Master Dissertation

Nigeria's unreliable power supply is a well-documented challenge that creates one of the most difficult business environments globally, undermining the country's competitiveness. The consequences are evident. To cope with the erratic electricity supply, individuals and businesses are forced to resort to expensive self-generated power solutions. One of ths Business adversely affected by the state of Power Generation and Distribution in Nigeria is the manufacturing industry. Most welders rely on the epileptic nature of power to carry out their jobs and meet consumer demands. In most instances, the business loss the goodwill/confidence of her customers as job completion schedules are not met. This project focuses on the design, development, and optimization of an inverter-based arc welding system. This work aims at helping small scale Welders Busneses Meet their need for power. Inveter Welding Systems can be deployed in rural and semi urban areas that are off-grid. With this improvement, skilled workers can carry out their job near the target use location with minimal transportation cost. With proper funding, this project can be expanded for large industial use. The optimized system demonstrates potential for applications in various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and construction

This study determined and compared the values of exchangeable cations Mg 2+, Ca2+, Na+, K+, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of clay soil samples in Nigeria, using different pH media (4,5,7,8). Two different clay soil were analysed. Ammonium acetate displacement method was used for the analysis. The chemical analysis were performed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS), to determine the Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ content; Flame photometer to determine Na +, K+ , content and Colorimeter; used to determine
ammonium nitrogen content. The result showed that Sample 1, Exchangeable cations (E.C) for Mg
2+ had its highest at pH 7(0.198±0.03) and its lowest value at pH 4(0.142±0.04), Ca 2+ had its highest at pH 7(2.692±0.08) and its lowest value at pH 5 (1.188±0.16), Na + had its highest value at pH 8 (1.884±0.05) and its lowest value at pH 5 (0.409±0.03), and K+ had its highest value at pH 7 (0.926±0.09) and its lowest value at pH 8 (0.415±0.03) The result showed that Sample 2, Exchangeable cations (E.C) for Mg 2+ , had its highest at pH 5(0.047±0.002) and its lowest value at pH 8(0.032±0.003), Ca 2+had its highest at pH 8(1.339±0.08) and its lowest value at pH 4 (0.349±0.06), Na + had its highest value at pH 8 (2.185±0.04) and its lowest value at pH 4 (1.598±0.08), and K+ had its highest value at pH 8 (0.693±0.06) and its lowest value at pH 5 (0.415±0.07). Generally there was a decrease in CEC as the pH increased in the acidic media from pH 4 to 5 and an increase in the CEC as the pH approached neutral, and also a decrease when the pH was increased to 8 (basic medium). From the results obtained, it is evident that pH is an important soil property, because when the clay sample was treated at different pH, the values of the cations as well as their exchange capacity was greatly was affected i.e they had different pH values when subjected to different pH medium.

This study examined head teacher's leadership behaviour and teachers’ job satisfaction in public senior secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District. It also sought to determine whether there is a significant relationship between head teacher's leadership behaviour and job satisfaction based on the certain variables of directive, supportive, participative, and achievement-oriented leadership and job satisfaction indices such as workplace conditions, salaries/remunerations, relationships with colleagues, student behavior, parent participation, supportive, administration, supervision, responsibility, advancement and recognition. To guide the study, ten
research questions were raised and eight hypotheses formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study is a descriptive research that adopted the correlation survey design. The population of the study was 952 teachers and 136 head teachers in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Edo South Senatorial District. A sample of fifteen percent (15%) was taken from the population using the multi-stage sampling procedure and this amounted to 140 teachers and 20 head teachers in 20 schools. And 140 questionnaires were retrieved and used for the analysis. The multistage sampling procedure was used to select the sample of the study. Two questionnaires were validated with a reliability coefficient of 0.83 and were used to collect data for the study. The mean, standard deviation, percentages, Pearson r and Fisher’s Z statistics were applied to answer and test the research questions and hypotheses

This study examined workplace bullying and well-being among early-career academic staff of selected universities in Edo State, Nigeria. Specifically, it assessed the relationship between verbal abuse, aggressive workplace behavior, workplace exclusion, and
academic sabotage and well-being of early-career academic staff of selected universities in Edo State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. The study population comprised three thousand, one hundred and fifty-seven (3,157) early-career
academic staff of selected universities in Edo State, Nigeria. Using Yamane’s formula at a 5% margin of error, a sample of three hundred and fifty-five (355) early-career academic staff was determined, and a structured questionnaire was administered after which three hundred and twenty-five (325) valid responses were retrieved and found usable for the study. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression (Ordinary Least Squares) with the aid of SPSS version 24. The study found that verbal abuse, aggressive workplace behavior, workplace exclusion, and academic sabotage have significant negative effects on the well-being of early-career academic staff in selected universities in Edo State. The study recommended that universities implement comprehensive anti bullying policies, establish confidential reporting and grievance redress systems, strengthen mentorship and peer support structures, and provide counselling and employee assistance programmers. Furthermore, university management should monitor and evaluate interventions through measurable well-being indicators to ensure a supportive academic environment that enhances both employee welfare and institutional productivity.

The act of mentoring is an age long practice that dates back to ancient Greek mythology when Odysseus entrusted the care of his son Telemachus to the charge of an old man named Mentor who guided Telemachus to adulthood and saved his life several times (Cartwright, 2012). Inzer and Crawford (2005) state that mentoring is a one to one relationship that exists between the mentor and the protégé with the aim of the expert (mentor) voluntarily giving time to teach, support and encourage a younger, less experienced person (Protégé). Many organizations have
come to recognize the importance of mentoring and coaching programmes and have formalized systems of doing both. The world of work is rapidly changing in Nigeria with the influx of younger persons, women and other minorities into the workforce and the exit of older workers either voluntarily or involuntarily (Agbonifoh & Idubor, 2016). It is therefore expedient that the experience and knowledge of the older workforce be passed on seamlessly to the younger generation through the act of mentoring and knowledge management (Maxwell, 1998). The importance of mentoring and its benefits not only to the organization, the mentor and protégé, have been severally demonstrated especially in Western countries (Kram, 1985; Noe, 1988; Zachary, 2000; Leidenfrost, Strassnig, Schutz, Carbon & Schabmann, 2014). The situation
may be slightly different in Nigerian organizations as noted by Okurame (2008) because the negative connotations of mentors as godfathers. The notion of godfatherism is that an employee is under the protection and influence of a more powerful person with the aim of the junior employee getting benefits he may not ordinarily be entitled to, and for him to avoid punishment 2 for infractions. Mentoring however is to ensure that the protégé acquires the requisite knowledge, experience and guidance to enable him perform exceptionally on the job in particular and in life generally. It is about getting the protégé to learn from the mentor what he may not ordinarily learn or for him to learn it faster and in greater depth.

This study examined workplace bullying and employee performance in selected agro-industrial firms in Benin City, Edo State. Specifically, it assessed the relationship between verbal abuse, aggressive behavior, social exclusion, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, cyberbullying, and employee performance in the selected agro-industrial firms. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. The study population comprised 3,184 employees of ten purposively selected agro-industrial firms in Benin City.
Using stratified random sampling and Yamane’s formula, a sample of 426 employees was arrived at and a structured questionnaire was thus administered after which 397 valid responses were retrieved and found usable for the study. Data collected with a structured questionnaire was then analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression (Ordinary Least Squares) via the use of SPSS v24. The study found that verbal abuse, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and
cyberbullying have significant negative effects on employee performance in selected agro industrial firms in Edo State. Conversely, aggressive behavior and social exclusion, though negatively associated with performance, did not show statistically significant effects on employee performance in selected agro-industrial firms in Edo State. The study recommends that agro-industrial firms implement clear anti-bullying policies, establish effective reporting and grievance redress mechanisms, provide continuous training and sensitization for employees on the dangers of workplace bullying, promote supportive organisational cultures that encourage respect and collaboration, and institute employee assistance programmed to mitigate the adverse effects of bullying. In addition, management should monitor and evaluate bullying related interventions through measurable performance indicators to ensure the creation of safe, inclusive, and productive work environments

Water quality assessment of Ashaka Community has been carried out using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to determine the prevalent parameters during wet and dry seasons respectively. The total of ten (10) samples; nine (9) groundwater and one (1) surface water sample(s) were collected at random to cover the area of study during both seasons. The results showed that pH, EC, Cl, TSS and alkalinity were the most prevalent parameters in both seasons. Furthermore, other parameters measured besides pH, E-Coli and Coliform counts were below the values set by the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and World Health Organization (WHO). The high values of E-Coli and Coliform counts revealed the presence of biological contaminants in the water. The moderately acidic values obtained in the water samples and the high concentration of E-Coli and Coliform counts rendered the water unfit for drinking except routine treatment is administered( a neutralizing filter is used if drinking water is acidic to raise the pH to neutral synthetic magnesium oxide treats water with pH less than 6). However, the quality of water in the area can be used for crops production.

Hydraulic structures such as dams require energy dissipation for their safe operation. Scouring and cavitation are challenges which may arise at the downstream toe of earth dams due to inadequate provision for proper energy dissipation leading to severe damages or total loss of the dam. This study aimed at designing the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) type III basin for energy dissipation downstream of earth dam spillways in Nigeria using Microsoft Excel as computational tool. Microsoft Excel was used in developing the design code governed by a set of algorithms which conformed to USBR standard. The algorithm was used to compute flow data suitable for the formation of hydraulic jump within the USBR type III stilling basin. Various flow conditions with discharges ranging from 10 m3 /s to 110 m3 /s and inflow velocity ranging from 3 m/s to 18 m/s) were simulated at various basin widths ranging from 3 m to 12 m. Acceptable design flows were determined using the Froude numbers that ranged between 4.5 to 9 as the major criterion. The results obtained showed that an increase in velocity led to an increased Froude number for the various basinm widths. At 3 m/s inflow velocity, the mean Fr values were 0.59, 0.85, 1.03 and 1.10 forstilling basins width of 3 m, 6 m, 9 m and 12 m respectively. At 6 m/s the mean Fr valueswere 1.69, 2.38, 2.93 and 3.38. At 9 m/s, mean Fr values were 3.10, 4.34, 5.37 and 6.21. At 12 m/s, the mean Fr values were 4.77, 6.76, 8.82 and 9.47. At 15 m/s, mean Fr values were 6.68, 9.89, 9.89 and 13.36. At 18 m/s mean Fr values were 8.68, 12.42, 15.22 and 17.57. These implied that at increased basin widths, the efficiency of the formation of hydraulic jump improved with higher inflow velocities resulting in shorter basins with more numbers of baffle piers and chute blocks. The results obtained will find relevant application in the preliminary design of the type III stilling basins for earth dams, reservoirs in Nigeria, in accordance with the United States Bureau of Reclamation standard. It will also aid Engineers in the proper control and evacuation of small earth dams while checking erosive effects from the velocity of the evacuated outflow by means of hydraulic jump formation. Furthermore, experimental researches involving physical models are recommended to ascertain more results and facilitate more efficient and economical USBR stillingbasin designs

The Digitally Programmable Temperature/Time-Based Control System puts forth a system which enables users to choose the preferred temperature for the water to be heated while the device is in the temperature mode. The design is built with the objective of implementing a digital temperature monitoring circuit that will collect the temperature of water and send the value, digitally to a microcontroller and to create an alerting mechanism that will be in the form of an audio alarm and a visual display to alert the operator that an operation is done. By also providing precise temperature regulation and accurate timing the water heater will turn on when the user sets the desired temperature via the input switches, and the screen will begin counting down from the chosen time to zero. A signal from the microcontroller will be sent to the transistor's base through the resistor when the water reaches the specified temperature, cutting off the power to the heater. In order to activate the relay, the transistor must become saturated. Given that the heater is linked to the relay's typically open contact, the water heater will be turned off. The flow chart were established, which helped with the proper circuit diagram design and simulations utilizing electrical simulation software like PROTEUS ISIS. The MIDE-written assembly language program was translated to machine code using TOPWIN6, and then burnt into the microcontroller IC using a universal programmer. The 555 timer, which is connected in the Astable mode, will be activated at the same moment by the microcontroller depending on the written program stored in its ROM. This will enable the buzzer to pulse and an alarm to sound with an LED flashing. The complete system operates on a 5 volts power supply which is
obtained from the public mains. This design makes use of an efficient and low-cost technology for controlling the appliances thus minimizing the power wastage. The results showed that the developed system provided accurate temperature control with a deviation of less than 1°C, and precise timing control with a deviation of less than 5 seconds.

The Digitally Programmable Temperature/Time-Based Control System puts forth a system which enables users to choose the preferred temperature for the water to be heated while the device is in the temperature mode. The design is built with the objective of implementing a digital temperature monitoring circuit that will collect the temperature of water and send the value, digitally to a microcontroller and to create an alerting mechanism that will be in the form of an audio alarm and a visual display to alert the operator that an operation is done. By also providing precise temperature regulation and accurate timing the water heater will turn on when the user sets the desired temperature via the input switches, and the screen will begin counting down from the chosen time to zero. A signal from the microcontroller will be sent to the transistor's base through the resistor when the water reaches the specified temperature, cutting off the power to the heater. In order to activate the relay, the transistor must become saturated. Given that the heater is linked to the relay's typically open contact, the water heater will be turned off. The flow chart were established, which helped with the proper circuit diagram design and simulations utilizing electrical simulation software like PROTEUS ISIS. The MIDE-written assembly language program was translated to machine code using OPWIN6, and then burnt into the microcontroller IC using a universal programmer. The 555 timer, which is connected in the
Astable mode, will be activated at the same moment by the microcontroller depending on the written program stored in its ROM. This will enable the buzzer to pulse and an alarm to sound with an LED flashing. The complete system operates on a 5 volts power supply which is obtained from the public mains. This design makes use of an efficient and low-cost technology
for controlling the appliances thus minimizing the power wastage. The results showed that the developed system provided accurate temperature control with a deviation of less than 1°C, and precise timing control with a deviation