Masters
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Open Access Assessment of farm labour chnaging patterns in cassava production in Imo State, Nigeria(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-11) Mbakaogu, Obumneke EmmanuelThis study was carried out in Imo State. The broad objective was to analyse farm labour changing patterns in food crop production in Imo state. The specific objectives were to; examine the socioeconomic characteristics of food crop farmers in the area, identify the sources of farm labour in food crop production, determine the level of farm labour use in the area, determine and compare the availability of farm labour in the dry and wet seasons, determine the factors affecting farm labour supply in the area, and examine the constraints militating against the demand and supply of farm labour in the area. The results showed that the mean age of food crop farmer was 47 years, 68.9% were married, and the mean household size was 8 persons. Majority (43.70%) attained secondary education level, mean farm size was 0.9 hectares; mean farming experience was 26 years and food crop production was majorly for cash and family use. It was then found that food crop farmers demand for hired farm labour was mostly for land preparation (58.8%), weeding (61.5%), agrochemical application (61.5%) and harvesting (60%); while family labour were employed mostly for planting (60%) and post-harvesting activities (66.7%). It showed also that food crop farmers demanded mostly female farm labour for land preparation (58.8%), weeding (58.8%), agrochemical application (84.6%), planting (70%) and post harvesting activities (77.8%); while male farm labour were used mostly for harvesting (60%). The use of female labour for land preparation could be linked to the declining female literacy that increases their availability to farm activities and high engagement of male counterparts in non-farm activities. The results on labour changing pattern showed that in the 1980s, female labourers were rarely used (with mean score of 2.10) for food crop production, while presently the female labour is mostly employed (with mean score of 3.21) with male labourers in food crop production. In land clearing and weeding operations, the results showed that farm operations were mostly carried out manually both in the 1980s (with mean score of 3.56) and presently (with mean score of 3.02). It also showed that agrochemicals such as herbicides were rarely used (with mean score of 1.14) in the 1980s, but were presently mostly used (with mean score of 3.47) in these farm operations in the area; while fertilizer application and harvesting were mostly done manually (with mean score of 3.69 and 3.39) in both periods. Farm labour were rarely allocated (with mean score of 1.81) to off-farm activities in the 1980s, but presently were mostly (with mean score of 3.30) allocated to off-farm activities, indicating that farming (on-farm activities) was the major source of livelihood in the 1980s, but due the high remunerations from off-farm activities and the search for white collar jobs and other non-farm income sources, farm labour presently move to off-farm activities. It was found that the nature of food crop production, in-migration, farm size and distance to the nearest city were positively related to the supply of farm labour; while off-farm activities was negatively related to supply of farm labour. The results showed that high cost of labour, civilization and nofarm engagement, seasonality of agricultural production, out-migration of farm labour, land tenure system and fragmentation and scarcity of farm labour were the major constraints militating against farm labour demand and supply. The study recommended strengthening and organizing ruralurban linkages by ensuring parity in on-farm wage structure comparable with off-farm wages to reduce farm labour migration to off-engagements and rural to urban migration.Item Open Access Analysis of small-scale cassava-based farmers' demand and utilization for microfinance banks credit banks in Imo State, Nigeria(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2017-07) Okpara, Elias UchechukwuThe study analyzed small-scale cassava-based farmers’ demand and utilization for microfinance banks credit in Imo State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: examine the socio-economic characteristics of small-scale cassava-based farmers; determine the amount of credit demanded and obtained by small-scale cassava-based farmers; estimate the factors influencing the amount of credit demanded by small-scale cassava-based farmers; estimate the determinants on the amount of credit obtained; ascertain the uses of the loan obtained by small scale cassava-based farmers; determine the repayment performance of small scale cassava-based farmers and examine the determinants of the amount of loan repaid by small- scale cassava-based farmers in Imo state. Multi-stage random sampling techniques were adopted for this study and-primary data were collected using structured questionnaire. Sample size of sixty (60) respondents was randomly selected from six (6) microfinance banks. Descriptive statistics, repayment formula, multiple regression technique and ANOVA technique were applied in the analyses. The results of the analyses showed that the mean age of the respondents was 49 years. The mean household size was 8 persons, while mean farming experience was 16 years and mean level of education was 13 years. The mean farm size was 0.67 hectare, and mean values of amount of credit demanded, obtained and repaid were ₦268,000, ₦109,675 and ₦ 118,833.33 respectively. The repayment performance of cassava-based farmers was 93.6%. The level of education, farm size, transaction cost, collateral, and distance from home to the bank, farming experience, and cost of credit had significant effect on the amount of credit demanded. The level of farm income, cost of credit, household size, age, farm size and gender have significant effect on the amount of credit obtained from microfinance banks. The level of education, farm income, farm size, amount of loan borrowed, cost of credit, household size and faming experience have significant effect in determine the repayment performance of small-scale cassava-based farmers in the study area. The ANOVA results showed that there was no significant difference on the amount of credit demanded by small-scale cassava-based farmers in the three agricultural zones of Imo State. The study recommended that by increasing the amount of credit disbursed, policy target of establishing microfinance banks will be attained, resulting to high repayment performance and improvement on cassava farming.Item Open Access Comparative analysis of financing livestock production by formal and informal financial institutions in Imo State, Nigeria(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2025-03) Olumba, Ujunwa MiriamThis study aimed to comparatively analyze the financing of livestock production by formal and informal financial institutions in Imo State, Nigeria. Questionnaire was used to collect data from 120 livestock farmers comprising 60 livestock farmers financed by formal financial institutions and 60 livestock farmers financed by informal financial institutions through multistage sampling procedure. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency distribution, percentages, mean score, TRCS and standard deviation) and inferential statistical tools (Probit model, Multiple Regression Model, Chow test and Zstatistic). Results of the socio-economic characteristics showed that livestock farmers financed by formal financial institutions were more of male (55%) with mean age of 47 years, married (88.3%) with average household size of 5 persons and 9.7 mean years of education, were members of cooperative society (66.7%) while livestock farmers financed by informal financial institutions were also mostly male (56.7%) with mean age of 44 years, married (86.7%) with average household size of 4 persons, majority were not members of cooperative society (80%). Findings showed that with Z-test values (6.9650) and (6.7646), which were significant at 5% level, there was a significant difference in the credit characteristics of livestock farmers financed by formal and informal financial institutions and that livestock farmers financed by formal financial institutions were more financially credible (65%) than those financed by informal financial institutions (28.3%). Results of the probit analysis showed that income with a marginal value of 1.30e-06, livestock size (0.0013), and credit duration (0.0305) positively influenced financial credibility of livestock farmers financed by formal financial institutions while gender with a marginal value of 0.3185, level of education (0.0460), years of experience (0.0098), livestock size (0.0052) and cooperative membership (0.3561) positively influenced financial credibility for livestock farmers financed by informal financial institutions. Findings also revealed that there was a higher level of risk associated with financing livestock farmers through formal financial institutions when matched with informal financial institutions. Results of the socioeconomic and institutional factors influencing livestock financing showed that income (1.12E-06), years of experience (0.0318) and duration of credit (0.0567) positively influenced livestock financing by formal financial institutions while livestock size (0.1823), cooperative membership (0.3033) and credit duration (0.8931) influenced livestock financing by informal financial institutions. The major factors militating against livestock financing by formal financial institutions were years of account holding (75.00%), savings deposits (95.00%), insufficient collateral (85.00%) and lack of personal guarantors (83.33%), while that of livestock financing by informal financial institutions were insufficient credit (90.00%), years of membership (80.00%) and lack of personal guarantor (53.33%). It was recommended that government make improved policies and innovative financial products tailored specifically to the needs of the livestock sector to enhance its growth and productivity.Item Open Access Design and implementation of a smart control system for improved estate management(Federal University of Technlogy, Owerri, 2023-11) Nwankwoeke, Victor OkechukwuNowadays, remote Home Automation turns out to be more significant and appealing. It improves the value of lives by automating various electrical appliances or instruments. This thesis centers on the design and implementation of a smart control system for improved estate management. The design and implementation of the system were achieved through the use of a Microcontroller and other units such as an IoT WiFi module, Internet Protocol (IP) camera module, Short Message Service (SMS) notification unit, and Automatic water supply and control unit. These modules or units were properly interfaced following the aim and objectives of the research work. The IoT WiFi module links the gadgets to the cloud where they can be remotely monitored and controlled. The IP camera connected to the WiFi module keeps the gadgets under control to be viewed from anywhere in the world. SMS notification, Automatic intruder picture notification, Automatic water supply, and control units interfaced with the 16. Arduino Microcontroller which addresses the issue of security warning and water wastage in the estate. The system has a control table from which the Estate Gadgets Control Manager (EGCM) can easily access and control the devices as the case may be through a mobile application. The completed prototype of the system is also capable of starting an electronic choke generator. The technologies employed in the design of the system were WiFi and GSM network technologies.Item Open Access Production of improved strength concrete using sugarcane bagasse ash and metakaoline as additives(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-09) Eke, Obinna DarlingtonThis research work presents Prediction of Improved Strength Concrete Using Sugarcane Bagasse Ash And Metakaolin as Additives. Mathematical model was formulated using Ibearugbulems regression method. The materials used in this research were water, cement, metakaolin, sugarcane bagasse ash, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate and super plasticizer( CONPLAST SP 430).A total of 252 cubes of size 150 x 150 x 150mm were produced from 84 different mix ratios. The first 42 mix ratios were used for formulation of the model while the second 42 mix ratios were used to check the adequacy of the model. The concrete were cast and cured in a curing tank for 28, 60 and 90 days. The percentage replacement of cement with sugarcane bagasse ash and metakaolin adopted in this research ranges from 5% to 15% with constant water- cement ratio of 0.28. After curing, the concrete cubes were crushed in the universal testing machine. The results showed that the maximum compressive strength of the concrete cubes as 48.47MPa,which occurred at 15% replacement of cement with Sugarcane baggaseash/metakaolin and 60 days curing age , while the minimum compressive strength is 21.73 MPa at 5% replacement of cement with sugar cane baggase ash/metakaolin and28 days curing age. The percentage differences of laboratory and model predicted results were computed, and it was found that maximum percentage difference were 11.30%, 7.17%, and 13.84% respectively for 28, 60 and 90 days curing ages respectively. The minimum percentage differences were found as 0.67%,0.68% and 0.66% for 28, 60 and 90 days curing ages respectively. The model was checked for adequacy at 95% confidence level using statistical t-test and was found adequate. From the results, the strength of concrete can be classified as improved strength concrete when compared to normal strength concrete.Item Open Access Solar photovoltaic energy system analysis using linear quadratic regulator and model reference adaptive control techniques(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-12) Abraham, Idaresit IsaacThis work presents solar photovoltaic energy system analysis using incorporated linear quadratic regulator (LQR) and model reference adaptive control (MRAC). Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system is one of the renewable energy applications, which operates by tracking energy from the sun and converting it into useful electrical energy. However, harnessing the generated energy has been the major concern of the engineers hence the adoption of various control strategies for efficient control of the generated power. The idea is to transfer the optimal generated power to the output considering the fact that PV energy produced may have been affected by irradiation and temperature conditions. To avoid the unstable output power, there is need to deploy an efficient control scheme. Most of the conventional control techniques are not optimal to resolve power inaccuracies in the system and they have shortcomings. The control methods employed in this work involved the combination of LQR and MRAC to investigate the control performance. The results obtained by simulation on MATLAB/Simulink software, show that the average tracking efficiency for LQR control scheme was 95.92% compared to MRAC Type with an average tracking efficiency of 73.41% while the integrated MRAC-LQR control has a tracking efficiency of 94.45%. Rise time was used to measure the speed of convergence for the control schemes. LQR has a rise time of 1.95ms while MRAC and MRAC-LQR have 1.323s and 0.156ms respectively. LQR control does not adapt to the changing conditions of the environment but MRAC and MRAC-LQR have adaptive features, which enables the system adjust itself at varying environmental conditions. Moreover, LQR-MRAC accepts a higher adaptation gains ) compared to the MRAC-type with. The duty cycles for LQR, MRAC and LQR- MRAC were also determined to be approximately 0.6, 0.7 and 0.6 respectively. Considering its unique features such as appreciable tracking efficiency, rise time, duty cycle and the ability to adapt even at higher adaptation gain values, LQR- MRAC control scheme is recommended over the other two (LQR and MRAC).Item Open Access Design and simulation of kalman filter for estimation of gas turbine inlet temperature(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2024-08) Usen, Francis FrancisThe measurement of Gas Turbine (GT) Inlet Temperature remains a significant challenge for engineers, particularly in developing countries, due to the specialized technology required for accurate estimation and covariance noise signal attenuation in remote temperature measurement systems. This technology is primarily utilized by Gas Turbine manufacturers, who employ proprietary, closed-source mathematical models that are inaccessible to external engineers. To address this limitation, the present study develops an open-source model capable of both estimating GT Inlet Temperature and mitigating noise characteristics in the measurement data. The approach is based on the integration of a Kalman Filter (KF) model and a Plant model within a State-Space framework, utilizing real-time input parameters from two identical Gas Turbines, GT11 and GT12, designed by Asea Brown Boveri (ABB). The primary objective is to ensure that the proposed open-source model delivers optimal performance and solution accuracy comparable to that of the closed-source proprietary models. Initially, the Burner Can Temperature Rise Equation is employed to compute the GT Inlet Temperatures directly for the two turbine models. This equation is subsequently used to derive the system matrices in the State-Space representation, which describe the plant model. To complete the modelling, fictitious noise signals are introduced into the plant model and superimposed onto the Kalman Filter model to simulate real-world measurement conditions. The resulting design is implemented and tested in the MATLAB Simulink environment. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed open-source model achieves accuracies of 98.1% and 97.2% for GT11 and GT12 respectively, when compared to real-time process data from ABB, while the calculated values yield 80% and 65% accuracies, respectively. Furthermore, the fictitious covariance noise signals were successfully filtered from the temperature measurements, confirming the robustness of the proposed model in mitigating noise and enhancing temperature estimation accuracy.Item Open Access Determination of flexural strength of velvet tamarind reinforced concrete slabs(Federal University of Technlogy, Owerri, 2023-10) Etteh, Emmanuel UmohThe need to research into alternative reinforcement materials for use in concrete structures has become pertinent due to high cost and low availability of steel reinforcement material. Velvet tamarind sticks also serves this purpose since it is cheaper and locally available for use as a reinforcement material. This research work presents the determination of flexural Strength of Velvet Tamarind Reinforced Concrete Slabs. This was to determine the flexural strength of concrete slabs reinforced with sticks of velvet tamarind as compared to concrete slabs reinforced with steel and unreinforced concrete slabs. The mix ratio of 1:2:4 was used for the concrete; with a water - cement ratio of 0.5. A total number of forty four (44) concrete slabs of size 500 x 500 x 100mm and 10 concrete cubes were cast. The cubes were used in testing the compressive strength at 28 days curing. Slabs were used to test for point load, uniformly distributed line load and uniformly distributed load with three sets of velvet tamarind stick reinforcement spaced at 75mm, 100mm, 125mm and 150mm. This was compared with slabs reinforced with 12mm steel spaced at 200mm and unreinforced concrete. The boundary conditions for the slabs were simply supported on all sides (SSSS). It was observed that the maximum flexural strength occur when the slabs were subjected to uniformly distributed load. The maximum flexural strength of slab reinforced with velvet tamarind stick was 14,345.94kN/m2 at 75mm. The maximum flexural strength of steel reinforced slab was 23,699.25kN/m2 while the maximum flexural strength of unreinforced concrete slab was 11,813.34kN/m2 . From this study, it can be concluded that increment in the amount of velvet tamarind stick increased the flexural strength of the slab due to the elastic properties of velvet tamarind stick which helped in improving the tensile strength of concrete, though in comparison, steel is still preferred. The gain in stress of velvet tamarind stick reinforced concrete slab was more than that of plain concrete, but lesser than steel. Based on the result of this research, velvet tamarind stick can be used as reinforcement in concrete slabs where light loads are expected, light temporary military structures, light cover slabs for drain and pedestrian walkway.Item Open Access Performance evaluation of 620MW photovoltaic system integrated into islanded Nigeria electric power grid(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2025-07) Ibuodinma, Somtochukwu IfeanyichukwuThis thesis focuses on the performance evaluation of 620MW photovoltaic (PV) systems integrated into an islanded Nigeria electric power grid. Electricity supply in Nigeria is abysmal and the effects on the economy and quality of life of Nigerians. To grow Nigeria GDP by 7%, additional generation capacity of 119,200MW is needed by 2030 while contributing mitigating of the effects of greenhouse gases, deploying renewable energy sources must be considered in generation planning. According to African-EU Renewable Energy Corporation Programme the installed capacity of off grid generation in Nigeria is about 14 GW, slightly above the grid capacity of about 10 GW. This work reviews various related literatures. It carries out load flow studies and Contingency analysis, using a set of possible contingency scenarios, of an islanded segment of the Nigeria Electric network namely Afam Power Substation to Yenogoa Transmission Substation without utility scale PV system integrated. The studies are done also with 500MW PV system integrated at Afam Power Station and 120MW at Gbarain Power Station. The data used were valid upto the year 2021. This work utilizes PowerWorld Simulator for these analyses. The results show a reasonable degree of stability was achieved when there was loss of generation. For example, with Afam Generation station open, system violations went from 14 (without PV) to 3 (with PV). Finally, the results for levelized cost of electricity (LCoE) for combined cycle gas turbines and PV systems show that the LCoE for PV systems was 0.1273 $/kWh, which is still less than LCoE of 0.0970 $/kWh The results also show that such hybrid generation planning can provide a high degree of redundancy in our fragile network.Item Open Access Development of a digital robot for mopping, mowing and surveillance(Federal University of Technlogy, Owerri, 2022-02) Ehirim, Ernest ArinzeThis digital robot was designed for mopping, mowing and surveillance, it was built with common technology using the raspberry pi microcomputer, a PIC 16F877A micro-controller, ultrasonic sensors, camera, and some more components. This machine was designed to carry out tasks autonomously with little human assistance and in remote control mode. In autonomous mode the machine uses its sensors to detect objects on its path and avoid them without any physical contact. The robot could carryout survey in an environment using its surveillance features which include, camera and relay of video footage over the internet to a control base. This robot was designed to carry out tasks which are life threatening or tedious for humans to do. The machine could mow grasses to about two centimetres in height, mop floors and survey an environment. For the robot to function, the drive mechanisms involving the wheels and it’s actuators were developed using electric direct current motors and rubber tires, a radio communication channel was also developed. Remote control used in the robot is the HT12 series encoder and decoder, and also Virtual Networking using WIFI to provide internet access for control over the internet, sensors for autonomous navigation were integrated. Power system and some other electronic systems for the robot were also integrated. The power system provided power for approximately one hour thirty minutes without sunlight and between two to three hours of functionality under sunlight thereby optimising power usage. The surveillance system and the wireless internet connectivity enabled remote control over a long distance. The mopping section was developed with a Plastic container and pipped with polyvinyl materials and a drying mop. Using its sensors, the machine was able to navigate its way through a well defined environment without problems and operating effectively with little human assistance. Proper functionality of the system was eventually validated. The machine was completely built and can be further developed by improving its program and adding more sensors.Item Open Access Spectrophotometric determination of the stoichiometries, stability constants and free energies of zinc (II) and vanadium (V) complexesm of anthranilic acid(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2019-05) Eze, Edith OgochukwuThis research work describes a simple and selective spectrophotometric methods for the determination of the stoichoiometries and the stability constants of zinc (II) and vanadium (V) complexes of anthranilic acid using Job’s method of continuous variation and Yoe-Jones mole ratio method. Zinc (II) ion formed a colourless complex with anthranilc acid at pH 4, and vanadium (V) formed a golden-yellow complex at pH 6. The complexes showed maximum absorbance at 309 nm for zinc (II) and 326.5 nm for vanadium (V). The zinc (II) ion formed a 1:2 metal to ligand mole ratio complex with anthranilic acid (HA), while vanadium (V) ion formed a 1:1 metal to ligand mole ratio complex with anthranilic acid. That is, for Zn2+/Acomplex, ZnA2 is formed and V5+/Acomplex, VO2A is formed.The stability constants, (Log K), molar absorptivity and free energies of the formation of Zn (II) and V (V) anthranlilate complexes were 5 x 105 , (5.71), 7.58 x 104 and -32.58 kJ/mol for zinc (II) anthranilate and 6.61x 104 , 6.67, 4.7x 106 and -38.07 kJ/mol for vanadium (V) anthranilate, respectively. It was found that the vanadium (V) ion formed more stable complex with anthranilic acid with Log K value of 6.67 compared to zinc (II) complex with Log K value of 5.71. The negative values obtained for the free energies of both complexes showed that the reactions were spontaneous, feasible and irreversible and that stable complexes were formed. Anthranilic acid is a bidented ligand and as such formed a 4-coordinate bis-chelate with each of the metals; square planar geometry is being suggested for each of the chelate complexes, bearing in mind that anthranilic acid is a strong ligand.Item Open Access Rhizo-remediation of crude oil-contaminated agricultural soil using selected crop plants(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2017-07) Ukaulor, Uchechi AgnesRhizo-remediation of crude oil-contaminated agricultural soils using Zea mays,Mucuna pruriens and Telfairia occidentalis was carried out to evaluate their effectiveness in environmental clean up. Soil samples polluted with different volumes (25 ml, 50 ml, 100 ml, 200 ml, 400ml) of 100 % Bonny light crude oil were used. Four parameters, crude oil polluted soil (polluted before planting), crude oil polluted soil (polluted one month after planting), crude oil polluted soil stimulated with poultry droppings and unpolluted soil stimulated with poultry droppings were used. The growth rate measurements showed increased growths from 8.5 ± 0.2cm to 106.0 ± 0.1cm by the stimulated treatment. Pre-and post microbial examinations of the polluted soil were carried out and the indigenous microbial flora present in the soil were identified to be Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas sp, Staphylococcus sp, Bacillus sp, Acinetobacter sp, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus sp, Aspergillus sp and Penicillium sp though Escherichia coli was absent in the latter. Molecular identification to confirm the presence of bacterial and fungal isolates persistent in the treated soil showed visible bands indicating the possibility of degradation by the acclaimed organisms. The total hydrocarbon content (THC) of treated soil was undertaken and the result revealed decrease from 16.05mg/kg to 0.08mg/kg. Statistical analysis showed significant difference in the degradation of crude oil amongst the treatment samples at 95% confidence level. This study revealed that Telfairia occidentalis had faster degradation than Mucuna pruriens and Zea mays hence this plant can be used more in remediation of polluted sites.Item Open Access Assessment of domestic trade barriers in South-East Nigeria: The case of yam(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2025-11) Eze, Juliet AdaugoThe study investigated domestic trade barriers in South East Nigeria, focusing on yam trade. The specific objectives were to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of yam traders in the region, characterize the barriers to yam trade (tariff and non-tariff barriers), determine the effects of trade barriers on the volume of yam traded, estimate the profit of yam traders, and determine the effect of trade barriers on the profit of yam traders. Multistage, purposive and random sampling techniques were used to collect primary data from 120 respondents via structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, profit model, and Ordinary Least Squares Multiple regression. The descriptive statistics results showed the traders' mean ages in the region was 47 years and that 61% of them were male. Most of the traders were married (73%) and had attained up to secondary education. These traders maintained a mean household size of 5 persons and had been in the yam trading business for an average of 13 years. and the mean volume of yam traded across the south east was 1.8tons. The study categorized trade barriers into tariff barriers (TBs) and non-tariff tariff barriers (NTBs) alongside their associated costs. The result of the effect of trade barriers on the volume of yam traded in South East showed that quantity demanded (P< 0.1), municipal permit (P< 0.1), illegal charges (P<0.05), roadblock (P< 0.05) were significant to the volume of yam traded. The result of the extent of trade barriers affecting the volume of yam traded showed that in the south east, a total of 16747kg of yam traded and barriers such as roadblocks, produce charges, municipal permit, security charges, illegal charges and tollgates affected the volume of yam traded. There was a 12% return on investment of the yam traders in the region. This means that yam trading in the region is very profitable. The result of the effect of trade barriers on the profit of yam traders showed that tollgate (P< 0.1), produce charge (P< 0.05), roadblocks (P<0.1), and illegal charge (P<0.1) were significant to the profit of yam traders. The study recommends that the government invest in better transportation infrastructure, like road networks and rail systems, to enhance yam trading efficiency. Policymakers should also pursue reforms to address trade barriers especially those barriers that greatly affect the volume of yam traded and profits of the traders in the area.Item Open Access An improved direction finding system antenna using method of moment approach(Federal University of Technlogy, Owerri, 2019-12) Anaebo, Ogonna. FrancesThis study focuses on the Performance Improvement of a Direction Finding system Antenna Using Method of Moment (MoM) Approach. The work was developed to provide an approximate current distribution for a direction finding system antenna by employing the use of Method of Moment on an array of Yagi-uda antenna. The parameters of the experimental antenna were derived and analyzed using Magnetic Vector Potential (MVP) operator. The accurate current flowing through the radiating elements of the direction finding system was analyzed using combination of Method of Moment technique and Magnetic Vector Potential (MVP) operator. The antenna parameters were simulated using MatLab R2010a software tools. From the results obtained, the Average Poynting vector of the designed yagi antenna is 3.73 watt per square metre, and Radiation Intensity value of about 9.400 columns per kilogram. The simulation results also indicated an appreciable increase in directivity of 9.03dBi and enhanced directive gain compared to that of the equivalent log-periodic antenna of 6.5dBi, signifying 2.53dBi enhancement.Item Open Access Resistance and quality parameter of some cowpea varieties infested with cowpea weevils-callosobruchus maculatus fabricus(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2018-07) Uba, Chinyere PeaceThis study evaluated the level of resistance in seven breeding lines of cowpea seeds from the Institute of Agricultural Research, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria and three landraces collected from Agbani market, Enugu, Nigeria and conducted at the Centre for Agricultural Research and Extension laboratory of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri in 2015/2016 Academic session. All data were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and mean separation was done using least significant difference at 5% level of probability. The seeds were infested with cowpea weevils (Callosobruchus maculatus) in five repetitions. Proximate analysis, sensory, organoleptic and germination tests were carried out in the laboratory to evaluate the effect of bruchid infestation on the breeding lines and landraces of cowpea seeds in storage. 50g of each seeds were stored in plastic container covered with calico material. The proximate analysis for the seeds was to determine if infestation influenced the percent of crude protein, fat, fibre, ash, moisture and carbohydrate contents of the seeds. There was reduction in protein and carbohydrate content of the seeds (SAMPEA-1 from 23.53% to 18.17% and 21.72% protein then carbohydrate from 58.80% to 46.53% and 42.22%). In the first and second trial the results showed similarity. For the germination test among the seeds, SAMPEA-8 showed higher percent (35.0 and 45.0 % for field germination while 61.7 and 70.0 % for laboratory germination) than other seeds. Seed damage percent recorded lowest in SAMPEA-8 (10 and 14 %) than the other cultivars. In order to reduce postharvest losses of cowpea, the result from this research shows that planting of resistant variety such as SAMPEA-8 may reduce infestation and damage to seeds by cowpea weevils (Callosobruchus maculatus), enhance the shelf life and also boost food security programme in Nigeria.Item Open Access Geochemical characteristics of groundwater resources in parts of Okitankwo watershed, SouthEastern, Nigeria(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2017-06) Iwuji, Callistus ChukwunenyeThe geochemical characteristics of groundwater resources in parts of Okitankwo watershed, was carried out in order to evaluate its chemical composition and quality profile with respect to the environmental setting of the study area. A total of twelve groundwater samples were collected in grid, and analyzed for major cations and anions and trace elements like Fe and Pb. The major cation concentrations determined were in the order of Na+ >Ca2+ > Mg 2+> K + with mean values of 4.64, 3.44, 2.46 and 0.38Mg/L respectively and that of major anions concentrations of groundwater is of the order HCO3 2- > SO4 2->Cl- with mean values of19.07, 11.87 and 7.92 Mg/L respectively. Two major water types were identified based on characterization on Piper Trillnear digram. They are Ca2+ - Mg2+ (SO4 2- ) and Na (HCO3 2- ).Thus, this indicates diverse effects of bedrock lithologies ionic exchange processes, precipitation and weathering. However, the plot of Durov, Schoeller and Stiff diagram conform to the water chemistry of the study area. More so, the result of the geochemical analyses shows that the groundwater is generally acidic with pH values ranges from 4.32 to 6.4 with mean value of 5.37. The Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) ranges from 0.06 to 0.81 with mean value of 0.48 indicating that the groundwater is suitable for agriculture. The result of the geochemical analyses also shows that the groundwater is fresh, soft and potable. But some of the groundwater resources may however be unsuitable for industrial use due to the concentration of Fe is above the permissible limit (0.2Mg/L) for industries and will require treatment.Item Open Access Economics of freshwater fish farming and livelihood sustainability among freshwater fish farmers in Bayelsa State, Nigeria(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2016-06) Wasini, Dobie AllenThis study analyzed the economics of freshwater fish farming and livelihood sustainability among freshwater fish farmers in Bayelsa State. A multistage sampling technique was used to select fifteen fish farmers, from the list of registered freshwater fish farmers in each of the Local Government Areas selected. Structured questionnaire was used for data collection on the socio-economic characteristics of the fish farmers, their fish farming practices, costs and returns of fish farming as well as the factors that determined the output of the enterprise. Data on livelihood sustainability were also collected. Descriptive statistics, the net farm income model, indices and the multiple regression model were the analytical tools used. Findings from the study showed that 95% of the fish farmers were men. Most of them were married (91.66%), with a mean age of 54 years. The mean household size was 9 persons. Most of them are literates having spent an average of 12.8 years at formal school. All (100%) the fish farmers had other income sources. The mean years of experience was 6-10 years. Consumption and sale is the major reason the fish farmers went into fish farming. All of them (100%) practiced the semiintensive level of management. The major nature of enclosure in the study area is concrete and earthen ponds. Majority (91.67%) of the fish farmers practiced the monoculture system of stocking. The catfish species was the major fish species cultured in Bayelsa State. Generally most of the fish farmers operated fairly large scale enterprises. The average net farm income of the fish farmers was positive (N 887,725.39). The multiple regression analysis indicated that cost of fingerlings, cost of feeding, size of fish farm and level of education were the factors that significantly affected the net return of the fish farmers at the 5% level of significance. Freshwater fish farming was found to be sustainable on the average, given the sustainability scores (environmental, social, institutional and economic) generated from the study. The major challenges faced by the fish farmers were high cost of fish feeds (100%), no good patronage from customers (100%), no good fish markets (100%) and the unavailability of training/research centers (100%). It was found that freshwater fish farming was a profitable business; there is therefore need for the creation of awareness and orientation about the profitability of the fishery enterprise and its overall importance in food security, livelihood sustainability and economic development.Item Open Access Investigation of flexural strength of concretes containing rice husk and saw dust ashes from different calcination methods(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2016-07) Amadi, Stanley OgadinmaThis work investigated the flexural strengths of concretes containing rice husk ash (RHA) and saw dust ash (SDA) from different calcination methods. RHA and SDA were produced using three different calcination methods namely, Open-Air (OA), Furnace (F), and Stove (S). Each of RHA and SDA was used as partial replacement of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) at 5%, 10% and 15%. 171 concrete beams of dimensions 150 x 150 x 600mm were produced using 1:2:4 cement–sand–sandstone mix ratio and 0.6 water/cement ratio. This comprised 81 OPC– RHA, 81 OPC–SDA and 9 OPC (control) concrete beams. The beams were cured by immersion and tested for flexural strengths at 28, 90 and 150 days. The results showed that the flexural strength of the blended cement concrete increased with curing age and decreased with increased amount of RHA and SDA. The 150th day flexural strengths for 5% RHA were 5.35 Nmm-2 for OA, 6.74 Nmm-2 for F and 5.20 Nmm-2 for S. Corresponding strengths at 5% SDA were 4.48 Nmm-2 for OA, 5.85 Nmm-2 for F, and 4.28 Nmm-2 for S, while the Control value was 6.41 Nmm-2 . Thus, for 5% replacement of OPC with RHA, OA calcination had 83.5% the strength of the control; F calcination had 105.1% the strength of the control, while S calcination had 81.1% the strength of the control. Similarly, for 5% replacement of OPC with SDA, OA calcination had 69.7% the strength of the control; F calcination had 91.3% the strength of the control, while S calcination had 66.7% the strength of the control. Therefore, although furnace calcination gave higher strength than open-air and stove calcinations, the latter two could still be used for structural members with lower flexural strength.Item Open Access Modelling of thin layer drying characteristics of groundnut seeds (Arachis Hypogea)(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2017-10) Obumseli, Pacifine ChiomaGroundnut or Peanut is a legume crop with high nutritive value. Drying of groundnut is necessary in order to reduce the moisture content to a safe storage level and also increase the shelf life. Five thin layer drying models were fitted into the drying curve also the effective moisture diffusivity for groundnut seeds were calculated. Groundnut seeds with an Initial Moisture Content 67% (db) were dried to a safe moisture content of about 14% in a conventional tray dryer at temperatures of 45oC, 55oC, 65ºC, and air velocities of 0.6m/s, 1.0m/s and 1.5m/s .The effective moisture diffusivity was evaluated using Fick’s second law and the dependence of moisture diffusivity on temperature was described by Arrhenius type equation. Comparisons of the drying rate models showed high coefficient of determination for Page model, two-term model, followed by Logarithmic, Henderson and Pabis model, and then the Newton Model of which has high error and low coefficient of determination. The Model equation is MR = exp(-0.00119t) 1.43Item Open Access Analysis of the effects of globalisation on maritime logistics in Nigeria(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2024-02) Ndukwu, Ibeawuchi PeterThe study investigated the effects of economic globalization maritime trade and port logistics in Nigeria. The central objective was to determine the significance of the influence of economic globalization on values of seaborne export and import trade, GDP maritime transport, port revenue, ship traffic calls in Nigeria ports, trend ship turnaround time in Nigeria ports, and cargo dwell time trend in Nigeria ports. The study used ex-post facto research designed and secondary data sourced from the Nigeria Ports Authority, Central bank of Nigeria and the International Monetary Fund covering a period of 15 years from 2005 to 2019. The log-linear multiple regression analysis method was used to analyze the data obtained. It was found that while there is significant effect of economic globalization on the value of shipping export trade, value of shipping import trade, GDP maritime transport, port revenue generated in Nigeria between 2005 and 2019; there is no significant effects of economic globalization of maritime logistics indicator variables such as the ship calls in Nigeria ports, trend of ship turnaround time in Nigeria ports, and the trend of cargo dwell time in Nigeria ports. The following empirical models among others were developed showing the effects of economic globalization on maritime logistics in Nigeria: InEXPtrade = 7.484 - 0.428InKOFTRGlDf + 2.046InKOFTRGlDj + 1.95InKOFFGlDj + 0.552InKOFFGlDf + e; InEXPtrade = 23.396 – 2.388InKOFTRGlDf + 8.279InKOFTRGlDj + 3.838InKOFFGlDj – 9.423InKOFFGlDf + e; InIMPtrade = 23.396 – 2.388InKOFTRGlDf + 8.279InKOFTRGlDj + 3.838InKOFFGlDj – 9.423InKOFFGlDf + e; InSHIP traffic = 5.966 + 0.841InKOFTRGlDf - 0.852InKOFTRGlDj + 0.185InKOFFGlDj + 0.486InKOFFGlDf + e; InGDPmaritime = 5.016 -1.21InKOFTRGlDf + 0.503InKOFTRGlDj + 1.623InKOFFGlDj + 0.672InKOFFGlDf + e. The policy implications were discussed and recommendations proffered in line with the study findings.