Advancing Sustainable Road Construction with Cold Mix RAP and Rejuvenator

Presentation slides for a presentation given at the 1st annual Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum at the University of South Alabama

Examining the complementary relationships among climate change adaptation practices and smallholder maize producers’ productivity in South Africa

Climate change impacts are increasing over time; it is severely affecting farming households hence, resulting in socioeconomic problems like hunger, low productivity, and reduced income. Here, we investigated the determinants of climate change adaptation strategies (CCAS) and its intensity of adoption among smallholder maize farmers in South Africa. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed in selecting 316 smallholder maize farmers across 12 villages in North West province, South Africa. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics (Endogenous Switching Regression Model, Multivariate probit regression (MVP) and Poisson regression model). The results of descriptive statistics revealed that the majority (73.00%) of the household-head were married, while their mean household size, farm size, and age were 4 persons, 3.26 hectares, and 44.69 years respectively. The parameter estimates of MVP model revealed that coefficient of age of the respondents, household size, years farming, off-farm income, and access to credit were the determinants of CCAS. Additionally, main occupation, farm size and access to climate information were the factors influencing the adoption intensity of CCAS. This research concluded that mixed cropping, crop rotation, mulching and agroforestry were the major CCAS adopted by the respondents and the adoption intensity of these strategies are being influenced by age of the respondents, off-farm income, access to credit and extension service. Therefore, the research recommend policies and investment strategies tailored towards improving extension service, providing on-farm demonstration training, and disseminating information about CCAS, particularly for smallholder farmers in South Africa

Socio-spatial Pattern of Crime Prevalence in Akure, Nigeria

Crime is a human security problem affecting humanity around the world. In Nigeria, the upsurge in crime is a serious concern. This study examines the socio-spatial patterns of crime in Akure to provide physical planning measures that will aid policy formulation in the study area. Crime prevalence was analysed using statistical tools to examine the spatial patterns of crime, types and nature of crime committed, factors affecting crime and the impact of crime in the study area. Akure was zoned into high, medium, and low-density zones, and questionnaires were administered to 170 residential buildings using simple random sampling within the street of each zone. Findings showed that 70% of the types of crime examined in the three density zones were categorized as very high within the high-density area of Akure. The study highlighted unemployment, parent conflict, and dysfunctional families with uncaring behaviours as the major factors influencing crime across the board. In addition, confusion, fatigue, sadness, loss of property, and helplessness adversely affect criminal activities in the vicinity of Akure. Analysis of variance and Turkey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) test revealed significant differences in the prevalence of crime across different density zones in Akure. Therefore, the study encourages planning professionals to integrate crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) to design neighbourhoods and commercial areas, promote natural surveillance, discourage illicit activities, and enhance community cohesion across the board. &nbsp

Impact of bank of agriculture credit’s on agricultural productivity in South Western Nigeria

This study examined the impact of Bank of Agriculture (BOA) credit facilities on agricultural productivity in the South-West region of Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 225 beneficiaries and 630 non-beneficiaries farmers. Descriptive statistics were implemented to investigate the socio-economic attributes of the respondents. Impact of credit was analyzed using Propensity Score Matching (PSM), and the productivity of producers was analyzed using Total Factor Productivity (TFP). The respondents' average age was 47.6 years, and 87.0% of them were male. The average PSM score was 0.269, with four matching methods (Nearest Neighbour, Radius, Kernel, and Stratification matching) being implemented. The maximum and minimum propensity were 0.8207 and 0.0525, respectively. Both the balancing property and the region of common support (0.0503, 0.8209) were satisfied. The average treatment effect on the productivity differences of the treated (ATT) was approximately 0.347, and this difference was statistically significant at the 1% level. Productivity of ATT varied by approximately 21.0%. In summary, this investigation provided compelling evidence that the BOA credits have a positive impact on agricultural productivity in the South West. It was suggested that administrations at all levels and financial stakeholders should collaborate to ensure that producers have access to credit

Availability, Accessibility and Utilization of Electronic Reference Services by Undergraduate Students in Bells University, Ogun State, Nigeria

Undergraduates who are among the users of the university library, during the course of their program may require reference services that will assist them in accessing information resources to boost their learning and research. Advancement in information technology has led to the development of electronic reference services. These services ensure that library users get assistance from the reference librarian without physically coming to the library. However, despite the benefits of electronic reference services, studies have revealed that some university libraries still face the challenge of making these services available and accessible due to slow technology adoption and infrastructural deficiencies. In addition, the apathetic attitude displayed by users towards the use of the library raises question as to whether undergraduates even utilize electronic reference services for academic activities where it is available and accessible, hence the need for this study. Descriptive survey method was adopted for the study and the population comprised of undergraduates in the six colleges of Bells University, Ogun State, Nigeria. The multistage sampling technique was used to select the sample size of 213 and the questionnaire was the data collection instrument. Results revealed that the most available electronic reference service was email as indicated by 205 (96.2%) of the respondents, while 186 (87.3%) noted that erratic supply of electricity was the greatest challenge. The study recommended that alternative sources of electricity like inverters, solar and power generating sets should also be provided to address the issue of erratic power supply. Keywords: electronic reference services, undergraduate students, university libraries, Nigeri

Improvement of Provitamin A in Maize Varieties Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus, Glomus clarum

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF, Glomus clarum) has been used widely as a bio-amendment and bio-control agent in several biotechnological studies. In this study, biofortification of maize with provitamin A using AMF was investigated. Five maize varieties (V1 = white drought-resistant maize, V2= yellow provitamin A maize, V3= white drought-tolerant maize, V4= yellow striga-resistant maize and V5= white striga-resistant maize) were evaluated in a screen house experiment laid out in a completely randomized design with three treatments: T1 = maize + AMF before planting, T2 = maize + AMF, inoculated two weeks after planting and T3 (control) = maize only, and four replications. The result showed that AMF significantly (p<0.05, p = 0.0029) increased the provitamin A level of the maize varieties. White drought-tolerant maize (V3) had the highest provitamin A content (581.57 µg) after harvest, while the least (288.33 µg) was found in white drought-resistant maize (V1). Also, the effect of the treatments on the growth traits (plant height, leaf length, number of leaves per plant) of the maize varieties was highly significant.  Therefore, AMF could be considered in breeding maize with high provitamin A content and improved morphological characters

Causation and Demographics of Sexual Harassment in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Sexual harassment has become a synonym for describing Obafemi Awolowo University in light of frequent occurrence of the problem in most recent time. This study investigated the causes of sexual harassment and the demography of harassers and their victims. The study went further to investigate the attitude of respondents (female undergraduate students) to efforts put in place by the university authority to rein in on sexual harassers. The study employed a quantitative research method and the instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire. The study identified multiple factors that facilitate sexual harassment. Female students in their final year are most prone to sexual harassment. Female students who lust for undeserving marks constitute another category most vulnerable to sexual harassment. Indecent dressing among female students was identified as a factor that exposes them to sexual harassment. In spite of zero tolerance of the university management to sexual harassment, respondents did not have confidence in measures put in place by the authorities to rein on sexual harassment. Respondents argued that sexual harassment is underreported for sundry reasons relating to policy, procedures, institutional measures and stereotypes. They suggest that extant policies orchestrated at containing sexual harassment are not inclusive of stakeholders in the university; and that the approach of the university to address the problem seems more impulsive than preventive. Conclusively, there is no consensus on the definition of the problem or how best to respond to it

Sustainable Development in Nigeria's Manufacturing Sector: Exploring the Relationship between Organizational Sustainability and Firm Performance through the Lens of SDGs

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of sustainability practices on the financial performance of listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria over the period 2011 to 2023. Employing a longitudinal research design, the study compiles secondary data from annual financial reports of these firms. The data analysis, performed using panel least-squares estimators and fixed-effect regression analysis, reveals that sustainability practices exert a positive and statistically significant influence on Return on Equity (ROE), serving as a key proxy for financial performance from a management perspective. The study is also hinged on legitimacy theory in which the company's legitimacy depends on an implicit social contract with the society. The results emphasize that adopting sustainability practices contributes significantly to improving organizational performance, supporting the theoretical framework of legitimacy, which posits that firms fulfilling societal expectations gain advantages in financial performance and stakeholder relations. The study recommends that policymakers encourage manufacturing firms to integrate sustainability measures into their practices by offering incentives, such as tax reductions and subsidies, to those actively engaging in environmentally and socially responsible activities. These initiatives would not only enhance financial performance but also promote long-term corporate sustainability, supporting broader economic and environmental goals aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This research contributes to existing literature by focusing on the Nigerian manufacturing sector, providing insights into the role of sustainable practices in emerging markets, which face unique regulatory and economic challenges in aligning with global sustainability standards

Effects of climatic variability on cassava production in Nigeria

Climate change has brought about an irregularity in pattern and intensity of climatic variables, such as rainfall and temperature, which are important in crop production, making planning in agriculture difficult. The importance of cassava in the diet of Nigerians and its industrial use created a need to examine the effects of climatic variability on cassava production. Secondary data obtained from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) were used for the study. An analysis of variance and error correction model was utilised. The study showed that the rainforest zone had the highest averages of annual rainfall (1,709 mm) and relative humidity (82.1%), while the Sahel savannah had the highest mean annual temperature (35.3°C). The variability in annual rainfall and relative humidity was low in the rainforest zone. The study showed that the rainforest zone had the least dispersion of average annual relative humidity (2.06%) while the Guinea savannah had the highest dispersion (4.68%). The average cassava output from the agro-ecological zones was 49,118,871 MT per year. Rainforest and Guinea savannah accounted for 56.3% and 41.9% of total cassava output respectively. There were significant variations in the climatic variables (rainfall and temperature) among the agro-ecological zones but not significant among the years (p>0.05). The annual rainfall and solar radiation were the factors that influenced cassava output in all the agroecological zones. Affordable irrigation systems available to cassava farmers and the adoption of climate-smart agriculture are recommended to boost cassava production in Sudan savannah and Sahel savannah