552 Publications

We present a framework for the stability analysis of a linearized semi-implicit Runge-Kutta Method. To determine an A or L stable LSIRM. the conventional procedure has been to estimate the parameters from the construction and then test for a- or l- stability. It is now questioned whether conditions cannot be imposed on the parameters a priori to achieve the required stability. The general LSIRM of orders one, two and three respectively were, therefore constructed using Taylor’s expansion. The stability function for each method was derived from the stability analysis; criteria were set for A- or L- stability.

Abstract In this paper, we proposed two mathematical Models for population projection, the exponential growth and the Logistic Model. Thereafter, both Models were transformed and since Logistic Model is not linear in its parameters hence a surgery was performed on the data values separated by a fixed time say ?.This enables the Logistic parameters to be sometimes estimated by Least-Squares. It was shown that the estimates z ?, (? z?_i ) ? and (z_i ) ? were quite close to the data set from the National Population Commission of Nigeria. Keywords: Carrying capacity, Logistic Model, Exponential growth, Polyfit, Least- Squares, Population Projection.

In this paper, we proposed two mathematical models for population projection, the exponential growth and the Logistic Model. Thereafter, both models were transformed and since Logistic Model is not linear in its parameters hence a surgry was performed on the data values separated by a fixed time. This enables the logistic parameters to be sometimes estimated by Least-Square. It was shown that the estimates were quite close to the data set from the National Population Commission of Nigeria.

The study was designed to evaluate the operations technology used in small and medium–scale enterprises in Nigeria using Inkson et al (1970) abbreviated scale. The pattern of choices made by the entrepreneur in terms of specialization, formalization and centralization as well as the impact of the choices on the effectiveness of the sample firms were also studied. The results indicated that the operations technology used in the sample firms was low and did not have any significant impact on the organizational structure of the firm. Neither did the entrepreneur’s response to variations in technology account for differences in enterprise performance. While the results of the study did not support treating technology as an imperative, the limited range of the technology available in the enterprises may not have provided the necessary scope to induce the expected response. To encourage entry into the high technology subsector, engineers, scientists and technologists should be exposed to Entrepreneurial Development Programmes (EDP), and industrial parks should be established around Research Institutes and Universities to encourage the commercialisation of the research results of these institutions.

This paper deals with the problem of computing optimal ordering policies for a single product with fixed lifetime of exactly m periods. We presents a proposed cost function for the inventory system with fixed lifetime. The necessary condition for a minimum was derived. Decisions regarding when to order or not is investigated under some conditions. Guidelines for managing a real fixed lifetime perishable inventory system are given.

ABSTRACT Utilizing the correct elevation angle on each cell in a cellular network is important to ensure that the signal level is maximized within the dominance area of a cell and minimized everywhere else. Consequently, by deploying the most appropriate tilt angle, the network service quality within the dominance area of a cell is maximized, leading to optimum system performance. In this paper, the coverage shaping and interference impacting capabilities of BS antenna tilt technique was explored to optimise the performance of networks. It was found based on empirical model predictions that at optimum downtilt angles which ranged from 50 to 70, the networks coverage, capacity and service quality can be improved by 10%, 15% and 20% respectively on the average using SNR, Service outage probability, and throughput as key performance indicators. The conclusion arising from the above approach is of special importance to engineers involved directly in cellular wireless network planning and optimisation. Keywords: Downtilt, Performance, Correction, Network, Communication & Terrain.

Organisations are recognised as legal and corporate entities. They have an image, and they can sue and be sued. To that extent therefore, this paper posits that organizations can also learn, and asserts that the absence or dearth of adequate organisational learning culture denies organizations the much needed competitive edge necessary to survive and remain viable in the contemporary and highly globalised world. The paper x-rays the technical and social perspectives of organisational learning and argues that the learning process is context and culture-driven. Conceding that effective organisational learning practice enhances performance, it highlights some hindrances to the learning process, suggests remedies and concludes with a case study of the organisational learning problems of a Nigerian public sector organization. Keywords: Corporate organisations, globalised world, learning culture, organizational learning

The unofficial ranking of tertiary institutions which many Nigerian have often engaged in unconsciously is taken more seriously in other climes. The business of ranking tertiary institutions all over the world has been fuelled by various factors: students who are looking for a good institution to pursue their careers, academics, who are desirous of finding appropriate institutions also for career fulfillment, and even cooperate bodies looking for expertise and research results in various fields, in order to overtake their competitors and enhance their profits. In the recent ranking of Nigerian tertiary institutions, only eight federal universities, one private and one federal polytechnic, made the list of t he top 100 in Africa (Webometrics Ranking of the World Universities, 2012). But no Nigerian tertiary institution was featured among the world’s best 500 universities in the global ranking released recently by the global ranking agencies. Hence, this paper examined the global ranking of Nigerian universities, challenges and the way forward. It was concluded that the global ranking of universities is a desirable tool for assessment and motivation. The paper recommended that Nigerian universities should carry out quality teaching and research activities to elicit global ranking.

Abstract The analysis of a Nigerian crude palm oil revealed a low amount of peroxides and high levels of the pro-oxidants copper, iron, and free fatty acids (FFA). The oil was highly susceptible to oxidation under Schall oven conditions at 60±0.5oC: peroxide value rose to a maximum of 32.0 meq /kg in 13 days. The addition of BHT (0.02%) and citric acid (0.02%) to the oil inhibited the formation of peroxides. Keywords: Palm oil, oxidative stability, peroxides, BHT, citric acid.

This article advocates effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) for multinational pharmaceutical companies in research and development of drug needs of developing countries. It acknowledges access to medicines as a global problem created by patent law and equally as a fundamental right in the global public domain, which leaves problems associated with moral responsibility for multinational pharmaceutical companies. The article suggests that access to medicines will be enhanced if the pharmaceutical companies become responsible in their patents, pricing, testing, research and development, joint public private initiative and appropriate use of drugs.

The ability of private Nigerian entrepreneurs to initiate and institutionalize effective organizational structures and processes needed to carry out complex industrial activities is crucial to the realization of the objective of rapid, self-reliant, industrial development of Nigeria. This study examined the patterns and correlates of a key structural variable in the organizational process – decentralization of decision-making authority. The study was based on a sample of forty-one manufacturing enterprises in the Midwestern Zone of Nigeria which were wholly owned by private Nigerian entrepreneurs. The results indicate that decentralization of decision making was generally limited. Participation of the Board of Directors was restricted. There was marked variation in decentralization in the functional areas with finance function as the least decentralized and production/operations function as the most decentralised. The response to the contingencies of size and technology was considered appropriate while the response to competition was contrary to expectation. Apart from this, the nature of decentralization in the enterprises was in the direction generally found in more advanced economics.

The Article examines the various patterns of conversion to Islam in colonial Nigreia and finds that conversion was more through peaceful means than violent ones and recommends that, that should obtain in contemporary Nigeria bedeviled by forceful conversion. The paper also find that the period was also a period of decline for Islam due to the allure and attraction of Western education provided by Christian mission schools as some Muslims who went to Christian mission schools converted to Christianity.

The combination overlaying of institutional, socio- culture and ante factual elements over the decades coupled with the current beautification and modernization of city has been aptly described as a palimpsest (Greek: Writing Upon Writing). This is reflected in the iconic patterns, overtly and covertly decipherable in the landscape in difference pattern of governance, cultural practices and landmark signs. The paper considers the triadic application of the term iconicity viz: image, metaphor and diagram to Benin city. Some of these have varying motivating factors- some deliberate, others accidental processes of history. From the visual perspective, there are architectural indices of royalty as well as dress indexicalities of the place, structure (diagrammatic) procedural pattern conventionally characteristic and metaphorically centre names and titular references all laced together in a semiosphere that is palimpsest

This study compared the weaknesses identified in the audit engagement performance and quality control (that have been made public by the PCAOB after a lack of progress report within 12 months by the firms) sections of the PCAOB’s published reports. It also, examined the relationship between firms’ characteristics (i.e. size of workforce, number of clients, number of audit offices, and number of audit engagement deficiencies) and PCAOB’s report, to achieve these, 108 PCAOB Inspection reports for inspected firms were analyzed. The reports were grouped into two panels (i.e. clean reports-panel A and unresolved reports-panel B); 52 and 56 firms’ reports respectively were analyzed for each group. The OLS regression results indicate that clean reports are positively and significantly associated with the size of work force, while, it is negatively associated with the number of clients, number of audit offices and number of audit engagement deficiencies. Unresolved reports increase as number of audit offices, and number of audit engagements increase, but it decreases as size of workforce and audit clients increase. We conclude that the number of audit clients is a key quality control determinant as well as the size of work force. We therefore recommend that the PCAOB should encourage firms to increase workforce because, the result of this study has shown that, the number of employees and partners impact greatly on the quality of report by audit firms.

Abstract: The study looks at the management of tertiary institutions in Nigeria and application of quality assurance following the general dissatisfaction among the academicians and administrators that quality assurance is not maximally applied. Tertiary institutions are supposed to put in their best to produce globally and nationally acceptable manpower. The population was made up of all the teaching and administrative staff of 291 tertiary institutions in the six geo-political zones of the federation of Nigeria. A samples size of 100 academic staff and 100 administrative staff were selected by stratified Radom sampling method from each geographical zone of the federation. A total sample`of 600 teaching staff (335 males and 265 females) and 600 administrative staff (302 males and 298 females) participated in the study. The data were collected using questionnaire which was augmented by oral interview. The major findings are that quality assurance is applied on the average. Also new and some old private tertiary institutions have low application of quality assurance due to inadequate funding which affected hiring of highly qualified personnel, provision of adequate facilities etc. Based on the above, it is recommended that no tertiary institution should take off without adequate facilities and qualified personnel.

Perceived Ethnic Discrimination and Employee Grievances in the Health Sector. ABSTRACT The study empirically examined the relationship between perceived ethnic discrimination and employee grievances among employees in the Nigerian Health sector. The forms of ethnic discrimination examined include overt ethnic discrimination and subtle ethnic discrimination. While employee grievances was measured along two dimensions namely: individual employee grievance and group grievance. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted in this study. The population of this study covers all ethnic groups in the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria currently working in the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital and University of Benin Teaching Hospital, both in Benin City, Edo state. Purposive sampling, a non-probability sampling method, was used in administering the questionnaire to selected employees in these organisations who are from the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria. 68 copies of questionnaire were distributed at Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, while 301 were distributed at University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Out of the total of 292 validly retrieved and usable copies of questionnaire, 65(22.3%) and 227 (77.7%) were obtained from Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital and UBTH respectively. Data collected through questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, mean, standard deviation. Simple regression was used to analyse variables through the use of Statistical Package for Social Science software (Version 23). The study found that the two forms of ethnic discrimination analysed in this study (overt, subtle, glass ceiling) exist in these organisations. The study found that perceived ethnic discrimination influence employee grievance only at the individual level and not at the group level. The study recommends that the Federal government of Nigeria and those at top management level in various public organisations should foster ethnic equality and put strategies in place to minimize ethnic discrimination so as to reduce individual employee grievance and also to ensure that it does not give rise to group grievance.

Abstract: This study investigated the moderating role of ethnic discrimination on job satisfaction and other work related attitudes. Nigeria as a whole comprises of various ethnic groups and the work environment is very diverse. This study was carried out to confirm if there is a relationship between perceived ethnic discrimination and job satisfaction using 270 staff of 3 different public sector organizations. This study was a cross-sectional research which was questionnaire-driven. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and t-test. The analyses revealed that perceived ethnic discrimination was negatively related to job satisfaction. The findings underscored the importance of ethnic diversity in corporate organizations and particularly reinforced the relationship between perceived discrimination and job satisfaction. It also revealed the need for continuous emphasis on diversity management in every organization. Keywords: Perception, ethnic discrimination, job satisfaction, Nigeria, public sector

This study investigated the perceived factors influencing examination misconducts in Nigerian Secondary Schools: Implications to the Nigerian Educational system. In this study, four research questions and two hypotheses were formulated. The hypotheses were tested at alpha level of 0.05. a descriptive survey was adopted for the study. The sample for the study is made up of one hundred and fifty SS1 students drawn from three secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. Both the schools and students were randomly selected. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire titled PFIEM. Data collected were analyzed using independent t-test and simple percentages. The findings of the study showed that parents, educational stakeholders, even students themselves are all constructors to examination misconducts in Oredo local Government Area of Edo State. The paper pin points the implication of examination misconducts on the Nigerian Educational system and also recommendations were made.

The author extrays the phenomenon of Osu Caste System among the Igbos and why it still persists despite the predominance of Christianity in Igboland. He makes suggestions on how to eradicate the cultural incubus which has left over two million Igbos stigmatized.

This research identified persistent factors influencing examinations malpractices among secondary school students in Edo state using Ikpoba-Okha local government area as a case study. The factors indentified were also ranked I order of their influence. The research confirmed increase in examination malpractices in secondary school level. Out of the eighteen factors identified to persistently influenced examination malpractice, love of money by invigilators, ill preparation of students, inadequate school facilities, lack of science laboratories, lack of equipped libraries and insufficient teachings in this level of education ranked highest respectively. Recommendations to eradicate this evil in the nations’ educational system include implementation of examination malpractices Act 33 of 1999, urgent implementation of Teachers’ Salary Scale in all States of the Federation, the examination bodies to carry out appropriate supervision during their examination and moral and religious studies to be made compulsory subjects for primary and secondary schools.

The research reviewed persistent gender- inequality in Nigerian education at all levels, including the effect in turn-out of the Nigerian Youth Service Corps. The introduction of the free Universal Primary Education (UPE) in the Nation in 1976 and the current Universal Basic Education (UBE) since 2000 did not revert the situation. Statistics collected from various sources and analyzed ascertained the contention of the research. Reasons for this continuous gender inequality in Nigerian education were found to be traditional and cultural. The implication is revealed in poor national development is the contribution of the females is very significant. Recommendations include promulgation of the laws by the federal government to make parents release their girl- children for education and enforcing 50:50 quota system of admission in all levels of Nigerian educational system

The enlarged version of Rotter’s I-E scale designed to measure an individual’s locus of control was used to survey a sample of pharmacists in two major cities in Southern Nigeria. the sample consisted of 34 pharmacists who were owners/proprietors of retail pharmacies and 35 pharmacists employed in retail pharmacies or hospitals. The difference between entrepreneur pharmacists and employee pharmacists in terms of locus of control was analysed using student’s t-test. The mean locus of control score for entrepreneur pharmacists was significantly different from that of employee pharmacists (P<0.1). Entrepreneur pharmacists had higher scores on the variable than employee pharmacists indicating greater locus of control internality. The study has drawn following conclusions, pharmacists characterized by locus of control internally are more likely to assume entrepreneurial rather than employee roles in pharmaceutical undertakings. Such pharmacists are more disposed to adopt innovative pharmaceutical care philosophy. Hence there is need to incorporate entrepreneurial education in the curriculum of pharmacy programmes to encourage positive attitude toward entrepreneurship.

Abstract In completely randomized design that comprised two studies, physical, chemical and performance evaluations were conducted to determine the quality of commercial four layers feeds, three broiler starter and three broiler finisher feeds. In study 1, eighty 20-week in–lay black harco hens were used in four replicate groups to evaluate the effects of the selected layer feeds on their laying performance for twelve weeks. While in study 2, seventy two broiler chicks were used (0-8 weeks) in three replicate groups to evaluate the broiler feeds. All feeds were packaged in standard polyethylene woven bags with no presence of insects or mould. All feeds were in mash form except two layers feeds in crumbled form and one pelleted feed. There were also variations in crude protein, crude fat and crude fibre contents of the various feeds as analyzed. There were no significant differences in Hen Day Production and egg diameters(P>0.05). However, total number of eggs laid and egg weight were significantly reduced among hens on two treatments(P<0.05). The highest cost of producing a dozen eggs was recorded with the pelleted feed(P<0.05). There were significant differences in feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio among broilers on the different treatments(p<0.05), with the poorest performance recorded among broilers fed starter and finisher feeds from same producer. Percentage mortality was however not significant (p>0.05). It was concluded that none of the feeds investigated met all the requirements of an ideal feed either for broilers or layers. Keywords: Harco hens, layers feed, hen day production, egg weight, broilers, weight gain

This study examined and monitored the diversity and abundance of the fishes of Ibiekuma Stream, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria. 226 individual fishes classified into 9 families, 13 genera and 15 species were recorded. The Cichlidae family dominated the collection, while the dominant species were Tilapia zilli and Tilapia mariae. The results revealed that the overall abundance and diversity of the fishes in the stream were low. The species diversity and abundance varied at the study stations, but the variations were not significant. The variations in the physico-chemical properties of the water, monitored during the study were also not significant, except for DO and pH which values were also very low. The differences in fish diversity and abundance among the stations were attributed to the differential responses of the fishes to the different to the different DO and pH at the stations. The low DO and pH in the stream indicated organic pollution responsible for the comparatively low fish population in the stream

This study investigated the physical and chemical properties of water from bore-holes in selected fish farms in the three districts of Edo State, Nigeria. Sample collection, treatment and determination of physical chemical properties were according to approved standards. The results showed that all the parameters analyzed were within the required standards for aquaculture and drinking purposes, except pH which was slightly acidic,, alkalinity in Edo South which was very low, and the metals Mn and Pb whose concentrations exceeded the standard limits for drinking water. Based on the acceptable levels of most of the parameters, it was concluded that the water of the study area was suitable for aquaculture, drinking and other domestic purposes. However, because of the pH and the heavy metals Mn and Pb, it was recommended that the water be treated with lime before use especially in aquaculture facilities in order to increase pH and possibly reduce metal concentrations to tolerable limits through precipitation and or adsorption, to sediment particles and thus lead to production of suitable fish for consumers.