Training and Manpower Productivity in Nigeria Public Sector

The Nigerian public sector score-card over the years is equated to inefficiency and poor performance. This is owing to the understanding that public sector personnel are ill-equipped with necessary skills to turn around the fortune of the nation. This study therefore examined training and manpower productivity in Nigeria public sector: concerns and pathway for effectiveness. To achieve this, the study reviews literature on the concepts of training, manpower productivity, emergence and role of government in training and manpower productivity in Nigeria, and challenges of training in Nigeria public sector. This study utilized human capital and scientific management theory in order to build solid arguments for the discourse. It was therefore concluded that productivity in Nigeria public sector is contingent on proper manpower training and development. Hence, the study recommends the need to ensure that training is handled by competent human resources experts and practitioners for efficient results. Also, training and productivity-oriented organizations in Nigeria must be strengthened for effectiveness

Human Resources Recruitment and Selection Practices in Nigerian Organisations

This study examined human resources recruitment and selection practices in Nigerian organizations. To achieve this, literature were reviewed on recruitment and selection practices, current trends on recruitment and selection in Nigeria workplace, challenges and consequences of poor recruitment and selection practices, along with strategies for managing recruitment and selection in the Nigerian workplace. This study utilized Resource Based View and Equity Theory in order to build a solid argument for the discourse. Hence, this study concluded that recruiting right calibre of employee in the right position is sine qua non to organizational success. It is recommended that organizations in Nigeria should constantly ensure proper validity of recruitment and selection criteria in-line with global best practices so as to have a round peg in a round hole

Should touch screen tablets be used to improve educational outcomes in primary school children in developing countries?

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (United Nations, 2015). Whereas, the principal focus of global education planning since 2000 had been on getting children into schools, sustainable development goal 4 (above) reflects concerns about quality. As improving learning outcomes starts to receive heightened policy focus, it becomes imperative to consider the types of intervention that can be most effective in raising learning outcomes, particularly in settings characterized by poor resourcing and persistent low attainment levels. Here, we consider if touch screen tablets can be used to improve educational outcomes in primary school children in developing countries. We focus on early maths attainment in Malawi as one of the most dramatic examples of the current learning challenge

Population, seasonal abundance, Dockovdia oruensis infection and other parasites of Potadoma moerchi in southwestern Nigeria

Dockovdia oruensis and some other infections were studied in relation to the population and seasonal abundance of Potadoma moerchi from three streams in a town endemic for schistosomiasis in IjebuNorth, southwestern Nigeria from November 2002 to October 2003. 72.9% of the total 958 specimens of P. moerchi collected were from Eri-Oru Stream. 55.6% and 100% of the snails from Eri-Oru and Ojupon, respectively, were recorded during dry season. 21.3% of the P. moerchi had D. oruensis infection. Eri-Oru had the highest monthly frequency of D. oruensis infection. P. moerchi specimens in 35 -45 mm size class had the highest prevalence of D. oruensis infection. Intensity of infection ranged from one to 12 mites/snail. One (0.8%) of the P. moerchi specimens in 25 - 35 mm size class collected in January 2003 from Eri-Oru had Chaetogaster limnaei infection. 5.9% (15) and 0.1% (1) of the P. moerchi collected from Ojupon and Eri-Oru respectively had trematode infection. 93.8% of the trematode-infected P. moerchi specimens were in 25-35 mm size class

Computational modeling of spontaneous behavior changes and infectious disease spread

In the Spring of 2009, a new strain of pandemic influenza virus emerged in the human population and spread to major countries worldwide. This caused panic that the world was witnessing another influenza outbreak potentially of the size of the 1918 Spanish Influenza outbreak where a fifth of the world’s population was affected. Although, this fear did not come to pass, the threat of a potentially deadly outbreak remains. The ability to mitigate and contain a disease is a vital aspect of any country’s response strategies. Through modeling and simulation of the spread of an outbreak, decision-makers can better plan mitigation and containment strategies. This dissertation investigates how changes in human behavior affect the spread of pandemic influenza in the U.S. population using an agent-based computational model. The dissertation argues that more aspects of human behavior such as people’s attitudes and trust in government-issued health advisory infor- mation about the disease need to be integrated into population-level models of pandemic influenza to improve model realism. I present a framework for incorporating such factors into computational models of disease spread to simulate possible scenarios that the spread may take to improve policy insights. I created models to represent different configurations of the attitudinal disposition of the population and then examined how agents representing individuals responded to the interventions implemented. The study revealed that a popu- lation that responds positively to government interventions reduced overall disease impact in comparison to the other scenarios modeled. Although the model is built on the U.S. population, it may be generalized for other synthetic populations in the future.Ph.D

Training and Manpower Productivity in Nigeria Public Sector

The Nigerian public sector score-card over the years is equated to inefficiency and poor performance. This is owing to the understanding that public sector personnel are ill-equipped with necessary skills to turn around the fortune of the nation. This study therefore examined training and manpower productivity in Nigeria public sector: concerns and pathway for effectiveness. To achieve this, the study reviews literature on the concepts of training, manpower productivity, emergence and role of government in training and manpower productivity in Nigeria, and challenges of training in Nigeria public sector. This study utilized human capital and scientific management theory in order to build solid arguments for the discourse. It was therefore concluded that productivity in Nigeria public sector is contingent on proper manpower training and development. Hence, the study recommends the need to ensure that training is handled by competent human resources experts and practitioners for efficient results. Also, training and productivity-oriented organizations in Nigeria must be strengthened for effectiveness.</jats:p

Human Resources Recruitment and Selection Practices in Nigerian Organisations

This study examined human resources recruitment and selection practices in Nigerian organizations. To achieve this, literature were reviewed on recruitment and selection practices, current trends on recruitment and selection in Nigeria workplace, challenges and consequences of poor recruitment and selection practices, along with strategies for managing recruitment and selection in the Nigerian workplace. This study utilized Resource Based View and Equity Theory in order to build a solid argument for the discourse. Hence, this study concluded that recruiting right calibre of employee in the right position is sine qua non to organizational success. It is recommended that organizations in Nigeria should constantly ensure proper validity of recruitment and selection criteria in-line with global best practices so as to have a round peg in a round hole.</jats:p

Multi-Criteria Inventory Optimisation of University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria’s Bakery Using Goal Programming Approach and Flour as the Major Raw-Material

Asides inventory cost, which is being used as the only inventory performance measure at the University of Ibadan bakery, a number of other criteria, such as inventory cost, service level, inventory turnover and delivery lead time which influence the performance of an inventory system have surfaced over the years. Hence, there is the need to examine all these criteria-objectives altogether. Therefore, this research was centred towards optimising the inventory system of University of Ibadan bakery, putting multiple criteria into consideration.&#x0D; Data on 17 raw materials: their costs, suppliers, usage rate, lead time, storage space and available capital were collected by means of interviews, past records and observations. The weighted goal program algorithm was adopted to find the best compromise between fulfilling the four objectives by minimising the sum of the deviation from the target values of the goals. Subsequently, Lingo 17.0 and Tora 1.0 optimisation software packages were used to solve and compare the model generated, while putting into consideration storage space constraint and budgeted capital.&#x0D; The developed model from the goal programming algorithm exhibited four goals (combined into one objective function). Same solutions were obtained from Lingo 17.0 and Tora 1.0. While Lingo 17.0 gave a  uniform service level of 100% , a  turnover ratio greater than 1(&gt;1) for all the materials at a negligible increase (of  &lt; 0.0001%) in total inventory cost of the raw materials and available lead time duration of zero days (&lt; 24 hours) for each material, Tora 1.0  gave a  uniform service level of 100% , a  turnover ratio greater than 1 (&gt; 1) for all the materials at a negligible increase (of  &lt; 0.0001%) in total inventory cost of the raw materials and available lead time duration of zero days (&lt; 24 hours) for each material.&#x0D; Implementation of the developed model will eliminate unnecessary waiting time between production, thereby ensuring effective and efficient utilisation of raw materials in production which will lead to reduced cost of holding inventory, elimination of unnecessary overall cost and wastages, and also improvement of the productivity and profit on the long run.</jats:p