ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF LIBRARY RESOURCES BY STAFF AND STUDENTS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOUTHERN KADUNA SENATORIAL DISTRICT

This study analyzed the use of library resources by staff and students of secondary schools in southern Kaduna senatorial district. The population of this research comprised all secondary schools in southern Kaduna senatorial zone. Multistage sampling technique was employed in drawing a sample size of 800 students and 400 teachers. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire and was tested for reliability using Cronbach alpha. The reliability coefficient of Library use scale was= 0.9. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings indicate that majority of the respondents reported that nobody encouraged them to use the library. While, respondents were also tried to benefit from all facilities of the library; borrow books from the library. In the face of using library facilities, majority of the respondents established that they visit the library not only when they have assignment. Based on the findings, the study concludes that organizing a series of lecture under user instruction or user education or library orientation program is required in public senior secondary schools. The study recommends that teachers should also mandate students to use the school library effectively; it can help attain high academic achievement. It was also recommended that professional librarians should be employed in public senior secondary schools to plan and execute result oriented information education.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) COMPETENCY OF SERVING TEACHERS FOR QUALITYINSTRUCTIONAL SERVICE DELIVERY IN AMINU SALEH COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, AZARE, BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

ICT has permeated all spheres of human endeavours in this 21st century of information-driven society, education sector inclusive. Consequence upon this development, teachers as stakeholders are not left behind in the aspect of training and retraining to acquire relevant skills in the usage of ICT in order to be ICT-compliant and use same in their teaching methodologies. This paper, therefore, examined ICT competency of serving teachers for quality instructional service delivery in Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare, Bauchi State, Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design as questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection from the sampled serving teachers. The questionnaire used for this research was structured on three components of ICT: Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation, Internet Usage and Usage of projector/interactive multimedia board. Simple random sampling technique was used to draw sample of 196 from the population of entire academics totally 436 currently serving in the area of the study using sample size table provided by Research Advisor. The instrument used for the study was validated by the specialists in the fields of Computer Science and Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability index of the instrument yielded 0.82 using Crobanch alpha reliability technique. The results revealed that academics have skills in the usage of Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation for effective instructional service delivery. Besides, it was found out that the serving teachers possess technical-know-how in Internet usage for gathering materials for their lessons, but lack skills on how to operate projector/interactive multimedia board for their lectures. It was also discovered that age, gender and years of experience had significant influence on the level of ICT skills acquisition and usage of serving teachers. However, there was no association between educational qualification of serving teachers and their level of ICT skills acquisition. The study recommends that Bauchi state government, in conjunction with College authority, should organize seminar on how to use and operate projector as well as interactive multimedia board for quality instructional service delivery by the lecturers.

FLIPPING THE CLASSROOM USING SIMPLE TECHNOLOGIES BY LECTURERS IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

This is a survey that investigated flipping the classroom using simple technologies by lecturers in Nigerian Universities. Simple technological tools are day-to-day appliances, services and applications such as smartphones and or laptops, email account, WhatsApp and Facebook accounts, and other social media that have incredible learning potentials when used wisely. Whereas the target population of the study was all lecturers in Nigeria universities, this population was delimited by people’s accessibility and willingness to respond to an online instrument (Flipped Instruction in Nigerian Universities, FINU) widely distributed through the known social media platforms of universities across the country. Using this non-random sampling technique, the researchers were able to reach out to 213 lecturers from 9 Universities who responded to the FINU instrument. The instrument was validated taking into cognizance content and construct components, and a Cronbach Alpha analysis of the data reported a reliability index of 0.91. Data obtained from the wide scale administration of the instrument were analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentages) for the research questions and inferential statistics (PPMC) for the null hypothesis tested. The main findings of the study were: Flipped instruction has power to motivate academics to make use of technologies for research and scholarship; it promotes students’ ability to widen creative solutions to everyday problems and engage with the artistic tools at their fingertips; simple technologies help academics to teach with ease and students to learn without stress; and there was a positive relationship between flipped instruction and 21st century learning. Following these findings, the study recommended that academics should endeavor to adopt flipped instruction in order to make learning process more fun and interactive.

EFFECTIVE PUBLIC POLICIES AND THE RE-INTEGRATION OF EX-CONVICTS: THE NIGERIAN CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM

In a recent development, the Nigeria Prison Service was renamed, “the Nigeria Correction Service”, a move that is designed to reorient the department along the lines of emergent demands of justice dispensation on the global scene. This study examined the extent to which the new Nigeria Correction Service can adjust to the laudable objective of repositioning itself for purposes of reformation and re-integration of the nation’s ex-convicts for a better Nigerian society. Data was obtained from secondary materials including books, periodicals, journals, newspapers, the internet, etc. Content analysis was adopted as the mode of analysis while the theory of social integration (Blau, 1960) was employed as the theoretical framework of the study. Findings revealed that the re-orientation of the “service” for purposes of reformation and reintegration of ex-convicts had long been taking place as many of such citizens had either acquired a good measure of education while in prison, learned various vocations, and even attained higher spiritual growths. The study suggested adequate funding to enhance the effort of the service in achieving its objectives.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON PERFORMANCE OF SMES IN KADUNA METROPOLIS-NIGERIA

The study examined the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on selected small and medium enterprises in Kaduna metropolis-Nigeria. Three essentials- food and consumables, pharmaceuticals, oil, and gas in the Kaduna metropolis were purposively sampled. Data were collected with the administration of a structured set of questionnaires on 110 SMEs which were selected purposively. Results indicated that the enterprises experienced a moderate reduction in production and sales during the lockdown. It was also reported that the enterprises experienced a spike in the reduction of contracts and deliveries. In the light of the foregoing, it was recommended that policymakers and all stakeholders in SMEs in Nigeria should set aside emergency funds targeting SMEs in the country. Deferment of taxes or waiver of taxes, lower interest rates could also be embarked on by the appropriate policymakers to make SMEs remain afloat during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

THE ROLES OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN INFORMATION SERVICE PROVISION TOWARDS ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is explicitly and directly linked to access to information and knowledge. This paper examines the roles of public libraries towards achieving sustainable development goals in Kaduna state. Three objectives were set out to be accomplished by the study. A survey research design was adopted using a questionnaire as a data collection instrument. A total of 2903 registered users of public libraries in the Kaduna State constituted the study population, while the study sample was collected using a stratified sampling technique. A sample of 2038 was drawn from the user population of 2903, where 30% out of the sample was drawn from the six (6) selected libraries, amounting to 611 for questionnaire administration. A total of 433 (71%) questionnaires were duly completed and returned. The findings arising from the study revealed that current awareness service, library instruction services, selective dissemination of information as well as indexing and abstracting were the services provided by the libraries covered by the study. The study also indicated that public libraries are active in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Kaduna State. For example, looking at the findings, Sustainable Development Goal 4: i.e. the provision of a safe and inclusive space for lifelong learning was identified as the leading role played by the public libraries covered by the study with 174 (40.2%) responses. SDGs 3: i.e. the provision of health information and literacy to the community on pregnancy, malaria, cholera and SDGs 8: i.e. the provision of training on the use of ICT as well as assistance on online job application processes, were also identified in the study as fundamental roles played by the libraries with the same response rate of 146 (33.7%). While looking at the challenges faced by the public libraries, the study reported lack of funds, lack of current materials, language barrier, lack of trained personnel and lack of Internet access were complained by the respondents as a hindrance to effective use of information resources. Given the above challenges, the study, therefore, recommended that issues relating to funding, staffing, information resources, innovative services, infrastructure all need to be addressed by taking proper measures. When these issues are resolved, it will go a long way towards achieving the (SDGs) in Nigeria and Africa at large.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CROSS-BORDER PATIENT MOBILITY AND UTILIZATION OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES ON THE NIGERIA-CAMEROON BORDER, BAMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BORNO STATE

This research was carried out retrospectively on the Nigerian – Cameroon border. There are so many communities that live on this border. It was stated in the Border Community Development Agency Act (2003) that Bama Local Government area has 120 identified border communities. These populations therefore need to have access to healthcare facilities on either side of the boundary as they interact in different ways, which expose them to infections, contagious and other socially transmittable diseases. Cross-border healthcare access is therefore relevant to people living on the border. This study examines the extent of cross-border patient mobility and healthcare utilization in the three districts (Banki, Dare-el-jamal and Kumshe) on the Nigeria-Cameroon border. The researchers used mix methods research design. Survey was conducted supplemented by qualitative method which enables the researchers to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data. The researchers and two trained research assistants went to the two camps that host internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Bama local government area (Dalori camp I and II) and identified 625 cross-border patients that come from Banki, Dare-el-jamal and Kumshe districts. This served as the sample population for the research and 40% of the population was selected as sample respondents by random sampling technique. Descriptive statistical tools were used to interpret the data acquired i.e percentages and Chi-square at P≤0.05 was used to test whether cross-border healthcare utilization in the study area was gender sensitive. Distance decay curves were also used to measure the impact of distance on the level of patronage of healthcare facilities across the Nigeria-Cameroon border. The study revealed that there were established health centres in the three districts but were poorly equipped and that more Nigerians patronize the healthcare facilities across the border where 65.5% of the respondents indicated that more Nigerians sought treatment in Cameroon.

USING TECHNOLOGY AS A STRATEGY FOR INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR POST COVID- 19 INNIGERIA

This study examines the role of technology-based instructional method to achieve the goals of higher education in the face of COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aimed at investigating the effectiveness of instructional technology in higher education institutions in relation to the role and usage of Information Communication Technology (ICT), its effectiveness in faculty teaching and its impact on student learning in universities in the post- COVID-19 in Nigeria. This study applied the Need Assessment Approach (NAA). A self-designed questionnaire, that employed benchmarks from similar studies conducted in the West, was used to collect data for this study. One hundred and twenty-five (n = 125) respondents participated in the study. The results suggest that there are significant relationships between the impact of instructional technology, the usage of instructional technology and students’ academic achievement. An absence of ICT instructional materials, ineffective policy implementation and a lack of other resources (infrastructures) to aid teaching and learning are responsible for short comings in the effective implementation of ICT in education in the post- COVID-19. Even though technology presents higher education with challenges - ranging from planning of technological enhancements to educational programmes as technology changes so quickly and unpredictably; and especially for a nation like Nigeria that will be venturing into the use of technology for education newly; and also, the challenge of funding of technologies for educational applications for higher institutions of learning in the post- COVID-19. The paper concluded that the inability of government tertiary institutions to teach students remotely during the pandemic will have effects that will take some time to eradicate. The study recommended that the government need to increase funding for higher education in the post- COVID-19. Management of higher education need to glean insights from other climes to be able to develop a suitable technological tool for teaching and learning in the nation’s higher education system such that our higher education could once again become a springboard for achieving an effective system that will produce employable graduates.

A TEXTUAL DISCOURSE OF MIGRATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN ABC DURUAKU’S A MIRAGE FOR A DREAM

Until recent time, Migration, a veritable tool for industrial enhancement, economic development, political inclination, scientific and technological discoveries, and social obligations has ironic positions, whose another view, geared by exploitation from the mid-twentieth century to twenty-first century, somewhat affects the centuries before them. This is made possible through its inclusion of illicit transactions, such as labour and commercial sexual exploitation, human trafficking, forced labour, child soldiers, drug trafficking, domestic servitude, and the removal of organs or tissue for sale as portrayed in ABC Duruaku’s A Mirage for a Dream. This menace is meticulously alarming especially in the Nigerian state in the 21st century. This cankerworm, caused by corruption, poverty, weak governmental system and unemployment ultimately triggered malicious activities like prostitution, armed robbery, kidnapping, incessant killings, and rape, thus, increased pain, suffering, sickness and death among the people and ridicules the identity of the Nigerian nation, thereafter, threatens its existence as a sovereign states. Amongst the major findings is that human trafficking has created a lot of creative punches and dramatic representations by critics and dramatists over the years, yet the issue is heinously prevalent. The study therefore aims at interrogating the connection between migration and human trafficking in the Nigerian society, as portrayed in ABC Duruaku’s A Mirage for a Dream. To achieve this, General System Theory and Content Analytical Methodology are employed. The study, therefore, recommends the establishment of an agency to monitor all cases of migration and human trafficking in the Nigerian state.