2026

This research examined the extent of A Quasi-Experimental Study on the Effect of Informatics in Teaching and Learning in Universities in Edo State, with particular emphasis on differences across federal, state, and private institutions. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and was guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Data were collected from 345 lecturers and students using a structured questionnaire designed around key constructs such as ICT infrastructure availability, utilization, digital competency, and perceived challenges. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), correlation, and regression analysis using SPSS. Findings revealed that ICT infrastructure and utilization levels were generally high, with private universities demonstrating significantly higher adoption compared to public institutions. Gender did not significantly influence ICT utilization, while institutional type and academic role (lecturer or student) were significant determinants. Regression results further confirmed that ICT utilization positively and significantly enhances teaching and learning effectiveness. The study concludes that institutional readiness, infrastructural support, and digital competency are critical to effective ICT integration in higher education. It recommends increased investment in ICT infrastructure, continuous capacity building, and supportive institutional policies to enhance technology driven teaching and learning.

Fisheries and aquaculture are vital to global food security but face critical challenges, including security threats from unauthorized access, the limitations of reactive manual monitoring, and uncertainty in long-term production forecasting. Existing management tools often lack a unified approach to integrate real-time operational surveillance with predictive decision-support analytics. This study aims to address these gaps by designing and developing a hybrid methodological framework that integrates computer vision for security and advanced machine learning and time-series forecasting for production analysis and stock management. The study employed a dual-component methodology. For security, an OpenCV-based Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) descriptor combined with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) was implemented to achieve automated, real-time human intrusion detection and alarm triggering. For predictive analytics, a hybrid approach was utilized, applying Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with Exogenous Regressors (SARIMAX) for long-term production forecasting and various ensemble classifiers (Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, K-Nearest Neighbors) to analyze fish survivability and production trends. Results demonstrate that this integrated framework is highly effective across operational and strategic levels. The computer vision system successfully provided continuous, automated surveillance with verifiable digital evidence. The ensemble classifiers achieved near-perfect performance in survivability prediction (e.g., Random Forest Accuracy = 0.98, F1-score = 0.99, AUC ≈ 0.999). Furthermore, the SARIMAX model effectively projected a steady increase in global fish production, forecasting growth from 232.19 million tonnes in 2024 to 272.12 million tonnes by 2043—a 17.19% increase—capturing long-term temporal dynamics that static regressors fail to model. Based on these findings, it is recommended that fisheries stakeholders prioritize the deployment of computer vision-based surveillance to reduce security risks and labor costs. Additionally, management authorities should integrate ensemble classifiers into stock-management systems to optimize survivability and adopt SARIMAX-based forecasting for robust, evidence-based policy planning. The implementation of these data-driven platforms will significantly enhance sustainable fisheries governance and support proactive resource allocation.

The procurement of motor-vehicle spare parts through traditional physical markets presents challenges such as difficulty in identifying compatible parts, lack of price transparency, geographic and time constraints, and absence of centralized vendor platforms. This study focused on the design and development of a web-based online marketplace for motor-vehicle spare parts to address these limitations by providing a centralized, secure, and user-friendly platform connecting vendors and customers. The research adopted the Agile methodology using the Scrum framework and implemented a layered system architecture consisting of presentation, application, data access, and data storage layers. The system was developed using PHP for server-side processing, MySQL for database management, and HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and the Bootstrap framework for responsive user interface design. Selected spare-parts markets in Benin City, Edo State—Evbareke Market, Uwelu Market, and Igun Market were used as case studies to understand vendor operations and customer needs. The study objectives included designing a marketplace that supports product listing and searching based on vehicle make and model, implementing secure user authentication for buyers and vendors, enabling price comparison and vendor rating features, and testing the system to ensure reliable operation. The implemented system successfully delivered a functional multi-vendor marketplace with advanced search and filtering, vehicle compatibility matching, secure shopping cart and checkout processes, order management, inventory control, and role-based access control. Results demonstrated that the system effectively addresses problems associated with traditional spare- parts procurement by improving accessibility, transparency, and efficiency. Challenges such as database optimization, security implementation, responsive design, and system integration were encountered and resolved. The study concludes that web-based marketplace technologies can effectively transform spare-parts trading and support digital transformation in the automotive industry.

Vehicle identification and verification play a critical role in ensuring the security of controlled environments such as university campuses. At the University of Benin’s Ugbowo Campus, the existing manual vehicle verification process suffers from several limitations, including delays, human error, poor record keeping, and the absence of real-time validation. This study addresses these challenges by designing and implementing an Automated Car Plate Number Recognition (ANPR) system capable of detecting, recognizing, and verifying vehicle license plates using computer vision and optical character recognition (OCR) techniques. The system was developed using the Flask web framework, OpenCV for image preprocessing and license plate localization, and the Tesseract OCR engine for extracting alphanumeric characters. A MySQL database was integrated for storing records of registered vehicles and maintaining logs of recognition events. The system allows security personnel to upload vehicle images through a web interface, after which the application automatically processes the image, recognizes the plate number, checks its validity against the stored records, and provides immediate feedback. Testing of the system using images captured under different conditions such as clear daytime lighting, low light, skewed angles, and motion blur revealed that the system performs accurately under favourable conditions and provides partial or usable information even under challenging scenarios. Although recognition performance decreases with poor image quality, the system still offers considerable improvements over manual verification by reducing reliance on human judgment and enhancing the accuracy, speed, and reliability of vehicle monitoring.

This study investigated the relationship between Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based capacity building and the administrative competence of public senior secondary school principals in Edo South Senatorial District of Edo State. The study was motivated by the growing need for school administrators to possess adequate ICT competencies to effectively manage educational institutions in an increasingly technology-driven environment. Specifically, the study determined the level of ICT-based capacity building and administrative competence among principals, examined the relationship between ICT-based capacity building and administrative competence, and investigated whether the relationship varied based on principals’ sex, educational qualification, years of experience, and age. The study adopted a correlational descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 47 public senior secondary school principals in Edo South Senatorial District, while a sample of 24 principals were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that was validated by experts in Educational Management and Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability of the instrument was established using the Cronbach Alpha method. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation and t-test statistics were employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that the level of ICT-based capacity building (grand mean = 2.69) and the level of administrative competence (grand mean = 2.61) among public senior secondary school principals were high. The study further established a significant positive relationship between ICT-based capacity building and principals’ administrative competence. Significant positive relationships were also found based on principals’ sex, educational qualification, years of experience, and age. The study concluded that ICT-based capacity building is a significant predictor of principals’ administrative competence. It therefore recommended that the Edo State Ministry of Education should strengthen continuous ICT training programmes, improve the provision of ICT facilities in schools, and institutionalize regular professional development initiatives to enhance principals’ administrative effectiveness and improve the overall quality of secondary school administration.

The study is based on the Challenges and Prospects for Utilization of Health Centre in University of Benin. This study adopted an explorative and survey design method to examine challenges and prospects for health center utilization among students at the University of Benin. One hundred and ten respondents from the Faculty of Social Sciences (Department of Sociology and Psychology, 300-level and 400-level students) participated in the research. A questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection, and simple random sampling was employed to select participants. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data collected. The study identified five major barriers to health center utilization: long waiting times, poor infrastructure, limited services, inadequate funding, and insufficient staff. When rating the current state of the health center, the majority of respondents assessed it as providing Fair or Poor quality services. The primary reasons for dissatisfaction included long waiting times, inadequate equipment, unfriendly staff, and limited services. Despite these challenges, a significant majority of respondents expressed optimism that the health center could improve. Students recommended improvements including upgrading infrastructure, increasing funding, expanding services, hiring more staff, and improving patient care. The study concludes that while significant barriers to health center utilization exist, students have provided clear recommendations for improvement. Addressing these challenges is essential for increasing health center utilization and supporting student health and academic success.

Background: Substance use among young adults remains a major global and national public health concern, with significant implications for academic performance, physical and mental health, and social functioning. Students in medical related courses are expected to demonstrate greater health consciousness, understanding the prevalence, determinants, and commonly abused substances within this population is crucial for effective intervention and policy formulation. Aim: To evaluate substance-use among undergraduate students in the College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 437 undergraduate students drawn from the College of Medical Sciences of the University of Benin. Data was collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire assessing socio-demographic variables, knowledge, attitude, and practice of substance-use. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, results were presented in frequency tables and charts. Associations between variables were tested using Chi-square at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of substance-use among respondents was 80.5%, with alcohol being the most commonly used substance, followed by cough syrups and prescription medications such as opioids and stimulants. Male students and those in clinical faculties reported higher rates of use compared to their counterparts in basic sciences. Curiosity, academic stress, and peer influence were the major contributing factors. A significant association was observed between substance use and socio-demographic variables such as age, faculty, and place of residence.

This study examined the impact of social media on voting behaviour and youth advocacy in Edo State during the 2024 governorship election. The increasing penetration of digital technologies has transformed political communication, making social media a central platform for political engagement, particularly among youths. The study was guided by four specific objectives: to assess the level of youth engagement on social media during the election, to analyse how social media content influenced voting decisions, to evaluate the role of social media in youth advocacy movements, and to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with its use in political participation. A quantitative research design was adopted using a cross-sectional survey method. Data were collected from 400 respondents, out of which 389 valid responses were analysed. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential tools such as chi-square and Pearson correlation. Findingsrevealed a high level ofsocial media engagement among youths, with a majority actively following and sharing election-related content. The study further found that social media had a significant influence on voting behaviour, as a substantial proportion of respondents reported that social media content shaped their voting decisions and candidate preferences. In addition, the study established that social media played a meaningful role in youth advocacy, with many respondents participating in online campaigns and voter education activities. However, the study also identified major challenges, including the widespread dissemination of misinformation and difficulty in distinguishing credible information from false content. Hypotheses testing confirmed that social media significantly influenced both youths voting behaviour and advocacy outcomes during the election. The study concludes that social media is a powerful tool for political mobilization and participation among youths in Edo State, though its effectiveness is moderated by issues of misinformation and digital literacy. It recommends that policymakers, electoral bodies, and stakeholders strengthen digital literacy initiatives, regulate misinformation, and leverage social media platforms for effective civic engagement and voter education.

This study examined the political economy of elections in Nigeria, with particular emphasis on the implications of money politics on voting behaviour during the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election in Ovia North East Local Government Area. The study was motivated by the increasing influence of vote buying, financial inducements, and other forms of electoral malpractice on democratic governance and electoral integrity in Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data were collected from eligible voters using structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods to assess the relationship between money politics and voting behaviour. The findings revealed that money politics significantly influenced voters' electoral choices, reduced electoral credibility, and weakened democratic values by encouraging vote buying and undermining issue-based campaigns. The study also found that economic hardship, poverty, and unemployment increased voters' susceptibility to financial inducements during elections. It concludes that the persistence of money politics poses a serious threat to free, fair, and credible elections and undermines democratic consolidation in Nigeria. The study recommends stricter enforcement of electoral laws, effective voter education, improved campaign finance regulation, and the implementation of policies aimed at reducing poverty and promoting electoral transparency to strengthen democratic governance.

The recent challenges in financial accounting report requires the accounting profession to uphold transparency in the preparation of financial statements for users of such financial information. One of these challenges includes the application of unethical accounting in the presentation of financial report by management of an organization. Therefore, it is the responsibility of accountants in producing a standard, accurate, concise, and timely financial report applying accounting ethics in order to prevent frauds and misleading to the users of such information. The study’s main objective was to examine the role of ethics on the quality of financial report in commercial banks while the specific objective was to evaluate how integrity, objectivity, professional competence, confidentiality and professional behaviour relates with the quality of financial reports of commercial banks in Nigeria. The research design employed in this study was cross sectional survey. Target population received copies of questionnaire and 102 responses were subsequently collected. The findings highlight the significant role of ethical principles particularly integrity, objectivity, and professional competence in enhancing financial reporting quality. This finding underscores the crucial role of integrity in certifying correct and reliable financial report, aligning with prior studies that highlight integrity as a cornerstone of ethical financial management. The relationship between integrity and the quality of financial reports is significant. Objectivity and professional competence showed significant relationship with financial reporting quality. While confidentiality and professional behaviour showed negative associations with financial reporting quality, their effects were not statistically relevant. This indicates that although confidentiality is vital for protecting sensitive financial information, excessive secrecy may hinder transparency and accountability, ultimately affecting financial reporting quality. In light of the results, the study recommends the necessity for organisations to strengthen ethical governance and ensure that financial professionals adhere to good ethical principles to improve credibility of financial reporting.