VALUE CREATION AND PROFITABILITY OF QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANTS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

The Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry makes a significant contribution to the Nigerian economy; providing substantial revenues to government and sizable employment opportunities at the processing and retailing levels. Previous studies in Nigeria scarcely investigated organisational value creation impact on firm performance particularly in the QSR industry. Despite the increasing popularity of “eating out,” Quick Service Restaurants in Nigeria have shown a negative growth rate, with decline in total income, as it has become increasingly difficult to satisfy modern restaurant customers who seek unique experiences that are more than just consuming food. Hence, this study investigated the effect of value creation on profitability of Quick Service Restaurants in Lagos State, Nigeria. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. The total population was 414 owners/managers, accountants of Quick Service Restaurants in Lagos State, Nigeria. A well-structured and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficients for the constructs ranged from 0.72 to 0.92. The response rate was 73.2 percent. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that value creation dimensions had significant effect on profitability(Adj. R2 = 0. 395; F(6,296) = 33.801, p< 0.05).The study concluded that value creation had significant effect on profitability of Quick Service Restaurants in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study recommends that Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) in Lagos State, Nigeria should continue to deploy their resources effectively and efficiently, identify and satisfy the interests of their key stakeholders in order to enhance profitability.

SERVICE QUALITY AND STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION IN B.SC MARKETING DEGREE PROGRAMMES OF SELECTED PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH WESTERN NIGERIA

Delivering satisfactory educational quality is paramount to achieving institutional objectives such as improve revenue, enrolment growth, contributes significantly to the goal of sustainable competitive advantage for most for-profit universities. In Nigeria, many private universities are recording low enrolment into their BSc Marketing degree programmes. However, students’ disposition to marketing as a course of study has not been well studied. Most marketing education studies have focused mainly on the teaching methodologies without giving due consideration quality of educational experience that shape enrolment into this vital field of study. This study examined the effect Service Quality (SQ) and Students’ Satisfaction (SS) into BSc. Marketing degree programmes in selected Nigerian private universities in South Western Nigeria. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted in this study. The population consisted of 201 BSc undergraduate students from six selected private universities from South Western geo-political zone of Nigeria. Total enumeration was employed and all the undergraduate marketing students of the six selected private universities were respondents for this work. A structured questionnaire was adapted and validated. The Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient for the constructs were indicated thus; SQ =0.833 and SS=0.88807. The response rate of 97.5 % was achieved for this study. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that that service quality had significant effect on student satisfaction for B.Sc. Marketing degreeprogrammes in selected private universities in South Western Nigeria (R2= 0.084, β = 0.252, t = 2.757, p<0.05). The study recommended that universities and marketing professional associations should commit significant resources to organizing career fairs, workshops, essay competitions and expert series to create public awareness on the importance of marketing as a career and the foundational role the profession plays in profit and non-profit organizations.

E-GOVERNANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: A CASE OF NIGERIA

The study examined e-governance and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Nigeria. Secondary data were used for the study. The result indicated high internet use in South Africa (43% to 59%) followed by Senegal (34% to 46%) and then Nigeria (33% to 42%); it showed a positive impact on education, economy, personal relationships, politics and morality in the year 2017. The Internet’s contribution to GDP in Africa varies, ranging from a high of 59% in South Africa to a low of 25% in Tanzania. The West African region had the lowest regional index in the 2020 Survey scoring 0.2209 in 2020 as compared with the world average of 0.4939. Cape Verde (0.4221) continues to lead the region, with Nigeria (0.3491) and Ghana (0.3201) taking the top three spots. With respect to service delivery by stages (percent utilization index), Nigeria scored 9.7 and 0.5 in the implementation of stage 4 and stage 5 of the e-government indicator in 2020, while the ranking for the previous years at this two stages were not better. Nigeria’s infrastructure Index moved up from 0.0492 in 2010 to 0.0792 in 2020. Nigeria’s Human Capital Index also showed an increase from 0.59 in 2010, 0.61 in 2015 and 0.63 in 2020 with her Web Measure Index moving from 0.1303 in 2010 to 0.2241 in 2020. Currently, Nigeria’s e-government readiness index is placed at 0.5053 which shows improvement but strictly in an African context. The study recommended that government play a leading role in developing the ICT infrastructure, this is important for successful e-government implementation in a developing economy.

INFLUENCE OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECTIVENESS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Administrative effectiveness in secondary schools is germane to making education relevant to the growth of the society.The operational processes and functions in school administration depend on the good management of the documented activities of the school programs, infrastructures, staff and students found in school records for successful executions. Previous studies found that school records were basically created in paper formats which ran into many volumes with the problems of inadequate storage and in-effective preservation methods among others, although the studies did not use the records life cycle in the appraisal of the records management practices. These reported poor records management practices made the retrieval of school records difficult and sometimes impossible resulting in in-effective school administration. This paper examines the influence of records management practices on administrative effectiveness in public secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted for this study and the instrument for data collection was a questionnaire administered on a sample size of360 administrative team members in public senior secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. Data analysis was done using frequency counts and simple percentages to answer the research questions while regression analysis technique was employed to test he hypotheses. Research findings revealed that the schools have all the statutory and non- statutory records for proper and adequate administrative duties, the records management policy manual was available and the records management practices were based on the records life cycle in the public senior secondary schools in Lagos State. Additionally, the study found that the records creation stage was well managed while the maintenance and use stage were fairly managed and the disposition stage was poorly managed. Based on the findings, the study recommends the provision of equipment that would ensure that school records are properly stored, preserved and disposed to achieve best practices in records management for effective school administration.

SOCIOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE ETHICS OF SOCIAL MEDIA: AN AFRICAN’S DIARY

Many, including traditional rulers and scholars alike have admonished subjects and, indeed all indigenous citizens all over Africa, to reinvigorate commitment to the value and employment of indigenous language because it’s uniquely a people’s ultimate source of identity and solidarity as against the lasciviousness or abstruseness offered by the foreign or imported format/electronic social media. This opinion implies that the imported platforms offer indigenous languages relegation, disuse, stagnation and disappearance as means of communication—which, of course, is the transference of thought and meaning, achieved through language. And through language one communicates values, admittedly also across cultures. And developments in modern technology have mostly enhanced (whether or not they apply) those media (social) of internalizing foreign accretions universally with untold consequences for indigenous cultural values and morality. Accordingly, the imperative of this paper is to perspectives those sociological (social impact) and philosophical issues (ethical consideration) arising from that development. By critical analysis, the paper adumbrates how the adaptation and application of contemporary social media has adversely affected cherished traditional values. It concludes that modern social media is replete with both transmitting immorality and affording the widest medium for anyone to communicate same across the world. The work recommends, however, that although the social media has enhanced channels of communication, its applicability should be censored and subjected to cultural suitability test, which is the only way to preserve cherished core traditional values/morality—which essence should be taught to the youthful user at some early stage in life.

AMNESTY PROGRAMME AND THE RESURGENCE OF CONFLICT IN THE NIGER DELTA: THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

In spite of policy measures to address development challenges in the Niger Delta region, conflict still persist in the oil-rich region hence; this study examined the factors responsible for the resurgence of conflict and kidnappings in the Niger Delta region. Data for the study were drawn from secondary sources while the basic human needs theory was adopted as the theoretical framework to guide the study. The study was descriptive hence, analysis was also done qualitatively. The paper argues that policy actions and programmes of government can only be effective and meaningful when it is backed by short and long term strategic implementation plans and strategies. Findings from the study revealed that conflict still persist in the Niger Delta because the federal government’s amnesty programme in the Niger Delta region was militant centred and not development centred. Thus, the core issues and drivers of the conflict are yet to be addressed by existing policy actions. To ensure lasting peace in the Niger Delta, there is need for periodic policy review and re-evaluation in order to meet changing situations and circumstances.

IMPACT OF NON-OIL FOREIGN TRADE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NIGERIA

This study probed the impact of non-oil foreign trade on economic growth of Nigeria within the period 1986 to 2018.The specific objectives of this research are to examine the impact of non-oil import on economic growth of Nigeria and the impact of non-oil export on economic growth in Nigeria. The study adopted the ex post facto research design. The data were sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria’s Statistical Bulletin. The study employed the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to investigate and analyze the long-run and short-run impact of non-oil foreign trade, proxy by non-oil export and non-oil import; on economic growth, proxy by gross domestic product (GDP). Findings revealed that in the long-run, increase in non-oil export and non-oil import will lead to decrease in the GDP. However, the VECM results indicate that, in the short-run, increase in non-oil import will lead to increase in the GDP, while increase in non-oil export in the short- run will lead to decrease in GDP. From the findings, this study concludes that non-oil import trade has a positive impact on GDP while non-oil export has a negative impact on GDP in Nigeria. This study recommends that Nigeria’s non-oil export should be heavily invested in non-oil high-earning productive sectors such as agriculture and mining. This will create a multiplier effect and increase the productive capacity of non-oil export for sustainable economic development in Nigeria. It is also recommended that non-oil import of Nigeria’s economy should be curtailed by making policies that will encourage import-substitution and enhance economic growth in Nigeria.

VALUE OF DIRGE IN THE MUSICAL CULTURE OF COMMUNITIES: A STUDY OF ARONDIZUOGU

Music is one activity that has continued to represent so many things to different people in different societies of the world. It presents itself in different styles and is used for different purposes. The mournful and slow type is often used in burials, funerals and spirit-cultural functions to depict the degree of reverence, attachment and affection to the parties involved in the ceremony. This paper examined the use of dirge in Arondizuogu South East Nigeria. It explained the several connections of the music to religious organizations as well as heathens and Christians who must use the music in appropriate circumstances not withstanding their faith. The paper relied on interviews and questionnaires as well as statistical techniques in analyzing the nature of the dance and the implication of participation thereof. It concludes that dirge is a unique song that could be danceable or otherwise but a required necessity in the passage of the soul to the great beyond. The paper recommends that people of all classes irrespective of race should pay attention to the lyrics, rhythm and voice of the music to appreciate the importance and participate actively as a means of respecting the dead and the God of the dead.

REINTEGRATING RAPID APPRAISAL METHODOLOGY IN SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH

Social sciences research methodology is of great importance in disciplines and for interested people on searching various knowledge or solution to a phenomenon. This is due to the fact that, human activities and environmental changes created complexity in life as well as challenges. But, these challenges requires answers from fundamental questions such as what, where, who and how. Therefore, interested groups such as researchers, academician and practitioners need to explore the use of rapid appraisal through which they can find answers for the given fundamental questions. Thus, the need for an intensive, team-based qualitative inquiry using triangulation, iterative data analysis, and additional data collection to quickly develop a preliminary understanding of a situation from the insider's perspective cannot be relegated from the more general context of advances in social science research today. This paper looks into the need for the reintegration of rapid appraisal method in social science research. The conclusion is that rapid appraisal and social science methods are indeed complimentary, hence the need for the integration of both methods in social science research.

MITIGATING THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON RURAL FARM FAMILIES IN NIGERIA THROUGH INNOVATIVE INFORMATION TRANSFER

The role of new technologies in driving agricultural sustainability is crucial for the socio-economic survival of rural households in Nigeria. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the livelihood of farm families as they had difficulties accessing inputs, supplies and farm labour needed for maximum productivity of their farming enterprises, and in selling farm produce due to the lockdown restrictions policies imposed by the government.Additionally, the income of farm families was affected as a result of spoilage of perishable produce. This review highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on agricultural activities of rural families, constraints to accessing agricultural information, responses of the government in providing information to farmers and the innovative information sources for improved livelihood outcome. This review concluded that innovative information dissemination methods can enhance the livelihood of farm families in the face of crisis like the covid-19 outbreak.