PGD Project

The study investigated the influence of corporate governance practices on academic staff morale in private universities in South-South, Nigeria. Seven research questions were raised to guide the study. Research questions 1 and 2 were answered, while questions 3 to 7 were formulated into hypotheses and tested at a 0.05 alpha level of significance. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population of the study was 3,245 academic staff in the 26 private universities in South-South Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 356 academic staff from private universities in South-South Nigeria. Two sets of instruments, titled ‘Corporate Governance Practices Questionnaire (CGPQ)’ and ‘Academic Staff Morale Questionnaire (ASMQ)’ were used to collect data. The instruments were validated by the researcher through his supervisors and one other expert in the Department of Measurement and Evaluation, both in the Faculty of Education, University of Benin, Benin City. The questionnaires were found to be reliable, with a reliability index of 0.86 for CGPQ and 0.89 for ASMQ. The data collected were analysed using Mean and Standard Deviation for the research questions, while the hypotheses were tested using the Chi-Square statistic. Findings from the study showed that, transparency was the most predominant corporate governance practice in private universities in South-South Nigeria, and the level of academic staff morale was moderate. The study also established that there was a significant influence of corporate governance practices on academic staff morale. The study further established that there was no significant influence of corporate governance practices on academic staff morale based on age, sex, academic status, and marital status. It was, therefore, recommended, among others, that the corporate governance practice of transparency be strengthened, while ensuring accountability, upholding ethical standards, and demonstrating institutional responsibility.

Flooding along the River Niger remains a persistent hydrological and humanitarian challenge, exacerbated by data scarcity, climate intensification, and rapid land-cover transformation. This study advances a sustainable framework for flood prediction and risk mapping by integrating geospatial technologies with deep learning in data-limited riparian environments. The study focused on the Agenebode–Idah corridor, delineated by a 20 km buffer on either side of the River Niger. The research aimed to design, train, and validate a hybrid Convolutional Neural Network–Long Short-Term Memory (CNN– LSTM) model capable of representing both the spatial complexity and temporal evolution of flood dynamics. The overarching purpose was to enhance anticipatory flood governance and inform climate-resilient development strategies across vulnerable communities of the lower Niger Basin. Methodologically, the study employed a multi-source geospatial architecture integrating CHIRPS rainfall, ERA5 soil moisture and temperature, SRTM topography, Sentinel-1 SAR inundation data, and Landsat-derived land-use/land-cover information. The CNN component extracted geomorphological and hydrological features, including elevation, slope, vegetation, and proximity to rivers, while the LSTM component learned the sequential dependencies of hydroclimatic variables over time. Model calibration and validation employed rigorous statistical and spatial metrics, including ROC–AUC, F1- score, RMSE, and confusion matrix analysis, alongside geospatial overlays between predicted and observed flood masks. The framework simulated both historical flood dynamics (2000–2024) and flood probabilities (2026–2035), allowing for a comprehensive spatiotemporal risk assessment. Results revealed that the hybrid CNN–LSTM achieved high predictive fidelity (ROC– AUC = 0.92; F1 = 0.86; RMSE = 0.081), outperforming baseline machine-learning and hydrodynamic models. Spatial analyses identified chronic flood hotspots in Agenebode, Anegbete, Ifeku Island, Ogurugu, and Idah. Forward projections indicated a 34% spatial expansion of high-risk zones by 2035, primarily across cropland and peri-urban settlements. The study concludes that coupling AI-driven deep learning with geospatial intelligence enhances flood forecasting capacity in data-scarce regions, providing a replicable, operational blueprint for early warning systems, spatial planning, and adaptive water governance in the face of accelerating climate variability.

Cette recherche explore le processus complexe de traduction de la pièce
“Olurounbi ou Le Prix d’un Pari”, écrite en français par l’auteur nigérian
Tunde Ajiboye mais inspirée de la culture yoruba, vers l’anglais. L’étude met
en lumière la traduction en tant que discipline multidimensionnelle qui
dépasse la simple substitution linguistique pour devenir un outil essentiel de
communication interculturelle. S’appuyant sur les théories herméneutiques et
de négociation d’Schleiermacher, Steiner, et Eco, elle examine les défis
linguistiques et culturels liés à la traduction théâtrale, notamment la
préservation de l’essence culturelle yoruba et des thèmes centraux de la pièce:
la cupidité, l’ambition et les conséquences des décisions impulsives. La
traduction vise à faire résonner l’œuvre auprès d’un public anglophone tout
en encourageant une réflexion critique sur les crises sociopolitiques du
Nigeria, le déclin des valeurs morales et les fléaux sociaux tels que la
cybercriminalité, la corruption et les meurtres rituels. En adoptant les cadres
analytiques et descriptifs de Nida, Jakobson, Vinay et Darbelnet, l’étude
aborde les questions d’ambiguïté, de polysémie et d’éléments culturels
intraduisibles. En comblant les écarts linguistiques et culturels, la version
anglaise cherche à élargir l’accessibilité de la pièce pour les publics africains
anglophones, tout en stimulant un dialogue sur les défis éthiques et sociétaux
contemporains.

This study examined the effect of Tax Policy on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows
in Nigeria, with particular emphasis on the moderating role of tax concessions. Using annual time-series data spanning 1994-2024, the study employed a short-run
Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) framework to analyse the dynamic relationships
between major tax policy instruments, tax concessions, and foreign direct investment. The
analysis focused on Company Income Tax (Cit), Customs and Excise Duties (Ced), Petroleum
Profit Tax (Ppt), Value Added Tax (Vat), and Tax Concessions (TAXC), while controlling for
exchange rate movements (EXR) and corruption rating (COR).The results of the Augmented
Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root tests showed that the variables attained stationarity at different
levels, while the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds tests indicated the absence of
cointegration and a long-run equilibrium relationship among the variables, thereby justifying
reliance on short-run dynamic estimation. The empirical findings from the baseline model revealed that CIT, CED, PPT, VAT, and
TAXC do not exert statistically significant direct short-run effects on foreign direct investment
inflows in Nigeria. However, the results of the moderated model indicate that TAXC
significantly moderate the relationships between CIT and FDI, as well as between VAT and FDI. These findings indicate that tax concessions function more effectively as complementary fiscal
instruments that condition the impact of selected taxes rather than as standalone investment
incentives. In contrast, tax concessions were found not to significantly moderate the effects of
CED or PPT on FDI.

Political corruption stands as the most formidable and deeply ingrained barrier to Nigeria’s progress, persistently undermining economic stability, eroding public trust, and crippling institutional development since independence. This study aims to critically evaluate the devastating impact of this scourge on national development by examining its historical roots, socio-political manifestations, and economic consequences, while also assessing the effectiveness of existing legal and institutional frameworks. Employing a doctrinal research methodology enriched with historical analysis and comparative insights from successful models like Singapore and Rwanda, the research reveals that corruption in Nigeria is not merely incidental but a systemic feature enabled by weak institutions, political interference, and a pervasive culture of impunity. Key findings highlight the ineffectiveness of agencies such as the EFCC and ICPC due to partisan influence and operational constraints, as well as the complicity of the judiciary and electoral bodies in perpetuating corruption. In response, the study urges comprehensive reforms including ensuring the autonomy of anti-corruption bodies, enacting stringent campaign finance laws, establishing specialized courts for corruption cases, and leveraging technology for greater transparency, ultimately emphasizing that sustainable change depends on genuine political will and an engaged civil society to foster a culture of accountability and transform Nigeria’s governance landscape.

Malnutrition among infants and young children remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria and many developing countries due to dependence on traditional cereal-based complementary foods with low protein, energy and micronutrient contents. This study developed and evaluated nutrient-dense complementary food formulations from locally available soybean, groundnut, and crayfish as affordable alternatives to traditional weaning foods. Three formulations were prepared: Sample A (70:20:10), Sample B (60:30:10), and Sample C (50:40:10), alongside a commercial complementary food as control. The formulations were evaluated for microbiological quality, proximate composition, functional properties, and sensory attributes. Microbiological analysis of raw ingredients showed total heterotrophic bacterial counts ranging from 11.00 ± 2.83 ×10⁵ cfu/g in crayfish to 23.50 ± 7.78 ×10⁵ cfu/g in groundnut, while no Enterobacteriaceae were detected before processing. Following processing, heterotrophic bacterial counts decreased to 0.90 ± 0.28 ×10⁵–1.35 ± 0.35 ×10⁵ cfu/g. Bacterial isolates identified included Staphylococcus aureus (26.67%), Escherichia coli (20.00%), Salmonella spp. (16.67%), Enterobacter sp. (16.67%), Bacillus subtilis (13.33%), and Shigella sp. (6.67%). Proximate analysis revealed low moisture content (2.48–4.46%), crude fat ranging from 29.90–32.97%, and protein values of 15.30–22.53%, with Sample A recording the highest protein content. Functional properties showed acceptable bulk density (1.14–1.29 g/ml), dispersibility (58–70%), and water absorption capacity (0.63–0.92). Sensory evaluation indicated that Sample B had the highest acceptability among the formulated blends, although the control sample recorded superior scores across sensory parameters. This findings indicate that soybean– groundnut–crayfish blends are nutritionally improved, affordable, and culturally acceptable complementary foods with potential to reduce protein-energy malnutrition in Nigeria. Further studies on micronutrient composition, shelf-life stability, and growth performance are recommended.

The relationship between government health expenditure, human capital development and
economic growth in Nigeria was explored in this study and the period of study was from 1981 to
2023. To find out the impact of government health spending on economic growth, to know its
impact on human capital development and to analyse the role of human capital development in
economic growth. The data are of annual time-series data that were sourced from Central Bank
of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin, the National Bureau of Statistics and also from World
Development Indicators. Economic growth was proxied by real per capita GDP, while
government spending on health and education was proxying government health expenditure and
human capital development, respectively. The study was conducted using descriptive statistics,
Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test, Johansen cointegration test and Vector Error
Correction Model (VECM). The dynamic relationships among the variables were also examined
through the forecast error variance decomposition and impulse-response analysis. The first
difference of the variables was found to be stationary by the unit-root test and the cointegration
result verified the existence of long-run relationship between the variables. Estimated results
showed that government health spending negatively and significantly affected economic growth.
It also had a major adverse influence on human capital development. The ability of human
capital development, however, had a positive and significant impact on economic growth. The
error-correction coefficient found that about 6 per cent of the deviation from the long-run
equilibrium was corrected every year. The results indicate that – if there is a poor allocation of
public funds, poor monitoring and poor efficiency in the use of the funds – the result of an
increased health expenditure may not be the desired economic and human-capital outcomes. The
study, therefore, found that the provision of support to improve funding needs to be coupled with
an improvement in health and education service provision and delivery. It suggested ramp up and
continued investment in health and education, tighter budgetary control, better primary
healthcare facilities, better accountability in public spending and greater access to good quality
social services.

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder characterized by the production of
abnormal haemoglobin (HbS), leading to the deformation of red blood cells (RBCs) into a sickle
shape. This study aims to investigate modifications in haemorheological parameters in sickle cell
anaemia. A comparative analysis was conducted involving 60 participants aged 16-40 years, categorized into three groups: sickle cell patients in crisis, sickle cell patients in steady state, and
non-sickle cell controls. Parameters such as osmotic fragility, ESR, fibrinogen concentration, and
red cell deformability were measured using standardized laboratory techniques. The study found
a significant increase in osmotic fragility among sickle cell subjects during crises compared to
steady state and controls (p < 0.05). Fibrinogen concentrations were markedly elevated in both
steady-state and crisis groups, with the highest levels observed during crises (p < 0.05). Similarly, ESR values were significantly higher in sickle cell subjects compared to controls (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference in red cell deformability was observed between sickle cell
and normal subjects (p > 0.05). The findings underscore the critical role of haemorheological
parameters in the pathophysiology of SCD, highlighting osmotic fragility, fibrinogen elevation, and ESR as important markers of disease activity and crisis severity

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.

In the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to himself those he desired, and they came to him. The aim of this study was to evaluate the missionary enterprise of the Nigerian Evangelical Mission Association (NEMA) in Ibadan in light of Henry Venn’s threefold principles of mission. Some churches and mission organisations in Ibadan who are members of NEMA were assessed with the prism of Henry Venn's principles of self-supporting, self propagating and self governing. The methodology adopted for this study was historical and Phenomenological. The level of compliance and achievement of churches and missionary bodies which were registered with NEMA in realising these mission fundamentals informed the application of questionnaires and interview which were thoroughly analysed to secure accurate result. The findings revealed that through collaboration and networking which were the core principles of NEMA, some member churches and agencies had been better placed to carry out the Lord's command. It further revealed that though NEMA was the umbrella body for missions in Nigeria, many churches were yet to identify with it. Lastly, based on the principles of Henry Venn, churches/mission organisations find it difficult to raise adequate fund amongst nationals, though it was easier for indigens to propagate indigenous work. Therefore, there is the need for collaboration and corporation. Time, finance and the reluctance of participants to divulged necessary information posed some challenge. However, painstaking effort was made to secure the needed information. Efforts should be made towards creating awareness on the goals and modus operandi of NEMA and getting churches to key into her vision to be able to meet up with the goals of mission.