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This research investigates the influence of project management practices (PMP) on sustainable development among oil-producing villages in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. This study examines the impact of Project Management Practices (PMPs)—including planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation—on the sustainable development (SD) dimensions of the environmental, economic, and social aspects of inhabitants in oil-producing areas within Ilaje LGA, Ondo State. Data were gathered from 154 household heads through structured questionnaires using a survey methodology and analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics, including multiple linear regression. The findings indicated a modest level of PMP, with Mean Index Scores between 2.14 and 2.44, signifying restricted community engagement. The results of the multiple linear regression indicate that the construct and implementation significantly impacted all three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. This indicates that financial benefits are received by the residents of the host community, notwithstanding their limited participation as casual workers during project execution. Nevertheless, oil companies exhibit minimal care for the aspirations of the populace concerning the impact of their projects on the local environment.  The study's geographic limitations restrict generalisability, indicating the necessity for further extensive comparative research. It advises oil companies to use inclusive project management frameworks that improve stakeholder engagement, therefore promoting sustainable socio-economic development and environmental stewardship in host communities

This study examines the impacts of credit risk management on the growth of Nigerian banks. Specifically, the study focused mainly on the impacts of credit risk management among Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. The study employed an ex-post facto research design, utilising secondary data from the financial information of 14 selected listed Deposit Money Banks from 2007 to 2022. The study population was defined as the total number of listed Deposit Money Banks, from which a sample of six banks was selected using a simple random sampling technique. The operationalisation of variables included (1) the use of natural logarithm for bank size, (2) a three-level scale for credit risk, and (3) alternative measurements for collateral management and credit scores. Data analysis involved the calculation of descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, variance inflation factors, and regression analysis. The research hypotheses are also validated to assess the significance of various factors in credit risk management. The findings revealed that credit scores significantly enhance the effectiveness of credit risk assessment, and collateral management did not significantly contribute to mitigating credit risk. The findings also revealed that default risk management significantly reduces the credit risk of Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. These results highlight the intricate nature of credit risk management in the banking sector and emphasize the need for a multifaceted approach.

Petroleum is a gift of nature deposited under the earth’s surface. The ‘black gold’ as it is generally called, is viewed as a treasure that has the capabilities of transforming the social and economic fortunes of any country. This study explores risk management in Nigeria oil and gas sector with reference to management of government equities in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. A survey design was used for the study. By means of questionnaire, primary data was obtained from randomly selected members of the sampled organisations. The research hypotheses were subjected to chi-square analysis. Analysis was based on fifty-three copies of questionnaire filled and retrieved out of seventy-five questionnaires administered to employees of NNPC, NLNG and Shell companies in Nigeria. Findings from the study revealed some deficiencies in the way government equities in the Nigerian oil and gas sector are being managed, such lapses include government undue interference, lack of transparency, absence of established positive culture and too much bureaucracy. The study concludes that the Nigerian government equities in the oil and gas sector are not effectively managed; the fiscal policy in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is inadequate; NNPC as presently constituted is not managing government equities invested in oil and gas JV agreements. Among the recommendations of the study include: the government should monitor returns on equities in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria; the government and stakeholders need the establishment a good culture and practice to ensure profitable ownership and collaboration.

Historically, corporations have leveraged the popularity of renowned celebrities as influencers to market their products in the hope that prospective clients will mimic the choice of these celebrities. This practice has become popular in recent times with the emergence of diverse social networking sites. With huge financial resources expended in retaining these celebrities, the question is whether the success achieved by brands can be attributable to them. This study investigates the use of celebrity influencers in building popularity and loyalty for American (iPhone), Korean (Samsung), and Chinese smartphones in the emerging Nigerian market. It employs a quantitative, cross-sectional design, working with 416 respondents. The findings indicate that the iPhone is the most popular brand in Nigeria and suggest that although participants express excitement with the notion of celebrity influencers and endorse their use in promotional pursuits, they hold the belief that the popularity of these brands cannot be attributable to the use of celebrities. It goes further to state that using celebrities may not foster brand loyalty. The study concludes that while it makes marketing sense, and indeed is exciting to use celebrity influencers in marketing activities, without other factors in consideration, such a strategy will not inspire customer loyalty.

This paper investigates the asymmetric exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) to inflation in Nigeria. The study employed Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Nonlinear ARDL (NARDL) models from 2010Q1 to 2024Q2. The analysis incorporates key policy changes, such as the 2023 exchange rate unification, and explores both the short- and long-run impacts of exchange rate fluctuations on food and headline inflation. In particular, the study highlights the response and pass-through periods of exchange rate shocks, with depreciation demonstrating a stronger and more immediate effect on inflation than on appreciation. Results reveal that exchange rate depreciation exerts significant cost-push pressures, with a pass-through effect observed within 3 to 4 quarters, while the effect of appreciation is weaker and more prolonged. This asymmetry is especially pronounced for food inflation, where the dependency on imported goods accelerates the transmission of exchange rate shocks to consumer prices. The study also finds that cumulative depreciation has a much more pronounced effect on inflation. At the same time, appreciation offers minimal relief, reflecting Nigeria’s vulnerability to exchange rate volatility due to its reliance on imports. The findings show the importance of managing exchange rate fluctuations to control inflation, particularly given the asymmetry in how depreciation and appreciation affect prices. By providing a comprehensive analysis of both long- and short-run dynamics, this study contributes to the understanding of ERPT in Nigeria, offering insights for policymakers to implement targeted interventions to mitigate inflationary pressures in the context of exchange rate instability.

The ever-evolving digital marketing landscape has continuously adapted to technological advancement, consumer behaviour and ecosystem trends. The 21st century marketplace needs traditional marketing practices, and digital platforms to ensure the actualisation of their growth and development in the ecosystem. The study examined how different digital marketing platforms can influence SMEs' operations and performance (Online marketing, and ICT initiatives). The study employed a quantitative design with primary data collection via a questionnaire designed based on 5-Likert’s Scale to answer the research questions; if there is a significant relationship between Online Marketing and SMEs' Business Competitiveness, and if ICT initiative has a positive relationship with SMEs' Business Growth. Two (2) hypotheses were formulated and tested using a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). To ascertain the hypotheses formulated, both descriptive and regression analyses were carried out, and the output clearly showed a significant influence of digital marketing on the performance of SMEs. The result shows a positive impact of online marketing on SME business competitiveness. However, this study concluded that in the technology-driven environment, 21st-century SMEs will always see the usefulness and relevance of digital marketing because of its role in improving their performance. This study recommends that SMEs incorporate intensive digital platforms and engage in time-to-time updates of their online marketing channels.

Microenterprises are crucial in sustaining the economy, especially in developing economies like Nigeria. Many of these microenterprises do not take cognizance of necessary determinants like organizational culture and its factors to ensure proper running of their day-to-day activities. The study aims to identify some demographic statistics of employers in technological microenterprises, investigate the factors influencing organizational culture and assess organizational culture's influence on business success among employers in selected technological microenterprises in southwest Nigeria. The study was carried out in three southwestern states in Nigeria with 213 business owners (employers) as respondents. Seventeen factors were explored, but eight were extracted to be considered in measuring the employers' organizational culture: climate, customer demand, technological changes, observed behaviour, norms, consistency, adaptability, and sense of mission. Linear regression analysis was also used to measure organizational culture's impact on technological microenterprises' business performance with SPSS as a statistical tool.   The study confirms a positive and significant relationship between organizational culture and business performance at 5% significance. This study concludes that the eight variables extracted are important factors to consider when measuring the organizational culture of employers in technological microenterprises in southwest Nigeria for better business production.

Sustainability of the rice production and farmers’ income in Nigeria raises a serious concern due to the rising costs of production inputs and other factors beyond farmers’ control. As a result, the study compared the cost and returns of rice production in North central, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 387 rice farmers in the study area. Descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis and seeming unrelated regression were used to analyze the dataset collected. The findings revealed that most of the rice farmers were male, averagely young and have at least 9 family members in their respectively households. Results from Kwara State showed that total cost is higher among the upland rice farmers compared to their lowland counterparts, but reverse was the case in term of net profit, as this favoured the lowland rice farmers. For Niger State and pooled data, the lowland rice farmers had higher net profit than the upland rice farmers. Seemingly unrelated regression estimates indicated that costs associated with fertilizer, herbicide, seed, pesticide and labour used were significant and influencing factors affecting the revenue of rice farmers in the study area. While inaccessibility to cheap farm inputs was the major constraint affecting the rice farmers, other challenges include lack of storage, inadequate rainfall and inadequate credit facilities.  The study recommended seamless access to improved rice varieties by the farmers as this can scale up adoption of improved technologies, boost production and ultimately the net revenue of rice farmers. Farmers are also advised to join and/or form a registered occupational groups through which credit facilities can easily be accessed, to expand the farming operations because of the positive and complementary role of social group and access to credit.

This paper focuses on employee engagement in a sector that transitioned from a fully government-owned to a privatized entity while retaining the majority of the legacy staff and bringing in new employees. The electricity sector has always piqued the interest of investors due to its strategic importance to the growth and development of other sectors, particularly in developing countries. This paper investigates some of the factors that influence employee engagement in the Nigerian power and electricity subsector. The study includes 824 employees from Nigeria's downstream electricity sector. Descriptive and ordinal regression analyses were used to determine the relationships between the variables. The study reveals that parameters such as office ambiance, clear communication, tool availability, health, and safety have relationships with or impact employee engagement. As a result, organizations' management must pay attention to and improve on them in order to retain their employees and provide their best discretionary effort. This research expands on theories of engagement in the post-privatization era and investigates the influence of key drivers on employee engagement in Nigeria's downstream power sector.

Training and development have emerged as important construct within entrepreneurial literature over the past two decades. This study proves how training and development can effectively advance fish farming productivity in Odogbolu Metropolis. The impact of fishermen's educational level on fish profitability was examined. The influence of feed quality on fish performance was also demonstrated. The assessment of fish weight/size as a determinant of fish marketability in the study area was also researched. The study's objectives were underscored through the lens of constructivism and human capital theories. A purposive sampling technique was adopted to determine one hundred and twenty-one sample sizes. A quantitative approach was employed, and three hypotheses were presented and tested by applying regression techniques using SPSS software. The study found a significant association between fish farmers' educational level and profitability. Feed quality showed a significant association with fish performance, and a significant association was also found between fish weight/size and fish marketability. The study proves that fish farmers should educate themselves through training and development programs on quality fish production regarding fish weight/size, fish performance, and fish marketability. Government and stakeholders must proactively encourage adult education among fish farmers to expose them to the benefits of fish farming activities in the study area.

The proliferation of technology has innovated new ways of saving and investing money: online savings and investment platforms [OSIPs]. Predicting the intention to adopt Fintech has triggered the interest of many researchers in academia and industries. The primary objective of this study was to examine factors influencing the intention to adopt OSIPs in Nigeria by using data gathered from 640 digitally active citizens from selected cities in Nigeria. Reliability and validity tests were conducted through construct reliability and discriminant validity, respectively, through WarpPLS. Data were computed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version) 24 and analyzed with structural equation modeling via WarpPLS. The findings of this study showed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence significantly affect attitude while facilitating conditions predict intention to adopt. It was also found that attitude significantly influences the intention to adopt OSIPs. The paper also discusses the study’s research limitations and presents implications for theory and practice.

Climate change affects individuals and business organisations. This study examines individuals and organisations' levels of awareness of the effects of climate change and their responses to climatic changes. It also establishes awareness of the predominant effects of climate change risks in Africa and Eastern Asia. This study was descriptive research using surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds. Using a purposive sampling method, one hundred five (105) participants were selected from more than 25 countries from Africa, Asia and other emerging countries for the study. The results indicate that, on average, many people are aware of the effects and gravity of climate change. A non-parametric test of the significance of climate change's impact on financial performance yielded a hypothetical mean above the threshold of 3, a P value of less than 0.05 at a 104 df. The results indicate that climate change adversely affects individuals, organisations and communities. The findings show that communities are relatively aware of the impacts of climate change and can quantify the losses in financial terms, at least as an estimate. It indicates that the level of awareness of individuals and organisations is satisfactory. The findings on vulnerability and exposure indicated that people are aware of climate change and its effects on individuals, organisations and communities. The results reveal that it is easy to manage climate change risks using techniques developed by local and international authorities. Governments, especially in Africa, must respond fervently to demands for climate change mitigations.

The study investigated the moderating influence of demographic variables on productivity and job stress of workers in electrical occupations. Relevant research questions were answered while hypotheses formulated were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlational research design and was carried out in the North Central States. The population for the study was 301 workers in electrical occupations. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire titled Demographic Variables, Job Stress and Productivity Questionnaire (DVJSPQ). The overall reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.96. Point–biserial correlation and regression analysis were employed to analyze data for answering research questions and hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that: demographic variables have a strong relationship with the productivity of workers in electrical occupations, age and educational qualification were significant moderators of the relationship between occupational stress and the productivity of workers in electrical occupations. Hence, workers in electrical occupations should be sensitized through workshops and seminars on how demographic variables influence their productivity and job stress in their occupations.

This paper use the dynamic growth framework to model the relationship between trade liberalization policy and economic growth of 42 African countries from 1995 to 2018. Banking on the heterogeneity of income and socioeconomic factor affecting trade policies in African countries, the paper opted for the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) technique which is sufficient for inference in a dynamic heterogeneous environment. The result tells that trade liberalization policy is beneficial to economic growth of African countries up to a certain threshold, beyond which it begins to cause the economy to under-heat. Thus, a confirmation of nonlinear relationship between trade liberalization policy and economic growth in African countries. The paper estimates a threshold value of 139.94% of total Trade to GDP; 345.32% of Export to GDP and 62.80% of Import to GDP. These findings champion that, for countries in Africa to benefit largely from trade, trade openness, export openness, and import openness should rover around the estimated threshold values. The paper documents certain conditions required to moderate the effect of trade liberalization policy on economic growth in African countries.

This paper examined bank-specific performance indicators and macroeconomic factors affecting the short-term financing obligation of Nigerian banks from 2010 to 2019. The data for the study are sourced annually from the financial statements of the selected Deposit Money Banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin. The panel unit root and co-integration tests are employed to ascertain the sustainability of the bank-specific performance indicators. The models for the industry were cast in a host of panel frameworks such that we estimated the static and dynamic panel models. The study observed that the capital adequacy ratio, which is the short-term financing obligation of Nigerian banks was elastic to bank profitability positively. In addition, interbank call rate, bank size, and oil price positively influence the capital adequacy ratio over time, whereas loan-to-deposit ratio, inflation and exchange rate exacerbate the capital adequacy ratio. Consequently, we canvass that Nigerian banks should reduce dividend payouts and increase retained profits as a buffer against exposed risks.

This study aims to investigate the influence of electrical/electronic workshop climate on workshop accidents among self-employed electrical/electronic service personnel in Ebonyi state. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population for the study was 622 registered (Unions) electrical/electronic service personnel. A sample of 120 was drawn from the population for the study through a proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The study found that Regardless of the Administrative style; Number of the workshop users; Arrangement of the workshop and Available equipment in the electrical/electronic workshop respectively, there is an occasional rate of accident. But some types of accidents record varying rates of occurrence depending on the type of administrative style, number of workshop users, arrangement of the workshop, and workshop equipment in the said workshop. Based on the conclusions drawn from the findings of the study, the study recommended that Government should provide soft loans, start-up grants for the self-employed service personnel for the acquisition of the needed equipment; Government also should institute a fund that can help work accident victims to take care of the medical expenses.

Governments in developing economies are continuously seeking ways to increase the number of people that have access to formal financial services. However, literature on why households in developing economies are excluded from the formal credit sector is scarce. Thus, this study examines the link between household characteristics and the choice of credit provider using unique household-level primary data from the Niger Delta region. A binomial logistic regression model based on relevant household characteristics is developed for estimation. The results show that the number of dependents and income of a household, as well as education level and age of household head, is relevant in understanding the choice of the credit provider. Strikingly, the finding that the probability of borrowing from the informal sector increases with household distance from a formal lender at a decreasing rate suggests the significance of cost associated with traveling to the nearest bank on the choice of a lender and the presence of information asymmetry in the credit market of the region. Overall, the study raises important implications to inform credit market policies and practices in the region.

The study evaluates the effect of reverse logistics operational responsiveness on customer satisfaction in retailing. Data was gathered from 223 online shoppers and the data was analyzed using descriptive analysis to analyze the type of product return and the reasons for return while the effect of reverse logistics operational responsiveness on customer satisfaction was analyzed using multiple regression in accordance with the output of SPSS 21.0 Findings indicated that operational responsiveness in the reverse logistics process significantly influences customer satisfaction.

This paper investigated how oil revenue and the activities in the oil industry affected the size of income accrue to each Nigerian (Per capita income) from 1980 to 2019. The variables were sourced from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDI), OPEC Statistics, Baker Hughes Rig Count and the central bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin. Using the AutoRegressive Distributional Lag (ARDL) we observed that explorative activities of crude oil in Nigeria positively impacted the size of individual income. The magnitude of the impact was massive irrespective of time; a 1% increase in exploration increases the size of individual income by 0.4786% in the long run and 0.6030% in the short run. The interaction of rigs by output (interaction of rig-count and oil-production) negatively impacted the size of individual income. This implies that the size of individual income in Nigeria is sensitive to the nature of the explorative environment of the Nigerian oil industry.

The goal of this study was to see how financial inclusion affects gender-based poverty in Nigeria. Commercial bank branches, deposits, and borrowers were the proxy for financial inclusion. The poverty index was used to measure poverty reduction. The World Development Indicator (WDI) and the CBN Statistical Bulletin 2021 provided the data for this study. Finally, the study included the years 2002 to 2019. Financial inclusion reduces household poverty in Nigeria, according to the study, which used a VAR estimate. The coefficients of commercial bank branches and commercial bank deposits were (-0.004) and (-0.008), respectively, indicating that they had a negative influence on poverty reduction. Furthermore, the study discovered that having access to credit through a financial institution was crucial in lowering poverty in Nigeria over the study period. As a result, the report recommends that steps to promote the rule of law, particularly contract enforcement and financial regulatory inspection, be implemented, resulting in more financial inclusion and a reduction in poverty and income gaps, particularly between men and women. The benefits of financial inclusion must be made more widely known, particularly in rural regions, through promoting financial literacy among the poor through education, advertising, and traditional institutions.