INFORMAL SECTOR AND URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN NIGERIA: AN APPRAISAL 

¹Ola, A. B. & ²Adewale, Y.Y.

Department of Urban and Regional Planning,

Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria.

E-mail: olabayo2080@gmail.com, olabayo22@yahoo.com

Abstract: This paper discusses the state of urban environmental health in Nigeria and notes the role played by informal socio-economic activities in its steady decline. It identifies accelerated growth in municipal wastes generation, sustained exposure to environmental pollution, food poisoning due to unhygienic food handling and storage practices, among other issues as some of the urban environmental health problems resulting from informal economic activities. The paper however notes the socio-economic significance of this sector, most importantly, the provision of employment to the large share of the country’s workforce that remains outside the world of full-time, stable and protected jobs. The paper concludes by recommending measures for creating healthy urban environment without compromising the activities of the informal sector operators. This include the integration of informal sector activities into the environmental health policies and programmes of the governments at all levels, as well as the involvement of informal sector operators in the urban environmental management.

Keywords: informal sector; urbanization; sustainability; environmental health

INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NIGERIA (1980-2014)

Abomaye-Nimenibo, Williams Aminadokiari Samuel & Inimino, Edet Etim

Department of Economics, Obong University, Obong Ntak, Akwa Ibom State. Nigeria.

Department of Economics, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

Email: Wasanim2006@yahoo.com. & clergyedet1@yahoo.com

Abstract: The study examines international trade and economic growth in Nigeria from 1980 to 2014. The broad objective of the study is to examine the impact of international trade on economic growth in Nigeria. To achieve this objective, time series data on gross domestic product (GDP), export (EPT) exchange rate (EXR) and Trade openness (TOP) were sourced from CBN statistical bulletin. The econometric methods of unit root test, Johansen co-integration test and Error Correction Mechanism (ECM) were employed as the analytical tools. The result of the parsimonious ECM shows that the overall model is satisfactory given the coefficient of determination of 82 percent and f-statistics of 8.958. Furthermore, it also reveals that there is a significant relationship between international trade and economic growth in Nigeria during the period of study. That is, international trade (proxied by exchange rate, trade openness and export) has impacted on economic growth (proxied by GDP) during the period of study. In addition, the long run dynamic result reveals that there exists a long-run relationship or equilibrium among the variables. This is because the coefficient of ECM is negatively signed and statistically significant, meaning that, the short run dynamics adjust to long run equilibrium relationship. It was therefore concluded that there is need to maintain suitable or appropriate trade policy regimes regarding export, trade openness and the rate of exchange in order to foster economic growth in Nigeria.

Keywords: Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Export (EPT), Exchange rate (EXR) and Trade Openness (TOP).

CAUSE OF STRESS AND THE STRATEGIES OF MANAGING IT AMONG ADULT LEARNERS IN BORNO STATE AGENCY FOR MASS LITERACY

¹Aminchi Daniel, ²Bello Imam Ali & ³Kefas Sallau Buba

^1&2Department of Continuing Education & Extension Services University of Maiduguri

³Department of Physical and Health Education, University of Maiduguri

Email: draminchi2014@gmail.com & kefassallau@gmail.com

Abstract: The study examined causes of stress among adult learners and the strategies of managing it. The study has two objectives and two research questions. Self developed questionnaire with Ten (10) items which contain the causes and strategies of managing stress was employed to collect the relevant data from the respondents from two literacy centers in the Agency for Mass Literacy Borno state. 120 questionnaires were distributed to adult learners 60 from each literacy centers through stratified and simple random techniques. The results revealed that combining work with academics causes stress among the adult learners with 98(81.7%) of the respondents. Another finding revealed that organizing work to manage time is another strategy of managing stress with 78(65%). Based on the findings of study, it was recommended that among adults that awareness and seminars should be organized for the category of learners immediately after enrolment exercise to help them manage stress.