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ABSTRACTThis study assessed the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices on the financial performance of listed deposit money banks in Nigeria. Specifically, the study focused on five CSR dimensions—environmental management, community development, employee relations, product and customer service—as proxies for CSR practices, and return on assets (ROA) as a proxy for financial performance. A total of fifteen deposit money banks listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange were included in the sample. Data were collected from the annual reports and accounts of these banks for the period from 2013 to 2022, totaling 10 years of panel data. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and panel regression techniques. The findings revealed there was a strong negative and significant relationship between environmental management and the financial performance (ROA) of listed deposit money banks in Nigeria, community development showed a positive and significant relationship with financial performance, employee relations exhibited a negative and significant relationship with financial performance, and product quality and customer service demonstrated a strong positive and significant relationship with financial performance. These results suggest that while certain CSR practices, such as environmental management and employee relations, negatively impact financial performance, others, such as community development and customer service, have a positive effect on the financial outcomes of the banks. The study provides insights into the importance of selecting appropriate CSR practices that align with the financial goals of deposit money banks.

Agricultural by-products and staple crops hold significant potential as alternative sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds for food and industrial applications. Rice husks, corn cobs, sugarcane bagasse, and starch are of particular interest due to their abundant availability and versatility. This study aimed to transform agro-industrial wastes into nutrient-rich media for actinomycetes cultivation. Agro-industrial waste which included Rice husks, corn cobs, sugarcane bagasse, and starch were sourced from Ado and Ikere Ekiti. This were pretreated and sterilized and used to formulate the medium for the growth of actinomycetes. Cultural characteristics of the actinomycetes were studied and compared to that obtained on starch casein agar. Standard analytical procedures were employed to determine the moisture, fat, protein, ash, crude fiber, and carbohydrate contents, as well as calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and phosphorus concentrations. Results revealed that actinomycetes growth was noticed on each of the formulated media after seven days of incubation. Also, similar cultural characteristics of the actinomycetes were observed on the formulated and synthetic media. Proximate analysis revealed that rice husk had high carbohydrate (54.27%) and fiber content (18.97%), while starch was predominantly composed of carbohydrates (81.77%). Sugarcane bagasse exhibited significant carbohydrate content (74.13%) and fiber (9.94%), while corn cob was rich in fiber (28.58%) and protein (3.78%). Mineral analysis showed that sugarcane had the highest phosphorus (1007.25 mg/100g) and calcium (412.80 mg/100g) contents, while corn cob was rich in iron (373.75 mg/100g) and zinc (5.62 mg/100g). These results highlight the nutritional and mineral richness of these samples, suggesting their potential as valuable raw materials in food, feed, and industrial applications. Further studies should explore processing methods to enhance their usability while addressing any anti-nutritional factors.

<p>This study was conducted to investigate the effect of firm attributes on sustainable growth of listed industrial goods firms in Nigeria. The scope of this study covers a period of 10 years ranging from 2014 to 2023. The firm specific characteristics proxies adopted in the study were profitability, dividend policy, working capital and capital structure . In testing for the effect of the variables on sustainable growth of listed industrial goods firms in Nigeria, the study conducted panel least square regression before proceeding to check for inconsistencies with the basic assumptions of the OLS regression. These diagnostics tests include test for multicollinearity as well as test for heteroscedasticity. Findings from the study show that profitability has a negative insignificant effect on sustainable growth; capital structure has a negative insignificant effect on sustainable growth; dividend policy has a positive insignificant effect on sustainable growth; and working capital has a positive significant effect on sustainable growth of the industrial goods firms under study. The study concluded that only the variable of working capital appears to significantly influence sustainable growth rate of listed industrial goods firms in Nigeria. Profitability, capital structure and dividend policy have no significant effect on sustainable growth rate. Based on the findings of this study, It is recommend that management of these industry goods companies should advocate for policies that will enhance swift conversion of inventory to cash to improve firm growth. This could range from the provision of cash discussant to customer to encourage purchase.</p>

This study assessed secondary school students' attitudes towards Physical and Health Education (PHE) in Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Employing a descriptive survey design, the study aimed to understand student perceptions and engagement with PHE. The sample size of the study consists of 150 secondary school students in Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Research advisor (2006) table for determining sample size of a population was used to determine the sample. Stratified sampling techniques was used to group the school into strata and 4 schools will be selected for the study. Simple random sampling was used to select the respondents that was used in the study. Data was collected using a self-developed questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, specifically mean and standard deviation, were used to analyze the collected data. The findings revealed a generally positive attitude among students towards PHE. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the government and relevant stakeholders prioritize the provision of adequate facilities, equipment, and qualified personnel for PHE in schools within Makarfi Local Government Area. This will further enhance student engagement and promote the benefits of PHE. Programs could integrate health education topics more explicitly with physical activities, showing how the skills learned in PHE can improve both short-term and long-term health outcomes, reinforcing the subject's perceived utility, schools and local governments should invest in improving the availability and quality of sports facilities and equipment. Enhancing the physical environment of PHE can significantly boost students' engagement and participation levels, as better access to these resources has been shown to positively influence students' attitudes towards the subject.

Carrots (Daucuscarota) are nutrient-dense vegetables highly valued for their rich composition of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds, particularly beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A and a powerful antioxidant. Carrot-based jams serve as an innovative way to deliver these nutrients in a flavourful and convenient form. The study aimed determining the nutritive value and acceptability of carrot-based jams prepared using sugar and jaggery. 500 grams of grated carrots were set aside as the primary ingredient. Homemade lemon pulp pectin was created by cooking lemon pulp with 1/4 cup of water until it thickened. In a heavy-bottomed pan, 250 grams of jaggery were combined with the prepared lemon pulp pectin. The mixture was heated on low heat and stirred continuously until the jaggery fully melted and mixed with the pectin, forming a smooth syrup. Proximate analysis revealed that the jaggery-based jam had significant higher as (1.97 ± 0.45%), crude fibre (2.47 ± 0.65%), and protein content (1.20 ± 0.30%) compared to sugar based and standard jams, magnesium and superior nutritional value. Mineral analysis showed elevated levels of iron, magnesium and zinc in the jaggery based jam, affirming its potential as a mineral-rich food product. Vitamin content analysis also highlighted a significant increase in vitamin A (450.00 ± 180.28 ug/dl) and vitamin E (2.23 ± 0.67mg/dl) in the jaggery-based sample. Although sensory evaluation revealed no significant difference in sweetness and flavour across samples, the jaggery-based jam scored lower in appearance, texture and overall acceptability, likely due to its darker colour and firmer consistency. These findings suggest that while jaggery enhances the nutritional profile of carrot jam, further formulation adjustment are necessary to improve its sensory appeal and consumer acceptance.

For ages, Picralima nitida (Apocynaceae) has been used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of diseases, such as inflammation, diabetes, and malaria. The plant exhibited potential antibacterial and analgesic properties. In this study, methanol extract of Picralima nitida stem bark was evaluated using standard methods for it’s phytochemical screening, haematological effects, and histological analysis. Alkaloids, saponins, tannins, proteins, carbohydrates flavonoids, reducing sugars, and terpenoids were found in the samples. For the Haematological studies, the result on the effects of methanol stem bark of P. nitida extract on the red blood cell and it's components revealed significant impact on the following red blood cell characteristics including hamacrite (HCT), haemoglobin (HGB) and red blood cell (RBC) of administered (200mg/kg, 400mg/kg and 800mg/kg) doses when compared with the control group. This shows that picralima nitida stem bark methanol extract can increase the blood’s ability to carry oxygen and hence, it is possible that picralima nitida stem bark methanol extract will be effective in treating certain diseases like anaemia.All the mice that received the plant extracts experience an increase in WBC counts, white blood cells are involved in battling illness and the extracts may stimulate their production. The result on the white blood cell demonstrates that the picralima nitida extract significantly affected the white blood cells (WBC), lymphocyte (LYM), and granulocyte (GR) counts. Data compiled herein indicate that this plant can be a source of herbal drug to combat or fight against infections.

Samples from well and tank water from different areas in Iree town were analysed. The physical parameters of the well water as well as the tank water were conducted and were observed that both the well and the tank water met the standard according to the world health organization. Also, the samples were analysed for the total bacterial count using standard biological method of spread plate and sub culturing method and the examination of coliform was done at the same time. The total bacterial count range from 1.1 - 4.0 ×103 cfu/ml for all the samples (both well and tank water samples). The most probable number of coliform in the water samples ranges 3 - 11/100ml. Where well water sumple from Eyinade has the highest number of coliform, and lowest number of coliform recorded from Yakoyo well water sumple and Ladoja I and ii tank water as well (G/100ml). Igua well water and okeeleye tank water have 90/100ml. The bacteria identified through colonial, morphological and biochemical characteristic includes: Shigella spp. Protes spp. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp. The above result showed that the well and tank water samples analysed were not fit for consumption, which means the water sources need to be treated so that people making use of them will be safe from water bore diseases and

ABSTRACT The primary goal of this research study is to assess the availability and adequacy of audio-visual resources in the teaching and learning of biology in secondary school in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State. The research design used for the study was a descriptive designs of a survey type which allows the description of the participant of this research in an accurate way, and enables information to be obtained from a representative sample of the population. The sample size for the study consists of one hundred (100) students randomly drawn from five (5) schools in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State. The instrument for the collection of data was a self-designed questionnaire. The instrument has face and content validity. The data collected were analyzed and interpreted using frequency counts and simple percentage. The study revealed that that Secondary schools use various audio-visual resources for biology teaching, including video lessons, PowerPoint slides, virtual field trips with VR and AR, visual representations of biological concepts, and online resources. Resources should align with biology standards, cater to diverse learning styles, promote active learning through hands-on experiments and simulations, encourage critical thinking with real-world applications, and accommodate varying skill levels among students. Many schools face challenges in effectively utilizing audio-visual resources due to a lack of necessary equipment, limited budgets for technology and high-quality materials, insufficient training for educators, the time-consuming nature of preparing these aids, and difficulties in integrating them into lesson plans. Based on the findings of this research work, it was recommended that appropriate use of audiovisual aids is a skill; therefore teachers should be trained in use of traditional as well as new technology based audiovisual aids through pre-service as well as in-service teachers’ professional development programmes. Teachers should be encouraged to use audiovisual aids from the very early stages of learning in order to enhance the interest and motivation of students and keep them attentive in class. Curriculum planners and policy makers should introduce early use of audiovisual aids in the curriculum so as to familiarize the students with the technology so as to prevent over excitements when they are exposed to it for the first time at a later stage thereby causing distractions to the students. State and Federal governments should equip all schools with necessary audiovisual instructional materials for teaching and learning. The government and secondary school management authorities should make adequate provision for funds to enable secondary schools acquire AV resources and effectively utilize them for teaching and learning. The students should be frequently tutored on the use of Audio-Visual resources as easier way of learning. This will ensure the application of proper caution in handling the AV resources by the students as well as embracing them in enhancing their teaching and learning processes. Secondary school authorities should make effort in ensuring that these teachers are trained and re-trained on the use of AV resources for teaching and learning. The government should ensure the provision of standby generators or solar panels as alternatives to the frequent power failures often experienced in the nation.