Previous studies have shown a significant and positive relationship between agricultural output and long run economic development. Nigeria, with current extreme poverty rate of 48% is also characterized with high level of food insecurity. The country however, has about 99 million ha of arable land which supports numerous farming activities. Therefore, there exist an opportunity to increase agricultural output and achieve economic development. Further studies also showed that the percentage of agricultural loans to total loans in Nigeria have been declining over the last 15 years which suggests some form of neglect of the sector. This paper therefore examined the impact of agricultural loans and other relevant variables on agricultural GDP in Nigeria with a view to estimate a regression model that can explain variability in agricultural GDP. All the data used were secondary data collected from the annual statistical bulletin of the Central Bank of Nigeria (2018) and USDA, Economic Research Service (Nov. 2019). Ordinary Least Square regression model was used to estimate regression parameters and to show relationship between the variables. Analyzed results showed that agricultural GDP in Nigeria is statistically dependent on agricultural loan, government expenditure and available farm land. The result was statistically tested to be significant at >=95% level of confidence. Further results also showed that agricultural loan in Nigeria is statistically dependent on agricultural credit guarantee and Non-performing loan ratio. This was also tested to be significant at >=95% level of confidence.The study recommended that the results calls for more allocation of credit for agricultural purposes, more government spending to agriculture and more funding of the agricultural credit guarantee program by the government.

The domestic dog is the principal reservoir of rabies in Nigeria and the source of infection for over 99% of human cases that have been documented. The first recorded cases of human and dog rabies were in 1912 and 1928 respectively. The disease has been continually diagnosed in the domestic dog until to date. One of the control measures practiced in this West African country includes the vaccination of domestic dogs with readily available rabies vaccines. However, trend analyses show that dog rabies is increasing probably indicating that the vaccination programmes are inadequate. Rabies is a member of the Lyssavirus genus and currently comprises of seven genotypes (GT 1-7) namely the classical rabies virus (RABV) GT1, Lagos bat virus (LBV) GT2, Mokola virus (MOKV) GT3, Duvenhage (DUVV) GT4, European bat lyssavirus type-1 (EBLV-1) GT5, European bat lyssavirus type-2 (EBLV-2) GT6 and Australian bat lyssavirus (ABL) GT7. Three of these have been identified in Nigeria (classical rabies (RABV) (GT 1), Lagos bat virus (LBV) (GT 2) and Mokola virus (MOKV) (GT 3). The domestic dog is the major maintenance and vector species of rabies in this country and the West Africa sub-region. This study was therefore undertaken to further elucidate the epidemiology of dog rabies in Nigeria. Secondly, it was the aim of this study to determine the phylogenetic relationships of dog rabies viruses and the distribution of the respective rabies variants. Finally, to assess the phylogenetic relationships of the viruses in the study sample with those of the neighbouring countries (Chad, Cameroon, Benin and Niger). A panel of 100 viruses recovered primarily from the domestic dog was included in the study. Partial regions of the nucleoprotein gene (n=100) and the cytoplasmic domain of the glycoprotein and the G-L intergenic region (n=80) were successfully amplified, sequenced and phylogenetically analysed. Nucleotide sequences of representative rabies viruses of the partial N gene of the neighbouring countries and elsewhere in Africa available in the GenBank were also included in the phylogenetic analysis. The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the rabies viruses from the study sample were closely related with a 99% sequence homology for both the N and G regions but despite the close homogeneity the viruses segregated into two major clusters. Within the major cluster 1, three sub-clades were identified comprising of rabies isolates from the northern part of Nigeria whereas cluster 2 was made of viruses from the southern part of the country together with an isolate from a stray dog. Further analysis of representative viruses from the study sample with viruses from the GenBank revealed an evolutionary link with the viruses from Chad, Benin, Cameroon and Niger with a ≥96% sequence homology. The demonstration of the evolutionary link of rabies viruses in the study sample and those from neighbouring countries indicates the transboundary nature of rabies and the existence of an active rabies cycle in the region. The study data revealed that a single major virus variant is circulating in domestic dogs in Nigeria belonging to the Africa 2 dog lineage. These data suggest that control strategies including mass vaccination with effective coverage of ≥70% and the control of stray dogs will contribute to the breaking of the rabies cycle. This will dramatically reduce the demand for post-exposure prophylaxis which is costly and not readily available in most states of the country. There is also a need to enforce strict movement of animals across international borders so as to diminish the spread of the infection from one area to another, as rabies still inflicts a considerable public health burden in the region and many parts of Africa. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, 2017 / An analysis of the social service practitioners’ practice tools in Africa towards the enhancement of professional responsibility to the client system is essential including investigating the ethical dilemmas experienced by the practitioners daily. These tools serve as sources of evaluating social work practice and administration that spur practitioners to provide a virtuous professional service and as enlightenment for the effective, efficient and reflective practice. The National Association of Social Workers (2008) and the South African Council of Social Service Professional (SACSSP, 2005) and their ethical values and principles served as this study principal document that directed this research venture. The researcher sought to understand the nature and extent of the challenges facing social work practitioners and administrators and compared their experiences within two different geo-political zones of Africa. Hence, the research philosophy engaged the “diamond metaphor,”in the sense it is multifaceted and within a blended research paradigm. It depicts the uniqueness and value of each study area. The study employed the comparison-evaluative approach depicting a Multi-Phase-Transformative mixed methods research design characterised by a six way dimensionalapproach of explorative, evaluative, descriptive, comparative, qualitative and quantitative approaches in order to reconnoiter the experiences of social work practitioners 135 and 47 administrators which in total 182 respondents from three different regions namely: KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) and Lagos State and Imo State (Nigeria). Each setting for data collection differs within a multi-level mode and each data including the tested hypotheses were refined to actualise the subject situation and the analytical discussion of the methodology components. Data that was gleaned from the dispersed research tools used for the study were analysed by the utilisation of descriptive statistics, multiple comparisons and post hoc test correlations in testing the stated hypotheses with the Statistical Programme for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 21.0). However, the thematic gleaning of the responses was deciphered through discourse analysis (Soini and Birkeland, 2014:215-216; Gross, Alba, Glass, Schellenberg and Obrist, 2012:3). The findings of the study revealed that rural social work interventions are directly weakened by a poor support system that the social workers experience, thus, the lack of proper literacy and qualification levels in the rural areas largely contributes to weaker social work interventions in both Nigeria and South Africa. Furthermore, the study revealed that administrators avail themselves to more continuous professional development than the social workers do, while the overall qualification attributes for the respondents needed upgrading to cater for specialised areas. The study revealed that the lack of the analysed and aligned training needs of individual practitioners serves in fact to clog personal development plans which the subsequently affects the development of work plans and the signing of performance agreement job descriptions, thus, the policies are not then applied. The study’s results indicated that the administrators’ gendered pattern impacted significantly on the ethical code outcome in the study areas. Outcome analysis confirmed that thesocial workers’ understanding of ethical code application has significantly correlated with their integer years of practice experience, whereas, the perceived difficulties presumably had partial correlations within the study areas. Moreover, the ethics concerning the integrity of profession, the professional responsibility, the service delivery and the competence/confidentiality explained for the integer years of practice experience. Furthermore, the integer years significantly ensure that social workers are coping with ethical dilemmas on familiarity and their professed complaint anxieties on the Ethical Code in the three study areas. Conversely, the study advocated for the assimilation of interactional justice approach that would enhance advocacy on social justice, human rights and professional accountability as well as stimulate competence within the bucolic social worker’s career. Social justice cognizance should be visible within the equity on performance. The study’s recommendations included advocating for quality rural social work interventional support and improvement on qualification and literacy level in the rural areas; also that there should be the recognition of a greater prioritisation of NASW/SACSSP ethical codes. As such, experienced practitioners should mentor newer practitioners to enhance effective and efficient professional responsibility with client-systems. Additional studies should explore the professional responsibility of practitioners amid the Service Charter for Victims of Crime (victims’ charter) designed to uphold social justice and to nurture a human rights philosophy in guaranteeing the material, psychosocial and emotional needs of victims. Hence, further research on utilising the study’s finding models for urban domain and proper professional training, adherence to these models and awareness of legal ethics is recommended. Further studies should focus on examining administrators-practitioners relationship outcome to policies regulations as they are geared towards the Code; likewise to inspect social entrepreneurial activity using the Service Delivery Model to re-bolster industrial social work.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor Of Philosophy in the Department of History at the University of Zululand, 2017 / For over a century, cross border movement of people has been on-going between Nigeria and South Africa. Nigerians started immigrating to South Africa as early as 1905, and South African white Missionaries from the Dutch Reformed Church, on the invitation of the Sudan United Mission, for evangelical work. The missionaries from South Africa were assigned the Benue region of Nigeria for missionary evangelical work. By 1911, they were at Sai a Tiv village where they established the first mission station. These missionaries introduced modern education based on western civilisation to the area and introduced new seedlings that led to the transformation of agriculture in the Benue region. They also introduced modern medical practice that eradicated leprosy and other diseases that were rampant and brought in modern architecture to the Benue region. They established the NKST church which is widely spread among the Tiv and across central Nigeria. The study discusses the role of Nigeria in undermining the apartheid regime from 1960, which also coincided with the Sharpeville massacre. Nigeria spent its resources in the fight against apartheid. In doing that, Nigeria did not only engage apartheid South Africa alone but used the instrument of diplomatic relation in canvassing support on the international scale through the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the formation of the OAU which was largely funded by the Nigerian government. This research reveals Nigeria’s role in the de-colonisation process of not only apartheid South Africa but also the entire Southern African region. The study analyses the patterns of migration between the two countries and examine the implication of this migration on the socio-political and economic relationship since 1960. Relying on a qualitative methodology, the study uses the principle of saturation to interview participants; it also relies on archival records in addition to current literature on the phenomenon. The study used the Push pull and transnational migration theory for analysis. This study argues that although the migration phenomenon existed for over a century, the two countries are still engaged in frosty relationship expressed through xenophobic violence, drug trafficking, and human rights abuses. It also argues that the fundamental reason for this xenophobic attack can be traced in South Africa’s apartheid history, which left a society where black South Africans were separated from each other, and that the South African blacks came out of apartheid as landless poor peasants. Although the instrument of power lies in their hands, the economy is still largely controlled by the white minorities. The study concludes with a clarion call on the Nigerian and South African governments to reawaken Pan-Africanism that the continent is known for and to reinvigorate the African Ubuntu which seeks the welfare of an African brotherhood - that Africa is better together than disunited. Africa should work more on factors that unite them rather than on what divide them. In unity, the continent’s hopes for integration in economic, political and diplomatic relations will be realised.

Type 2 diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia that affects fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism. Researchers have identified that for individuals with Type 2 diabetes, staying on interventions for diabetes self-management is sometimes difficult and challenging. It is an increasing public health concern, especially in certain minority populations and in many developing and developed nations. This is especially true for the population of women 40 years and older in Mgbidi, Nigeria. In the Enugu State of Nigeria, women bear most of the burden of Type 2 diabetes when compared to the males in the state. This study explored and evaluated the impediments to self-managed Type 2 diabetes among Mgbidi women in the Enugu State of Nigeria, West Africa, using a qualitative phenomenological approach. The concept of impediments influencing cultural behavior was used as the guiding framework. The participants were a group of 9 women 40 years and older who live with Type 2 diabetes. Face-to-face in-depth structured and unstructured interviews were used for the data collection. The responses of the participants were recorded using a tape recorder with their consent. Their responses were analyzed using aspects of Hycner's and Colaizzi's approach for analyzing phenomenological data. The result of this study supported and expanded on the findings of the current literature review. Individual and social challenges and barriers came to light; such as lack of or non-functioning care centers, lack of diabetes related education, and misconceptions like ignorance, social support and medications behaviors. The use of the concept of impediments influencing culturally sensitive self-management behavior of type 2 Diabetes strengthened the study. The findings could help to enhance cultural sensitive diabetes education for this population and other populations who have diabetes in this community.

The purpose of this study was to examine the economic implications of a rapid population growth on Nigeria's economic development. It was particularly interesting to study the relationship, because at the present Nigeria is making some economic progress while undergoing a demographic transition. Apparently, despite the acceptable growth of the national income, the growth of the per capita output has not been encouraging. This output growth must have been hampered by the rather rapid population growth in Nigeria. The neoclassical growth theory was basically employed to explain the growth of output in the economy in terms of both capital and labor inputs. For instance, the short-run impact of a possible fertility decline could lead to increased savings capability, possible through the curtailment of the consumption of the dependent population. The long-run impact, on the other hand, could be the opportunity to increase the rate of structural transformation needed to raise labor productivity and personal income in the economy. The model revealed that economic growth rates in Nigeria have been declining with rising affluence. It is more likely that such a slowing would arise from the population pressure and resource limitation rather than from the propensity to invest.

Nigeria, in 2007 unveiled a seven point agenda with the purpose of promoting economic growth and reducing the level of poverty by 2020. This action propelled Nigeria to intensify partnerships with some countries, notably China. This research focused on Nigerian-Chinese relationship as it relates to three key areas such as Energy, Education and Infrastructure. This research found that Nigeria’s relationship with China is a continuation of past relations and concludes with some recommendations that will help Nigeria maximize the benefits of its relationship with China. The recommendations made include the elimination of corruption; requirement that foreign investors must provide suitable working conditions for Nigerian workers, with penalties for violators; projects within Nigeria undertaken by Chinese corporations must require at least 60% of the labor force to be Nigerian nationals and finally, that a regulatory body composed of professionals should be formed to oversee infrastructural development promised by the Chinese government.

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