Southwestern States Of Nigeria Research Articles

Rhizosphere Microbial Population and Plant Species Diversity as Influenced by Chromolaena odorata Invasion

Invasive plant species have been commonly implicated to cause loss in plant species diversity. Attention had however not been paid to the effects of these species loss on the soil microbiome. A study was conducted in 18 farmers’ fields within three states in southwestern Nigeria to examine the effect of Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) invasion on native plant diversity as well as on the rhizosphere microbial population using randomized complete block design. Results indicated significant losses in plant species diversity and reduction in density per square meter compared with adjacent non infested fields. Results further showed C. odorata invasion exerted diverse influence on soil microbial population. Relationships were subsequently established among plant density, species diversity; and soil microbial population. Further studies were also recommended to accommodate more microbiological indices.

The Strategic impact of products display on consumer buying behavior in selected outlets within the southwestern states of Nigeria

The Strategic impact of products display on consumer buying behavior in selected outlets within the southwestern states of Nigeria

Estimated volume of water in shallow wells of Ekiti State, Southwestern Nigeria: implications on groundwater sustainability

Volumes of water in shallow wells of Ekiti State Southwestern Nigeria was estimated during the rainy and dry seasons of 2017 to categorize the area into different groundwater potential zones and to scrutinize it for groundwater sustainability and development. Locations of the wells were measured using etrex 12 Channel GPS while dip meter was employed for the water levels and depths of wells. The volume of water in a well was estimated employing V = πr2h (r and h are radius and water column of well, respectively). The wells in the area have low water storage (av. 6.91m3 and 2.70m3 in rainy and dry seasons, respectively). The study area had sufficient quantity of water in the rainy season to meet domestic, agricultural, and industrial requirements as deficiency was met from rainfall replenishment. Groundwater potential evaluation revealed that majority of the study area fell into very poor to poor water categories. Groundwater sustainability and development in the study area is a herculean task due to uncoordinated sitting of wells, low storage of water in the aquifers, and erratic occurrence of the groundwater. Hygiene education should be intensified in the area to forestall the risks post by the principal elements of fecal oral disease transmission.

Sociodemograhic characteristics of dog breeders in some selected states in southwestern Nigeria

Dog breeding is a young growing business in which certain sociodemographic characteristics of the people has a far long reaching influence on breeding and the choice of dog to be bred. Information was obtained by structured questionnaire issued to the breeders; one hundred and twenty-five questionnaires were adequately filled out of two hundred issued out, and was analysed using simple descriptive statistics. Dog breeding is neither dependent on age, sex, nor educational status, to be a dog breeder, one only need to understand the rules of breeding. Our findings show that more males and youths within the age of 10 to 30 years are more involved in breeding. Majority of the breeders have tertiary education qualification which would motivate them to read and study the act of mating specific breeds of dogs for genetic improvement, this we believe should help in learning to acquire more knowledge about dog breeding for better profit.Keywords: Socio-demographic Characteristics, Dog Breeders, Western Nigerial cities, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos

Status of Artemisinin Resistance in Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum from Molecular Analyses of the Kelch13 Gene in Southwestern Nigeria

Evolution and spread of malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum capable of evading antimalarials are the prime concern to malaria control. The currently effective drug, artemisinin (ART), is under threat due to detection of ART-resistant P. falciparum parasites in the Southeast Asian countries. It has been shown that amino acid (AA) mutations at the P. falciparum Kelch13 (Pfk13) gene provide resistance to ART. Nigeria, a part of the Sub-Saharan Africa, is highly endemic to malaria, contributing quite significantly to malaria, and resistance to chloroquine (CQ) and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) combination drugs has already been reported. Since artemisinin combined therapy (ACT) is the first-line drug for treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Nigeria and five amino acid mutations have been validated in the Pfk13 gene alongside with candidate mutations for ART resistance, we performed molecular surveillance for mutations (following PCR and DNA sequence analyses) in this gene from two southwestern states of Nigeria. Statistical analyses of DNA sequences were also performed following different evolutionary models. None of the different validated and candidate AA mutations of Pfk13 gene conferring resistance to ART could be detected in P. falciparum sampled in the two southwestern states of Nigeria. In addition, DNA sequencing and sequence analyses indicated neither evolutionary selection pressure on the Pfk13 gene nor association of mutations in Pfk13 gene with mutations of other three genes conferring resistance to CQ and SP. Therefore, based on the monomorphism at the Pfk13 gene and nonassociation of mutations of this gene with mutations in three other drug-resistant genes in malaria parasite P. falciparum, it can be proposed that malaria public health is not under immediate threat in southwestern Nigeria concerning ART resistance.

Tourism Development and Sustainable Economic Development: Evidence from South Western Nigeria

Aims: The study was done (i) to examine the influence of tourism on sustainable economic development, and (ii) to identify the factors affecting tourism development in South Western Nigeria.
 Study Design: Descriptive survey design was employed for the study. 
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in seven cities of different states of South Western Nigeria, namely: Erin-Ijesa, Osun Oshogbo Sacred Grove in Osun State; Oyo town in Oyo State, Ikogosi, Ekiti State, Abeokuta in Ogun State, Idanre town of Ondo State and Victoria Island, Lagos.
 Methodology: Ten (10) respondents each from all the seven cities were selected and questionnaire and the oral interview was done with them. The obtained data were statistically analysed using SPSS.
 Results: Respondents agreed that tourism had improved household income and government revenue tremendously and lack of interest by financial institutions to lend capital to tourism investors are significant challenges confronting tourism. The tourism development has a statistically significant influence on sustainable economic development also.
 Conclusion: The study concludes that development of tourism is an engine room of economically sustainable development, and recommends that government should attract private investors to invest in tourism, to foster the state economy.

Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic evaluations of heavy metals in protein foods from southwestern Nigeria

This study evaluated carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects of metals in commonly consumed protein food samples collected from three states in Southwestern Nigeria. One hundred and fifty food samples (crayfish, fish, meat and cowskin) were collected and analyzed for Cd, Cu, Cr and Pb using the standard method. Data were evaluated for descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS for Windows (22.0). The health risk assessments of metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb) were calculated for non-cancer indices (hazard quotient, HQ and hazard index, HI) and cancer risk (CR). Results for Cd varied from 0.85 ± 0.11 mg kg−1in raw fish to 1.20 ± 0.39 mg kg−1in crayfish; Cr from 2.18 ± 0.53 mg kg−1in smoked fish to 2.71 ± 0.32 mg kg−1in crayfish, while Pb ranged from 1.40 ± 0.20 mg kg−1in smoked meat to 2.34 ± 0.62 mg kg−1in cowskin. Cu showed higher significant (p < 0.05) concentration in crayfish (19.92 ± 1.03 mg kg−1) than other protein foodstuffs. The health risk data revealed the average HI values of metals (in raw meat, smoked fish, cowskin and crayfish) greater than 1.0 indicating non-carcinogenic adverse health effects. The data on carcinogenic effects revealed CR values greater than the permissible limit of 1.0 × 10-4 for Cd and Cr indicating cancer risk on consumption of food samples.

Prevalence of extended spectrum beta lactamase and plasmid mediated quinolone resistant genes in strains of Klebsiella pneumonia, Morganella morganii, Leclercia adecarboxylata and Citrobacter freundii isolated from poultry in South Western Nigeria.

A serious concern is arising on the coexistence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and plasmid mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) producing bacteria in animal husbandry, which could be transferred to humans, especially in strains that may not be routinely screened for resistance. This study therefore tested the prevalence of ESBL and PMQR genes in selected bacteria isolated from poultry faeces. Faecal droppings of birds were collected from 11 farms in five states in South Western Nigeria. Bacteria were isolated from the samples on cefotaxime supplemented plates and identified with MALDI-TOF. The MIC was determined using VITEK system and resistance genes were detected with PCR. A total of 350 strains were isolated from different samples and selected strains were identified as 23 Klebsiella pneumonia, 12 Morganella morganii, seven Leclercia adecarboxylata and one Citrobacter freundii. All the species were resistant to gentamycin, trimethoprim/sulphamethaxole, tobramycin, piperacillin, cefotaxime and aztreonam (except Morganella morganii strains which were mostly susceptible to aztreonam). All the tested strains were susceptible to imipenem, meropenem and amikacin. All Leclercia adecarboxylata strains were resistant to ceftazidime, cefepime and fosfomycin while all Morganella morganii strains were resistant to fosfomycin, moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin. All tested species were generally sensitive to ciprofloxacin except Morganella morganii strains which were resistant to ciprofloxacin. The resistance to ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, cefepime, tigercylin, colistin and fosfomycin were 65%, 40%, 23%,, 7%, 33%, 48% respectively while the prevalence of SHV, TEM and CTX genes were 42%, 63%, 35% respectively. 9.3% of the isolates had the three ESBL genes, 2.33% had qnrA gene, 4.65% had qnr B gene while none had qnrS gene. The most prevalent PMQR gene is Oqxb (25.58%) while 6.98% had the qep gene. Klebsiella pneumoniae generally had both ESBL and PMQR genes. The high prevalence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase genes in the studied strains calls for caution in the use of beta lactam antibiotics in poultry feeds. This is the first report of the occurrence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase and plasmid mediated quinolone resistance genes in Morganella morganii and Leclercia adecarboxylata strains isolated from poultry faeces.

Multilocus genotyping of Giardia duodenalis infecting rabbits in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Giardiasis is a cosmopolitan gastrointestinal protozoal parasite that infects humans and various animals worldwide. To assess the zoonotic transmission potential of Giardia, molecular characterization is required. We are unaware of any report on the genotypes of Giardia infecting rabbits in Nigeria. Molecular detection and genotyping of Giardia duodenalis were conducted in a herd of adult Chinchilla rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) managed on the Teaching and Research farm of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta located in a southwestern state of Nigeria by analysis of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (ssu rRNA), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) and beta-giardin (bg) genes. An overall prevalence of 72.3% (60/83) was recorded in the rabbits with no statistically significant (p > .05) influence of sex on the distribution of the infection in the herd. All the 19 isolates amplified at the four genetic loci were identified as G. duodenalis assemblage BIV by multiple alignment analysis of their consensus sequences. Novel nucleotide substitutions were identified in two isolates at the ssu rRNA locus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all ssu rRNA genotypes were closely related to G. duodenalis assemblage B of cattle and human origin. Findings of this study suggest that the rabbits harbour potentially zoonotic assemblage BIV that portends a high risk to students and staff of the University who are in regular contact with the animals.

Proposed SEDeF Model as a Panacea for Residential Neighbourhood Crime Towards Boosting Housing Values

Literature revealed that property crime is capable of constituting big threat to residential property investment. Hence, no effort should be considered insignificant towards curbing its soaring. Therefore, the aim of this research is to propose socio-environmental design factors (SEDeF) model as a panacea to residential neighbourhood crime with a view to boosting residential property value. One Thousand (1000) sets of structured questionnaires were administered on the residents of residential estates within the South Western States of Nigeria out of which 467 were found usable after data screening. Purposive and systematic sampling techniques were adopted while structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to determine the impact of social risk factors (SRF) and environmental design factors (EDF) on residential neighbourhood crime (RNC) as well as the impact of RNC on residential property value (RPV). The data, having passed through various screening stages which included missing data, outlier, reliability test, multicollinearity, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the structural model which was found to be fitted, revealed a significant P-Value of the three main hypotheses which interpreted to the fact that social risk factors (SRF) and environmental design factors (EDF) are capable of influencing residential neighbourhood crime and that residential neighbourhood crime was significantly impacting on the residential property value with values less or equal 0.001. The policy implication of the research is that the residential property investment could be boosted if the residential neighbourhood crime is curbed using social risk factors and environmental design factors.

Assessment of Food Crop Production in Relation to Climate Variation in Osun State Southwestern Nigeria

Assessment of Food Crop Production in Relation to Climate Variation in Osun State Southwestern Nigeria

Production systems of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) in the urban communities of southwestern Nigeria.

The study was conducted to examine the management practices and constraints associated with quail production in southwestern Nigeria. Data were collected through a survey of 113 quail bird farmers selected by multi-stage sampling technique from three states of southwestern Nigeria. Data were analyzed mainly by descriptive statistics with values compared across states using relevant statistics at certain instances. The results show that quail farming is a relatively new enterprise with farmers' average year of experience estimated as 4.52years. Production was predominantly for the sale of eggs and table birds (46.90%). They were reared under intensive system (87.61%) and in deep litters (53.10%). Birds were commonly reared with chicken (71.03% of the farmers). Foundation stocks were sourced from commercial farms (33.63%) and hatcheries (25.66%), while birds were fed on compounded feed by 73.45% of the farmers in the morning and evening (55.75%). Veterinary support services were sought occasionally by 76.99% of the farmers while 55.7 and 40.71% of the farmers vaccinated and dewormed their birds, respectively. Disease incidence was generally low across the states with incidence in 13.27% of the farms with associated mortality of 2.05%. Quail eggs and birds were predominantly sold at farm gate (81.42%) at average prices of N632.94 per crate and N584.09 per bird respectively. Notable constraints were inadequate technical knowledge on feed formulation, difficulty in meat processing and marketing, which need to be addressed for upscaling the technology.

Relationship between orthodox and traditional medical practitioners in the transmission of traditional medical knowledge in Nigeria.

The problem of incomplete transmission of traditional medical knowledge to the younger generation is of concern to information professionals especially in developing countries where most rural communities depend on traditional medicine for primary health care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the collaboration between orthodox and traditional medical practitioners as well as the implication of the collaboration for transmission of traditional medical knowledge in Nigeria. Eighteen communities were purposively selected from six states in south-western Nigeria. Snowball technique was used in selecting 110 traditional medical practitioners. Three key informant interviews and two focus group discussion sessions were conducted in each state. Data were analysed thematically. Results showed the existence of a low level of collaboration mainly in the form of patient referrals which were not performed officially and mostly one sided. This was attributed to the negative perception of traditional medicine by orthodox practitioners and the failure of government to give traditional medicine its due recognition. This was reportedly responsible for the lack of interest by children of traditional medical practitioners to acquire traditional medical knowledge. The study recommends inclusion of traditional medicine in the health policy and educational curriculum from the basic level.

Ethics and Professionalism in the Banking Industry, a Case Study of Nigerian Banking Environment

The study’s objective is to look at empirical investigation into the various causes of Bank failure with more emphasis on compliance enforcement by Banks with the Banking Code of Ethics and Professionalism (BCEP), so as to achieve a robust banking environment. Banking failure in Nigeria had become a worry to all and sundry. Questionnaires were administered to staffers of selected banks in the South Western states of Nigeria for a quick coverage as a result of the limited time, available for the conduct of this study. One Hundred [100] questionnaires were administered, but only eighty five (85) were received and analyzed. The analysis of data and the test of hypotheses was based on the use of the Pearson’s Moment Correlation Co-efficient, it showed that majority of bank failures in Nigeria, occurred not only because of non-adherence to ethical practices among operators but due to the spiraling height of indiscipline, corruption, hi-tech money laundering of public funds stolen by people in government authority, and the continuous uncontrollable conspiratorial acts of non-professionals and grossly incompetent government appointees into positions of regulatory and supervisory authority in the institutional framework in total authority and management of the banking and finance industry. Yet at the level of the operators, there has been gross insider’s abuse on lending; lending to high risk borrowers; micro-economic instability that has perpetually kept the economy comatose. In this paper legal enforcement and strict sanctions, adherence to ethical and professional practices in the banks and the entire financial industry is highly recommended. Also advocated is the coming together of professional bankers in academics to form an association and use their various research capacities and potentials to advise the banking and Finance industry in the area of ethics and professionalism.

Awareness and Information Sources of Hypertensive Diseases Among Aged Civil Servants in Southwest, Nigeria

This article describes a study which investigates the awareness and information sources of hypertensive diseases among aged civil servants in Southwest, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and the study focused on aged civil servants in south western Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select respondents for the study. The instruments used to obtain information from respondents was a questionnaire, divided into seven sections with respect to the objectives of the study. The psychometric properties of the instrument were also determined. The information obtained was subjected to analysis using the descriptive statistics. The findings of the study revealed that aged civil servants in the three selected states in south-western Nigeria have a high personal concern for hypertensive disease. Interventional strategies to curtail hypertensive diseases among aged civil servants are low. In addition, governments failed to provide necessary amenities and also do not pay salaries promptly for staff. To this end, aged civil servants seek medical care and services by themselves and in most cases, they do not give attention to such health needs. This can lead to a high tendency for the prevalence of hypertensive diseases. The study recommends that apart from paying salaries promptly, governments should provide interventional strategies such as providing better information through media, conducting workshops and seminars, providing health related teachings, among others for civil servants in south western Nigeria. This could increase the awareness of hypertensive disease and also of the various sources of care available for them.

Determinants of wasting among schoolchildren in a Southwestern state of Nigeria: Implications to strengthen the nutritional component of primary health-care model.

Background:Wasting is linked to about one-third of mortality among school-age children. More studies have centered on stunting among under-five children, with few documented studies exploring comparability and determinants of wasting among school pupils in southwestern Nigeria. This study aimed to investigate the comparability and determinants of wasting among schoolchildren in rural and urban communities of Obafemi-Owode local government area, Ogun State, Nigeria.Methods:A cross-sectional study utilizing a quantitative approach was carried out among children both in rural and urban primary schools. Data were collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires. EPI-INFO version 6.03 was used, children were classified as wasted if weight-for-height Z-scores were <2 standard deviations below the National Center for Health Statistics/World Health Organization median. Associations were tested using t-tests and Chi-square test, while predictors were examined with logistic regression at 95% level of significance.Results:Male gender was predominant (54.6%). Significantly more pupils from rural areas lived with grandparents and other guardians (60.3%) compared to their urban counterparts (39.7% P = 0.005). Pupils from rural schools were four times more likely to be wasted compared to those located in urban regions (odds ratio [OR]: 4.2; 95 confidence interval [CI] = 2.24–7.69). Male pupils were twice likely to be wasted compared to the female pupils (OR: 2.08; 95 CI = 1.22–3.55).Conclusion:Conclusively, the study revealed that the prevalence of wasting was higher among children from rural schools than in urban schools. There is an urgent need to implement viable interventions and policies that address nutritional deficiencies in primary school pupils, particularly in rural areas.

First Detection of Augmentin and Colistin Resistant &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Cronobacter Sakazakii&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; from a Pharmaceutical Wastewater in South-Western Nigeria

Cronobacter sakazakii formerly known as Enterobacter sakazakii, is a bacterium with a rare cause but often fatal infection of the bloodstream and central nervous system. Infants with weakened immune systems, particularly premature infants, are most likely to contact a Cronobacter infection, although the bacteria have caused illnesses in all age groups. Most cases of C. sakazakii infection come from powdered infant formula (PIF) contaminated with the bacterium. Although relatively little information is known about the existence of Cronobacter in the environment, more reservoirs are being identified, such as water, soil and plant material. Wastewaters from 6 pharmaceutical industries located in a south-western state in Nigeria were sampled and analyzed. Bacteria were isolated using standard methods and species identification was determined by Gram staining, lactose fermentation, oxidase, catalase and Vitek 2. Antibacterial susceptibility to 25 antimicrobial agents was tested by the disc diffusion method and Vitek 2. Fifty nine Gram-negative bacteria were isolated and identified; one was identified as C. sakazakii. The bacterium was susceptible to all antibiotic mentioned but resistant to augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate) and colistin which are high potent drugs for the treatment of very stubborn infections. The public health implication of this fact is that this bacterium could be harbouring resistant genes that can be transferred through water ways such as the pharmaceutical wastewaters to bacteria of the same or different species of clinical importance. Therefore, continuous surveillance of the environmental reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria is necessary to prevent their further spread.

Motile Salmonella serotypes causing high mortality in poultry farms in three South-Western States of Nigeria

This study was carried out to identify the Salmonella serotypes causing high mortality in chickens in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states, Nigeria. Chickens presented for postmortem examination during disease outbreaks...

Spatial distributions and dose assessment of natural radionuclides in rocks and soils of some selected sites in southwestern Nigeria

ABSTRACTThe activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in rock and soil samples collected from Ondo and Ekiti States in southwestern Nigeria were measured by using gamma-ray spectrometer with a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The mean activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in the rock were 25.53, 61.12, and 554.20 Bq kg−1 respectively, while that of the soil were 8.27, 17.37, and 151.72 Bq kg−1 respectively. Results showed that the activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K were higher in the rocks than the soils of the areas studied. To assess the radiological impact of some radionuclides on the population in the region, the annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), annual gonadal equivalent dose (AGED), and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) were calculated. The mean values of the indoor and outdoor AEDE, and AGED were 88.08 µSv y−1, 352.34 µSv y−1, and 508.40 mSv y−1, respectively for the rock samples, and 25.31 µSv y−1, 101.25 µSv y−1, and 145.80 mSv y−1 respectively for the soil samples. The mean values obtained for AEDE and AGED for the soil were below ICRP recommended limits of 1 and 300 mSv y−1, respectively. AGED for the rocks was higher than the maximum permissible limit.

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals using Selected Organisms Isolated from Electronic Waste Dumpsite of two South-Western States in Nigeria

Heavy metals from electronic wastes can accumulate to alarming concentrations in soils, causing significant detrimental impacts on human life and the environment. Bioaccumulation of heavy metals by bacteria and fungi has been a major focus of most bioremediation studies owing to the excellent metal-binding properties. The current study was conducted to isolate the most promising Zn, Cu and Pb tolerant microorganisms from contaminated soils, and to assess their metal accumulating abilities. Bacillus licheniformis, B. polymyxa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus roseus, Aspergillus niger and A. flavus were selected for the bioaccumulation study, based on their known tolerance to heavy metals. Bacillus licheniformis was most efficient in the removal of Cu (71.3 %) and Pb (70.1 %). Pb accumulation for Aspergillus flavus was 65.76 %. Zn accumulation for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus niger were 74.1 % and 78.3 %, respectively. This study concluded that all these microorganisms have potential for bioremediating soil environments contaminated with heavy metals.