Information Technology Therapy (ITT) as a Catalyst for Micro Enterprise Development, and its Implications for Digital Payment Adoption: Evidence from Lagos Nigeria

In Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, the country’s over 40 million micro enterprises account for 99% of all enterprises. As a consequence, they employ over 80% of the country’s labour force, drive about 48% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and enable over 7% of its export. Given their strategic importance, the subject of micro enterprise development has become of keen interest to a number of stakeholders, among them Mastercard, a global technology company with a bias for digital payments operating in the country. While several avenues exist for stakeholders like Mastercard to intervene in promoting micro enterprise development in Nigeria, experience garnered by the organization suggest, given its bias for technology, promoting efforts aimed at catalyzing the adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) among micro enterprises in the country, may represent the most feasible approach. This document, details my experience as a novice researcher, studying for my doctorate degree in business administration at the University of Liverpool, while in full time employment at Mastercard. In this dual role as a scholar and practitioner, I sought to provide Mastercard with actionable knowledge on the considerations critical to catalyzing the development of micro enterprises in Nigeria leveraging ICT. I also sort to assist the organization in understanding what these considerations mean, for proliferating digital payment adoption, among the country’s micro enterprises. Given that this constitutes the company’s primary business interest. In addition to creating value for Mastercard and organizations with similar interest, I also sought to employ the insights garnered from the experience in making significant contribution to the existing business and management discourse, on micro enterprise development. In achieving the objectives articulated above, I employed a form of inquiry based on pragmatic research philosophy, known as insider action research. In doing so, I revisited a program designed by Mastercard in 2017, working with Grooming Centre, the largest micro finance institution in Nigeria. Dubbed the Mastercard-Grooming Centre Smart Business Initiative (SBI), the program sought to catalyze the development of 1000 micro enterprises through a series of interventions, among them the deployment of a smart device based, inventory management application called the Retail Smart Business Service (RSBS). Utilizing a theoretical framework forged from reviewing extant literature as guide, the inquiry focused on 100 micro enterprises drawn from the SBI. It entailed, establishing the profile of all 100 micro enterprises, identifying their level of adoption of the RSBS application, identifying the challenges to adoption, developing a series of interventions to address these challenges, and working closely with the Grooming Centre team, and the micro enterprises themselves, to implement the interventions for 25 of them, over a 3 month period. At the end of the intervention, the impact of the actions taken was assessed first with regards to the level of adoption of the RSBS application, and then on the development of the micro enterprises in the intervention group. At the end of the engagement, the learnings garnered and their implications for Mastercard, other stakeholders vested in micro enterprise development in Nigeria, and the academic community at large, was discerned. For Mastercard as well as other stakeholders, the actionable knowledge created is three pronged. The first is that when it comes to catalyzing micro enterprise development leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Nigeria, it is critical to have contextual clarity with regards to 4 important variables that underlie the effort. These variables are; the profile of the micro enterprises in question, the way adoption is defined, how development is measured, and the specific ICT artifact under consideration. The second actionable knowledge that emerged from the engagement for Mastercard is that in addition to having contextual clarity, it is important to approach efforts to catalyze micro enterprise development leveraging ICT in a structured way. This means employing the rigorous process of action research and Information Technology Therapy (ITT) for problem identification and resolution on an ongoing basis. It also means imbibing partnership and trust, as important virtues, and ensuring the coordinator of such efforts have the skill sets of a political entrepreneur. The third and final actionable knowledge created from this thesis project for Mastercard is that, given the fact that digital payment solutions are also ICT artifacts, the considerations established through this effort, also apply. For business and management scholars, the actionable knowledge created asserts that, it is possible to create research on micro enterprise development, that is focused and granular in nature. In addition, the engagement also asserts that from a practitioner’s perspective, there are a number of important variables to consider in investigating micro enterprise development leveraging ICT. These variables include; the context of the investigation, the impact of partnership and trust, the role of political entrepreneurship skills in ensuring success, the impact of having a simple shared narrative across all stakeholders, and the importance of adopting a view of micro enterprise development as a journey as opposed to a destination. Also with respect to scholarship, the engagement unearths a number of considerations for the practice of insider action research. They include, the idea that the practice of action and reflection is not peculiar to insider action research, but is crucial to success of both scholarship and practice, and the fact that knowledge created in action is controlled, with the shared purpose, values and intended outcomes of stakeholders acting as an anchor. The engagement also asserts that conducting insider action research means subscribing to a mindset that acknowledges constant change as a given, an understanding that the stages in the insider action research process do not represent ridged boundaries, and the fact that being an insider action researcher has both advantages and disadvantages, among others. Aside from facilitating the creation of actionable knowledge discussed above, the engagement also aided my development as an individual, a scholar and a practitioner in multiple ways. Among them; creating in me a greater appreciation of my own bias, and how it affects my actions, helping me develop new competencies such as engaging in critical reflection, and horning skills critical to operating as a political entrepreneur; including effective communication, negotiation and problem solving. Keywords: information and communication technology adoption, information technology therapy, micro enterprise, micro enterprise development

Impact of Disturbances on the Biodiversity of Ijala-Ikeren Wetland Ecosystem in Niger Delta

An assessment of Ijala-Ikeren wetland in the Niger Delta of Nigeria was conducted for 9 months for biodiversity data comprising flora and specific aquatic fauna (amphibians and insects) in order to inventorise the species and ecosystem and to ascertain the effects of anthropogenic and natural disturbances on the wetland ecosystem. Five sites comprising three sites within the mangrove swamp and two ponds at the fringes of the mangrove ecosystem were sampled. Data collection methods include insect and amphibian sampling, and a few abiotic data. Empirical data on fish fauna was also obtained from fishermen. The pH value of the sampled sites in the mangrove ranged between 4.7 and 6.1, while temperature ranged from 28 to 29°C. Red mangrove species (Rhizophora sp.) and few species of white mangrove (Avicennia sp.) were dominant plants. Only three insect species from three families were encountered and thirteen species of amphibians from three families were only encountered in ponds at the fringes of the wetland. Amphibians had the highest value of species richness index (d) (2.75) and diversity index (H′) (2.08). The acidic pH values maybe attributed to the influx of effluent from the Warri refinery about 2.5 km away and the low insect diversity is due to the salinity

De nouvelles données sur le Dauphin à bosse de l’Atlantique (Sousa teuszii) en Guinée, au Nigéria, au Cameroun et au Togo soulignent la pression des pêcheries et de la demande en viande d’origine marine

Le Dauphin à bosse de l’ Atlantique (Sousa teuszii) est une espèce encore mal connue: sa biologie, sa distribution détaillée et l’existence de populations restent encore à préciser. Des suivis de terrain, des enquêtes et des observations opportunistes ont permis d’identifier plusieurs nouveaux spécimens, observés en mer ou retrouvés après leur capture, dans quatre pays, dont le Nigéria et le Togo où la présence de S. teuszii, bien que fortement suspectée, n’avait jamais été prouvée. De nouvelles données, provenant des îles Tristao et de l’estuaire du Río Nuñez en Guinée du nord, indiquent que les populations du Rio do Jêba- Bijagos (Guinée-Bissau) et Guinée du sud devraient être combinées dans une seule population Guinéenne. La population du golfe de Guinée, qui correspond à la population historique de S. teuszii, anciennement appelée « dauphins du Cameroun », s’étend au minimum du Togo au sud du Cameroun. Plusieurs spécimens prouvent que la mortalité de S. teuszii causée par des captures accidentelles ou ciblées est significative, répandue et difficilement quantifiable en raison des contrôles sporadiques qui sont réalisés. Ces captures sont préoccupantes en Guinée, au Nigéria et au Cameroun. Les dauphins sont capturés accidentellement dans des filets maillants de pêcheries artisanales littorales, puis consommés comme « viande de brousse marine ». La commercialisation de ce type de viande étant croissante, les captures intentionnelles risquent aussi d'être encouragées. La rareté des observations et la petite taille des groupes dans le golfe de Guinée du nord indiquent des communautés de dauphins qui semblent plutôt en déclin. Des variations de répartition de l’espèce peuvent apparaître de novo le long des côtes fortement peuplées par l’Homme, après des décennies de prises accessoires, de compétition pour les ressources alimentaires, et de perte d’habitat suite à un développement côtier irréversible. Nous suggérons que le manque d’effort de suivi n’explique pas entièrement l’absence d’observations de S. teuszii sur les 1900 km de littoral allant du Ghana à la Sierra Leone, et particulièrement au Ghana où le suivi des petits cétacés est mieux documenté. La mise en œuvre d’une politique de conservation rigoureuse devient dès lors de plus en plus urgente. De nouvelles Aires Marines Protégées binationales et transfrontalières pourraient avoir des effets positifs et mesurables en termes de conservation en limitant la compétition pour les proies avec les pêcheries, en limitant les captures accidentelles dans les filets et en limitant la destruction des habitats. L’installation d’un groupe de travail ad hoc, à l’échelle de la région considérée, est recommandée afin d’identifier des mesures pratiques visant à éviter que le Dauphin à bosse de l’Atlantique, maintenant menacé, ne se dirige vers l’extinction.The Atlantic humpback dolphin's biology, small-scale distribution and population structure are poorly known. Dedicated surveys and incidental observations resulted in new specimens and sighting records in four nations, of which Nigeria and Togo comprise long-suspected but newly documented range states. Multiple records at the Tristao Islands and Río Nuñez Estuary in northern Guinea indicate that the management stocks of Rio do Jêba-Bijagos (Guinea-Bissau) and South Guinea should be combined into a single Guineas stock. A Gulf of Guinea stock, the historical 'Cameroon dolphins', extends from Togo to (at least) southern Cameroon. Specimen evidence shows fisheries-caused mortality of S. teuszii is significant, widespread, and non-quantifiable at present due to only sporadic monitoring of landings. Of special concern are catches in Guinea, Nigeria and Cameroon. All dolphins were killed in small-scale nearshore fisheries, mostly from incidental gill-net entanglement, and were locally consumed as marine bushmeat. With increasing commercialization however, intentional captures may be encouraged. Rare sightings of mostly small groups in the northern Gulf of Guinea point to remnant, struggling, dolphin communities. De novo distribution gaps may emerge along heavily populated coasts following decades of by-catches, prey competition and habitat loss from irreversible coastal development. We suggest that scarcity of survey effort does not fully explain the absence of S. teuszii records over 1900 km of coastlines between Ghana and Sierra Leone, and particularly in Ghana where small cetacean exploitation is extensive. The implementation of a stringent conservation policy becomes increasingly urgent. New binational, border-straddling Marine Protected Areas could have significant conservation effects by limiting prey competition from fisheries and mitigating net entanglements and habitat destruction. The set-up of a regional ad hoc task force is strongly recommended to help introduce such practicable measures that could stop the threatened Atlantic humpback dolphin from sliding towards extinction

The Utilization of Aquatic Bushmeat from Small Cetaceans and Manatees in South America and West Africa

Aquatic bushmeat can be defined as the products derived from wild aquatic megafauna (e.g., marine mammals) that are used for human consumption and non-food purposes, including traditional medicine. It is obtained through illegal or unregulated hunts as well as from stranded (dead or alive) and bycaught animals. In most South American and West African countries aquatic mammals are or have been taken for bushmeat, including 33 small cetaceans and all three manatee species. Of these, two cetacean species are listed in the IUCN red list as “near threatened,” and one as “vulnerable,” as are all manatee species. Additionally, 22 cetacean species are listed as “data deficient,” hence some of these species may also be at risk. No reports (recent or otherwise) were found for some countries, caution is needed in concluding that aquatic bushmeat is not utilized in these nations. Moreover, although aquatic bushmeat is mostly obtained opportunistically and was likely originally taken only for local consumption, directed catches occur in most countries and may have reached unsustainable levels in some areas. For example, in Peru and Nigeria, thousands of small cetaceans are illegally hunted annually. Reliable, recent data and a better overall understanding of the drivers of aquatic bushmeat will be essential in the development of effective mitigation measures

Initial evidence of dolphin takes in the Niger Delta region and a review of Nigerian cetaceans. Scientific Committee document SC/62/SM1, June 2010, Agadir, Morocco

An interview survey among artisanal fishermen from Brass Island, Niger Delta, in 2008-2009 revealed, for the first time, regular takes of delphinids in Nigerian coastal waters. Three fishermen at Imbikiri, Brass Island, were identified as dedicated 'dolphin hunters'. Evidence is difficult to obtain but one video footage authenticated the landing of a live common bottlenose dolphin. Fraser's dolphin is suggested to occur offshore (probable sighting) but no other documented sightings of odontocetes are published, despite the massive exploration effort for hydrocarbons. A cow neonate pair of humpback whales was sighted in western Nigeria, at the Togo border, on 9 September 2001 during a survey of the austral population that breeds in the Bight of Benin. In view of the abysmal state of knowledge, as to add to the inventory and zoogeography of Nigeria's cetaceans even baseline coastal surveys could yield significant insights. Particularly pressing is an in depth assessment of the contemporary and historical presence (or absence), of the vulnerable Atlantic humpback dolphin Sousa teuszii and an estimate of the extent and composition of dolphin takes

Absolute lymphocyte count, CD4, T cells and haematocrit as index of responses to antiretroviral therapy in party of northern Nigeria

No Abstract. IJONAS Vol. 3 (3) 2007 pp. 274-27

New records of Atlantic humpback dolphin in Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon and Togo underscore fisheries pressure and generalised marine bushmeat demand

In northern Guinea, we sighted two groups of Sousa teuszii (n=25; n=40 dolphins) off the Tristao Islands during exploratory small-boat surveys in 2011-12. Based on these and recent (2013) observations in the contiguous Rio Nunez estuary, we propose a single 'Guineas stock', combining the former 'Canal do Jeba-Bijagos' and South Guinea stocks. Significant mortality of S. teuszii from fisheries interactions is widely recognised however not quantifiable as monitoring effort is sporadic. In Guinea, catches were documented in 2002 (n=1) and in 2011-12 (n=5). Landed specimens were recorded in Cameroon (n=2) and Nigeria (n=2). All individuals were killed in small-scale coastal fisheries, presumably as accidental net entanglements, though directed takes cannot be excluded. All landed dolphins were butchered for human consumption (marine bushmeat). Nigerian fishers indicated also an alternative use as shark bait. If local markets in cetacean bushmeat and bait develop, as in Ghana, that will exacerbate pressures by encouraging directed takes. Catch records in Nigeria and sightings in Togo authenticate both nations as (long-suspected) range states for S. teuszii, a belated documenting of the primary, historical distribution. The Gulf of Guinea stock ('Cameroon dolphins') extends at least from Togo to southern Cameroon, and probably into Equatorial Guinea. However, rare sightings of small groups point to remnant, not thriving, dolphin communities. We anticipate de novo distribution gaps emerging and consolidating, following decades of fisheries interactions and creeping encroachment on once pristine coastal habitat. Developed coastlines in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire devoid of records may already constitute such gaps. As the lack or scarcity of records warn about formidable challenges to the long-term survival of S. teuszii, innovative, workable protection measures are needed, soonest. We recommend the implementation of several new border-straddling marine protected areas (cf. Saloum Delta-Niumi National Park Complex) which could bring forth a major conservation effect. Binational involvement bears obvious advantages, from sharing responsibilities and allowing for larger protected areas. Suggested dolphin sanctuary examples could include MPAs straddling borders between Cameroon/Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau/Guinea-Conakry.</jats:p

Comparative study of the effects of four anti-malaria preparations on human rheological indicators

The effects of 4 anti-malaria chemotherapeutic agents namely Artimisinin, Amodaquin, Sulphadoxin/Pyrimethamin and Halofantrin on human rheological and haematological indices were investigated in 28 apparently healthy subjects made up of 7 non-malarious control subjects and 21 malaria infected subjects. Investigations were carried out on whole blood. Haematocrit, Relative Plasma Viscosity (RPV), Relative Whole Blood Viscosity (RWBV), Platelets count (PC) and Plasma Fibrinogen Concentration (PFC) were determined using standard laboratory techniques. The malaria status of subjects was determined using thick and thin blood films. Our results showed statistical significant difference in the haematocrit and platelets count of malarious subjects at pre (0hrs), 24hrs and 48hrs post administration of Artimisinin, Amodaquin, Sulphadoxin/Pyrimethamin. There was also a statistical significant difference in the relative plasma viscosity and plasma fibrinogen concentration of malarious subjects in the study. An elevated plasma fibrinogen concentration, platelets count and relative plasma viscosity are indicatives of drug induced debility irrespective of malaria infection. The statistically significant change in haematocrit is suggestive of malaria associated hemolysis and a marginal drug toxicity. We suggest further studies on the effect of these anti-malaria drugs on a wider range of haemorheological and hematological parameters on a larger population. IJONAS Vol. 3 (1) 2007: pp. 111-11

New records of Atlantic humpback dolphin in Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon and Togo underscore fisheries pressure and generalised marine bushmeat demand

In northern Guinea, we sighted two groups of Sousa teuszii (n=25; n=40 dolphins) off the Tristao Islands during exploratory small-boat surveys in 2011-12. Based on these and recent (2013) observations in the contiguous Rio Nunez estuary, we propose a single 'Guineas stock', combining the former 'Canal do Jeba-Bijagos' and South Guinea stocks. Significant mortality of S. teuszii from fisheries interactions is widely recognised however not quantifiable as monitoring effort is sporadic. In Guinea, catches were documented in 2002 (n=1) and in 2011-12 (n=5). Landed specimens were recorded in Cameroon (n=2) and Nigeria (n=2). All individuals were killed in small-scale coastal fisheries, presumably as accidental net entanglements, though directed takes cannot be excluded. All landed dolphins were butchered for human consumption (marine bushmeat). Nigerian fishers indicated also an alternative use as shark bait. If local markets in cetacean bushmeat and bait develop, as in Ghana, that will exacerbate pressures by encouraging directed takes. Catch records in Nigeria and sightings in Togo authenticate both nations as (long-suspected) range states for S. teuszii, a belated documenting of the primary, historical distribution. The Gulf of Guinea stock ('Cameroon dolphins') extends at least from Togo to southern Cameroon, and probably into Equatorial Guinea. However, rare sightings of small groups point to remnant, not thriving, dolphin communities. We anticipate de novo distribution gaps emerging and consolidating, following decades of fisheries interactions and creeping encroachment on once pristine coastal habitat. Developed coastlines in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire devoid of records may already constitute such gaps. As the lack or scarcity of records warn about formidable challenges to the long-term survival of S. teuszii, innovative, workable protection measures are needed, soonest. We recommend the implementation of several new border-straddling marine protected areas (cf. Saloum Delta-Niumi National Park Complex) which could bring forth a major conservation effect. Binational involvement bears obvious advantages, from sharing responsibilities and allowing for larger protected areas. Suggested dolphin sanctuary examples could include MPAs straddling borders between Cameroon/Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau/Guinea-Conakry