%. The study found that the rate of use of social media platforms for reference services by academic library personnel in Nigeria is very low as a result of lack of awareness and training on the various kinds of social media and their application to reference services, infrastructural and technological problems amongst others. The study advocated attitudinal change on the part of librarians, awareness and advocacy on the use of social media within the academic community, provision of appropriate infrastructure and workshops on the use of social media in reference services as solutions to the use of social media for reference services in academic libraries in Nigeria.

Infrastructure procurement skills gap amongst procurement personnel in Nigeria’s public sector

PurposeProcurement of public infrastructure that is fit for purpose partly depends on the competencies of procurement personnel. In many developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, there is a deficit in the quantity and quality of infrastructure and their procurement is further riddled with deficiencies in the capacity of public procuring entities. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the critical skills development needs of public personnel involved in the procurement of infrastructure in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachBased on a quantitative research strategy, this study sought to address the knowledge gap through a survey of public infrastructure procurement personnel (n = 288) in different tiers of government (i.e. state and local government) and geopolitical contexts (north and south) in Nigeria.FindingsOf the 45 procurement skill areas operationalised, there is need for further development in 38 of them including: computing/ICT; problem-solving; communication; decision-making; health and safety management; quality management; relationship management; team building; project monitoring and evaluation; time management and procurement planning.Originality/valueA key implication of this study is for policymakers in state and local government to formulate and implement infrastructure procurement capacity development reforms that address the competency gaps of procurement personnel. Such reforms need to take into account the suitable methods for developing procurement competencies. Additionally, the procurement skill areas operationalised in this capacity assessment study could serve as a useful blueprint for studying capacity deficiencies amongst public infrastructure procurement personnel in other developing countries.

Frequency of Bacterial Species Associated with Nosocomial Infection among Health Care Personnel in Nigeria

Background and objective Nosocomial infections are a serious public health issue today and its studies cannot be overemphasized An open label weeks descriptive cross sectional survey was conducted in a large number of hospital Personnel to determine the frequency of bacterial species associated with nosocomial infections among healthcare personnel in the north central geopolitical zone of Nigeria Materials and method The subjects in this study were forty males forty females and nineteen of the hospital fomites The moistened swab sticks were separately robbed on the hands of forty that washed with soap and water and forty that washed with disinfectants and nineteen of the hospital fomites The samples were inoculated in different laboratory media and incubated at C for hours Morphological cultural and biochemical characteristics were noted appropriately Means and corresponding standard deviations were calculated for continuous data while proportions along with the confidence intervals were calculated for categorical data Results This study shows that microorganisms occupy the hands of social insurance work force and gear and materials being used in clinics The major types of organisms isolated from the hands of the health care personnel and the hospital fomites in this study were Staphylococcus aureus Eschenchia coli Klebsiellapneumoniae and Pseudomonas spp The most frequently isolated was Staphylococcus aureus Conclusion To ensure proper hygiene medical personnel should consider staff decontamination following a period of nursing of patients especially if they are to attend to unaffected patients shortly

Issues and The Use of Social Media in Reference Services by Academic Library Personnel in Nigeria

Social Media platforms have revolutionized the patterns libraries serve their clientele as well as augment reference services delivery. This study seeks to address the issues militating against the integration of social media in reference services and the level of use by academic library personnel in Nigeria. Questionnaire instrument was used for data collection. 100 copies of questionnaire were distributed to the librarians and other library personnel at the national seminar in 2015 held at Kogi State University, Nigeria. 62 copies were filled and returned, given a response rate of 62%. The study found that academic libraries’ personnel in Nigeria have embraced the regular use of social media, but their application of these media in reference services is quite low. The issues contending with the integration of social media in reference services by academic library personnel in Nigeria include lack of awareness and training on the application of social media to reference services, coupled with infrastructural and technological problems. The study advocated for awareness and training programmes on the use of social media within the academic community and provision of appropriate and adequate infrastructure in academic libraries.

The Costs of Policing: Psychosocial Capital and Mental Health Outcomes in a Nigeria Police Sample.

This study examined the influence of psychosocial capital (psychological and workplace social capital) on mental health outcomes among 340 police personnel in Nigeria. Data were collected via anonymously completed questionnaires. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling, and the results revealed that in the context of stress and traumatic stress, resilience p < .05, optimism p < .05, self-efficacy p < .05, hope p < .05, and workplace social capital p < .05 can influence the development of mental health problems or adaptation. The findings imply that it is important that both researchers and police organization pay attention to how psychological capital influence the development of psychopathology or resilience and how such issues can be addressed through psychological training in the workplace.

An assessment of cross infection control practice in Nigerian oral health care workers

Objective: This study was aimed at assessing the cross infection control practices among dental health care practitioners in Nigeria.Method: Questionnaires were administered to 137 Dentists, 56 Dental Therapists and 62 Dental Surgery Assistants (DSAs) practicing in both government and private practices across the six geopolitical areas of the country. Each questionnaire comprised of questions on basic infection control procedures.Result: Results indicate that all the participants use gloves during treatment, 93.8% wear face mask, 48.5% wear eye protection, 95.5% clinical gown/coat. Furthermore 27.3% have had a puncture or laceration from a dental needle or instrument while only 41.4% have had Hepatitis B vaccination.Conclusion: Infection control practice by dental personnel in Nigeria has improved compared to previous studies, particularly in the use of gloves. However in the areas of sterilization, vaccination, there are needs for improvement.&#x0D;

Comparison of use of Information and Communication Technologies between Agricultural Researchers and Extension Personnel in Nigeria

The study compared the use of ICTs between researchers and extension personnel. Agricultural researchers and extension personnel constituted the study population. Multistage random sampling was adopted to select the respondents. Proportionate random sampling technique was used to select three, two and two of the research stations in the South-West, Central and North-West agricultural zones respectively while the only research stations in each of South-East and North-East zones were selected. Ten percent of the researchers at the selected stations were randomly sampled. Then, 10% of the extension personnel in the 6 state ADPs, where the research stations are located were randomly selected. Structured questionnaire was used to collect information from the respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the variables of the study at p=0.05. Most researchers (75.3%) and few extension personnel (34.1%) had high ICT knowledge score. Mean ICT use score was 33.0±15.8 for researchers and 25.8±15.0 for extension personnel. The log likelihood of researchers’ use of ICTs was significantly reduced by grade level (β=-0.729), increased by access to ICTs (β=1.807) and increased by perception of use of ICTs (β=0.303). The log likelihood of extension personnel’s use was significantly increased by available ICT facilities (β=0.343), access to ICTs (β=1.410), and constraint assessment (β=0.182). The disparity in ICT availability to agricultural researchers and extension personnel presents a serious challenge to agricultural information management in Nigeria. Hence, availability and accessibility were the major determinants of Information and Communication Technologies used by researchers and extension personnel. Keywords: Researchers, extension personnel, ICTs use

Contributing Factors to Police Homicide in Nigeria

Police homicide has become a serious problem in Nigeria as cases of police killings continue to increase across the country. Against this background, this paper examines the scale of, and contributing factors to, police homicide in Nigeria. It argues that a combination of certain institutional and non-institutional factors are responsible for the growing vulnerability of police personnel in Nigeria to violent death. A comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria Police Force operations is advocated as a means of reversing this trend.

Visual function of drivers and its relationship to road traffic accidents in Urban Africa.

Aim/backgroundNigeria has one of the highest mortality rates from Road traffic accidents (RTAs). Prevention is a global priority. This study is aimed at acquiring information for effective policy formulation to improve safety on Nigerian roads.This is a cross sectional descriptive study in which consenting commercial drivers in a Nigerian motor parks were ophthalmically examined after an interview. Data analyzed with EPI-INFO version 6.0 statistical software using Chi square. P value < 0.05 was considered to be significant.ResultsThe eyes of 400 commercial drivers were examined. Ages range from 25 to 62 years with mean of 37.8 years (SD ± 9.1) 20% did not undergo any prior driving test and only one third of those who had (n = 120, 30.9%) had a prior eye test. Up to 45.5% (n = 182) had been involved in RTAs with alcohol intoxication and driver fatigue significantly associated. Depressants such as alcohol are commonly used. Visual impairment ((p = 0.46, χ 2 = 0.3, RR = 0.62), visual field defects (p > 0.05, χ2 = 0.78, RR = 1.25) and color vision defects (p = 0.4, χ 2 = 0.77, RR = 1.23) were not significantly associated with occurrence of RTAs. However fatigue was found to be a predisposing factor in 28% of those who had RTAs.ConclusionOne out of every two commercial driver has been involved in an RTA in the past in Nigeria. Fatigue while driving should be avoided. Use of depressants while driving should be penalized. Blood alcohol content (BAC) levels should routinely be measured by road safety personnel in Nigeria. Periodic eye exams should be carried out for all commercial drivers before issuing or renewing licenses to drive and treatment for any ophthalmic conditions discovered enforced.

Burnout among paramilitary personnel in Nigeria: a perspective from Conservation of Resources Theory

The job demands–resources model attributed burnout to incompatibility between job demands and job resources, and underplayed the role of personal resources in employees’ adaptation. Based on the Conservation of Resources Theory, this study proposes the inclusion of personal resources as predictors of burnout. A cross-sectional survey design was employed to gather data from 256 paramilitary personnel in Nigeria. Participants’ ages ranged from 19 to 65 years ( M = 35.03 years, standard deviation [ SD] = 8.55 years). Data were collected using measures of emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, organization-based self-esteem, optimism, and burnout. Results confirmed the joint influence of psychological resources on burnout. Emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, organization-based self-esteem, optimism, and tenure were found to have a significant influence on burnout. The findings suggest that organizations should be able to minimize burnout among their employees by increasing their adaptive capacities through appropriate training and development workshops.

An investigation of air accidents in Nigeria using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework

Increasing air traffic growth has been achieved along with substantial improvement in safety globally. While air traffic is equally growing in Nigeria, safety levels do not appear to be growing side by side. This was gleaned from the spate of accidents and fatalities recorded in the last couple of decades. The study therefore set out to assess safety performance in Nigeria's air transport industry by comparing accidents and fatality rates with global average levels during the period 1985–2008. A content analysis of the accident reports was done using the Human Factors Analysis Classification System (HFACS) as a conceptual framework; this was augmented with results of industry experts assessment of the Nigerian aviation industry. Their assessments were also discussed in the context of the conceptual framework. Accidents and passenger fatality rates in Nigeria were higher than global average figures for most of the years included in the analysis period. Findings on aircraft ages show that these are also higher than world average levels. The aviation industry experts' assessment presented various challenges which include inadequate airport facilities, absence of timely meteorological information and dearth of skilled personnel in Nigeria's aviation industry. The content analysis of the accident reports using the HFACS shows that skill based errors; physical environment and inadequate supervision are the most frequently occurring categories influencing accident occurrences. The Chi-square and Fishers's test used to analyze significant relationships in the HFACS categories obtained in the accident reports showed five pairs of significant associations between adjacent categories. Based on these associations, Supervisory Violations:-Crew Resource Management:- Decision Errors path is deemed the most potent for accident occurrences. Findings from the research point to the need to address personnel skill, physical environment issues (mostly weather related) and supervisory competence.

Building the capacity of agricultural extension personnel for effective implementation of agricultural transformation agenda in Nigeria

This paper reviews the capacity (number, quality and motivation) of the extension personnel in Nigeria; and describes farmers’ perception of the quality of extension service delivery using evidences from literature, reports of organizations as well as experiences from field research. Findings reveal a tremendous shortage in the number and quality of extension personnel across the country as major reason for the poor performance of the ADPs thereby leaving no hope for the “beautiful” transformation agenda. This paper strongly recommends immediate recruitment of new hands as well as full implementation of a well-designed capacity building programme so as to ensure a sustainable extension service delivery system where extension personnel can operate in the expected commercial (agriculture-driven) economy. Keywords : Capacity building, training, extension personnel, sustainability, Agricultural transformation Agenda (ATA)

Breaking bad news in clinical setting - health professionals′ experience and perceived competence in southwestern Nigeria: A cross sectional study

Communication skills are vital in clinical settings because the manner in which bad news is delivered could be a huge determinant of responses to such news; as well as compliance with beneficial treatment option. Information on training, institutional guidelines and protocols for breaking bad news (BBN) is scarce in Nigeria. We assessed the training, experience and perceived competence of BBN among medical personnel in southwestern Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted out among doctors and nurses in two healthcare institutions in southwestern Nigeria using an anonymous questionnaire (adapted from the survey by Horwitz et al.), which focused on the respondents training, awareness of protocols in BBN; and perceived competence (using a Five-Point Likert Scale) in five clinical scenarios. We equally asked the respondents about an instance of BBN they have recently witnessed. A total of 113 of 130 selected (response rate 86.9%) respondents were studied. Eight (7.1%) of the respondents knew of the guidelines on BBN in the hospital in which they work. Twenty-three (20.3%) respondents claimed knowledge of a protocol. The median perceived competence rating was 4 out of 5 in all the clinical scenarios. Twenty-five (22.1%) respondents have had a formal training in BBN and they generally had significant higher perceived competence rating (P = 0.003-0.021). There is poor support from fellow workers during instances of BBN. It appears that the large proportion of the respondents in this study were unconsciously incompetent in BBN in view of the low level of training and little or no knowledge of well known protocols for BBN even though self-rated competence is high. Continuous medical education in communication skills among health personnel in Nigeria is advocated.

Knowledge of Hepatitis B Vaccine among Operating Room Personnel in Nigeria and Their Vaccination Status

Background. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a well recognised occupational health hazard preventable by vaccination. Objectives. To determine the knowledge of operating room personnel (ORP) in Nigeria about the Hepatitis B vaccine, their perception of Hepatitis B vaccination and vaccination status against HBV. Methods. Four university hospitals were selected by simple random sampling. A structured questionnaire was administered to 228 ORP after obtaining consent. Result. Only 26.8% of ORP were vaccinated against HBV. The primary reason for not being vaccinated or for defaulting from vaccination was lack of time. Differences in age, sex, duration of practice and respondent's institution between vaccinated and unvaccinated ORP were not significant (P > 0.05). The majority (86.8%) had the awareness of the existence of Hepatitis B vaccine. 83.8% of respondents believed that the vaccine should be given to the ORP as part of work place safety measures. The majority were aware of the modes of transmission of HBV infection. 78.9% of respondents believed that Hepatitis B vaccine is safe and 81.1% would recommend it to another staff. Conclusion. Despite a good knowledge about HBV infection and vaccine, most of ORP are still not vaccinated. Hepatitis B vaccination should be a prerequisite for working in the theatre, hence putting surgical patients at reduced risk.

A Study of Factors Influencing Brain Drain among Medical Personnel in Nigeria.

The economic depression of the late 80's has made work force groups particularly in the medical industry to look beyond their nose and seek for greener pasture somewhere outside their environ at all cost. This economic situation deeply affected the medical groups that migration became the chorus of the medical personnel. This perennial situation made the study to examine the factors influencing brain drain among the medical personnel in Nigeria, using a selected University Teaching Hospital Complex as a case study. A protested 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was administered to 85 randomly and purposively selected medical personnel, to ferret the causes of immigration and the corresponding effect on the provision of medical services and development of future medical personnel in the country. The survey made use of both historical and descriptive research methods. The survey was based on the light of high skilled personnel popularly referred to as brain drain. The data gathered through the questionnaire were subjected to simple descriptive statistical analysis. The results were ranked in the order of importance. The result showed that migration decision is mainly caused by the conditions within the organization rather than the pull factors. The motivation of workers is at very low level, with ability to meet the physiological needs rated first with 30.6 percent of the respondents strongly agreed to this concept. The effect of brain drain was also significant on the provision of medical services, training and development of future medical personnel. The result depicted that the push factors are the most important influences in the decision to migrate than the pull factors. The survey revealed that desire for better life could be counted as the most important factor for searching for greener pasture (75.0 percent) considering pull factors; better working condition was considered as the very important reason for migration (87.0 percent) migration. The migration of medical personnel would endanger the development of future medical personnel. It was concluded that desire for better life is the most important factor as the basis for the migration decisions, and certainly brain drain is the fall-out of economic depression. If this syndrome is not addressed promptly it will continue to hinder the development and delivery of medical services in this country. KEY WORDS: Strategy, Economic, Marketing, Needs, Push, Pull

Experiences in Establishing a PEPFAR-Supported Laboratory Quality System in Nigeria

The need to accurately diagnose HIV-infected persons and monitor their immune status and sequelae from increased access to antiretroviral therapy dictated the establishment of a quality assurance (QA) system supported by dedicated personnel, financial resources, and a close monitoring system. Assessment of laboratories and personnel in Nigeria revealed the need for improved laboratory infrastructure and training, including on-site didactic and wet workshops and the institution of a tiered QA unit of laboratory regional officers, focal persons, and site monitors who provided guidance and continuous monitoring. Quarterly assessments and generated reports guided corrective actions. A sustainable quality laboratory system was developed for the first time in Nigeria with funding from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. With expansion from 7 to 34 comprehensive treatment sites, a tiered laboratory organizational structure with regional and site-based Nigerian quality control officers was developed. Measured improvements included reduction in deficiencies from 13% to 2%.

Predictors of frequency of condom use and attitudes among sexually active female military personnel in Nigeria

Despite awareness of condom efficacy, in protecting against both human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted diseases (HIV/STDs) and unintended pregnancy; some females find it difficult to use or permit condom use consistently because of the power imbalances or other dynamics operating in their relationships with males. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that predict the frequency of condom use and attitudes among sexually active female military personnel in Nigeria. This study used a cross-sectional design in which a total of 346 responses were obtained from consenting female military personnel in two cantonments in Southwestern Nigeria between 2006 and 2008. The study instrument was designed to assess HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) knowledge (HAK), HIV risk behaviors (HRB), alcohol and drug use, condom attitudes and barriers (CAS) condom use self-efficacy (CUS) and social support to condom use (SSC). The sociodemographic characteristics of participants were also captured. Univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used for modeling the predictors of condom use. The results showed that 63% of the respondents reported using condoms always, 26% sometimes used condoms and 11% never used condoms during a sexual encounter in the past three months. Univariate analysis revealed that significant associations existed between CAB (P < 0.05), HRB (P < 0.01) and SSC (P < 0.01) with the frequency of condom use. The following sociodemographic variables: age, marital status, number of children, employment status and type of sexual relationship were also significantly (P ≤ 0.05) associated with consistent condom use in the study group. Multivariate analysis indicated that marital status, type of relationship and CAB were the only significant predictors (r(2) = 0.37; P ≤ 0.05) of condom use behaviors after adjusting for all other factors in the model. Findings indicate that consistent condom use could be enhanced through gender-specific intervention programs that incorporate the predictor variables identified. These are likely to be successful in decreasing sexual risk behaviors in the subpopulation.

Effort-reward imbalance and attitude towards unethical work behaviour among police personnel: emotional intelligence as a moderator

Emotional intelligence is a trainable skill capable of discouraging unethical work attitude among Nigeria police personnel by imparting on the perception of effort-reward imbalance. However, exploration of the moderating effect of emotional intelligence on the relationship between effort-reward imbalance and attitude towards unethical work behaviour has been absent from literature. Therefore, this research examined how emotional intelligence moderates the relationship between effort-reward imbalance and attitude towards unethical work behaviour among a sample of police personnel in Nigeria. The study is a survey adopting an Ex-post facto research design to collect data from two hundred and twenty-five (n=225) police personnel at Ogun State Police Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta. A questionnaire measuring effort-reward imbalance, emotional intelligence, attitude towards unethical work behaviour and demographic variables was the instrument for data collection. Hypothesis was tested using moderated hierarchical regression. Results revealed that effort-reward imbalance and emotional intelligence were significant predictors of attitude towards unethical work behaviour (F=18.42; P Key words : Attitude towards unethical work behaviour, Effort-reward imbalance, Emotional intelligence

Emerging Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Predictors of Intention to Use Condom in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Intervention among Uniformed Services Personnel

Appropriate and consistent use of condom remains an effective approach to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) intervention. We analyzed the baseline data gathered for a situationally based HIV/AIDS intervention to assess the potential predictors of condom use among the Uniformed Services Personnel in Nigeria. Using condom purchase as a proxy for intention to use condom, we examined the distribution of the demographic and lifestyle characteristics, knowledge of HIV transmission mode, and knowledge of how to correctly use a condom. A univariable logistic regression was used to identify the potential predictors, followed by multivariable logistic regression modeling. The knowledge of how to correctly wear a condom was the most significant positive predictor of the intention to use a condom (adjusted prevalence odds ratio (APOR), 5.99 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.26, 19.79). The other main positive predictors of intent to use a condom were the knowledge of the mode of HIV transmission via blood, APOR 2.43 (95% CI, 1.01, 5.82), saliva (5. 87, 95% CI, 3.15, 10.94), and pre-ejaculatory fluid (APOR, 3.58, 95% CI, 1.67, 7.48). Male gender was also a significant positive predictor of the intent to use a condom (APOR, 2.55, (95% CI, 1.10, 5.97)). The results further indicated alcohol use (APOR, 0.32, 95%CI, 0.16, 0.61), marijuana use (APOR, 0.24, 95% CI, 0.11, 0.56), and the frequency of oral sexual behavior (APOR, 0.006, 95%CI, 0.002, 0.019) as negative predictors of the intent to use a condom. Therefore, these findings suggest that for an HIV/AIDS intervention to be effective in this population, it must incorporate these predictor variables into its design and conduct.

Antibody prevalence against rubella among hospital personnel in Nigeria: Implications for health care system and immunisation policy

Among 385 sera from Nigerian hospital personnel aged 15–39 years, 289 (75%) had an antibody titer corresponding to immunity against rubella, compared with 346 (90%) of the sera from Swedish women of the same age group. The frequency of high immune level against rubella did not change with age among Nigerians compared with a decrease in immunity with increasing age in the Swedish individuals. This probably is due to the differences between the dynamics of the development of natural immunity and immunity acquired through vaccination. In Nigeria, socio-economic factors were related with the degree of immune responses while sex was not. The results highlight the importance of immunization among hospital personnel and eventual vaccination of the whole population in Nigeria and the continuous surveillance of rubella immunity and periodic re-evaluation of immunization policies.