Social Science Research

Perception of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Among Civil Servants in Enugu State

2024-06-23T19:10:58+00:00

Obstructive sleep apnea is a markedly prevalent condition across the lifespan of particularly adult patients and overweight individuals, one of the most frequent symptoms leading to clinical referral for evaluation and treatment is abnormal breathing during sleep in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. This paper examined the perception of obstructive sleep apnea among civil
servants in Enugu state. The objectives of this study are to find out the awareness level, perception, and response of Civil Servants in Enugu State about Obstructive sleep apnea. The health belief Model was employed to explain certain health behaviors of some individuals. The survey method was done using a questionnaire as a data collection instrument. A sample of 371 respondents was
drawn from the population of the study which comprises Civil Servants in Enugu State. Findings from the study showed that the majority of civil servants are not aware of this health condition. Lastly, since they are unaware of the symptoms and risk factors associated with sleep apnea, they are not ready to go for a proper diagnosis because they do not believe that they may be suffering
from sleep apnea. The study recommended, that there should be massive and aggressive health communication campaigns for the awareness and knowledge of sleep apnea, its signs, and symptoms; medical personnel through their face-to-face communication with patients should help correct some of the misconceptions about the health condition and stress the dangers of poor diagnosis.

Zivot Andrews Test for Structural Break

2024-06-23T19:15:19+00:00

This study examines Government Expenditure in Nigeria in the light of Zivot Andrews test for structural break. The specific objectives of the study were to ascertain if structural breaks existed during the pre SAP, SAP and post SAP periods for economic growth and aggregate spending in Nigeria during the period under study with the aid of secondary macroeconomic data sourced from World Bank Development Indicators (WDI) covering a period of 1970 to 2023. The method of analysis employed was auto regressive distributed lag (ARDL) technique using government expenditure on transport, communication, health, education and utility sectors as independent variables independent variables and Gross Domestic Product as the dependent variable. From the results we observed, there were structural breaks both highest peaks and lowest peaks experienced during the pre SAP, SAP and post SAP periods for economic growth and aggregate spending in Nigeria. The study therefore recommends that the government should not only increase its expenditure in the key sectors of the economy but should do so in line with the needs for these infrastructural facilities so that the economy can attain infrastructural development.

Adopting Information and Communication Technologies for Effective School Leadership in Nigeria

2024-06-23T19:18:51+00:00

The birth of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has brought a paradigm shift in every aspect of life including the educational system and has the capability to enhance the role of school leaders in Nigeria. The place of school leadership is complex with continuous evolution and it is expected to be technologically oriented in order to meet the contemporary educational needs and demands of the digital citizens who may be fed up with the repetition learning method. As technology advances and radically changes the world we are today, it is necessary that school leadership advances with it in order to achieve a realistic and effective educational sector in Nigeria. However, the pertinent question remains, are school leaders in Nigeria embracing the benefits of ICT to achieve effective leadership? This study explores the role of Information and Communication technology-based school leadership in enhancing effective teaching and learning that is sustainable. It is situated within the framework of the technology acceptance model and adopts library research methodology and therefore, makes use of secondary data by using contributions of communication scholars and education experts to identify and discuss how school leaders can integrate ICT in their roles to achieve effective teaching and learning in Nigeria.

Influence of Information Sources on Purchase Decisions of Organic Skin Lightening Products among Female Civil Servants in South-East Nigeria

2024-06-23T19:22:26+00:00

Organic skin-lightening products have gained access to different public domains like the mainstream and various social media platforms. Mix method design such as, survey and in-depth interview was used. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence that Information sources have on the purchase decisions of organic skin-lightening products among female civil servants in southeast Nigeria. The specific objectives are: To identify the preferred sources of skincare information among female civil servants in southeast Nigeria. And to examine how skincare information sources, influence the purchase decisions of the female civil servants in southeast Nigeria concerning organic lightening skincare products. Using the sample sizes as worked out by Krejcie and Morgan (1970) for different population ranges, a sample of 609 female civil servants was drawn from different ministries, departments and agencies in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The study was anchored on the Social Cognitive Theory. The findings of the study revealed that the most influential information sources for female civil servants when making purchase decisions for organic skin-lightening products were family and friends, followed by social media advertisements. The study also found that respondents' purchase decisions are majorly influenced by convictions through referrals and recommendations from family, friends/associates, and also through online testimonials. It concludes that female civil servants' purchase decisions are influenced by their preferred sources which are; family/friends and then social media platforms. This study, however, recommends that both the online and offline information sources should be censored, this is necessary to help checkmate products' false claims that could endanger consumers' lives and expose them to health risks.

The United Nations’ Approach towards Global Peace and Security

2024-06-23T19:25:27+00:00

The United Nations was created after second world war in 1945 to facilitate and oversee global peace. Since then, it has intervened in several war and conflict situations in different countries of the world to maintain peace. Several approaches have been devised to achieve this. However, it is being faced with lots of challenges that limit the efficacy of its functions in maintaining international peace and security. Imperatively, this paper examined issues jeopardizing the efficacy of the United Nations towards global peace and security. Data gathering was through secondary sources like articles, journals, and textbooks. Realist theory by Hans J. Morgenthau served as a theoretical guide for explanation. The study unveiled that some of the issues affecting the UN approaches towards global peace and security are; the United Nations’ lack of courage in addressing effectively matters involving the big 5 permanent members, unfulfilled actions of the United Nations Security Council in areas where the interest of the Super-Powers are not at stake, the use of Veto Power to neutralize United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the new emerging issues, particularly global terrorism. The United Nations should be definite in application of its rules without special considerations to the interest of the permanent members of the security council. The security council should be reformed to accommodate interest of every ideological divide without any state or group determining its decision which will help to ensure equity in addressing global security concerns.

Prevalence and Effects of Police Brutality in Nigeria

2024-06-23T19:29:42+00:00

This paper examined the prevalence and effects of police brutality in Nigeria. Police brutality is the use of torture, violence as an interrogative technique and other wanton abuses of human rights such as extortion, unlawful arrest and violence meted out to citizens by members of the police. It was deduced that police brutality is prevalent and evident in Nigeria and was traced from the days of the colonial era to the current democratic dispensation with evidences of this brutality been witnessed during the ENDSARS protest, the unlawful arrest of youths and also the incessant extortion by the members of the police on the highways. The paper anchored on conflict theory and general strain theory as framework in explaining the prevalence of police brutality in Nigeria. This
paper strongly recommends that technology such as body cam should be integrated as part of the kits of the Nigerian police officers, which should be reviewed on a daily or weekly basis; this will help keep the behaviors of the police officers in check. Also, the salaries, benefits and allowances of the police officers should be reviewed to capture the economic realities and situations in Nigeria. In addition, periodic mental and psychological examination should be included in the scheme of the Nigerian police to ascertain the mental fitness of the officers.

Impact of Gender Inequality in Education and Labour Force Participation on Economic Growth in Nigeria

2024-06-23T19:32:40+00:00

This study investigated the impact of gender inequality in education and labour force participation on economic growth in Nigeria from 1991 to 2022 using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. Data on gross domestic product growth rate (GDPG) which is the dependent variable, gender parity index used to proxy gender inequality in education (GIE), ratio of female-to-male labour force participation used to proxy gender inequality in labour force participation (GLFP), population growth rate (POPG), dependency ratio (DRwp) were sourced from World Bank Development Indicators (2024) and data on capital formation (KF)was sourced from Central Bank Statistical Bulletin (2023). The estimated ARDL model indicated that gender inequality in education proxied had a negative significant impact on economic growth in the long run and a positive significant relationship with economic growth in the short run. On the other hand, gender disparity in labour force participation had no consequences on economic growth in the short and long run. Based on the findings the study recommends that more attention should be given to reducing the disproportionate female-to-male educational enrolment at all levels in Nigeria. Policies and programmes that promote equal access to rights, opportunities and privileges for males and females should be encouraged, thus, reducing gender inequality in all forms so that the nation can achieve economic growth that is inclusive and sustainable in the long run.

Perceived Impact of the Activities of Unknown Gun Men (UGM) on the Growth and Profitability of Large, Medium, Small and Micro, Businesses in Onitsha Main Market, Anambra State

2024-06-23T19:38:31+00:00

The activities and attacks of unknown gunmen is arguably a relatively recent phenomenon especially in south-eastern states of Nigeria that had instilled fear in the minds of people as a result of their deadly and destructive activities which has led to recent disruption in business activities especially the sit-at-home order. Thus, this paper attempts to investigate the perceived impact of
the activities of Unknown Gun Men (UGM) on the growth and profitability of Large, Medium, Small and Micro, businesses in Onitsha main market. The relative deprivation theory formed the theoretical framework of the study and the mixed methods research design was adopted by the researcher. A sample size of 204 participants was drawn Onitsha main market, Anambra state for the collection of quantitative data whereas 4 persons were engaged in In-Depth Interview sessions. The quantitative data collated from the field were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentages while thematic analysis was used in analysing the qualitative data. The study found that UGM activities have negative impact on the growth of businesses in Onitsha main market as UGM attacks scare away investors, lead to destruction of business premises/properties and discourages business expansion by existing business owners. The study also found that the activities of UGM lead to decrease in profit of Large, medium, small and micro businesses in Onitsha main market as a result of reduction in business days due to sit-at-home orders. The study recommended among others granting of the sovereign state of the Republic of Biafra by the Nigerian government will contribute greatly in curbing the activities of UGM since it the major agitation of those involved in UGM attacks.

Linear and Non-Linear Relationship between Energy Consumption and Economic Growth in Nigeria

2024-06-23T19:42:41+00:00

Energy consumption refers to the amount of energy consumed by individuals, businesses, and industries in order to meet their needs and to carry out their activities. The primary sources of energy consumption are fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower. This study examines the correlation between energy consumption and economic growth in Nigeria, utilizing both linear and nonlinear models, including ARIMA. The stability and acceptability of the data for time series analysis are confirmed through a thorough examination of descriptive statistics and unit root tests. The linear regression analysis reveals the substantial impact of energy consumption and inflation on GDP. However, the presence of residual autocorrelation indicates the need for further improvements in the model. The ideal ARIMA model for predicting GDP differentials is identified as ARIMA (3,1,1) through forecasting. The model assumptions are confirmed by validation using the Ljung-Box Q test. The results highlight a strong link between energy use and economic development, supporting the need for sustainable energy strategies. Suggested approaches including expanding the range of energy sources, advocating for efficiency initiatives, improving infrastructure, encouraging policy collaboration, and implementing rigorous monitoring and evaluation systems. These findings offer essential viewpoints for comprehending economic dynamics and plotting future courses towards sustainable growth in Nigeria.