PGD Project

The study examined the joint impact of foreign capital flow and stock market performance on economic growth in sub Sahara Africa. Three (3) economies (Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa) were selected from among the 51 economies in the region, and
data spanning 22 years (1995-2017) were obtained and subjected to econometric analysis. The pooled mean group estimator (panel ARDL) was employed for data analysis, after preliminary diagnostics has been carried out to check for the time properties of the data set. Pooled results revealed that all foreign capital flow and stock market indicators were positive and significant drivers of growth in the long run, on the contrary short run result revealed that the stock market inhibited growth in the region. Country specific estimates produced mixed findings as some variant of capital flow was found to be positive while the other negative for the same country, for example FDI was found to enhance growth in Nigeria but hampers growth in Kenya and South Africa. On the other hand, while a significant positive short run relationship was found between FPI and growth in Nigeria
and South Africa, an inverse relationship between this variable was recorded in Kenya. Country specific result also revealed significant positive relationship between stock market and economic growth in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, although the
magnitude was found to be lesser in South Africa.

Nanoparticles (Nano particles) are defined as structures with a diameter less than 100 nm and novel physical and chemical properties that differ sharply from the macro forms. The medical use of nanosilver particles is growing mainly due to their antimicrobial properties. The impact of NSPs on the regulation of vascular tone (vasoconstriction/vasodilation), blood flow distribution, heartbeat, electric mechanisms, etc.; as well as their protective or adverse role in the development and progression of cardiovascular pathologies has not been properly understood. The aim of this present work was to determine the effect of nanosilver on vascular reactivity in isolated rabbit carotid artery.

This study was carried out to evaluate leucocyte functions in children with malaria with a view to determine the level of parasitaemia at which leucocyte functions are altered and also to determine the levels of the cytokine ‛‛TNF” alpha in children with malaria. Samples for the study were collected from Central Hospital and Stella Obasanjo Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Committee of the Ministry of Health, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. A total of three
hundred and fifty two (352) subjects were enrolled for the study. Two hundred and ninety four (294) were malaria infected children while fifty eight (58) were non-infected children.

The study examined the effect of the use of animation and picture on Senior Secondary School one (SSS1) students’ performance in poetry in senior secondary schools in Edo state. The study also sought to determine whether other demographic variables like sex and school type have effect on students’ performance in poetry. Eight research questions and eight hypotheses were raised to guide the study. The sample of the study was made up of two hundred and seventy-three (273) male students and two hundred and sixty-five (265) female students. One hundred and six (106) of the students were from all-boys schools, two hundred and nine (209) were from all-girls schools, while two hundred and twenty-three (223) students were from coeducational schools. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design, using the pre-test – post-test control group design, which resulted in a 3x2x3 factorial format. The independent variable in this study is the instructional method with three levels – animation, pictures and ‘chalk and talk’ method. The moderator (intervening) variables are gender with two levels – male and female and school type with three levels – all-boys, all-girls and co-educational schools. The dependent variable is students’ performance scores in poetry. One instrument was used for data collection for the study; a “Poetry Performance Test (PPT)” , with two sections A and B. Section A seeks to elicit respondents’ demographic data such as gender. Section B is an achievement test on Poetry with particular reference to the two poems The leader and the led by Niyi Osundare and Journey of the Magi by T. S. Eliot. The reliability of the PPT was estimated using the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20) and a reliability coefficient of 0.826 was obtained. Data collected were analysed using descriptive – percentage, mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics – xiii Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Independent Samples t-test. The level of significance was set at 0.05 level. The findings of the study revealed that students’ performance in poetry is dependent on the instructional method. It also revealed that the difference in students’ performance in poetry is based on the method used. This is hinged on the fact that students taught with animation performed better than those taught with picture and the “chalk and talk” method. The findings of this study revealed that sex and school type were significant factors in students’ performance in poetry. These findings pose very serious challenge to curriculum planners and English-in- Literature teachers on what to do to significantly reduce the effect of these variables on students’ performance in poetry. There were significant two-way and three-way interaction effects of method by sex, method by school type and method by sex, and school type on students’ performance in poetry respectively. The following recommendation among others was made; that Literature-in-English teachers in senior secondary schools should be encouraged to use animation in poetry teaching.

This study aimed to appraise the transformation process of Christ Apostolic Church in Nigeria from an Indigenous Church to a Pentecostal Model. This has become necessary since the Church founded in the 1940s as purely an African Indigenous Church has acquired the features of a Pentecostal Church to the surprise of Church historians, theologians, and critics alike over the years. To achieve the above objectives, the study employed three major research methods in religious study: the historical, phenomenological, and evaluative. The historical method used to obtain information about African Indigenous Churches, Pentecostal Church and the Christ Apostolic Church. The phenomenological method was used to gather information from the members on what the status of the Church was before now and her present state, while the evaluative method was used to analyze the information from the members. The questionnaire was administered on a simple random sampling method. Those who were issued the questionnaire are members of the church, the clergy in particular. The findings of the study were; from the onset, there have been some Pentecostal features in the doctrine and practices of the Christ Apostolic Church, the Youth are attracted to Pentecostal Churches because of the glamour and social aspect of their worship, and many orthodox Churches now emulate aspects of Pentecostal worship to improve on their liturgy, to avoid the exodus of their members to other Church groups, emphasis on prosperity, healing, deliverance and to have solutions to all life challenges are major attraction to Pentecostal Churches. As change is the only constant thing on earth, it is recommended that the administration, while embracing reforms, the foundation of the Church must not be distorted. Proposed reforms in the Church liturgy and polity must be critically examined before they are implemented. The Church is a spiritual entity; therefore, its managers must not be swayed by sight but constantly in tune with the Holy Spirit. Dynamism is needed in every organization- socio/religious, political, and economic; otherwise, such a body may not be able to meet the challenges of the ever-changing needs of the changing world. It is needed in every field of human endeavour but this must be well articulated and coordinated otherwise things may begin to fall apart, and copy-cat could cause an organization to derail from its mission statement.

The soil is a reservoir for various clostridial pathogens, with agricultural soils representing a major source of contamination for overlying crops and grazing livestock. Indigenous bacteria in the soil environment can produce a wide range of solvents and metabolites more efficiently. This study therefore was aimed at determining the antibacterial potential of crude metabolic extracts from Clostridium spp. isolated from cattle yards in Benin City, Nigeria against clinically relevant bacterial isolates. Soil samples were collected in triplicates each at 0-5 cm depth using soil Auger from cattle farmlands in Eyaen, Aduwawa 1, Aduwawa 2 and Dumez in Benin City Nigeria. Clinical isolates were collected from Medical Microbiology Laboratory, University of Benin
Teaching Hospital, Benin City Nigeria. The physicochemical parameters of the soil were analysed using standard methods. Minerals and heavy metals were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Bacteria were isolated using dilution technique and cultured on appropriate culture media followed by in-vitro screening for virulent factors. Isolated pathogens were subsequently assessed for antibiotic resistance to common antibiotics and resistance to crude metabolites using modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, while Clostridium species were further identified using molecular technique. The phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper where above the Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv) acceptable limit while electrical conductivity was below and potassium within FMEnv acceptable limit. The total Clostridium counts of soil samples ranged from 5.13±0.02 × 10 3cfu/g - 5.53±0.10 × 10 3cfu/g. The Clostridium isolates identified from the soil samples were Clostridium sporogens, Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium bolteae, Clostridium septicum, and Clostridium perfringens. Staphylococcus aureus was
found to exhibit positive characteristics for gelatinase, lipase, DNAse and hemolysin production. C. perfringenss and C. butyricum had the highest zone of inhibition against xi Escherichia coli (1.07±0.03 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (1.07±0.03 mm), while C. perfringens had the least zone of inhibition against P. aeruginosa (0.10±0.00 mm). Enterobacter aerogenes had the highest percentage antibiotic resistance (50%) which was against amoxicillin, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (42.1%) against parfloxacin. Clostridium species exhibit varying degrees of antibacterial activity against specific bacterial isolates which prove its potential therapeutic applications. Therefore, Clostridium species can be used commercially for the production of antibiotics after purification and proper standardization.

This study examined the relationship between perceived use of resources and achievement
in oxidation-reduction reaction, percentage perception of students’ use of resources, and
the contribution of sex, type of school, and level of perceived use of resources to students’ achievement in oxidation-reduction reactions in Urban areas of Ovia-North East LGA, Edo
state. Based on this, six research questions were raised and three were hypothesized and
tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. A survey research design incorporating ex-post facto was adopted as research design for
the study. The population for this study consists of four hundred and seventy-nine (479)
senior secondary II chemistry students in public and private secondary schools in urban
areas of Ovia North East LGA, Edo state. A sample of two hundred and seventy-seven
(277) chemistry students were selected for the study through purposive random sampling
techniques. An instrument titled Perceived use resource inventory and achievement test
was used to collect data from the students in the study. The instrument was face and content
validated by the researcher’s supervisor, a lecturer in Chemistry Department and a
chemistry teacher. The questionnaire had a reliability coefficient of 0.830 using Cronbach
Alpha Statistics while the achievement test had a reliability coefficient of 0.731 using
Kuder Richardson (KR-20), hence the instrument was deemed reliable. The instrument was
administered by the researcher with the assistance of the chemistry teacher and retrieved
from the students immediately they were completed. The data collected from the students
were analyzed using, percentage, Pearson product moment correlation and multiple
regression. The results from the Study showed that majority of the students were well acquainted with
the resources used in oxidation-reduction reactions. The result also showed that male
students identified resources for teaching oxidation-reduction reaction correctly compared
to female students. Furthermore, the results showed that male students identified resources
for teaching oxidation-reduction reaction correctly more than the female students both in
x
public schools and private schools. The result also revealed that there was a
significant relationship between perceived use of resources and the achievement
of students inoxidation-reductions. It was also revealed from the result that there
was no significant relationship between perceived use of resources and the
achievement of male and female students in oxidation-reductions in public and
private schools. The result further revealed that perceived use of resources
significantly contributed to the achievement of the students in oxidationreduction reaction, whereas, sex and school ownership did not significantly
contribute to the achievement of the students. Based on the findings in the study, it was recommended that chemistry teachers should prioritized using resources
in explaining concepts so as to increase the students' conceptualization and also
deploy the most appropriate pedagogical contents that could help students
conceptualize very well and know what is expected in oxidation-reduction
reactions, chemistry teachers should ensure that both male and female science
students are actively involved in science classes, government and private school
owners should provide learning materials especially in the science areas like
chemistry to meet the needs of students during their learning and study time.

An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave his/her home due to a crisis, conflict, or natural disaster to find safety within their country's borders. Internal displacement has significant effects on public health, including the prevalence of typhoid fever. Following decades of several crises in Benue State, there has been an increasing number of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of virulent and resistant genes of Salmonella typhi among internally displaced persons in two local government areas of Benue State, Nigeria. Four hundred (400) stool samples were collected alongside with a well-structured questionnaires, 200 stool samples were collected from each IDP camp (Logo and Guma). The samples were screened for Salmonella Typhi following standard bacteriological procedures. Salmonella isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility test on Muller-Hinton agar following the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion technique. Plasmid gel electrophoresis was used to screen the isolates for plasmids. Acridine orange was used for curing experiment. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect virulent and resistant genes: inVA, FliC-d, tetA and blaTEM, respectively. The identification of Salmonella Typhi was done by using PCR the STY0307- specific gene primers. The results of this study showed a higher prevalence [50(12.5%)] of S. typhi infection in Logo LGA compared to Guma LGA, with 30(7.5%). Salmonella typhi infection was highest 5.0% amongst IDPs aged ≤10 years in Logo LGA and 3.0% in Guma LGA. Female IDPs had a significantly (P<0.05) higher prevalence rate (8.75%) in Logo LGA than males, with 3.75%. Female IDPs in Guma LGA had a higher infection rate 5.0% in comparison to males with 2.5%. Concerning duration in camps, IDPs who lived longer than 2years had a higher Salmonella Typhi infection rate (4.25% in Guma LGA and 9.5% in Logo LGA). Salmonella Typhi isolates exhibited resistance to ceporex (cephalexin), ciprofloxacin (cipro), ampicillin (omnipen), streptomycin (trobicin), gentamycin (gentamicin) and tetracycline (doxycycline). The isolates' multiple antibiotic resistance index (MARI) ranges from 0.4 to 0.7. The study demonstrated a high prevalence of plasmid mediated multidrug resistant potentially virulent strains of xvii Salmonella Typhi amongst the sample IDP dwellers. The antibiotic resistance was borne on lasmids following the post-curing experimentation. The isolates showed presence of the blaTEM resistant gene of 100.00% isolates and tetA resistant gene 50.00% isolates. Polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that 80% of the isolates harboured the inVA gene. The FliC-d virulent gene was not detected in the isolates. A total of 75.00% of the isolates showed amplification of the STY0307 gene, for Salmonella Typhi. The presence of typhoid fever and high levels of antimicrobial resistance plasmid-mediated in this study implies a significant threat to public health. It is therefore imperative for stakeholders and policymakers to prioritize healthcare infrastructure, routine screening, and education within IDP settings to curb the spread of resistant and virulent S. typhi strains.

This study was carried out to investigate the occurrence and structural effects of bitumen in Agbabu community using integrated geophysical methods (aeromagnetic, aero-radiometric and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). Two forms of datasets (Secondary and Primary) were used. These datasets provided useful information on the lithology and geological structures within the area. The geophysics data processing approach employed concentrated on enhancing the geophysical data quality and this aided in tracing accurate positioning of geological boundaries, the responses related to bituminous zone and geological structures that may be of vital economic importance The digitized geological map covering the study area was obtained for lithological information. The secondary datasets consist of an aeromagnetic and aero-radiometric basically for the reconnaissance study. Aeromagnetic and aero-radiometric map was obtained from the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) and processed using Oasis Montaj software to depict main lithology and structural features present in the Agbabu area. The primary data was acquired within the area suspected to have high potential for bitumen deposit using the wenner-schlumberger configuration. The potential difference produced was measured with the aid of PASI 16 GL-N Earth resistivity meter. The apparent resistivity
values obtained was processed using RES2DINV software which helped to automatically obtain the 2D inversion model of the subsurface. The results of aeromagnetic study show low TMI amplitude (-201.5 – 16.8nT) and high AS amplitude (0.053 – 0.172nT) at suspected bitumen deposit regions. The low TDR amplitude (- 1.4 to - 0.4nT) confirms a concealed basement depression hosting bitumen deposit. The 3D-Euler deconvolution helps to locate the sources of magnetic anomalies, it is deeper within the sedimentary terrain (841 – 1703m) and shallower (185 – 841m) within the basement. The interpretations of radiometric datasets revealed the spatial variation of potassium (K), thorium (Th) and uranium (U) radioelement concentrations as high as (0.6 – 2.5%), (7.9 – 28.0 ppm) and (1.9 – 5.1 ppm) respectively within the basement complex, but also low as (0.0 – 0.6%), (1.8 – 9.2ppm) and (0.3 – 1.9ppm) respectively within the sedimentary terrain. The ternary image shows very 16 low radiometric intensity that contained the bitumen structures, moderately high around lithological boundaries and concealed linear features reveal. This research has shown that the occurrence of bitumen was found between the depth of 13.4m and 9.93m for Traverses 1,2,3 and Traverses 4,5 respectively in 2- Dimensional electrical resistivity images which corroborated by boreholes with a depth of about 18m. The
results of this research indicated that bitumen has an average thickness of 11.67 m. The answers aid the exploitation of bitumen and made available for government and other relevant bodies in formulating policies for minerals development in the country. From the result of the coordinates of the airborne surveys, agreed perfectly with the values of Geophysical (ERT) traverses indicating the reliability of this type of joint geophysical investigation

The study focused on the influence of social media on the information seeking attitudes of undergraduates in select universities in Edo State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to find out the social media platforms used by undergraduates of University of Benin and Glorious Vision University in Edo State, Nigeria; to evaluate the usage o social media for information purpose among undergraduates of these universities; to ascertain how social media influences the desire of undergraduates of these universities to seek information and to finally determine the attitudes of undergraduates of these universities towards information seeking as a result of social media usage. In terms of the theoretical Framework, the information behaviour theory and two step. Flow theory were adopted, while the methodology used by the researcher was the survey research
methods. A sample size of 397 respondents was used to gather data for the study. Findings of the study revealed that social media makes it easy for undergraduates of the University of Benin and Glorious University to seek information on topics that interest
them. Findings also revealed that undergraduates of these universities seek more entertainment and personal development information than other types of information on social media. Based on the findings, the researcher concluded that the social media has influenced and will continue to influence the attitudes and behaviour of undergraduates towards seeking information. The researcher therefore recommended, among others, that undergraduates and youths should use social media for activities that are productive and will contribute to their academic knowledge, personally, mentally and to social development. The researcher also recommended that lecturers should encourage students to use social media platforms like Quora and Reddit when seeking for information.