Southern Part Of Nigeria Research Articles

Rain Fade Analysis at C, Ka and Ku Bands in Nigeria

Rain fade has continued to be a major concern to communication systems designers. The effect of these dynamic fluctuations of the received signal due to rain is very pronounced in the tropical region. This paper pertains to the analysis of rain fades at C, Ku and Ka bands at some selected stations covering the main geographical zones of Nigeria. The ITU-RP propagation model was used to calculate the fade depth at 6 GHz, 8 GHz, 12 GHz, 16 GHz, 20 GHz, 30 GHz and 40 GHz. The rain fade correlate with signal attenuation. Attenuation distributions for percentages of time for signal unavailability were also estimated. The results show that values of attenuation for vertically and circularly polarized signals are less than those of the horizontal polarization at all the frequencies. It is found that rain fade is less severe in the Northern part of the country and is most severe in the southern part of Nigeria, with Port Harcourt, Lagos and Nsukka experiencing the highest rain impairment. Key words: Propagation, rain rate, attenuation, rain fade, communication links DOI : 10.7176/JEES/9-3-16 Publication date :March 31 st 2019

"Baby Factories": Exploitation of Women in Southern Nigeria

Despite the writings of feminist thinkers and efforts of other advocates of feminism to change the dominant narratives on women, exploitation of women is a fact that has remained endemic in various parts of the world, and particularly in Africa. Nigeria is one of those countries in Africa where women are largely exposed to varying degrees of exploitation. This paper examines the development and proliferation of baby-selling centers in southern Nigeria and its impacts on and implication for women in Nigeria. It demonstrates how an attempt to give protection to unwed pregnant girls has metamorphosed into “baby harvesting” and selling through the notorious “baby factories,” where young women are held captive and used like industrial machines for baby production. The babies produced through this process were often sold illegally to adoptive parent(s) in dire need of them. In some other instances, they were used for child labour or trafficked for prostitution, ritual purposes, or organ harvesting. The paper argues that the hideous phenomenon of baby factories—which has high patronage in southern parts of Nigeria—does not only exploit and debase the status of women, but that the nature of its operation foreshadows a future danger for women in southern Nigeria regions.

Glaucoma care in Nigeria: Is the current practice poised to tackle this emerging sight-threatening disease?

To investigate the current practice on glaucoma care with the aim of highlighting its poise to tackle this emerging sight-threatening disease in Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, population-based survey involving 88 ophthalmologists. Information on their demographic characteristics, practice profile, challenges and prospects on glaucoma care was collected using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire in August 2016. Data were analysed using SPSS 20. The participants are comprised of 46 (52.3%) males and 42 (47.7%) females, with a mean age of 42.2 ± 8.7SD years. They were 45 (51.1%) consultants, 31 (35.2%) residents and 12 (13.6%) diplomates. Their years of practice were 8.8 ± 6.7SD years. They worked mainly in government hospitals located at the southern part of Nigeria. The current practice was mainly comprehensive ophthalmology, 63 (71.6%). Only 2 (2.3%) had strict subspecialty practice. Others, 23 (26.1%), had combined practice. Eleven (12.5%) were glaucoma specialists and had combined practice. The majority of the participants, 57 (64.8%), were routinely diagnosed glaucoma properly. Sixty-three (71.6%) participants underwent trabeculectomy, 48 (54.5%) combined cataract surgery with trabeculectomy, 7 (8.0%) drainage implants, 5 (5.7%) laser trabeculoplasty, and 2 (2.3%) minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. Poor patients' acceptance and satisfaction, fear of complications, lengthy post-operative care and cost were the main deterrents to surgeries. Advocacy, public awareness, training of glaucoma specialists, provision of equipment and health insurance were the major recommendations on improving glaucoma care. Given the meagre number of specialists and lack of strict subspecialty practice, optimal glaucoma care in Nigeria is still far from reality.

Female Genital Mutilation in Northeastern Nigeria

Introduction: Different forms of cultural practices are being practiced in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Some of such are beneficial while others lead to negative impacts. Female genital mutilation as one type of harmful traditional practices is a form of violence against women. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), practiced in many parts of the world, also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting (FGC), is the practice in which a female child undergoes a process involving the female external genital organ being removed partially or totally for nonmedical reasons, causing a lot of health and other problems during, shortly after the procedure and later in life. Objective: The objective of the study was to understand knowledge and thoughts of women towards female genital mutilation. Method: A cross sectional descriptive study. Results: Most of the respondents were aware of FGM but not as high as in the southern part of Nigeria. The majority knew the meaning of FGM and thought it as a harmful practice done for various reasons. Conclusion: FGM has negative impacts. It is highly recommended for government to enlighten parents more about menace of FGM through community and school health education.

Comparative analysis of anthropometric data of Hausas in northern and southern Nigeria

The article aims at obtaining some anthropometric dimensions of Hausa tribes living in both the northern and southern part of Nigeria for the usage of designers of furniture and work stations. Samples of 216 volunteered participants were randomly selected for the study with age range of 16 and 35 years. Sixteen (16) anthropometric dimensions were taken. The descriptive statistical analysis of mean, standard deviations, minimum values, maximum values, 1st, 5th, 50th, 90th, 95th and 99th percentiles were obtained using SPSS 16.0 statistical package. However, ten selected anthropometric dimensions for T-Test was conducted on the measurements for comparison of all the participants from the north and south; on male participants from north and the south; and on female participants from north and south, at 0.05 level of signifi cance. Most especially for the females, the results showed that there were signifi cant differences in the height, overhead reach, arm span, sitting height, knee height and head length between the Hausa females living in the north and south. Hence, there is the need to design equipment and workplaces which must take into consideration data of the proposed users

Review of Distribution of Natural Radiation in Some Parts of Nigeria

Activity concentrations of natural radioactivity of 40K, 238U, 226Ra, and 232Th were reviewed in connection with rock, soil, sediments, and water in the Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria to estimate the radiation dose acquire by the population. The activity concentrations of the various radionuclides from rock samples collected from different locations were generally higher than those of other environmental matrices. Comparative distribution maps of 40K, 238U, and 232Th show the distribution of activity concentration in the Northern and Western part of Nigeria. The activity concentrations 40K, 238U, and 232Th in rock ranges from 40 Bq kg-1 to 1203 Bq kg-1, 34 Bq kg-1 to 7220 Bq kg-1, and 8 Bq kg-1 to 1680 Bq kg-1 respectively. In soil it ranges from 98.7 Bq kg-1 to 1023.3 Bq kg-1, 15.6 Bq kg-1 to 55.3 Bq kg-1, and 5.2 Bq kg-1 to 195.5 Bq kg-1 respectively. In sediment it ranges 97 Bq kg-1 to 1023 Bq kg-1, 12 Bq kg-1 to 47.9 Bq kg-1, and 11.7 Bq kg-1 to 55.3 Bq kg-1. The concentration of 40K and 238U in granite rocks are higher than the recommended permissible value. All the water samples were found to contain acceptable levels of radionuclides with mean activity values of 3.98±0.26, 11.00±2.58, and 17.73±5.04 Bql-1 for 40K, 232Th, and 238U, respectively showing that the mean activity of 238U for all the samples is the highest when compared with those of 40K and 232Th. The mean absorbed dose rate for all the area is 0.123mSvyr-1, which is very low when compared to the recommended limit of 1mSvyr-1 for water.

Gastroprotective effects of methanol extract of Eremomastax speciosa leaf harvested in Southern part of Nigeria in rat

Abstract Gastric ulcer is one of the common cause of hospital consultation with an increasing prevalence worldwide and it is traditionally managed with herbal medicine in the developing countries. This study investigated the gastroprotective effects of methanol extract of Eremomastax speciosa leaf in rats. Cold maceration in 80% methanol was adopted during extract preparation while gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) was employed in the phytochemical analysis. The doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg E. speciosa were used on ethanol-and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models in rats. The shay rat method was used to determine the effects of ESE on gastric acidity while the anticholinergic and antihistaminic activities were investigated on isolated rabbit jejunum ex vivo. The GC-MS analysis identified six bioactive compounds. Both ESE and cimetidine significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the severity of indomethacin- and ethanol-induced gastric injuries and gastric acid contents in Shay rats. The extract elicited concentration-dependent relaxation of isolated rabbit jejunum and reduced the contraction induced by both acetylcholine and histamine in the same tissue. The findings showed that ESE protected the rats against chemical-induced gastric ulcer through anticholinergic and antihistaminic mechanisms.

Vegetative and reproductive morphological study of some species in the family combretaceae in Nigeria

A qualitative and quantitative morphological study of eleven species representing four genera in the family Combretaceae was conducted in search of inter- and intra-generic characters which may be of taxonomic use in the identification and classification of the family, as well as enhancing the understanding of the taxonomy of the family. Collection of accessions was done from different parts of southern Nigeria. Life plants, fruits, flowers and seeds from mature plants were collected and subjected to morphological studies. Both qualitative and quantitative characters were recorded. Quantitative data were subjected to analysis of variance, single linkage cluster analysis (SLCA) and principal components analysis (PCA). Morphological characters which separate the taxa include leaf shape, leaf apex, presence of hairs, and colour of reproductive parts such as pedicel, stamen, sepal, petal, style and stigma. Quantitative vegetative and reproductive morphological characters vary significantly ( P = .05) among the taxa. The presence of undulating leaf margins and cladodromous venation in Terminalia mantaly , an introduced species is diagnostic for the species. Keywords: Combretaceae, Diagnostic, Morphology, Reproductive, Taxonomy, Vegetative

Indomie Noodles in Africa: lessons on digital and cultural branding

Subject area Marketing, Brand management, Social media marketing, Digital marketing. Study level/applicability The case can be taught in MBA courses and executive education programs. Case overview Dufil Prima Limited is the manufacturer of Indomie noodles and a market leader in the noodles market of Nigeria that exports products to Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Benin Republic. However, the company has experienced a drop in the market share from 78 per cent in 2010 to 54 per cent in 2015. This drop is largely due to rising competition, Nigeria’s economic downturn and the inability to grow a consumer base in Northern Nigeria. Kenneth Iruonagbe, a social media executive of the company, is responsible for developing a social media and digital marketing strategy for the company to increase the market share position by 16 per cent in the next three years. Kenneth is convinced that a growth in the Northern Nigeria market share is critical for improving the market position in the entire country and facilitating the market penetration in the other four countries. A number of options are being considered to address the current problem. Because of the sharp differences in the consumption habits, cultural values and lifestyles of consumers of noodles in the northern and southern parts of Nigeria, the options may be difficult to implement. Dufil needs to engage in the delicate task of crafting a social media and digital marketing strategy that will be consistent with the values of the Indomie brand and yet prevent the risk of brand confusion and alienation on the part of consumers. The company has one month to roll out its plan. Expected learning outcomes Highlight how cultural branding through social media applies to consumer markets in Africa Explain the fundamentals of brand building and also introduce the concepts of integrated marketing communication, below-the-line, above-the-line, social media and digital marketing. Explain how social media and digital marketing could be used to move consumers from brand awareness to brand loyalty. Explain how to craft social media and digital marketing strategies that are relevant to countries facing an economic downturn. Highlight the lessons from internationalizing a brand across various African countries. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS: 8: Marketing.

Anti-inflammatory potentials, membrane stabilizing and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities of Clerodendrum volibule ethanolic leaf extract on carragenaan- induced inflammation in rats

The folkloric use of Clerodendrum volubile P Beauv (Verbenaceae) for treatment of inflammatory conditions in the Southern part of Nigeria has been reported. The anti-inflammatory action of the ethanolic leaf extract on carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema, lipoxygenase and xanthine oxidase inhibitory effects, and membrane stabilizing potential were evaluated. The extract reduced carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema in a dose dependent manner compared to control group. C. volubile inhibited xanthine oxidase activity in a dose - dependent manner; at 0.5 mg/ml it exhibited maximum inhibitory activity of 95.48% while the standard drug, allopurinol exhibited 70 % inhibition. The extract significantly inhibited lipoxygenase activity, with highest activity at 0.4 mg/ml while Quercetin showed maximum inhibition of the enzyme at 0.1 mg/ml. The extract and Acetaminophen exhibited maximum membrane stabilizing activity of 91.85 ± 0.50% and 94.32 ± 0.32% at 2.5 mg/ml respectively. These findings provide justification for the traditional use of C. volubile in inflammatory conditions.

Evaluations of the effect of selected wax inhibitive chemicals on wax deposition in crude oil flow in sub-sea pipe-lines

ABSTRACTComparative studies were made on the effect of different wax inhibitive chemicals on the wax deposition volume during crude oils flow in pipeline. Two crude oils from Ovhor and Jisike oil fields in the southern part of Nigeria were used in the study. The four identified chemicals: Alkyl sulphonates (wax dispersant), polyethylene (wax inhibitors/crystal modifier), acrylate ester copolymer (pour point depressant, PPD) and xylene (wax solvents) inhibit wax deposition to varying degree of between 14.6–44.9% for crude oil A, and between 21.6–41.4% for crude oil B when 1500 ppm of each chemical was mixed with the crude oil sample. The optimal wax inhibition formulation of polyethylene, xylene, acrylate ester polymer and alkyl sulphonate contains 40.4, 19.2, 27.6, 12.8% and 36.3, 21.5, 25.8, 16.4% for crude oil A and B respectively. Applications of the optimal formulated mixtures of the above chemicals inhibit wax deposition by 58.9% and 62.4% for crude oil A and B respectively.

Influence of Gender, Age and Location on Students Perceived Link of Population Growth and Climate Change

Abstract Increase in population contributes and it is also affected by climate change, hence it deserves consideration in any climate change policy development strategies. Based on the importance of population growth on climate change, this study was embarked on to ascertain the perception of students to the influence of population growth on the consequences of climate change. The population of the study consisted of undergraduate students in a Federal University in Southern part of Nigeria. A sample size of 362 respondents were selected using systematic sampling to select every one and other halls of residence (3 halls of residence selected out of 6) and simple random sampling of balloting by replacement to select 14% each from the three halls of residence. The questionnaires administered were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and the descriptive and inferential statistical tools were employed to analyze the data gotten. The study revealed that there was a significant difference on the respondents perception based on their gender, age group and home of residence(Urban or rural). Based on these findings, it was recommended among other things that population control measures should be effectively implemented in the country. And any policy on climate change, gender, age group and location should be considered because a gender, age group and location bias policy will increase the severity of the problem.

Market Structure and Performance for Plantain and Banana

ABSTRACTPlantain and banana are important fruit crops cultivated mainly in the southern part of Nigeria. They constitute a source of livelihood for millions of people within the production zone. Marketing plays a central role in the distribution of plantain and banana. This study, therefore, examined the market structure and performance for plantain and banana. Structured questionnaires were administered to 120 respondents using a multistage sampling technique. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, marketing margin, and Gini coefficient. The results indicated that 88.6% of the plantain/banana marketers in the study area were women with an average age of 46 years having 20 years’ experience. An average of 1024.29 kg and 345.20 kg of plantain and banana were traded, respectively, per week. Gini coefficient and marketing efficiency were 0.50 and 1.86 and 0.60 and 1.34 for plantain and banana marketers, respectively. This implied that in the region, plantain is being traded in higher volumes compared to banana; thus, plantain marketing is more competitive than banana. For every ₦1 invested, ₦0.86 and ₦0.34 were realized as profit by plantain and banana marketers, respectively (₦1 = $0.006 at the time the study was carried out). Plantain and banana marketing is a profitable enterprise, but it is faced with the challenges of a poor transportation system, inability to access credit facilities, and perishability nature of the produce. Efforts aimed at ameliorating transportation problems, provision of credit, and storage facilities will strengthen the marketing system to improve its effectiveness and efficiency in plantain and banana distribution in Nigeria.

Spectral Efficiency Analysis of GSM Networks in South-South Nigeria

In this paper, the technique of multiplicity was used to analyse GSM network capacity in Nigeria. An evaluation of Enhanced stochastic knapsack was used as an approach for resource sharing in multiservice by adopting the Erlang Loss Model in analyzing the SMS capacity. The offered traffic that is Lost Traffic based was used to dimension the system resources. To actualize this work, measurements were conducted in Benin City and Port Harcourt to determine the best signal characterization of the southern part of Nigeria. Based on the measurement data, a model was developed to predict the traffic intensity of the region. Comparisons were carried out on the different types of frequency hopping and the variant DFH based power was applied in improving the spectral efficiency of the network. The results showed that the spectral efficiency increased, as the number of cell per cluster decreased. The optimal value of the number of cell in the cluster caused reduced interference, since the reduced interference could allow the users to achieve higher rates.

Prevalence and risk factors for functional constipation in adolescent Nigerians

ObjectivesTo determine the prevalence and risk factors for functional constipation (FC) in adolescent Nigerians.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted in rural and urban areas of two states in the southern part...

Comparative Studies on Proximate Composition and Phytochemical Screening of Mango, Key lime, African star apple and African pear Seeds as Possible Coagulant Aids for Water Treatment

Many fruits including mango (Mangifera indica), key lime (Citrus aurantiifolia), African star apple (Chrysophyllum albidum) and African or bush pear (Dacryodes edulis) are nutritionally valuable as human food, however after consumption of the fruits, their seeds are discarded as wastes since they are of no commercial value and this results in disposal problems. Hence assessment of the constituents of such waste seeds will enable their application to be considered. In this study the proximate composition and phytochemical constituents of the seeds of Duncan mango (Mangifera indica), key lime (Citrus aurantiifolia), African star apple (Chrysophyllum albidum: C. acreanum) and African or bush pear (Dacryodes edulis: D.e.var.edulis) obtained from southern part of Nigeria have been investigated and compared for the four different seeds. The results obtained from the proximate analyses showed that the major constituent of the seeds are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The key lime seed was found to contain more protein and fat compared to the other seeds while the African star apple seed was found to contain the least fat and more carbohydrate compared to the other seeds. The phytochemicals detected in all the seeds were tannins, glycoside, coumarins and phenols, however steroids were absent. Only African star apple seed contained saponins and alkaloids. The results further indicated that only the key lime seed was devoid of flavonoid and starch. Tannins in plants have been reported to be among the active agents that bring about coagulation and natural polymers (proteins, carbohydrate (starch) etc.) act as bridging flocculants. Saponins, flavonoids coumarins and phenols have also been reported to posses antibacterial potentials against pathogenic organisms. This study shows that these seeds contain these constituents and they are present in reasonable amount. Therefore it is concluded that these seeds can be investigated as possible coagulant aids for drinking water treatment.

Role of Professional Women in Conflict Resolution and Peace Building in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Oil and gas activities in Southern part of Nigeria have exposed the region to environmental degradation and social vices. This problem has caused conflicts among stakeholders (government, community, companies, institutions, individuals), which has led to community clashes. These conflicts have resulted to the loss of lives and properties. They are also responsible for youth restiveness, low level of women empowerment and lack of peaceful coexistence in the region. This makes the promotion of understanding and dialogue to be a prime issue in the management of conflict, community peace and security. Professional women belong to professional bodies that spread into all works of life; academia, government, industry, legal institution, health sector, financial institutions, NGOs, security sector. This paper discussed issues on causes of conflict in Niger Delta, what roles should professional women play in attaining peace, global examples of professional women in conflict resolution, role of professional women in Niger Delta, way in which women engage in conflict resolution and challenges women face in conflict resolution and peace building. The paper concluded that time has come for everybody to be aware of gender equality and involvement in conflict resolution and peace building. Professional women need to intensify effort in achieving this.

Antioxidant activity of the inflorescents of <i>Vernonia calvoana</i> growing in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria

Vernonia calvoana is an indigenous green leafy vegetable that grows around the Cameroons and the southern part of Nigeria. This study was designed to evaluate the phytochemical and antioxidant activity of V. calvoana inflorescents using the following methods: 1, 1 – diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), Ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP), 2, 2–azobis-3-ethyl benzothiolin-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), anti-lipid, superoxide, phosphomolybdate and ascorbic acid assay. The result showed significantly high saponins, alkaloids and polyphenols at (p<0.05). Oxalates, cyanates, phytates, tannins, terpenoids, steroids, anthraquinones, flavonoids and sesquiterpene lactones were found in trace amounts. The assay indicated strong free radical scavenging activity, including ABTS, anti-lipid, superoxide, phosphomolybdate activities of the inflorescents. However, the percentage antioxidant capacity was low in the inflorescents using FRAP, whereas the antioxidant capacity increased with increase in concentration compared to the ascorbic acid standard. Moreover, the inflorescents were found to show stronger antioxidant activity (137.0+6.86) compared to ascorbic acid (79.44%).We therefore conclude that V. calvoana inflorescents could serve as source strong diatary antioxidants.Running Title: Vernonia calvoana inflorescents in CalabarKeywords: Vernonia calvoana, antioxidant activity and nutraceuticals

English

Culcasia scandens P. Beauv is a tall climbering plant which grows abundantly in the southern part of Nigeria. It is acclaimed by traditional users to be a potent anti-inflammatory herb. Current study was designed to investigate the nutritional values of Culcasia scandens to rule out the possible therapeutic effects of the herb. The study was carried out by employing spectrophotometric methods for determining the overall nutritional content of the herb. The result of proximate analysis showed that the Culcasia scaudens had high levels of dry matter (91.17±0.01), carbohydrate (45.89±0.02), crude protein (21.71±0.01) and crude fibre 10.97±0.01 with relative low percentage of lipid (2.74±0.00), moisture (8.83±0.01). The result also recorded high levels of retinol (184.00±0.00), niacin (54.00) and folic acid (28.40±0.00) with low levels of ascorbic acid (0.08±0.01), thiamin (0.24±0.00), riboflavin (0.66±0.00) and tocopherol (1.03±0.00). The higher amounts of the proximate contents and vitamins indicated that besides the leaves are being used as traditional medicinal, this herb can serve as good source of nutrients to human as well.

Abdominal Pain-predominant Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Adolescent Nigerians.

To determine the prevalence, pattern, and predisposing factors of abdominal pain-predominant functional gastrointestinal disorders (AP-FGIDs) in adolescent Nigerians. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 states in the southern part of Nigeria in June 2014. Adolescents of age 10 to 18 years were recruited from 11 secondary schools using a stratified random sampling technique. A validated self-administered questionnaire on Rome III criteria for diagnosing AP-FGIDs and its determinants were filled by the participants in a classroom setting. A total of 874 participants filled the questionnaire. Of this, 818 (93.4%) filled it properly and were included in the final analysis. The mean age of the participants was 14.6 ± 2.0 years with 409 (50.0%) being boys. AP-FGIDs were present in 81 (9.9%) participants. Forty six (5.6%) of the study participants had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), 21 (2.6%) functional abdominal pain, 15 (1.8%) abdominal migraine while 3 (0.4%) had functional dyspepsia. The difference in AP-FGIDs between adolescents residing in rural and urban areas was not statistically significant (P = 0.22). Intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms occurred more frequently in those with AP-FGIDs. Nausea was the only symptom independently associated with AP-FGIDs (p = 0.015). Multiple regression analysis showed no significant association between stressful life events and AP-FGIDs. AP-FGIDs are a significant health problem in Nigerian adolescents. In addition to the intestinal symptoms, most of the affected children and others also had extraintestinal symptoms. None of the stressful life events evaluated was significantly associated with FGIDs.