This study focused on the effect of remittances in the economy of Nigeria from 1981 to 2023. To achieve this objective, the co-integration technique was applied. From the results and findings, it was found that remittances do significantly but negatively affect the economic growth of Nigeria. After further analysis, it was realized that the negative and significant effect of remittances persisted in the long-run and short-run. This implies that remittances are neither a panacea for economic growth in Nigeria. Additionally, in the long-run, the results showed that the conventional sources of economic growth such as FDI can spur economic growth in Nigeria while increase in exchange rate and inflation caused economic growth to decline. It was therefore recommended that policy makers should create investment vehicles like diaspora bonds among others, to encourage the citizens of Nigeria working abroad to lend their hands to national development. Moreover, as effort is being made to harness the potentials of remittances in economic growth, Nigeria can continue to improve its economy creating an attractive economic outlook that would appease foreign investors. This will help generate investment inflows through FDI, hence higher economic growth.
This study examines the economic and strategic transformation of Kütahya province from the early Republican era to the late 1960s. The primary aim of the study is to analyse the provincial implications of the central government’s policies of ‘Statism’, ‘State-led Industrialisation’ and ‘Local Development’ through the prism of the mining, heavy industry and aviation sectors. The primary data source for the research consists of dozens of documents -decrees, correspondence and reports- held in the Republic Archive fonds of the Turkish Presidency State Archives. The data, focusing on the period between 1929 and 1969, demonstrates that Kütahya was transformed into a strategic and political base through the establishment of major industrial facilities -such as the Sugar and Nitrogen factories- and aviation infrastructure works carried out under the supervision of British engineers. The study reveals that Kütahya was not merely a source of raw materials, but also assumed the role of a pilot region in industry, transport and the transfer of technical knowledge.
Background: Student-led surgical societies may complement formal undergraduate medical education by providing early clinical exposure, practical skills training, peer-assisted learning, mentorship, and opportunities for career exploration. Evidence regarding their educational contribution in Malaysian medical schools remains limited. This study examined members’ perceptions of the educational and career-exploration value of a faculty-supported, student-led surgical society. Methods: A cross-sectional online questionnaire study used a census approach among eligible society members at a Malaysian medical school. Of 150 active members, 149 met the eligibility criteria and completed the survey. The researcher-developed questionnaire assessed motivations for joining, participation, perceived learning and confidence, mentorship exposure, career influence, experiences with peer trainers, and barriers to participation. Ten perception items used five-point Likert scales and demonstrated high preliminary internal consistency during pilot testing (Cronbach’s α = .902). Data were analysed descriptively, with exploratory continuity-corrected chi-square tests, Cramér’s V, odds ratios, and 95% confidence intervals. Results: Early clinical exposure was the most frequently reported motivation for joining (75.8%), while workshops were the most attended activity (85.1%). Most respondents reported perceived acquisition of a specific skill (82.6%), and 67.8% perceived a positive contribution to academic performance or clinical readiness. More than half (57.0%) reported that participation had influenced their career goals, and 75.8% reported opportunities to connect with mentors or surgical professionals. Between 78.5% and 81.9% agreed or strongly agreed that peer trainers were knowledgeable, clear, approachable, supportive, and constructive. Respondents with mentorship or networking exposure had higher odds of reporting perceived career influence than those with non-affirmative exposure responses (66.4% vs 27.8%; OR = 5.13, 95% CI 2.24–11.74; p < .001) and higher odds of confidence in performing practised skills (89.4% vs 58.3%; OR = 6.01, 95% CI 2.46–14.68; p < .001). Stage of training was not significantly associated with perceived career influence (p = .158). The main barriers were time constraints, timetable conflicts, and limited clinical-shadowing opportunities. Conclusion: Members perceived the student-led surgical society as a valuable complement to formal undergraduate education, particularly for early surgical exposure, practical engagement, peer-assisted learning, mentorship, confidence-building, and career exploration. However, the single-institution, cross-sectional, self-reported design, absence of a comparison group, and high prevalence of pre-existing surgical interest preclude causal inference. Multicentre prospective studies incorporating validated measures, objective performance assessment, comparison groups, and longitudinal follow-up are warranted.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is ushering in a new era in banking, characterized by improved efficiency and a stronger emphasis on customer satisfaction. Persistent challenges continue to confront Nigeria’s banking system, spanning credit risk exposures, operational shortcomings, cybercrime, regulatory lapses and reputational vulnerabilities. The main objective of this study is to assess the challenges and policy implication of artificial intelligence and risk mitigation in Nigeria’s banking sector. The study employed a survey research design, utilizing estimation techniques such as simple percentages and regression analysis to analyze data collected through primary sources. The primary data were collected with the aid of a structured 5-point likert scale questionnaires. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 7 branches of Zenith Bank in Enugu State. The questionnaires were distributed to a sample size of 383 from a population of 9,271 using Taro Yamane (1967) formula. Data were analyzed using both traditional econometric techniques and AI-driven predictive model (Neural Network).The study concludes that AI applications have strong potential in mitigating credit risk and operational risks in Nigerian banks while applications in cyber fraud management are still emerging. The study also concludes that AI tools when aligned with strong internal control systems play a critical role in strengthening enterprise risk management in Nigerian banks. The study recommends that AI tools should be combined with human expertise (risk managers must interpret AI insights) to ensure context specific decision making. Banks should also strengthen data quality and cyber security infrastructure for AI deployment.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) encompasses a broad spectrum of technologies that replicate human reasoning and decision-making processes. In Nigeria, foreign borrowing remains an important instrument for supporting economic growth but overdependence often creates sustainability concerns. This study explores how artificial intelligence can be a tool for forecasting the effects of foreign debt risk on economic growth in Nigeria. The study adopts an ex-post facto descriptive research design and relies on secondary time series data from 2006 to 2024, sourced from official publications of bulletins of Central Bank of Nigeria, Budget office of the Federation and Office of the Accountant General of the federation. Variables considered include foreign debt service payment, total foreign debt stock and exchange rate fluctuations as proxies for foreign debt risk with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) serving as the proxy for Economic Growth. Analytical methods combined conventional econometric models (simple and multiple regression analysis of ordinary least square technique and ANOVA) with AI- driven approaches (Neural Network). The study concludes that foreign debt when strategically managed, support growth while exchange rate volatility significantly heightens repayment pressures and undermines investment flows. The study recommends that economic policy through the Debt Management Office should prioritize prudent debt management and sustainable borrowing practices and stabilize exchange rates to safeguard long-term growth.
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This study assessed how green human resource management practices impact financial institutions in Nigeria, with particular focus on deposit money banks operating in South-West Nigeria. The study specifically examined the influence of green recruitment on employee productivity; evaluated the influence of green training and development on service delivery; and determined the effect of green performance appraisal on customer satisfaction. The population for this study was 4,000 employees and management staff members of deposit money banks operating in South-West Nigeria. A probability sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 645 for the study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the demographic profile of the respondents, while the formulated hypotheses were tested using regression analysis. The results showed that green recruitment significantly relates to employee productivity in Nigerian banks; green training and development significantly influence service delivery in Nigerian banks; and green performance appraisal significantly impacts customer satisfaction in Nigerian banks. The study concludes that green human resource management practices play a vital role in driving both sustainability and organizational success in Nigerian banks. The study recommends, among other things, that Nigerian deposit money banks should make sustainability a key criterion during recruitment. By hiring individuals who already value eco-friendly practices, banks can continuously strengthen employee productivity. In addition, banks should expand their sustainability-focused training programs. This will build employees' capacity to integrate eco-friendly methods into daily operations, thereby improving service delivery.
Maintenance support services (MSS) - the work-access, lifting, workshop-based repairs, spare-parts stewardship, plant lighting, plant’s heavy and light duty mobility, measurements, inspection and testing services, welding and fabrication, planning and scheduling, bundle pulling and digital work-history functions that convert maintenance intent into executable work - remain largely implicit in the international asset-management standards, including ISO 55000:2014, ISO 55001:2014, ISO 14224:2016, and EN 15341:2019 - notwithstanding their earlier formalisation as aide au soutien en maintenance in the French regional standard NF X60-500:1988 - an omission that systematically degrades reliability in high-hazard liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations. This study defines MSS as a reliability-enablement subsystem of the asset-management system, develops a comprehensive classification of MSS functions, quantifies their contribution to asset performance, and proposes an integrated performance and maturity framework. An exploratory mixed-methods design triangulated three evidence streams: qualitative document analysis of an 18-document operational corpus spanning 25 years of LNG experience; a weighted Pareto-style impact assessment across eight MSS functions; and a two-round Fuzzy Delphi expert panel, with validation against item-level and scale-level content validity indices (I-CVI ≥ 0.78; S-CVI/Ave ≥ 0.90), Kendall's coefficient of concordance (W ≥ 0.5, p < 0.05), and Cronbach's alpha (≥ 0.70). The analysis yields a six-domain taxonomy - physical, technical, digital, specialised reliability, infrastructure, and coordination services - and a five-level maturity ladder progressing from reactive support to strategic reliability partnership. The top five MSS functions - work-front access; planning and scheduling; maintenance workshops; rigging, lifting, and heavy-duty equipment; and digital asset management - jointly account for 81% of cumulative MSS impact, consistent with the 80/20 maintenance-leverage principle. Documented 2017 turnaround outcomes include a reduction in jobs awaiting materials from 7% to 2%, 97% emergency-response-vehicle availability, 100% overhead-crane availability during the Train 3 turnaround, 90% heavy-duty equipment availability, US$2.65 million in three-year work-access cost avoidance, and US$26,700 in workshop-crane recovery savings. The framework equips asset managers, maintenance managers, turnaround teams, and executives to prevent support-overhead misclassification, apply explicit execution-readiness criteria, transition to competency-assured governance, and pursue net-zero alignment, Scope 1 emissions baselining, and life-cycle cost discipline, while linking frontline support functions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a transferable template for refining, petrochemical, nuclear, and mining operations. Building on - rather than superseding - earlier regional formalisations of maintenance support, this study is the first to consolidate strategic asset management, reliability-centred maintenance, and sustainability measurement within a single MSS maturity ladder grounded in longitudinal LNG archival evidence; it extends the ISO 5500x, ISO 14224, and EN 15341 standards family by isolating the support-function subsystem that those instruments leave implicit, establishing MSS as a distinct, standards-grounded discipline and a strategic enabler of asset reliability, operational resilience, and operational excellence across asset-intensive industries.
This study examined how three major Nigerian newspapers, The Punch, The Vanguard, and The Guardian, discursively construct unemployment through reporting, interpreting, and contesting National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) unemployment data. The purpose of the study was to examine the linguistic mechanisms through which statistical representations of unemployment shape perceptions of economic reality, institutional authority, and public discourse. A Critical Discourse Analysis was conducted using Teun van Dijk's Socio-Cognitive Model. The corpus comprised 60 authenticated news articles published between May 2023 and December 2024, with 20 articles selected from each newspaper. The analysis focused on six discursive mechanisms: statistical quantification, headline compression, agency and responsibility allocation, source attribution and authority, the tension between quantified and lived reality, and differentiated discursive patterns across the three newspapers. The study revealed that unemployment statistics were not merely reported as neutral measurements but were actively interpreted, legitimised, and contested through linguistic choices. Statistical figures frequently functioned as markers of objectivity and institutional authority, while lexical choices, modality, syntactic structures, headlines, and attribution patterns positioned readers towards particular interpretations of unemployment. The analysis further revealed a persistent tension between official statistical representations and accounts of lived economic experience. The study argues that this pattern constitutes silencing through quantification, whereby intense debate over statistical measurements can narrow public discussion of unemployment while backgrounding broader structural labour-market problems. The study contributes to applied linguistics and media discourse research by demonstrating how quantification functions as a discursive resource through which institutional authority and competing constructions of economic reality are established and contested.
The study examines the relationship between corporate governance and ESG disclosure on firm value in 30 non-financial organizations listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) from 2015 to 2024. The study was conducted in response to the on-going debate in the ESG-firm value relationship, as well as the absence of studies that combine the concepts of governance, ESG, and firm value in the diverse non-financial sector in Nigeria. This study employed an ex-post facto quantitative study design with a panel data approach, in which the study employed the following measures for corporate governance: board size, independence, gender diversity, and the effectiveness of the audit committee, while ESG disclosure was measured using a customized weighted index based on the GRI, with Tobin’s Q as a proxy for firm value, with the three hypotheses grounded in the agency, stakeholder, and legitimacy theories. The main estimator employs Driscoll-Kraay standard errors that address the problems of heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation, and cross-sectional dependence. Prais-Winsten panel-corrected standard errors reinforce the findings. The findings show that ESG disclosure does not contribute significantly to the enhancement of the premium of the firm’s value. On the other hand, the effectiveness of the audit committee is the strongest positive driver of governance. More important, the effectiveness of the audit committee is significant in the enhancement of the ESG-firm value relationship. This implies that good governance has to be in place for ESG disclosure to make an impact. On the other hand, board size is always significant and negative for firm value with all estimators. The study offers fresh intersectoral and long-term research for the ESG literature in Nigeria and offers useful recommendations for the SEC Nigeria, the NGX, and the FRCN.
The study examined an appraisal of Green Financing on the performance of Corporate Organizations in Southeast Nigeria, A study of Nigeria Breweries. Leverage ratio and activity ratio were considered the independent variables, while financial performance served as the dependent variable. The study adopts a survey research design. Primary data were adopted for the study, and data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included multiple-choice and open-ended questions. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS 28.0, while the chi-square was used to analyze the hypotheses. The resulting review that the leverage ratio has a statistically significant effect on the financial performance with a value of χ2 (35.752), which is greater than the critical value of 3.45. In contrast, the activity ratio has a statistically significant effect on the financial performance with a value of χ2 (19.922), which is greater than the critical value of 3.45 of the performance of Corporate Organizations in Southeast Nigeria. We concluded that green financing has a significant positive effect on the performance of corporate organizations. We recommended that performance Corporate Organizations, such as Nigeria Breweries, should endeavor to adopt green financing because it has a significant positive effect on the performance of their business.
Capital Structure and Liquidity of Consumer Goods Firms in Nigeria
Eze, Sergius Emeka, Ugwoke Robinson Onuora, Ugwoke Obioma Vivian, Okeze Chukwudi Idowu.An optimal capital structure ensures the liquidity, profitability and enhanced value for shareholders. Attaining an optimal capital structure requires the existing of all sources of funds, equity and debts. In Nigeria, however, the obstacles associated with accessing debts funds posed difficulties for some firms, including the consumer goods firms in Nigeria. The study examined capital structure and liquidity of consumer goods firms in Nigeria. Specifically, the effect of Debt Equity Ratio (DTER), Debt Assets Ratio (DTAR) and Debts Capitalization Ratio (DTCR) on Net Cash Flow of Consumer goods firms in Nigeria were examined. The study was based on time series data obtained from a sample of twelve (12) consumer goods firms listed on Nigeria Exchange Group during 2013-2025 periods. The data were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics, Unit Root and Panel Least Square Regression Analysis. Results suggest that Debt Equity Ratio positively, but non- significantly affect Net Cash Flow Ratio of the firms. {DTER Coeff. = 0.008920, and the P-value = 0.4487}. Results also show that Debt Assets Ratio positively, but non-significantly affect Net Cash Flow Ratio of the firms. {DTAR Coeff. = 0.304386, and the P-value = 0.2283}. Results further indicate that Debt to Capitalization Ratio positively, and significantly affect Net Cash Flow Ratio of the firms. {DTCR Coeff. = 0.777645, and the P-value = 0.0016}. The implication of these findings is that net cash flow of the consumer goods in firms in Nigeria will improve as combination of debts equity are used to finance the firms’ operations. Based on these findings, the study recommends that consumer goods firms in Nigeria should finance their business operations with more of debt than equity. The study also recommends that the firms should use debt financing to fund investment in long term assets, as this will increase firm profitability and checkmate excesses use of free cash flow by the firm managers. The study further recommends that the firms should increase the overall debts proportions in their capital structure as this will reduce tax burden, guarantees ownership control and voting rights and enhance cash flow and profitability of the firms
Quarterly real GDP is among the most widely used indicators of economic activity, yet cross-country policy and market assessments often rely on latest growth prints or pooled long-run averages that obscure regime change, drawdown depth, and the balance between adverse and stabilising tendencies in the growth path. This note applies a structural diagnostic—growth-pressure intensity, resilience capacity, failure and survival propensities, net structural health, and pre-critical early-warning—to year-on-year changes in constant-price quarterly real GDP for 99 economies, using the IMF Quarterly National Economic Accounts (QNEA) dataset. Panel results show mean pressure near 0.50, pre-critical conditions in about two-fifths of countries, and negative net structural health in about one-fifth. Economies at the high-pressure end of the distribution typically combine weak or negative mean growth in 2015–2020 with incomplete recovery amplitude thereafter; low-pressure economies combine higher positive growth shares with stronger post-2021 corridors. A static and linear reading that ranks countries only by latest year-on-year growth or by full-sample means systematically misorders structural risk relative to the regime-sensitive scores. Implications are drawn for international financial institutions, sovereign risk assessment, monetary and fiscal authorities, and cross-border investors. The note emphasises that activity-path diagnostics should be read jointly with external-buffer diagnostics where both are available.
This study investigated the physicochemical parameters (pH, Temperature, DO, ORP, TDS and EC) of water quality along with the 12 heavy metals concentrations in the Dhaleshwari River. DO and EC concentration indicated the presence of impurities and higher salt content in the water respectively. Various water quality indices were applied to evaluate environmental and human health risks. The average value of Nemerow’s pollution index (PN) was found to be 41.2, indicated river water seriously polluted. Metal Index (MI) indicated threshold warning of river water for drinking purpose. Average HPI and HEI were found to be 136.5 (HPI >100) and 28.96 (HEI > 20), respectively, which indicated river water quality is not suitable for irrigation purposes. Average PLI value was found to be 1.77 (PLI >1), revealed that river water quality moderately polluted for aquatic life. According to CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) standard, the mean ERI was found to be 1109.3, which indicated higher ecological risk in Dhaleshwari River. Toxic metal sources in water were located using source identification techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA), correlation analysis (CA). According to the total Heavy Metal Toxicity Load (HMTL), 64.35%, 56.34%, 78.73%, 99.82%, 87.4% and 86.87% of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, and Pb should be removed from the surface water to ensure safety. There were a threat of health risks resulting from the exposure through dermal contact, with As, Cd, Cr, Mn, Pb, Z, and V being the main contributors. The orders of decreasing values of the mean HQ were Cr > Mn > V > Cd > As > Pb via dermal contact for both adults and children. The mean HQ for only chromium concentration poses substantial risks to both adults (66.05) and children (62.37) when consumed orally (HQ > 1). The study demonstrated how human sources affect the amount of pollution in river water.
Impact of Rainfall on Paddy Production in Malaysia: An ARDL Approach
Wan Noranida Wan Mohd Noor *, Shampazurani Samsuri, Abdul Rahman Saili, Farah Adila Abdullah, Fatin Khairuddin, Mohamad Zahid MohamadRice is Malaysia’s main staple food and plays a crucial role in the country’s economy stability and social well-being. However, rice production is highly vulnerable to climate change, especially unpredictable rainfall that causes floods, droughts, and yield losses. This worsens the country’s low rice self-sufficiency level (SSL) and threatens food security. This study aims to examine the effects of rainfall on paddy production in both the short and long run. Annual time series data covering the period from 1994 to 2023 were collected and analysed using appropriate time series econometric models, namely the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Error Correction Model (ECM). The estimated coefficients were constructed in linear equation and logarithmic form and the model passed the relevant diagnostic tests. The estimated short-run coefficients indicate that technological factor significantly enhance rice production, particularly from the second lag period onwards. Similarly, an expansion in cultivated area demonstrates a positive relationship with rice production in both the short and long run. In contrast, rainfall exerts a significant negative effect on rice production, underscoring risks associated with flooding and waterlogging. The Error Correction Model (ECM) confirms the existence of a stable long-run equilibrium, with 90.4% of disequilibrium being corrected annually. These findings highlight the urgent need to strengthen climate adaptation strategies in Malaysia’s rice sector. Key measures include improving irrigation management, promoting the adoption of climate-resilient rice varieties, and advancing technology-driven solutions. For policymakers and stakeholders, the results reinforce the importance of sustainable agricultural practices to mitigate climate-related risks and safeguard national food security.
The increasing intensity of competition within the global telecommunications industry has compelled firms to adopt innovative international marketing approaches capable of sustaining competitive growth. Despite the growing adoption of contemporary marketing practices, empirical evidence on their effectiveness within the Nigerian telecommunications sector remains limited. This study examined the influence of international marketing approaches on the competitive growth of 9mobile Telecommunication in South-East Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the effects of Artificial intelligence- enabled marketing, hyper-personalized marketing, green marketing, on market share expansion, market growth, Competitive advantage. The study adopted a survey research design. Data were collected from 316 employees of 9mobile drawn from the marketing, sales, customer relations, and strategic planning departments across the South-East region of Nigeria using a structured questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that Artificial intelligence- enabled marketing, hyper-personalized marketing, green marketing, each exerted significant positive effects on competitive growth. The study concludes that contemporary international marketing approaches constitute strategic capabilities that enhance organizational competitiveness within the Nigerian telecommunications industry. It recommends sustained investment in artificial intelligence, customer-centric marketing technologies, environmentally responsible marketing practices, to improve long-term organizational performance and competitiveness.
This study investigated the effect of a homogeneous grouping strategy on fourth-grade students' mathematics achievement, alongside their classroom engagement and motivation, and the practical challenges of implementing the strategy from the teacher's perspective. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was adopted, supplemented by a qualitative component within an explanatory sequential mixed-methods framework. The sample comprised 30 fourth-grade students taught mathematics using homogeneous grouping. Three instruments were used—an achievement test, a classroom observation checklist, and a semi-structured teacher interview—whose validity and reliability were confirmed through multiple statistical procedures. Results showed statistically significant differences between pretest and posttest scores in favor of the posttest, with a very large effect size (d = 2.96). Students also demonstrated high levels of classroom engagement and motivation toward learning mathematics (M = 4.21). The interview revealed organizational challenges, primarily time management and the added workload of planning differentiated tasks. The study recommends adopting the homogeneous grouping strategy alongside targeted teacher training, and suggests future comparative studies incorporating a control group.
Prevalence and Patterns of Stress Symptoms Among Secondary School Students in North-Central Nigeria
Sanni, Ishaq Rabiat (PhD); Miranda Ambang Ane Adang (PhD)This study examined the extent and predominant patterns of self-reported stress symptoms among senior secondary school students in North-Central Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was adopted. The study population comprised 181,764 students enrolled in public and private secondary schools within the study area, from which 384 respondents were selected through a multistage sampling procedure involving proportionate stratification by school type, class level and sex. Data were collected using the Secondary School Students’ Stress Symptoms Questionnaire, structured on a four-point response scale. The instrument was validated by specialists in educational psychology, guidance and counselling, and measurement and evaluation, and yielded a Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.82. Data were analysed using mean scores, standard deviations and rank ordering. The findings produced a sectional mean of 2.82 and an average item-level standard deviation of 0.93, indicating that the respondents generally experienced emotional, psychological, behavioural and physical stress-related symptoms. Anxiety over minor issues emerged as the most prominent symptom (M = 3.19, SD = 0.90), followed by difficulty coping with multiple demands (M = 3.15, SD = 0.90), inability to control irritation (M = 3.15, SD = 0.85), distress following unexpected events (M = 3.05, SD = 0.87) and perceived loss of control when things went wrong (M = 3.03, SD = 0.87). Students also reported reduced academic motivation, diminished confidence in managing personal problems, anger over uncontrollable circumstances and physiological reactions such as rapid breathing, increased heartbeat and bodily discomfort. The study concluded that stress constitutes an important educational and psychosocial concern among the students surveyed, although the findings represent self-reported experiences rather than clinically diagnosed conditions or epidemiological prevalence estimates. It was recommended that secondary schools strengthen guidance and counselling services, implement structured stress-management programmes and establish coordinated systems for the early identification, support and professional referral of students experiencing persistent or functionally impairing symptoms.
Background: The effectiveness of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) depends on a number of interrelated maternal, embryonic, uterine, therapeutic, and health-system aspects. However, embryo implantation is a crucial stage of IVF. Predictors of successful embryo implantation in women having IVF in Benin City, Nigeria, were investigated in this research. Methods: Relevant evidence on patient characteristics, causes of infertility, ovarian-reserve markers, treatment variables, embryo quality, endometrial and uterine factors, laboratory practices, and sociodemographic barriers was reviewed and synthesized. Results: IVF prognosis was correlated with maternal age, ovarian reserve status, embryo quality, endometrial thickness, uterine features, and the technical complexity of embryo transfer. While AMH and antral follicle count were more helpful in predicting ovarian response than direct implantation, embryo quality and endometrial state seemed to be more informative than the quantity of embryos transplanted alone. Treatment options were also impacted by male-factor infertility and restricted access to reasonably priced therapies. Conclusion: Implantation success is multifactorial; individualized care, standardized IVF practice, improved affordability and locally generated prospective research are recommended.
The Role of Community Legal Culture in the Development of Public Interests in Kupang
Norani Asnawi, Detji K. E. R NubanThe development of public interest projects is a fundamental responsibility of the state in its pursuit of public welfare and prosperity. In carrying out this responsibility, the state must ensure that governance is aligned with the nation’s ideals and objectives, thereby fostering a sound legal culture within society. A strong legal culture plays a crucial role in advancing public interest development. High levels of legal awareness among citizens contribute to social order, stability, and justice throughout the development process. Development initiatives that actively involve law-conscious communities are generally more effective and sustainable. Law also serves as an essential instrument for safeguarding the public interest and ensuring that development outcomes are fair and equitable for all stakeholders. The state must therefore accommodate the diverse public interests of society in a manner that promotes both justice and prosperity. This study aims to analyze the legal culture of society, the challenges encountered in public interest development, and possible solutions as conflict-resolution mechanisms in response to community resistance toward several government development programs. This research adopts a socio-legal approach that combines textual analysis, document review, and field studies. The textual analysis focuses on the provisions of Government Regulation Number 19 of 2021 concerning Land Acquisition for Development in the Public Interest, as amended by Government Regulation Number 39 of 2023 concerning Amendments to Government Regulation Number 19 of 2021 on the Implementation of Land Acquisition for Development in the Public Interest. The findings provide an analysis of the role of legal culture in public interest development in Kupang City. The study identifies several factors that contribute to conflicts or public resistance toward government-led development projects, including: non-compliance with regulations governing land acquisition and land release for public purposes; coercive actions by the Kupang City Government; political interests and politicization; inadequate compensation; corrupt practices or bribery involving officials; the absence of direct benefits for local communities; uncertainty regarding legitimate representatives of indigenous clans or land-owning families, particularly in land transactions; and the fact that much of the land being traded has not yet been formally certified. These factors demonstrate that legal awareness within society constitutes a vital foundation for achieving sustainable development. Communities with a high degree of legal awareness are generally more inclined to comply with regulations, respect the rights of others, and participate actively in development initiatives. Nevertheless, the study also reveals that many of the causes and drivers of conflict are rooted in societal dynamics themselves. Efforts to address these issues and resolve conflicts or public opposition to government development programs may take the form of preventive and repressive measures, although some scholars also recognize curative measures as an important means of restoring relationships that have been damaged by conflict. Accordingly, it is recommended that the government address the underlying causes and drivers of conflict through the involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including community members, government officials, law enforcement agencies, community leaders, traditional leaders, religious institutions, and other stakeholders. Preventive measures, grounded in a humane and participatory approach, should be prioritized. Repressive measures should only be employed as a last resort. Where conflict does occur, curative efforts should be undertaken by the government to restore social harmony among communities affected by development projects carried out in the public interest.
This study provides an empirical evaluation of the impact of distribution channel effectiveness and product availability on product performance within Nigeria’s Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry a sector integral to national economic growth, employment generation, and consumer welfare. Adopting a descriptive survey research design, data were collected from 290 respondents drawn from selected FMCG firms across Nigeria’s South-West region using a stratified random sampling technique. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, including Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis, to test the hypothesized relationships among the study variables. Findings revealed that distribution channel effectiveness exerts a positive and statistically significant effect on product performance (β = 0.682, t = 10.74, p < 0.05), accounting for approximately 46% (R² = 0.460) of the variance in product performance. Similarly, product availability demonstrated a strong and significant influence on product performance (β = 0.684, p < 0.05), explaining 52% (R² = 0.520) of the observed variations. These results underscore the critical role of efficient distribution networks and sustained product availability in enhancing market penetration, customer satisfaction, and brand competitiveness. The study concludes that the synergistic interaction between distribution efficiency and product availability forms a strategic determinant of competitive advantage and profitability in Nigeria’s FMCG sector. It recommends that firms adopt technology-driven supply chain systems, strengthen logistics infrastructure, and expand distribution coverage to rural and semi-urban markets. The research contributes to the growing body of literature on supply chain optimization and provides actionable insights for policymakers and FMCG managers seeking sustainable market performance.
Managerial Succession and the Performance of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria
Nnajiofor Cyrus Eneh This study examined the effect of managerial succession on the performance of Money Deposit Banks in Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: assess the effect of succession preparedness on employee productivity; determine the effect of competency assessment on service quality; and ascertain the effect of knowledge transfer on staff retention. The study adopted a survey research design, with a population of 74,492 employees from ten selected Money Deposit Banks that have operated for at least twenty years. A sample size of 398 respondents. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed. The findings revealed that succession preparedness has a significant positive effect on employee productivity; competency assessment significantly affects service quality; and knowledge transfer significantly influences staff retention. The study concludes that managerial succession practices are critical determinants of bank performance and recommends that banks formalise succession planning processes, conduct regular competency assessments, and establish formal knowledge transfer mechanisms. The study also recommended that bank management prioritise formalising succession planning by developing comprehensive succession plans that clearly outline procedures for identifying, developing, and preparing potential successors for key leadership positions.
Nepal and the Himalayas have occupied a distinctive position in global literary, cultural and media discourse. Frequently represented through images of mountains, spirituality, remoteness, adventure, ancient tradition and cultural difference, the region has often been transformed from a complex social and historical space into an aesthetic and symbolic object for external consumption. Such representations are not necessarily produced through overt colonial domination. Nepal presents a particularly important case because, unlike many South Asian territories, it was not formally colonised by a European power. Nevertheless, colonial forms of knowledge production, classification, travel writing, visual representation and cultural comparison have contributed to the construction of Nepal and the Himalayas as an exoticised “Other.” This article examines these processes through the conceptual frameworks of Orientalism, postcolonial representation, neo-Orientalism and decolonial knowledge production. It argues that contemporary representations of Nepal frequently reproduce an inherited epistemic structure in which the Himalayas function as a spectacle of difference while Nepali subjects remain insufficiently represented as producers of knowledge about themselves. The article further argues that neo-Orientalism operates not simply through Western discourse but through tourism, global media, documentary cinema, digital platforms and the selective circulation of cultural images. At the same time, contemporary Nepali writers, filmmakers, scholars and cultural producers increasingly challenge such representational regimes by producing counter-narratives centred on locality, agency, plurality, memory and lived experience. The article proposes a shift from the study of Nepal as an object of representation towards Nepal as an active site of knowledge production. Such a shift, it concludes, is essential to decolonising Himalayan studies and developing a more dialogic, historically grounded and ethically responsible understanding of Nepal in global cultural discourse.
Building construction project delivery in Nigeria, particularly within the ecologically sensitive and institutionally complex environment of Delta State, faces persistent challenges including time overruns, budget escalations, quality deficiencies, and safety concerns. This study examined the metrics for measuring successful building construction project delivery and evaluated the current performance state across both public and private sectors in Delta State. Utilizing a descriptive survey research design, quantitative data were collected via structured physical, online, and telephone questionnaires administered to built environment professionals across Asaba, Ogwashi-Uku, and Agbor. From a total population of 476 construction professionals, a sample of 217 respondents was purposively selected using the Taro Yamane formula for finite populations. Data were analyzed using quantitative descriptive statistical methods, including mean item scores and relative importance rankings. The findings established that several key metrics used to measure successful project delivery. Indicators with mean scores equal to or above the average mean score of 4.19 were considered the most reliable measures of project success. These findings imply that effective project delivery is commonly assessed through the aesthetic appearance and visual quality, Achievement of specified quality standards and workmanship, Minimization of environmental impact during and after construction, and Completion of the project within the agreed schedule .Based on the findings and conclusions of this study.To sustain this trajectory and mitigate chronic cost and schedule variances, the study recommends that professional bodies (such as CORBON, NIA, NSE, and NIQS) expand continuous professional development programs, and that contracting firms embed robust financial management practices, digital quality monitoring tools, and strict environmental compliance protocols into their project lifecycle strategies.
Nigeria's real gross domestic product (GDP) growth over 2000–2026 exhibits a pronounced structural break: a high-growth regime averaging approximately 7.7% annually through 2014 gave way to a dual-shock interval (2015–2020) and a modest recovery corridor near 3.5% thereafter. Conventional planning and debt-sustainability analysis often rely on full-sample averages or optimistic reversion assumptions that obscure this regime shift. This study applies a risk pressure level test and assessment (rpla) structural diagnostic framework—emphasizing growth-pressure intensity, resilience capacity, failure and survival propensities, and net structural health—to the annual real GDP growth series sourced from Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED). Results indicate elevated structural pressure (index ≈ 0.58), low-to-moderate resilience capacity (≈ 0.36), failure propensity at or above the critical threshold (≈ 0.51), and negative net structural health (≈ −0.12), with a pre-critical early-warning condition active. The dominant contributors are the post-2015 regime break, the recession years 2016 and 2020, and implied oil-price and foreign-exchange coupling. The study argues that budgets, debt strategies, monetary policy, and investment frameworks that treat the long-run mean (~5%) as representative of current capacity systematically overstate resilience. Recommendations prioritise regime-conditional baselines, downside stress bands, and policies that raise resilience capacity rather than only optimising for the current growth corridor. Implications extend to fiscal authorities, the central bank, debt managers, development partners, and private investors.
Cabo Verde is a small, tourism-dependent open economy whose macroeconomic path combines periods of solid expansion with a severe pandemic shock and a subsequent strong rebound. Conventional summaries that rely on long-run average growth rates or the latest annual print obscure the depth of the 2020 collapse, the associated rise in external debt, and the quality of post-2021 recovery. This article applies a structural diagnostic—growth-pressure intensity, resilience capacity, failure and survival propensities, net structural health, and a pre-critical early-warning flag—to Cabo Verde's principal macroeconomic indicators for 2000–2025, drawing on official national series compiled by the Instituto Nacional de Estatística, the Banco de Cabo Verde, and the Ministério das Finanças. Results indicate moderate-to-elevated growth-pressure intensity (approximately 0.53), strong resilience capacity (approximately 0.87), failure propensity below a conventional decision threshold (approximately 0.39), and positive net structural health (approximately +0.19), with no active pre-critical flag. Regime means of real GDP growth shift from about +4.3 per cent (2000–2014) to about −0.1 per cent (2015–2020, including −20.8 per cent in 2020) to about +8.2 per cent (2021–2025). The variables contributing most to the diagnosis are the 2020 GDP collapse, the crash in tourism receipts as a share of GDP, the external-debt peak near 105 per cent of GDP, current-account stress, the 2012–2015 low-growth corridor, and fiscal deficits in crisis intervals—partly offset by post-2021 rebound amplitude and improved reserve cover in months of imports. A static and linear reading of the same data understates structural risk by averaging away the pandemic scar. Recommendations are offered for national fiscal, monetary, tourism, and debt authorities and for international partners, creditors, and investors. Implications extend to surveillance of small island developing states and to the joint reading of activity-path and buffer indicators.
Acorstic Name Poetry in Contemporary Society: A Critical Discourse Analysis
Kusnan; Mariam Lidia Mytty Pandean; Golda Juliet Tulung; Djeinnie ImbangThis study examines name acrostic poems produced by teachers who are members of the Indonesian Literacy Agents community through the perspective of Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The objectives of the study are threefold: (1) to analyze the linguistic features employed in name acrostic poetry, (2) to explain the processes underlying its production in contemporary society, and (3) to explore the relationship between name acrostic poetry and the broader sociocultural context of contemporary communities. Employing a qualitative approach, this study adopts Fairclough’s three-dimensional model encompassing textual analysis, discursive practice, and sociocultural practice. The participants consisted of 25 teachers from various educational levels selected through purposive sampling from a population of 100 teachers. Data were collected from poetic texts, open-ended questionnaires, and online interviews conducted between July and September 2025.The findings reveal three major insights. First, the linguistic construction of name acrostic poems is characterized by the predominance of highly affective lexical choices and cosmological imagery at the word level, nominal phrase structures emphasizing identity and values at the phrase level, and variations of Relational and Material Processes at the clause level. Figurative devices, including metaphor, simile, personification, and hyperbole, function as ideological vehicles rather than mere aesthetic ornaments. Second, the production of these poems is driven by profound personal motivations, such as trauma reconciliation, identity affirmation, and spiritual expression, while the structural constraints of acrostics stimulate greater linguistic creativity. Third, name acrostic poetry constitutes a social practice that simultaneously serves as a social document, a medium for the reproduction of values and ideologies, an arena for identity formation, a site of symbolic power relations, and an adaptive discourse within the digital era. These findings reinforce the applicability of Fairclough’s CDA framework to non-professional community literary genres and provide an empirical foundation for the development of literacy-based pedagogy.