Umuahia North Research Articles

Parental Factors and Pupils’ School Readiness in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State

This study investigated the influence of parental factors and pupils’ school readiness in Umuahia North Local Government Area. To achieve this purpose, three specific objectives and corresponding research questions were also raised to guide the study, three null hypotheses were postulated to guide the study and were tested at .05 level of significance. The descriptive survey research design was employed and used for this study. The population of the study was 4500 ECC II pupils with parents. Purposive and simple random sampling was used to select a sample size of 450 ECC II pupils with parents. Parental’ Factors Questionnaire (PFQ), for parents and Pupils’ School Readiness Rating Scale (PSRRS) for pupils were used as instruments for the study. The face and content validities of the instruments was determined by experts in Psychological Foundations of Education and Early Childhood Education. The Cronbach’s alpha statistical analysis was used to determine the reliability of instruments which yielded reliability indices of 0.73, 0.71 and 0.77 respectively. Mean analysis and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to test the null hypotheses. The study revealed that: there is a significant influence of parental styles, parental socio-economic status, and parental educational background on pupils’ school readiness in Umuahia North Local Government Area. Based on the findings of the study, the study recommended among others that parents should be encouraged to improve on their relationship with their children and choose the right parenting style that will help the children to behave positively in their readiness to adapt to school environment.

Determination of Soil Carbon Pools in Selected Soils of Abia State, Nigeria

Soil carbon pools exist in Abia State soils but variation, quantification and speciation remain unascertained. This study was carried out on soils collected from two locations (Umuahia North and Ikwuano LGAs) under three land use systems: arable land (AL), forest land (FL) and palm plantation (PP). The aim of the study was to assess carbon pools in the study soil. Laboratory data was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Significantly different means were separated using Fisher’s least significant difference (F-LSD) at 5% level of probability (p≤0.05). Correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between the selected soil properties. It was observed that organic carbon increased significantly (p<0.05) 2.47 under forest land in Umuahia North and decreased to 0.97 under arable land in Ikwuano, permanganate oxidizable carbon (POC) increased significantly in Umuahia North (p<0.05) while decreasing in Ikwuano, the POC interaction on the both locations were significant, water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) were neither significant in location, land use or their interaction.

Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods and Anthropometric Status of Adolescents in Umuahia North Local Government Area Abia State, Nigeria

Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods and Anthropometric Status of Adolescents in Umuahia North Local Government Area Abia State, Nigeria

A Gis Approach in Locational Analysis of Post Primary School in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria

A Gis Approach in Locational Analysis of Post Primary School in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Dog Owners Following Dog bites in Umuahia North and South, Abia State, Nigeria

Rabies, a fatal neurological disease of warm-blooded animals, is endemic and occurs throughout the year in all parts of Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess dog owners' knowledge, attitudes, and practices following dog bites. Umuahia North and Umuahia South Local Government Areas (LGAs) were purposively selected being active urban areas. A validated well-structured questionnaire was administered to 200 dog owners by face-to-face interviews who were consenting respondents conveniently selected from the study site. Data generated were analysed with statistical significance at p ≤ 0.05. Out of the 200 dog owners, 172 (86%) were not aware of rabies, 48 (24%) were of the notion that rabies does not kill only animals and 52 (26%) did not know that the virus that causes rabies is found in the nerves. One hundred and fifty (75%) respondents knew that rabies could be spread through the saliva of a rabid animal, 9 (4.5%) did not know that dogs are possible common sources of rabies in Nigeria and only 125 (62.5%) knew the age at which dogs should receive the first dose of rabies vaccine. Also, a good number of them 162 (80%) knew that keeping dogs that are not vaccinated against rabies is dangerous and should be avoided. One hundred and forty five (72.5%) respondents agreed that dog handlers should always wear protective clothing, and 117 (58.5%) accepted that it is good to wash dog bite wounds with soap and water. Age, Marital status, Occupation and Qualification were the socio-demographic variables associated with the knowledge, attitude and practice level of the respondents that were statistically significant (P≤0.05). Inadequate knowledge of some aspects of rabies, negative attitudes, and practices of dog owners following dog bites are indicative of a high risk of exposure of dog owners to rabies. It is suggested that public health education targeting dog owners be implemented to increase their level of awareness of rabies.

Group Based Learning And Academic Achievement Of Upper Basic 2 Students’ In Pre-Vocational Studies In Umuahia North Local Government Area Of Abia State

The study assessed the effect of Group based instructional strategy on upper basic two (junior secondary school two) students’ achievement in Prevocational studies in Umuahia North Local Government of Abia State. The study adopted a quasi-experimental control design; specifically the pre-test post-test non-equivalent control group design was used. Two research questions were posed, and one hypothesis formulated to guide the study which was carried out in a Government co-education school in Umuahia North Council Area in Umuahia Education Zone of Abia State. Eighty-seven (87) JSS two students were used for the study. The study is a quasi- experimental study which employed pretest posttest control design and a 2x2 factorial design. Instrument used for data collection was Pre-vocational Studies Achievement Test (PSAT) developed by the researchers. PSAT was validated by three experts and the reliability coefficient using Kuder Richardson (KR-20) was found to be 0.81. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) statistics was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 significance level. The result revealed a significant factor on students’ achievement in Pre-vocational studies. Thus, it was confirmed that students taught Pre-vocational studies using Group based instructional strategy performed better than those taught using the lecture method. The result also revealed that gender was not a factor in achievement of students in Pre-vocational studies. It was recommended among other things that efforts should be made by curriculum experts to incorporate Group based instructional strategy, teaching strategy into the teaching of pre-vocational studies.
 

Urinalysis, Malaria Random Diagnostic Methods and Clinical Symptoms in the Prediction of Malaria Parasitaemia among Pregnant Women in Umuahia and Ikwuano, Abia State, Nigeria

This study was targeted at assessing malaria prevalence, clinical symptoms and urine abnormalities associated with malaria in pregnancy. A cross-sectional study involving 250 pregnant women selected from five healthcare facilities in three local government areas of Abia state, was conducted. Data were collected using pre-tested structured questionnaires and patients’ blood and urine samples collected. Thick and thin blood films microscopy as well as malaria random kits were used to diagnose malaria. Medi-test combi 9 urine test strip was used to check urine abnormalities. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26. An overall malaria prevalence of 56% (95% CI: 0.42-0.60) was observed. Of the five centres, the highest prevalence was reported at PHC III in Umuahia North LGA with prevalence at 72% (95% CI: 0.51-0.98), while the lowest was reported at PHC IV in Umuahia North LGA with a prevalence of 36% (95% CI: 0.21-0.49). Pregnant women who had headache (OR=3.316, p=0.009, 95% CI: 1.288-7. 400), catarrh (OR=3.972, p=0.032, 95% CI: 1.028-15.352) and fever (OR=9.459, p<0.001, 95% CI: 3.767-23.753) had higher odds of malaria infection, compared to those without headache, catarrh and fever. Malaria was largely recorded among the primigravids 71% (53/75), followed by the secundigravidae 61% (43/70) and the least, observed among the multigravidae 43% (45/105). High malaria prevalence was observed among subjects who did not use preventive measures (100%) with the least observed among subjects, using window nets (22%). Malaria among subjects in this study is significantly prevalent. Proteinuria, bilirubinuria, urobilinogenuria as well as amber and clear urine macroscopy showed significant associations with malaria in pregnancy; thus, women with these clinical features should be further tested for malaria even in asymptomatic states to prevent the negative consequences of malaria in pregnancy.

Public Health assessment of consumers on knowledge of foodborne zoonoses in Umuahia, Abia State: A pilot study

Emerging and re-emerging pathogens emanating from food-borne zoonoses are becoming triggering factors to global health threats causing diseases of increased human cases and deaths annually. The knowledge of foodborne zoonotic sources, types, preventive methods and health risks were assessed in this study. Umuahia North, Umuahia South and Ikwuano Local Government Areas (LGAs) were purposively selected being active urban areas. A validated well-structured questionnaire was administered to consenting respondents randomly selected from the study site. Data generated were analysed with statistical significance at p ≤ 0.05. One hundred and sixty nine (169) respondents participated in the study and most (52%) of the respondents were females, 53% married, 57% aged 24-29 years and 53% had tertiary education. Seventy five percent (75%) of the respondents had good knowledge of zoonoses but 62% knew the types of zoonoses. Seventy seven percent (77%) of the respondents had good knowledge of food-borne zoonoses, 96% on preventive methods, 90% on associated health risks but poor knowledge on types of foodborne zoonoses. Gender (χ2 =5.161, df=1, p = 0.023), educational status (χ2 =15.882, df=3, p = 0.001) and occupation (χ2 =15.945, df=7, p = 0.026) were statistically associated with level of knowledge of food-borne zoonoses. Respondents with tertiary education (OR= 2.909, CI =1.27-6.66, p = 0.011) and animal handlers (OR= 1.428, CI =1.07-1.90, p = 0.015) were more knowledgeable than others within the same category. More surveillance efforts by way of increased research, adequate education and public awareness campaign are recommended on a larger scale in Abia State.

Assessment of the dietary pattern and serum zinc concentrations of adults in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State

Dietary pattern is a parameter that assesses the general profile of food and nutrient consumption which is characterized on the basis of the usual eating habits. This study was conducted to assess the dietary pattern and serum zinc concentrations of adults in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State. To achieve this, a cross-sectional analytical study design was conducted on a designed questionnaire distributed amongst 252 respondents to collate data on their socio-demographic characteristics on age, sex, marital status, religion, occupation, and educational levels. Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was also carried out to assess adults’ dietary patterns daily, weekly, sometimes and none, on some foods such as cereals, vegetables, legumes, milk & dairy, meat, fish & seafood, eggs, roots, and tubers. Serum zinc was conducted on 50 volunteered adults from the study area. Serum zinc levels present in the collected blood samples were analyzed with the aid of an Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Data obtained was analyzed with the aid of SPSS software on mean, standard deviation, t-test, and ANOVA for the hypothesis. Serum zinc deficiency was defined as a zinc level of less than 46 ug/dl from a reference book. The mean concentrations of serum zinc of healthy adults conducted were recorded as male 49.566 ± 19.384, female 24.017±6.999, 38.025±24.862 (18-25years ), 37.305±18.263 (26-40years) and 39.294±19.446 (41-55years) respectively. The results revealed that serum zinc concentrations in the participating healthy adults were within the reference level of 46 ug/dl, and also statistically significant at a p-value of 0.01 for the alternate hypothesis. Also, the relationship test of association between dietary pattern and serum zinc concentration is statistically significant as their p-value was less than 0.05 (0.027). Also, the tests confer with the alternate hypothesis that the association between dietary pattern and serum zinc concentration of adults in Umuahia North LGA is statistically significant. This study, therefore, recommends that studies should be carried out in other areas where symptoms of zinc deficiency are evident.

EFFECTIVE DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL OF CASSAVA PRODUCE IN UMUAHIA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

This study focused on effective distribution channel of cassava produce in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria. It has objectives of identifying the different forms of distribution channel, revenue generation to farmers and spoilage of cassava produce. The two main sources of data collection were primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected from a sample of 171 respondents’ cassava farmers using questionnaire, which was on a four-point scale. The data collected for the study were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics used are percentages, frequency tables, means and standard deviation in answering the research questions while the inferential statistics used was Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) to test the hypotheses. All the hypotheses formulated were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that there is a significant relationship between the forms of distribution channel and marketing of cassava produce (r =.825, P<.05), that there is a significant relationship between effective distribution of cassava produce and revenue generation to farmers (r =.916, P<.05) and that there is a significant relationship between effective distribution channel and spoilage of cassava produce (r =.813, P<.05). The study therefore, concludes that effective distribution requires a high degree of management skill, as it will be one of the major components in achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. Finally, it was recommended that government should assist the rural dwellers in providing enough funds to facilitate the distribution of farming and marketing of cassava produce as it helps for community development and alleviation of poverty. Again, that new equipment should be provided for them; especially, the mechanized ones that reduce prolonged labour hours. Farmers should also be encouraged to form associations so as to enable them build social capital, pool resources together and obtain loans and credits easily from financial institutions to enable them distribute their cassava produce effectively regardless of the channel used.

POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) IN THE LEAVES OF PIPER GUINEENSE FROM TWO MARKETS WITHIN UMUAHIA METROPOLIS

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were probed in the leaves of Piper guineense obtained from Orieugba and Isigate markets within Umuahia metropolis in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State. Prior to drying, milling and extraction procedures, P. guineense obtained from each of these markets was divided into three portions. The first portion was not washed (UW), the second portion was washed with ordinary tap water (WTW) while the third portion was washed with about 0.17 mol dm-3 of NaCl solution (WSS). Quantitation of the PAHs was done using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) technique. Eighteen PAHs were analyzed and P. guineense samples from Orieugba market gave a total PAHs content of 30.71, 22.18 and 8.31 mg kg-1 for UW, WTW and WSS, respectively. The samples from Isigate market gave 18.27, 15.59 and 1.20 mg kg-1 for UW, WTW and WSS, respectively. This investigation showed that the level of PAHs in the leaf samples of P. guineense from the two markets decreased when washed with ordinary tap water but decreased more significantly when washed with the salt solution. In addition, the risk assessment of ΣPAH4 (the sum of benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and chrysene) in the vegetable sample indicated that there was no risk associated with the consumption of the vegetable samples. However, it is pertinent to wash vegetables with a salt solution before proper rinsing as this would help to reduce the quantity of PAHs in them. Keywords: PAHs; P. guineense; GC/MS; Vegetables; Leaf sample

Hand washing hygiene, sanitation and sustainable development goals in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria

study on practices of hand washing hygiene, sanitation and sustainable development goals (SDGs), was carried out in Umuahia North local government area of Abia state, Nigeria, to investigate the causes of outbreaks of health care-care associated infections (HCAIs). Questionnaires made up of 25 attributes were distributed to health care workers (HCWs) to elicit from them their perception of these practices in their units. Complete responses came from 63 respondents which represented 79.75% of questionnaires distributed. The 5-point Likert scale was used in measuring the relative impact indices (RIIs) of not observing health care rules. About 42 of the respondents (66.67%) fall within the low region of RII, 19 respondents (30.10%) belong to the moderate region of RII, while 2 respondents (3.33%) fall in high region of RII. Information from 96.77% of the respondents indicated that hand washing hygiene and sanitation is poorly practiced. Rank ordering of relative observance indices (ROIs) showed that of the 25 attributes used in the study, 16 fall in the principal negative variables (Type 3), 5 of the attributes fall in the moderately negative variables (Type 2), while 4 fall in the relatively acceptable variables (Type 1), evidencing that 84% of the attributes are poorly practiced by HCWs. This situation impacted on the achievement of SDG3 and SDG6. It is concluded that these are the reasons for outbreaks in the area and it is recommended that government should educate HCWs on the observed risk factors for poor adherence to recommended hand hygiene practices.

Demographic study of dogs in rural and urban areas in Umuahia; a step towards eradication of rabies

Dog-mediated human rabies remains a major public health threat in Nigeria. The availability of reliable dog population estimates is the key in planning control strategies for canine rabies in developing countries. This study was conducted to evaluate the demography of dogs in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. A cross sectional study was carried out in Umuahia North and Umuahia south, Local Government areas (LGA) Abia state, Nigeria, between September and November 2019. A total of 132 compounds in Umuahia North and 186 compounds in Umuahia South were randomly selected for administration of questionnaires. A total of 159 questionnaires were distributed for compound dog count. Information obtained included household information such as numbers of dogs in the premises, housing and control of dog movement. Others were history of dog bites and individual dog information such as breed, sex, age, source of dog, source of food and vaccination status. Two hundred and fifty-seven (257) dogs were counted which comprised 126 (49%) males and 131 (51%) females. Also, 46.3% of the dogs were confined. The dog vaccination coverage in the dog population surveyed was 47.9%. Majority of the respondents (83.3%) stated that no member of their family has been bitten by a dog. The findings of this study show female: male ratio of dog to be 1.04:1. There was negligent dog ownership as a good number of dogs were left to roam. There was a low anti-rabies vaccination coverage in Umuahia North and Umuahia South LGAs which falls below recommendation of 70-80% vaccination coverage by the World Health Organization to achieve herd immunity. Keywords: Demography, dog, Nigeria, rabies, Umuahia.

Analysis of Household Energy Expenditure in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria

Understanding household energy expenditure is important to encourage policies that support the provision of cleaner, efficient and cost effective sources of energy to households. This project analyzed household energy expenditure in Umuahia North Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia State, Nigeria. The available domestic energy commonly used by the households’ was kerosene, firewood, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), charcoal, and electricity. The most used domestic energy types was kerosene (1st), followed by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (2nd); then firewood (3rd) and charcoal (4th). Multiple regression result for the factors influencing household energy expenditure in the study area shows that five out of eight explanatory variables employed in the model significantly affected the respondent’s households’ energy expenditure. These variables were household size, sex, household income, education and frequency of cooking. Also, results from the ordered probit model shows that the significant variables influencing the choice of domestic energy expenditure was age and gender of the household head, their income level, educational level and occupation. Lack of financial resources, high cost of cleaner energy types and distance from the place of purchase significantly affected household energy expenditure in the study area. It is recommended that provision of cleaner, efficient and cost effective sources of energy be made available to households.

Analysis of cocoa farmer’s poverty status in Abia State, Nigeria: The Foster, Greer and Thorbeck (FGT) decomposable poverty measure

A poverty measure is said to be decomposable if the poverty quota or size of a group is a weighted average of the poverty measures of the individuals in the group. This study analyzed Cocoa farmer’s poverty status in Abia State, Nigeria with the application of Foster, Greer and Thorbeck (FGT) decomposable poverty measure. A total of 90 farm households found in Ikwuano, Umuahia North and Bende Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Abia State who were the major Cocoa producing LGAs of the State were chosen for the study. A Multi-stage purposive sampling technique was adopted in selecting the respondents. Descriptive statistics and Foster-Greer-Thorbeck (FGT) decomposable poverty measure was employed in analyzing the research objectives. Result from the socio economic characteristics shows that majority (86.67%) were males while 13.33% were females. Analysis from the FGT showed that 36.67% of Cocoa farmers in Ikwuano LGA fell below the estimated poverty line while the other 63.33% were classified as non-poor, whereas 40% of Cocoa farmers in Umuahia North LGA were moderately poor while the other 60% were classified as non-poor. In Bende LGA, 10% of the Cocoa farmers were extremely poor, 36.67% were moderately poor while the remaining 53.33% were classified as non-poor. The result implies that the poverty status in the three Cocoa producing LGAs of the State varies; with greater percentage of the Cocoa farmers classified as non-poor while the others were categorized as poor. It is therefore recommended that greater equality in income distribution should achieved by improving the productivity of the poor Cocoa farmers, especially through increasing their credit facilities, basic education, health and technical skills.

Analysis of Effects of Physical, Chemical and Biological Properties in Domestic Waste Water (Slugde) on Environmental Health in Abia State, Nigeria

The study analyze the physical, chemical and Biological properties of sludge (Domestic waste water) in Umuda-Isingwu, Umuahia-Ibeku and Ihie-ndume in Umuahia north local government area of Abia state. Simple random sampling technique was adopted for the study. Data obtained from laboratory analysis of the water samples was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques notably mean, F-LSD and F -test. The mean values of the physical and chemical parameters were compared with SON’s and WHO’s permissible limits. In the chemical properties COD had a mean range of 69.03 ± 0.06 to 80.03 ± 0.06 with all the means showing significant difference among each other (P ? 0.05). The highest TSS was observed in Ibeku at 921.03 ± 0.06. Nickel had a range of 7.42 ± 0.01 to 8.71 ± 0.01 Mg/l with all the means showing significant difference (P ? 0.05). PO4 had its highest concentration in Ihie Ndume community with a mean of 54.03 ± 0.06 Mg/l. None of the means of pH was seen to be above the WHO permissible limit of 8.5, as the mean range of pH was between 6.11 ± 0.01 to 7.76 ± 0.01. The E. coli load was high at Umuda Isingwu, followed by Ibeku and then Ihie Ndume. P. aeruginos and S. aereus was not observed in Ihie Ndume. The presence of fecal coliform bacteria is an indicator that a potential health hazard exists for individuals exposed to the source of water. Nickel was found to be slightly elevated at most of the sites above WHO. Trace metals have been implicated to be responsible for certain health disorders. The PO43- levels varied along the sampling community sites with some sites values having relatively higher values. In general the quality of these waste water cannot be guaranteed as most of the indicators were higher than the WHO and SON standards. This paper assumes that waste water evaluated pose huge treat to the immediate environment and should be investigated further in addition to epidemiological evaluation of the community to rule out occurrence of water-borne diseases.

Facies Analysis of Eocene Sediment of Umuahia Area, Southeastern Nigeria

This research work is the detailed facies analysis of the depositional environments and paleogeographic setting of the Eocene sedimentary sequence (Ameki Formations) exposed in the Umuahia area and paleoclimate during that periods. The study area was mainly concentrated around Amaudara inUmuahia South and Ekeoha in Umuahia North. And the co-ordinate are as follows,location-1 0.5°30.80N, 0.7°26.93E, location-2 0.5°30.39N, 0.7°26.62E, location-3 0.5° 32.83N, 0.7°27.24 E and location-4 0.5°32.19 N, 0.7°26.13 E.
 The aim of the study is to analyze the detailed sedimentary facies and describe the depositional environment in other to predict the depositional environment of the Eocene sediment (Ameki Formation) of the study area, which is underlain by rock unit of Ameki and predominately contains Laterite, mudstone, siltstone, claystone, sandstone and shale and Burrows were identified.
 The rock sequence consist of reddish lateritic material, highly weathered mudstone capped with ripped bedded kaolinite clay unit, light grey claystone, cross-bedded sandstone with claystone, whitish sandstone, siltystone, fine-medium grained sandstone with pockets of mudclast capped with ferruginized ground and dark grey shale.
 On the basis of gross lithology, sand-silt-clay percentage, color, texture and assemblage of sedimentary structure, eight distinct lithofacies type were recognized, grey shale facie (Gs), clay stone facie (Cs), cross-bedded sandstone facie (Cbs), mudstone facie (Mf), lateritic facie (Lf), mudstone facie (Bms), ferruginized sandstone facie (Fsf), sandstone facie (Bsf) are recognized within the lithosuccesion.
 From the analysis, the facies are grouped into two facie association on the basis of grain size. The Fine-grained facies association (FFA) which consist of Gs, Cbs, Cs, Mf and Fst and the Medium to Fine-grained facies association (MFA) which also consist of Bms, Bsf and Lf. It also shows medium grained sand, moderately sorted to well sorted sandstone, Skewness ranged from symmetrical to positive skewed and kurtosis showed leptokurtic.
 Deduction from facies analysis and grain size analysis shows that Ameki Formation consist of foraminifera and Mollusca which indicate that Ameki Formation was deposited in the estuarine(Marine) environment.

Spatial pattern of Land Surface Temperature over Umuahia North and Bende LGA, Abia State, Nigeria

This study evaluated the Spatial pattern of Land Surface Temperature (LST) over Umuahia North (Urban Area) and Bende LGA (Rural Area), Abia State, Southeast Nigeria. LANDSAT Imagery spanning Row 056 and Path 188, with 30m spatial resolution was captured on the 17th of May, 2018. Temperature and relative humidity were measured using a thermometer and multi-purpose Hydro-20 - 100 % model. Eight measurements were taken for each parameter at an interval of 8 hours at an elevation of 1.5m above the ground. Coordinates and elevation of the points were captured using a Garmin Handheld GPS. Data obtained were imported in compatible formats with ArcGIS 10.5 and the values for the un-sampled locations within the study area was determined through the interpolation of the collected data. A subset covering the study area was extracted for bands 1,2,3,4 and 5. Bands 1, 2 and 3 which are visible bands were used in generating a true colour composite image of the study area; the bands 4 and 5 which are not visible bands were used for the NDVI (Normalized Differential Vegetation Index). Result showed that Bende LGA had a vegetal cover of 45,741.26hectares out of a total of 60,152.76 hectares while Umuahia North had 19,689.09 hectares of vegetal cover out of a total of 24,459.75 hectares. Umuahia North had an average daily temperature of 31.309̊ C while Bende had 27.405̊ C. The average relative humidity in Bende LGA was 82.37% while Umuahia North was 67.274%. In conclusion, the study showed the existence of heat islands in the urban areas in Umuahia North LGA which was characterized by higher temperature but lower relative humidity. The heat island could be attributed to the gradual loss of vegetation cover and the increase in built-up environments in Umuahia North LGA.

Model College Entrance Examination Scores as Predictors of Students’ Performance in Junior Secondary Certificate Examination in Mathematics and English Language in Abia State, Nigeria

The study investigated model college Entrance Examination scores as predictors of students’ performance in Junior Secondary Certificate examination in Mathematics and English Language in Abia State, Nigeria. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. The design of the study is correlational. A sample size of 500 students drawn from four (4) out of six (6) Model State Secondary Schools in Umuahia North Local Government Area through simple, stratified and purposive sampling techniques was used for the study. The students sat for both Model College Entrance Examination (MCEE) in 2011 and 2012 and Junior Secondary Certificate Examination (JSCE) in 2014 and 2015. The MCEE and JSCE results in mathematics and English language were used for data collection. Simple regression Analysis of Variances (ANOVA) and t-test associated with the regression were used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level. The results revealed that the students’ scores in MCEE in both mathematics and English Language in 2011 had significant predictive powers on their performance in 2014 JSCE. Also in 2012, it was realized that students MCEE scores in both Mathematics and English Language had no significant predictive powers on students’ performances in 2015 JSCE in both subjects. On the basis of these findings, it was recommended among others that teachers should give adequate preparation to the students for the Model College Entrance Examination in order to retain consistency in their Junior Secondary Certificate Examination.

Sensory evaluation of complementary food based on cooking banana (musa spp.)and African yam bean (sphenostylis stenrcarpa)

This study evaluated the sensory qualities of infant complementary food based on cooking banana (CB) (Musa sapientum) and African yam bean (AYB) (Sphenostylis stenocarpa). These raw materials were purchased from Nkwoegwu local market in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State. The legumes were picked and washed, boiled for 25 minutes and dehulled while cooking banana was washed, peeled, washed with warm water and sliced to 2mm thickness. The samples were separated, dried, milled and sifted into fine flour with muslin cloth. The flour was blended to composites in various proportions (80:20 (CAA), 60:40 (CAB)and 40:60 (CAC). Porridges were produced based on the composites. The organoleptic attributes of this food was assessed using 20 mothers, from a mother and child health clinic of Umuahia North Local Government, Abia State. The sensory assessment showed that the formulated porridges had moderate acceptability. This could be because the judges were not familiar with these porridges. The result was compared with “Nutrend” (a complementary food in the market produced by Nestlé Foods Nigeria) and pap (maize traditional complementary food).