MEASLES HEAMAGLUTINATION INHIBITION (HI) ANTIBODIES TITERS AMONG PERSONS AGE 2-21YEARS IN LAFIA, NASARAWA STATE, NORTH CENTRAL OF NIGERIA (Published)
Background: Childhood measles infection, despite vaccination programs, continues to experience outbreaks in Nigeria. The infection which formerly affect young children, now affect even older persons in colleges. This study was therefore, carried out to identify the measles HI antibodies titers among persons age 2-21years around Lafia, in Lafia Local Government area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Methodology: Blood samples were collected from a total of 235 persons aged 2-21 years between the months of April and October,2012, and were tested for measles antibodies using the heamagglutination inhibition serological technique, after obtaining ethical clearance, informed consent and the records of measles vaccination of the subjects. Result: Of the 235 subjects, 112 (47.7%) were females and 123 (52.3%) were males. Overall 222 (94.5%) had antibodies to measles, out of which 106 (45.1%) were females and 116 (49.4%) were males. The heamagglutination inhibition detectable antibodies titers and percentage occurrences were as follows; 4(6.8), 8(6.0), 16(7.2), 32(34.1), 64(38.3), 128(0.8) and 512(0.4). Conclusion: This result indicates the efficacy of the Edmond strain of the live attenuated vaccine used in the State and the immune status of the children to measles infection. A study that will involve larger sample size and the entire region to identify high risk pocket areas is recommended.
Keywords: Antibodies Titers, HI, Measles, Nigeria
RESOLVING REGIONAL CONFLICTS AND PUBLIC OPINION: THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE IN LIBERIAN CRISIS (Published)
Nigeria played an important role which led to the resolution of the Liberian crisis between 1990 and 1997. But between 1990 and 1993 towards the end of General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime (1985-1993), Nigeria’s role in the Liberian peace process became a major issue which preoccupied Nigeria’s external relations within the West African Sub-region. This paper examines in how public opinion influences government attitude and posture towards the Liberian situation.
Keywords: Conflicts, Liberia, Nigeria, Public Opinion
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF NIGERIAN MANUFACTURING FIRMS: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS (Published)
The purpose of this study was to investigate the Critical Decision Factors (CDF) of internationalization by Nigerian manufacturing firms, as well as, examines specific relationships between these CDF and Perceived International Business Performance Measure (PIBPM). 566 management staff of 14 Nigerian manufacturing companies, with international presence was randomly selected from a business-to-business database maintained by a national list provider. Using the integrated conceptual framework of international business strategy by Peng (2006), factors manifesting PIBPM were regressed on the CDF, manifesting successful internationalization. However, multivariate analyses was mathematically represented in a single equation, and this equation is expected to be used by Nigerian manufacturing companies in composing strategies to optimize their management of international entry decisions and international business performance. Overall, the paper argue that an institution-based view of international entry decision, in combination with transaction cost- and resource-based views, will not only help sustain a strategy tripod, but also shed significant light on the most fundamental questions confronting international entry decisions. Hence, a model incorporating the key elements of each approach could present a more realistic and comprehensive picture of international business strategies. The model also provides predictive implications on improved international business performance, given the activities of CDF manifesting successful internationalization.
Keywords: Institutional theory, International performance, Internationalization, Manufacturing Firms, Nigeria, Regression analysis, Resource-based view, Transaction cost analysis
AN EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE ON IMPACT OF CREDIT MANAGEMENT, LIQUIDITY POSITION AND PROFITABILITY OF NIGERIAN BANKING SECTOR (Published)
The study critically examines the relationship between credit management, liquidity position and profitability of some selected banks in Nigeria using annual data of ten banks over the period of 2006 to 2010. Time series properties of all variables used in the estimation were examined through Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test in order to obtain reliable results. It shows that all the variables were stationary and significant at first differences. The results from Ordinary Least Square (OLS) estimate found that current ratio is positively related to debt ratio and significant at 1% level. This confirms the alternative “risk absorption” hypothesis, which stipulates that efficient credit management enhances firms’ ability to create liquidity. In addition, the result shows that ROA has significant positive effect on current ratio confirming the “financial fragility – crowding out” hypothesis which stipulate that the ability of firms’ to maintain certain degree of liquidity reduces firms’ profitability enhancement. This conclusion has important policy implications for emerging countries like Nigeria as it suggests that when a company’s credit policy is favourable, liquidity is at a desirable level and lastly, the findings revealed that companies should ensure the monitoring and regular review of their credit policy and the allowance of cash discounts should be minimized as much as possible
Keywords: Credit management, Nigeria, Regression, commercial bank, liquidity position, profitability
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE BETWEEN PUBLIC POLICY AND BUSINESS ORGANIZATION IN NIGERIA (Published)
This paper empirically examines the causal relationship between public policy and its impact on business organisation. Data collections are mainly secondary over the period of 1980 to 2010. The study hypothesized negative relationship between inflation rate; value added tax; exchange rate and economic growth. Collected data were regressed using OLS technique and Augmented Dickey Fuller to test for the stationarity of the variables. Findings indicate a negative relationship between Public Policy and Return on Assets (ROA) while that of value added and exchange rate conforms with the apriori expectation of positive relationship and inflation maintains a negative relation. Hence, it is therefore recommended that Nigeria government should be consistent with a policy framework that is creditably maintained (fiscal stance, exchange rate policy, interest rate policy, pricing policy, etc) and the policy makers should also create credibility including political will in order to spur investor confidence for both local and foreign investments.
Keywords: Augmented Dickey Fuller, Business Organisation, Nigeria, Public Policy, Regression
