Category Archives: 2018 Journals

MEASUREMENT AND ANALYSIS OF RADIATION LEVELS AT REFUSE DUMPSITE IN SELECTED AREAS IN UYO METROPOLIS, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

Okon P. Akpan, Udeme. U. Inyang, Kufre R. Ekandem Itoro A. Sampson & Philomena A. Etuk

Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic

Ikot Osurua, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Email: apostleop5family@yahoo.com

Corresponding author: Okon Akpan

ABSTRACT

This work was conducted to assess the level of radiation within Uyo metropolis using three dumpsites, dumpsite1 (Udo street), dumpsite2 (Itam market) and dumpsite3 (University of Uyo). This was achieved using a portable inspector alert nuclear radiation monitor (Serial number 1212, made in U.S.A) to measure the radiation exposure rate in microseivert per year ( µSvyr-1) . The measurement was conducted at interval of five (5) meters away from the point of reference (dumpsites)  up to fifty meters. The results obtained reveal that the average absorbed dose in the measurement in dumpsite1 was 143.70, while dumpsite2 recorded 88.53 and dumpsite3 recorded 75.38. This result is far higher than 70 as recommended by UNESCO on effects of atomic radiation, which could be as a result decay duration, nature of waste generated etc. It is recommended that the enlightenment programme be carried out to educate the people by the government on refuse disposed method; this however could put a stop to the indiscriminate disposal of refuse, re-circling method should also be adopted by virtues of transforming the already waste materials from size and shape into reusable forms.

Keywords: Annual dose rates, effective dose, nuclear radiation meter, refuse dumpsites, radiation levels

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN EDO STATE

¹Esangbedo Osabhie P.  ²Okaka Olisaeloka P. ³Ealefoh Dominic E. & ⁴Eichie Christopher E.

^1,2,3Department of Building Technology, National Institute of Construction Technology, Uromi, Edo State

⁴ Department of civil Engineering ,National Institute of Construction Technology, Uromi, Edo State

E-mail: paulesangbedo@gmail.com

Corresponding author: ¹Esangbedo Osabhie P. 

ABSTRACT

Public Sector often lacks expertise and knowledge to implement Public-Private Partnerships successfully. To manage Public-Private-Partnerships efficiently, government officials need guidance on how to apply Public-Private-Partnerships in different sectors of the society to ensure optimum service delivery to its citizenry. The objective of the study was to determine factors influencing the performance of Public-Private-Partnerships in infrastructural development in Nigeria. Specifically, the study was set to: determine factors influencing the performance of Public-Private-Partnerships in infrastructural development in Nigeria; and determine the extent to which such factors lead to success of Public- Private-Partnerships in Nigeria. The research adopted a questionnaire survey as primary data aimed at 100 construction government and private officials who have the knowledge of PPPs. Findings revealed that PPPs is a viable option for infrastructural delivery in Nigeria and should be better explored. It is also found that PPPs is currently unpopular because it has been under-explored.  Also, the respondents informed that the current PPP regulations in Nigeria may have to be changed or better adapted to be effective in administration of PPP transactions. The study suggests that government should pay special attention to the creation of skills within government to deal with PPPs and have equal responsibility to play in ensuring that PPP is promoted amongst the private sector during the procurement phase of the PPP by creating an enabling environment which is fair.

Keywords: implementation structure, infrastructural development, public private partnership

IMPLICATION OF COMMUNITY MARKET LOCATIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY OF RESIDENTS IN IMO STATE – NIGERIA

¹Egbe, Cyprian A, ²Ojinma, Chux, Okoraoafor, P. E. N. and ²Achubie, Mary O.

       Department of Environmental Management & Toxicology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture- Umudike

       Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri

Email: egbecypral@gmail.com,

ABSTRACT

Environmental safety is a serious concern to major towns and cities in recent times. This problem is compounded by increased population, communities/settlements and indiscriminate citing of markets.  In view of this, analysis of commodity markets locations in major towns in Imo State was carried out using ArcGIS 10.1 to determine environmental safety concerns of the selected markets; the points of interest of five (5) major commodity markets were captured, and buffer was performed to determine their level of severity.  The result showed that commodity markets are mostly sited along major roads, water ways and residential quarters with high, low and moderate risk levels thus creating room for hazards such as; incessant traffic congestion and man hour loss, fatalities resulting from road accidents, blockage of drains and consequent flooding, outbreak of epidemics from indiscriminate dumping of market waste to surrounding residents. The paper concludes with a call for a rethink in the siting of markets across major towns and cities and recommends the following: that public awareness campaigns should be carried out, that existing markets should be relocated from major roads, high ways and residential buildings and that planning units in the states should be empowered to implement the existing or reviewed laws on siting of market locations and effect compliance to ensure that the observed hazards are reduced or eliminated.

Keywords: Geographic Information System (GIS), Environmental Safety and      Community Markets.

APPRAISAL OF BUILDING PROFESSIONAL LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE MAINTENANCE OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT BENUE STATE

¹Momngu Daniel Tiough & ²Terhemen Thomas Hwande*

¹Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Benue State University Makurdi

²Department of Building, Saint Joseph Science and Technical College Makurdi

Email: emmyterk@gmail.com

Corresponding author*

ABSTRACT

The study assessed building professional’s level of involvement in the maintenance of   residential buildings in Makurdi local government area of Benue state. To guide the study, two (2) research questions were stated while two hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study used an analytical survey research design. A total population of 454 was used for the study. A disproportionate stratified random sampling technique was employed to select 25 Architects, 46 Builders, and 70 Engineers. This sampling procedure was found appropriate because the population was divided into strata of Architects, Builders and Engineers with each stratum sharing similar attributes as the case may be. A 40 item questionnaire Titled “appraisal of building professionals involvement in the maintenance of residential buildings” (ABPIMRB) was developed and used by the researcher. The instrument was given to one measurement and evaluation expert from Science and Technical Education Board Headquarters, Makurdi and three experts from building construction section in the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Faculty of education, Benue State University. The researcher employed the direct delivery technique in administering the instrument to, builders, architects and engineers in respective places of contact. The study found out that most of the maintenance facilities especially tools and equipment are available but not adequate in some cases and are hardly applied by building professionals during maintenance. The study mainly recommended the need for building professionals to adequately provide all the needed maintenance facilities and apply same as required when carrying out maintenance

EFFECT OF MICROBIAL INOCULATION AND POULTRY MANURE ON HEAVY METALS (Cd, Pb and Hg) CONTENT IN OIL CONTAMINATED SOIL IN CALABAR, NIGERIA

Muhammed Iliyasu¹, Akpan, Godwin U² & Marian, G. Solomon

¹Department of Soil Science University of Calabar, PMB 1115 Calabar

²Department of Soil Science and Land Resources Management University of Uyo, Uyo,

Email: agumoren1@yahoo.com

Corresponding author:  Akpan, Godwin U

ABSTRACT

Bioremediation technique is the safest and cost effective method of decontaminating crude oil polluted soils, because it does not leave any negative effect on the soil. The aim of this study was to evaluate microbial inoculation and poultry manure amendment on heavy metal concentration in crude oil contaminated soil. The experiment was laid out in a 5 x 4 factorial fitted into a completely randomized design. The first factor was 4 different genera of microbes (Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus ocbraceus and Penicillium oxalicum) and uninoculated (control). The second factor was poultry manure at the rates of Og/2kg soil (control), 5g/2kg, 7.5g/2kg, and 10g/2kg soil. A total of 20 treatment combinations and replicated three times was established. Although the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb) and  Mercury (Hg) were not above the acceptable limit in the contaminated soil, the influence of microbial inoculation and poultry manure combination significantly (P=.05) reduced the three heavy metals. Among the four microbes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa performed better in degrading the three heavy metals followed by Bacillus subtitles, but Aspergillus ochraceus and Penicillium oxalicum did not differ in their ability to reduce the heavy metals. The second factor, poultry manure alone reduced the three heavy metals better at 10t/ha than 5 and 7.5 t/ha, but statistically 10t/ha was not better than 7.5 t/ha at (P>.05). Among the treatments combination, Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 10t/ha poultry manure performed better than the other three in reducing the three heavy metals. Statistically Pseudomonas aeruginosa combined with 10t/ha poultry manure was not different from the combination with 7.5t/ha at (P<.05), in reducing the three heavy metals. Therefore, to safe cost of transportation and purchase of poultry manure, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in combination with 7.5t/ha poultry manure can effectively reduce heavy metals in oil polluted soils.

Keyword: Brormediatiob Microbial inoculation, poultry manure, heavy metals, contaminated.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: IS POPULATION GROWTH A THREAT?

Florence Ettah Essien & Ettah Bassey Essien

Department of Economics

University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

Email: floflorettah@gmail.com, essien.ettah@yahoo.com

Corresponding author: Ettah Bassey Essien

ABSTRACT

The study sought to investigate if population growth in Nigeria threatens economic development–environmental sustainability interaction. The economy and environment are interdependent. From the environment, the economy draws raw materials which are transformed into consumer products and energy. On the other hand, the economy – all productive activities in a society – affects the environment. Productive activities by households, firms and government directly and/or indirectly affect the environment either positively or negatively. Nigeria’s population grows rapidly and this increases population density and intensifies economic activities. It leads to land, water, and fuel shortages especially in rural areas. Increase in population in Nigeria is not matched with sustainable development. About 80 million people (64 per cent) of Nigeria’s population are poor, and a sizable portion unemployed. To survive, they depend largely on the finite resources of the earth; they explore, extract and exploit the resources almost without control. This indeed accelerates the rate of depletion of the resources and degradation of the environment. To mitigate the threat, government should pursue sustainable economic development by translating accrued income into hard infrastructure such as, housing, road and power as many petty businesses which the poor may involve depend on electricity. The productive base of the economy should be broadened through the establishment of a variety of businesses especially in the real sector of the economy; this will offer alternative employment opportunities to some who depend on the extraction and exploitation of the finite resources of the earth for survival.

EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC RECESSION ON THE CURRENT PRICES OF SELECTED BUILDING MATERIALS ON THE RATE OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN KOGI STATE FROM (2008 – 2017)

Zubair, Ahmed

The Department of Quantity Surveying

The Federal Polytechnic Idah, Kogi State, Nigeria

Email: zubairahmed6295@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
This study focused on filling the wide gap between the income and housing cost in Nigeria which has almost eliminated the low-income earners from the housing market. To solve this problem, this research studied the relationship between the prices of eight building materials (cement, gravel, sharp sand, reinforcement bars, emulsion, texcote, and gloss paints and roofing sheet) and the rate of housing development with a view to suggesting strategies that assist in the provision of housing to low-income earners by the government of Kogi State. Both, descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. It was established that the trend of the rate of housing development significantly differs from the ones observed for the building materials but the Rate of Housing development could roughly be estimated by employing the price of sharp sand and the price of textcote paint respectively because these materials correlated significantly and positively with the rate of Housing development. A major recommendation from the research findings was that policy makers should use the changes from the price of sharp sand and texcote paint to infer the solution to the problem of annual decrease in the rate of Housing development.

Keywords: Building Materials, Housing Development, Economic Recession, Regression, Correlation.