Public Enlightenment Campaign Research Articles

Prevalence and Pattern of Neurological Disorders amongst Children Attending the Neurology Clinic of a Private Paediatric Hospital in Southern Nigeria

Aim: Neurologic disorders are a common cause of morbidity and disability in children worldwide. There is a dearth of knowledge of neurologic disorders in private health facilities thus this study was done to determine the prevalence and pattern of these disorders. Study Design: It was a retrospective study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in a private paediatric hospital in Southern Nigeria over 1-year between 1st January, 2023 and 31th December, 2023. Methodology: Data was extracted from the hospital’s health management system and analysed. Results: Of the 22,965 outpatient clinic visits during the study period, 203 had neurological disorders giving a prevalence rate of 0.9% with slight female predominance 107(52.7). Most common age group was 1 - < 5 years (43.4%). Single neurologic disorders predominated 123 (63.4%). Commonest neurological disorders were seizure disorder (54.6%), autism spectrum disorder (24.3%) and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (11.3%) with the commonest risk factors for neurologic disorders being severe perinatal asphyxia (42.1%) and severe neonatal jaundice (42.1%). There were significantly more males than females with seizure disorder (P value .013) whereas cerebral palsy was significantly more in females (P value .002). Seizure disorder and learning disorder were significantly more in children ³ 5years (P value of .001 & .030 respectively) whereas cerebral palsy and speech impairment were significantly more in children < 5years (P value of < .001 & .030 respectively). Conclusion: The prevalence of neurologic disorders was low, being 0.9% with children under 5 years being mostly affected. Commonest neurologic disorders were seizure disorder, autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactive disorder while perinatal asphyxia and neonatal jaundice were the commonest risk factors. Public enlightenment campaigns about neurologic disorders and the availability of care would improve the outcome of affected children.

Lassa fever in Nigeria: epidemiology and risk perception

Annual outbreaks of Lassa fever have resulted in a public health threat in Nigeria and other endemic countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. While the Lassa Virus (LASV) is endemic in rodent populations, zoonotic spillover to humans causes annual outbreaks. This study reviewed the burden of Lassa fever (LF) in Nigeria between 2020 and 2023 and conducted a cross-sectional survey of Nigerians to evaluate their risk perceptions of LF. During the period under review, 28,780 suspected and 4,036 confirmed cases of LF were reported from 34 of the 37 states of Nigeria. These cases resulted in 762 deaths (a CFR of 18.9%). The overall case positivity rate was 14% (4,036/28,780), with more positive cases in 2020 (17.5%, n = 1,189/6,791). A total of 2,150 study participants were enrolled in the prospective cross-sectional study, with most of them (87.5%, n = 1,881/2,150) having previously heard of Lassa fever (LF). The numerical scoring system revealed that 35.43% (n = 762/1,881) of those aware of LF have poor knowledge of its preventive measures, route of transmission, and control measures. Approximately 6.84% (n = 147/2,150) of them were at a high risk of contracting LF, with 27.6% (n = 584/2,150) of study participants feeling concerned about contracting LF because of the presence of rodents in their immediate vicinity, occupational exposure to healthcare workers, and the probability of contamination of food by infected rodents without necessary food safety measures. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that tertiary education was associated with an increased likelihood of better LF knowledge (OR: 17.32; 95% CI: 10.62, 28.26; p < 0.01) and a lower risk of contracting LF when compared to respondents with no formal education. In addition, study participants who reside in low-burden states have lower LF perception than those residents in high-LF-burden states (OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.38–0.91; p = 0.049). On the other hand, study participants with poor risk perception (knowledge) of LF had a higher likelihood (RR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.53; p < 0.01) of contracting LF when compared to those with good knowledge of LF. Similarly, those residents in low LF burden states were less likely (OR: 0.09; 95% CI: 0.05,0.17; p < 0.01) to contract LF when compared to those residents in high burden states. There is a need to improve LF diagnostics capacity, infection prevention and control measures, and implementation of the One Health approach to controlling LASV from animal reservoirs. In addition, public enlightenment campaigns to address fundamental knowledge gaps are crucial to mitigating the ongoing and future impact of LF in Nigeria.

Epidemiology of skin diseases among children attending the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State: a retrospective observational study

Background: Numerous studies have examined skin disease trends in Nigeria, revealing a shift towards increased allergic dermatoses. This research assessed the patient landscape at a clinic and satellite site in Obukpa, Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective study of patients seen in the skin clinic of the university of Nigeria teaching hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla, and the rural outpost in Obukpa between November 2009 and 2018 was carried out. A total of 1851 patients' data were analyzed. Diagnosis was based on clinical findings. Results: There were more females (n=1007 [54.4%]) than males (n=844 [45.6%]). Most of the patients were of school age (6-12 years), and the most typical skin disease category was infectious disorders (32.5%), another categories/miscellaneous group (27.7%). Nearly all patients that presented to the rural outpost in Obukpa resided in the surrounding area of Nsukka (93.4%). Conclusions: Comparing the study findings with an earlier one from the same center, there is no change in pattern, with infectious disorders being the most common skin disease category. However, these are largely preventable and emphasize the need for public enlightenment campaigns and policies to discourage the over-the-counter purchase of prescription-strength corticosteroid creams and antibiotics by parents and caregivers, a prevalent practice before seeking medical attention for their children. In addition, there is an urgent need to strengthen dermatologic training in primary health care settings, especially among pediatricians in Nigeria, to improve access to care.

Prevalence of Salmonellae infections in sheep and goats and the possibilities of lizards in infection transmission cycle in Maiduguri and environs

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Salmonellae infections in sheep, goats and in lizards in Maiduguri and environs. A total of 210 rectal swab samples representing 70 samples each from sheep, goats and lizards were examined according to standard techniques. The results revealed a prevalence of 12, 14 and 12 respectively of positive Salmonellae isolates. Four (4), six (6) and five (5) of these isolates were respectively from male sheep, bucks and male lizards while seven (7), eight (8) and seven (7) of the isolates were from female sheep, goats and female lizards respectively. These accounted for 30.83%, 41.66% and 34.10% respectively for Salmonellae infections in sheep, goats and lizards. The prevalence in males and females were 13.3% and 17.5% for sheep, 15% and 27% for goats and 16.66% and 17.50% for lizards respectively. Antibiotics susceptibility test results showed that the isolates were highly sensitive to ciprofloxacin (32,100%) and ofloxacin (31, 100%). Isolated salmonellae were resistant to Ampicillin and Amoxicillin. Since lizards were found in the vicinity of small ruminants houses, lizards were therefore considered important in the transmission circle of salmonellae to small ruminants. Farmers should be enlightened on the importance of using lizard proof materials in the construction of small ruminants sheds. Pet animals such as cats should be adapted for frequent visits to farm premises where sheep and goats are kept to scare lizards away from the area. Strict hygienic measures should be part of public enlightenment campaigns to minimize the spread of salmonellosis generally in the environment.

PREVALENCE OF URINARY TRACT INFECTION AMONG OUT PATIENTS A JOS HOSPITAL PLATEAU STATE NIGERIA.

Infection of the urinary tract(called UTI) is caused by microbes thatinvade and inhabit the urinary system (urethra, bladder, ureters, andkidney). Because the urine is an excellent culture medium for the UTI pathogens,these pathogens ascend into the urinary system causing UTI varying from boils, cystitis, and prostitis which may even lead to sepsis if left untreated. This research was conducted to assess the preponderance of UTI among out-patients who attendedthe Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos. We observed that of the 80 samples examined, 15 tested positive for UTI,suggesting a prevalence of 18.75%. According to age group, it was discovered that age group between 41 above has the highest prevalence of urinary tract infection with 12.5%. Based on gender, the female has the highest prevalence rate of 10(15.0%), though more in number than the males. the female were 60 out of 80 while the male were 20 in number. There was no positive sample obtained in children sample.It was discovered that Escherichia coli has the highest prevalence rate at 6(7.5%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus 4 (5.0%). The isolation of urinary tract pathogens from these patients though with a lower prevalence stresses the urgent need for public enlightenment campaigns by the appropriate authorities to educate the patients as well as the masses on the etiological agents, the possible risk factors, routes of transmission and health implication of urinary tract infection and ways of preventing the bacteria, as well as early diagnosis and treatment of infected ones.

Proximate and microbial quality of processed grubs of African palm weevil (&lt;i&gt;Rhynchophorus phoenicis&lt;/i&gt; F., Coleoptera: Curculionidae) sold at Toru-Orua, Bayelsa State, Southern Nigeria

The African palm weevil, Rhynchophorus phoenicis F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) constitutes a significant component in diets of the Niger Delta of Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the proximate composition and microbiological quality of processed grubs (steamed, dried, fried and fresh which served as control) purchased from food vendors in Toru-Orua community. Proximate composition determinations followed official methods recommended by the Association of Official and Analytical Chemicals (AOAC), while microbial load was determined by total plate count. Steamed grubs had the highest moisture content of 15% while fresh had the least moisture content of 9.3%. Steamed grubs had the highest ash content of 11.47% while fresh had the least ash content of 4.73%. Fresh grubs had the highest crude protein of 41.75% while fresh had the least crude protein of 30.13%. Steamed grubs had the highest crude fibre content of 18.07% while fresh had the least crude fibre of 13.7%. Steamed and fried grubs had the highest crude fat content of 10.93% while fresh had the least crude fat content of 2.8%. Steamed grubs had the highest moisture content of 28.35% while dried grubs had the least moisture content of 20.66%. The total heterotrophic bacteria count ranged from 8.5 x 102 CFU/g – 3.7 x 106 CFU/g. Fungal count ranged from 2.2 x 102 - 3.4 x 103 CFU/g. The microbial investigations showed Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were the common microorganisms on the grubs. Frequent microbiological quality checks on such ready-to-eat foods, along with public enlightenment campaigns for food vendors is recommended, to guarantee food safety for consumers during processing/handling, storage and consumption.

Clinical profile, treatment modalities and outcomes among patients with upper aero-digestive tract emergencies at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania

Background: Upper aero-digestive tract emergencies (UADTEs) are common in our setting and can be life-threatening and challenging to otolaryngologists. However, there is a paucity of clinical studies on these emergencies. This study aimed to determine the clinical profile, treatment modalities and outcomes of upper aero-digestive tract emergencies at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC), Mwanza, Tanzania. Methods: Between January and May 2019, a cross-sectional study involving patients presenting with a clinical diagnosis of UADTEs was conducted at BMC. Results: Of 487 ENT emergencies seen during the study period, 128 (26.3%) patients had UADTEs. Males outnumbered females by a ratio of 1.5: 1. Their median age at presentation was 5 [range, 2-40] years. The major causes of UADTEs were foreign body ingestion, head and neck tumours, foreign body aspiration and cut-throat injuries that were seen in 56(43.8%), 33(25.8%), 25(19.5%) and (3.9%), respectively. The most frequent presentations were dysphagia 81(63.3%), difficulty in breathing 61(47.7%) and odynophagia 56(43.8). Age ≤ 40 years (p=0.02), prolonged duration to treatment (p=0.04) and low blood oxygen saturation (SPO2) (p=0.04) were significantly associated with poor outcomes following esophagoscopy. In addition, delayed duration to treatment (p=0.01) and foreign body ingestion (p=0.001) were significantly associated with prolonged hospital stay. Conclusion: UADTEs are common at BMC and constitute a significant cause of otorhinolaryngological admission with foreign bodies in the aerodigestive tract as the most typical cause of these emergencies. Most of these injuries can be prevented through public enlightenment campaigns. Early detection and management of UADTEs is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with these emergencies.

Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus on Noncritical Surfaces of the Laboratories of a Medical Laboratory Training Institution

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram positive bacterium that is frequently encountered on surfaces such as benches and skin. This organism being a normal flora of the skin is usually nonpathogenic but becomes pathogenic when found outside its normal flora where it can cause varying number of infections such as nosocomial infections and sepsis which may even lead to death if left untreated. This research was therefore carried out to determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus on noncritical surface areas including: Furniture, Doors and Windows of the laboratories of Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science &amp; Technology Jos, Nigeria. Samples were processed, examined and analyzed accordingly. It was observed that out of the 120 samples examined, 8 were gram positive cocci in clusters under Gram staining examination Coagulase and catalase tests were positive indicating specific biochemical tests to identify the organisms in the 8 organisms as Stapylococcus aureus showing a prevalence rate of 6.67%. The 17 working Benches examined, 3(2.50%) were positive. Out of 75 Chairs examined, 5(4.17%) were positive. The 18 Windows examined, 10 Doors examined showed no growth for Staphylococcus aureus. Distribution according to laboratory sections showed that, out of the 95 samples in main laboratory, 6(5.00%) were positive. Out of the 14 samples examined in side laboratory one, 2(1.67%) were positive while none 0(0.0%) was positive out of 11 samples examined in side laboratory two. The isolation of Stapylococcus aureus from these locations stresses the urgent need for public enlightenment campaigns by the appropriate authorities to educate the laboratory workers as well as the masses on the etiological agents, the possible risk factors, routes of transmission and health implication of Stapylococcus aureus infection and ways of preventing these bacteria in the Laboratories especially in Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology Jos Nigeria.

The Challenges of Deforestation and Management in Nigeria: Suggestions for Improvement

This paper appraises the dangers posed to forests regions in Nigeria resulting from deforestation impacts. The country is deprived with socio-economic and environmental benefits due to the over exploitation of forests and land cover. Nigeria is losing steadily economic opulence, leaving her with hazard from erosion, flooding and desertification culminating into climate change. Like some tropical world regions, many people illegally engaged in export of log/wood, and get solace in unlawful taxes and illegitimate royaltieswhich fetch them personal income from this repulsive job. This work employs a classical review in examining the challenges and poor management facing the economic forest regions in Nigeria. The main goal is centred on the pressures on the forest population leading to a number of causes like; urbanization, overpopulation and over expansion of agricultural lands. The work suggests that, the stakeholders and governments need to establish some laws and regulations that can check the indiscriminate felling of trees and degrading of the environment in Nigeria. Government is also advised to find alternative means of power generation and introduce modern farming techniques for the populace. The public enlightenment campaign is also imperative for citizenry in order to forestall dangers posed by un-restrained deforestation.

Attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination: A cross sectional study in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.

Vaccine acceptance is complex and context-specific, varying across time, place and perceived behavioural nature of the community involved. A high vaccine acceptance rate is important to achieve herd immunity, however, vaccine hesitancy is a possible barrier to this. This study aimed to assess attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and associated factors. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken to investigate the attitudes of Federal Capital Territory residents towards COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Nigeria. Data were collected using questionnaires which were administered to respondents physically and online through random and snowball sampling strategies respectively. Data received were then analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). A total of 1767 responses were received with males representing 57.8% of the sample. More than half (54.9%) of the respondents were between the ages of 18-30 years. A third (35.4%) of the study participants indicated that a vaccine was not necessary for COVID-19, and 56.5% indicated willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccination. The majority of the sample (56.9%) indicated that the government decision-making was in their best interest, whilst close to two-thirds of the respondents (61%) were of the view that COVID-19 vaccination should not be made compulsory. Older respondents as represented by those over 60 years were more likely to accept COVID-19 vaccination (p = 0.039). This study however revealed negative attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination, indicating the urgent need for government, policymakers, and other stakeholders to prioritise the development of strategies that can appropriately address vaccine hesitancy in the study setting. Contextual interventions indicated include strategic public enlightenment campaigns targeting populations with less favourable dispositions towards being vaccinated.

Environmental awareness creation through the public enlightenment campaign and sustainable crop farming among female farmers in cross river state, Nigeria

This study investigated the extent to which environmental awareness creation through public enlightenment campaign influences sustainable crop farming among female farmers in Cross River State, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of this study one hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. Literature review was carried out accordingly. Survey research design was adopted for the study. This research design was used for study because it was considered appropriate. A sample of seven hundred and ninety-one (791) respondents was used for the study. The sample was selected through stratified and simple random sampling techniques. A four –point modified Likert Scale instrument entitled Environmental Awareness through Campaigns and Sustainable Crop Farming Questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion (EACTCSCFQFGD) was the main instrument used for data collection. The instrument was faced validated by the expert who vetted the items development. The reliability estimate of the instruments was established through Cronbach Alpha reliability method .077. Regression analysis was the statistical technique employed to test the hypotheses under study. The hypothesis was tested at .05 level of significance. The result of the analysis revealed that, public enlightenment campaign significantly influenced sustainable crop farming. Based on the findings of the study it was recommended that awareness through Public enlightenment should be recommended among others to increase farmers’ awareness of the danger of involving on unsustainable crop farming and the use of Agro- chemicals they use. This should be done by educating female farmers through interactive radio discussion and training sessions on the field and incorporate safety use of Agro –chemicals in our educational curriculum.

Colistin-resistant &lt;i&gt;Escherichia coli&lt;/i&gt; from hospital and community nexus: public and environmental health concern

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest encounters for human health globally, which is associated with elevated morbidity and increased economic burdens. Colistin represents an important resort in treating severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant difficult-to-treat Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of colistin-resistant E. coli (CREC) in community and hospital sources and their associated risk factors. Eighty-five samples from hospital and community sources were screened using cultural and biochemical techniques and confirmed via Analytical Profile Index 20E. The antimicrobial susceptibility profile was determined using disc diffusion procedure and the phenotypic virulence factors were determined using standard culture protocols. The occurrence of CREC based on sample types includes cow carcass (26.7%), abattoir effluents (20%) and hospital effluents (8.6%). Pumpkin leaf, carrots and smoked fish were negative for CREC. The percentage distribution of CREC positive samples based on sample sources were slaughterhouses (77%) and hospital environment (33%) with open markets showing no case of CREC. Overall, CREC positive samples were 9/85 (10.6%). CREC demonstrated 100% ampicillin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole resistance. The multiple antibiotics resistance profile of the Escherichia coli in this study ranged from 0.83 – 0.46. The phenotypic virulence distribution of CREC were lipase activity (33.3%), β-hemolytic activity (22.2%) and gelatinase activity (22.2%).The detection of CREC in both community and hospital environment allays a notable threat to human and animal health. Public enlightenment campaign and proper education against indiscriminate antibiotics usage as animal feed and growth promoters coupled with routine antibiotic resistance monitoring is crucial to curtail the dissemination of superbugs

Fetal Wastages Among Food-producing Animals Slaughtered at ‎Maiduguri Abattoir: Prevalence, Causes and Economic Implications

This study determined the prevalence of fetal wastage amongst slaughtered pregnant food-producing animals; the associated reasons and economic losses in Maiduguri abattoir. A seven -year (2014-2020) retrospective study on fetal wastage was conducted using abattoir records. Slaughterhouse workers/butchers were also interviewed on the factors or reasons for slaughtering of pregnant food-producing animals using a semi-structured questionnaire. Economic losses were estimated based on the price of average weight matured Cattle, Camel, Sheep and Goat and 1 kg of beef, camel meat, mutton and chevon in Maiduguri. Of the 287563 female food-producing animals slaughtered during the study period, 53 797 (18.7%) fetal wastages were recorded with species-specific prevalences of 12% (n=10137), 9.5% (n=33458), 17.4% (n=13442) and 28.3% (n=26760) for calves, camel calves, lambs, and kids respectively.There was statistically significant association (p&lt;0.05) between season, species of slaughtered food-producing animals and the occurrence of fetal wastage. About N2.889 billion ($3,675,771), N985.5 million ($1,253,884.5), N1.277 billion ($1,624,344) and N762.660 million ($971,120.4) for cattle, camel, sheep and goat respectively were lost, that could have accrued if the fetuses have survived and reached market value as adults. Additionally, 1 213 380 kg of beef, 397 485 kg of camel meat, 357 560 kg of mutton and 564 368.4 kg of chevon valued at N3, 640,140,000 ($4,610,844), N1, 192,455,000 ($1,510,443), N1, 251,460,000 ($1,609,020) and N1, 975,289,400 ($2,539,657.8) respectively were also lost. Majority of the factors leading to the slaughter of pregnant food-producing animals were disease conditions, economic hardship, ignorance of the pregnancy status of the animal and feed scarcity during dry season. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce the slaughter of pregnant food-producing animals through proper screening test, advocacy and public enlightenment campaigns for the need of pregnancy status assessment using an affordable, user-friendly rapid test kits at farms, livestock markets and abattoirs.

The environmental influence of national savings in D-8 countries: Empirical evidence using an ARDL model.

Extensive theoretical and empirical evidence supports the crucial role of savings in driving a nation's economic growth and development. However, previous studies have not considered their potential environmental implications. This study aims to explore the influence of savings and remittances on the Developing-8 countries (D-8) from 1989 to 2019, using the panel autoregressive distributed (ARDL) model. The findings reveal that national savings and remittances, in the long run, help mitigate environmental degradation in the D-8 countries but energy use and population growth stimulate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In contrast, economic growth does not significantly affect these countries' environmental quality in the long run. However, none of the explanatory variables have any significant relationship with CO2 emissions in the short run. Therefore, policymakers in the D-8 countries are strongly encouraged to prioritize the enhancement of national savings across the three economic agents to maximize the positive effects of savings on environmental quality. Government savings can be increased by reducing deficits and borrowings, while corporate savings can be encouraged by implementing investment tax credits and promoting research and development. Additionally, governments can embark on public enlightenment campaigns on financial education and provide incentives to encourage household savings.

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among antenatal attendees in a university teaching hospital in Southern Nigeria

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women receiving antenatal care at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 291 antenatal attendees over a period of 3 months. Blood samples from all consenting pregnant women were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody, hepatitis B envelop antigen and antibody, and hepatitis C antibody serum markers for HBV infection. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic data and the presence of risk factors. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS, version 17.0. Results: Twenty-three women (7.9%) tested positive for Hepatitis B core antibody, while 6 (2.1%) tested positive for HBsAg. None tested positive for Hepatitis B envelop antigen. Forty-one (14.1%) women showed evidence of post vaccination immunity while 8 (2.8%) had evidence of post-infection immunity. Two hundred and twenty-seven (78.0%) women were susceptible to HBV infection. Higher educational attainment correlated significantly with less risk of acquiring HBV infection (P = 0.003). Conclusion: Our study revealed an intermediate prevalence and low infectivity of HBV infection among our pregnant women. Government and non-governmental organizations should intensify efforts to create awareness about the disease through public enlightenment campaigns, as well as recall systems through systems of mobile communication.

Impacts of Climate Change and Population Growth on Food Security in Nigeria

Food production in Nigeria has not matched with the rate of population growth leading to reduction of national food independence and self-reliance. As a result, Nigeria is facing serious food insecurity. Therefore, this research examined the impacts of climate change and population growth on food security in Nigeria. Annual time-series of food security (proxy of food production index), annual rainfall, annual temperature, population growth rate, urban population rate and agricultural land used from 1980 to 2019 were used. The research used Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test, Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model, Johansen Cointegration test and Vector Error Correlation Models (VECM) were used to analyze the data. ADF unit root test result shows that all variables were completely stationary at the first different orders I(1) at both at intercept and intercept with trend at level of significance of 1%. Three (3) lags were conclusively selects as the optimum lag in the VAR model. The result of the estimation indicates that the Johansen cointegration shows an existence of long-run relationship among the variables used in the study. The result of the VECM estimation shows that rainfall, temperatures, population growth rate and agricultural land used were negatively significantly related to food security at various levels of significance (1%, 5% and 10%). At the long-run all the variables were adversely related to food security in Nigeria. The coefficient of multiple determinations (R2) indicates about 91%, the adjusted R2 of 0.86 was obtained and Durbin-Watson of 2.1 was obtained which implies that the tools were good fit to estimates the data. Decomposition of variance shows dwindling in food security. The research therefore recommends public enlightenment campaign on birth control; and appropriate climate change adaptation methods should be adopted to enhance food security in Nigeria among others.

Impact of media messages on containment of Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.

Different countries adopted various measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. In Nigeria, the federal government, through the Presidential Task Force on the pandemic and some non-governmental organizations, mounted vigorous public enlightenment and education campaign through the media to contain the spread of the disease. This article examined the impact of that effort by assessing the level of public awareness, perception, and satisfaction the campaign generated. A cross-sectional design and purpose sampling technique were used for the study. Questionnaires were distributed online through personal and group platforms on Whatsapp and Telegram applications. This technique ensured that only the users of these applications responded to the questionnaire. The national survey returned 359 responses. The results indicated a high level of public awareness from the media messages as 89.08% of respondents heard about COVID-19 from the media messages, 87.74% believed that media messages about the pandemic increased their awareness of it and 90.81% of respondents got influenced by the media messages to adjust to safety protocols against the disease. Majority of the respondents (75.49%) were satisfied with the overall performance of the media in their sensitization campaign. While 49.03% benefitted to a very large extent from the media messages, 44.01% benefitted to a large extent. The results showed that the impact of the media awareness messages on COVID-19 was high and that Nigerian media contributed immensely to reducing the spread of the disease in the country.

Modelling the Transmission Dynamics of COVID-19 Incorporating public Enlightenment Campaign

A mathematical model to study the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 incorporating public enlightenment campaign as control is presented. The effective reproduction number (Rc) was computed using the next generation method. Using the Lyapunov method, the global stability of the disease-free equilibrium was found to be globally asymptotically stable whenever (Rc ≤ 1) . Sensitivity analysis was conducted on the effective reproduction number in order to determine parameters of the model that are most sensitive and targeted by way of intervention strategies. Numerical simulations of the COVID-19 model shows that if of both treatment and public enlightenment campaign is achieved, the pandemic will be greatly controlled and subsequently eradicated in the population.

DOES MONETARY POLICY RATES DECREASE THE ASSETS OF DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS IN NIGERIA; EVIDENCE FROM AUTOREGRESSIVE DISTRIBUTED LAG MODEL ANALYSIS

The study examined the impact of monetary policy decisions in stimulating the assets of deposit money banks in Nigeria 2000-2020. While the specific objectives are to: Measure the impact of interest rate spread on assets of deposit money banks in Nigeria. Determine the impact of exchange rate on assets of deposit money banks in Nigeria. Investigate the impact of inflation rate on assets of deposit money banks in Nigeria. The model used in this study is Auto regressive distributed lag as a form of multiple regression models. It is a special type of regression called auto regressive distributed lag. Result revealed that Interest rate had a negative and non-significant impact on assets of deposit money banks in Nigeria, Exchange rate had a positive and significant impact on assets of deposit money banks in Nigeria, Inflation rate had a negative and non-significant impact on assets of deposit money banks in Nigeria,. The implication of findings revealed that if the government fails in their monetary policy decisions, it will go a long way to affect deposit money banks and also economy. The study concluded that monetary policy decisions play serious significant effects on the assets of deposit money banks in Nigeria. It was recommended that government should create reasonable credit to private sector and therefore regulates the interest rate to be charged. Exchange rate has a significant effect on Insurance profitability in Nigeria. This study recommend that public enlightenment campaigns should be done by government directing people about the availability of money kept for agricultural loans and various credits so as to control black market in exchange rate. It was recommended that effective policies such as policies that will encourage manufacturers to have access to bank credits without democratic bottleneck will go a long way to provide efficiency in the system and hence improves or control inflation; however, gradual control of inflation through mopping up excess liquidity will be done by the monetary authorities to enhance the growth of deposit money bank assets.

The Level of Contamination of Fura Sold in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State of Nigeria

Locally prepared Fura da Nono was obtained from three different markets each of Masaka, Auta and Nyanya districts all in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Bacteriological analysis were conducted on the samples for isolation and identification of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. Viable colony counts were determined and the result reveals that the colony count ranged from 4.0 x 104 to 7.0 x 104 cfu/ml. The bacteria isolated were Lactobacillus, Klebsiella, Micrococcus, and Salmonella species also, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia mercescens, Bacillus pumillus, and Staphylococcus aureus, with Lactobacillus species, Micrococcus species and Staphylococcus aureus having the highest levels of occurrence, having been isolated from all the samples analyzed. The high microbial colony counts and the presence of the above isolated bacteria may very well be related with free prevalence of some diseases experienced by some people consuming locally prepared Fura da Nono, especially students of Bingham University Karu, community. Since ‘Fura da Nono’ serve as one of the major source of beverages for the inhabitants of Karu Local Government Area. It is recommended that bacteriological examination of the food be carried out periodically so as to assess their suitability for consumption also regulatory agencies should carry out surveillance on hawkers of the food and public enlightenment campaign should be embarked upon. . Based on the result with the use of use of spearman’s rank correlation there is high correlation between the low percentage of the isolated bacteria from the control fura samples and the high percentage of bacteria detected from the test fura. (R= 0.8) Based on the result the level of bacterial load gotten from the Masaka, Auta, and Nyanya is higher than that of the control (Habib fura).