Evaluation of Thermal Comfort in the Design of Student Hostel at Federal University of Technology Minna,Nigeria

Buildings are designed to offer protection to the occupants against harsh outdoor environment thereby enhancing optimal indoor comfort.Over the years,there have been a rise in population of students applying for admission into tertiary institution,which has led to an increase in the number of students that resides at the university hostel.These rise in the number of students,has brought about overcrowding and stretching of facilities,with spaces which were originally intended for four students are now been habited by six to eight students thereby causing imbalance in the general indoor climatic condition.The study is aimed at investigating thermal comfort in student’s accommodation in tertiary institutions towards achieving a better thermal condition in the hostel environment.The objective is to evaluate the thermal performance in the student hostel accommodation,and also to identify passive ways of controlling thermal performance in student dwelling buildings at Federal University of Technology Minna main campus,Gidan Kwano.For the purpose of this research work,primary data were collected through the use questionnaire,case studies and observation.Secondary data were collected from available literature,internet,and studying of similar existing facilities.The study revealed that most student hostel possessed few elements of passive cooling technique which in turn deprives students a quality conducive environment.The research recommends that soft landscaping elements should be adopted and deciduous trees planted in the environment for cooling effect during hot and humid period,provision of two openings in each room if possible.This can be achieved through proper building orientation,use of high thermal mass to reduce heat absorption,use of high thermal mass with night cooling,roof,ceiling and attic insulation.Designing in a hot climate area requires lots of consideration,which is mentioned above so as to incorporate a general conducive indoor thermal comfort for the users.

A Stochastic Model to Assess the Epidemiological Impact of Vaccine Booster Doses on COVID-19 and Viral Hepatitis B Co-Dynamics with Real Data

A patient co-infected with COVID-19 and viral hepatitis B can be atmore risk of severe complications than the one infected with a single infection.This study develops a comprehensive stochastic model to assess the epidemiological impact of vaccine booster doses on the co-dynamics of viral hepatitis B and COVID-19.The model is fitted to real COVID-19 data from Pakistan.The proposed model incorporates logistic growth and saturated incidence functions.Rigorous analyses using the tools of stochastic calculus,are performed to study appropriate conditions for the existence of unique global solutions,stationary distribution in the sense of ergodicity and disease extinction.The stochastic threshold estimated from the data fitting is given by:R_(0)^(S)=3.0651.Numerical assessments are implemented to illustrate the impact of double-dose vaccination and saturated incidence functions on the dynamics of both diseases.The effects of stochastic white noise intensities are also highlighted.

Comparative Study of the Socioeconomic Characteristics and Digital Literacy Level of Agricultural Extension Personnel in Imo and Ebonyi States, South-East, Nigeria

The study comparatively analysed the socioeconomic characteristics and digital literacy level of Agricultural Extension personnel (AEP) in Ebonyi and Imo States, South-East, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of agricultural extension personnel in Ebonyi and Imo States, and to ascertain the digital literacy level of AEP in the studied states. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 312 Agricultural Extension personnel (132 from Ebonyi State Agricultural Development Program and 180 from Imo State Agricultural Development Program) for the study. Data were collected through the use of validated and structured questionnaire, and administered through the help of well-trained enumerators. Data were analysed using simple descriptive statistical tools such as percentages mean score, standard deviation and weighted mean. Findings indicated that they were more male in the both States (55.3% and 57.8%) for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively and that the average age of AEP in Ebonyi and Imo States were 44.7 years and 49.2 years respectively. It was further revealed that the majority (77.3% and 82.8%) had B.Sc./HND as their highest academic qualifications, belonged to professional organisations (62.1% and 75%), and were earning an average monthly income of N58,798 and N62,648 for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively. Also, it was revealed that their mean years of service were 12.4 years and 13.4 years for Ebonyi and Imo State respectively. Almost all of them (87.9% and 95.0%) own a smartphone, had access to the internet (80.3% and 90.0%), but do not own a laptop/ipad (82.6% and 72.8%) for Ebon-yi and Imo State respectively. Results further revealed that Agricultural extension personnel in both Ebonyi and Imo State respectively had low digital literacy level ( = 2.41 and 2.32). The study concluded that AEP in Ebonyi and Imo State respectively had similar socioeconomic characteristics and low level of digital literacy. The study recommended that the management of ADPs in both Ebonyi and Imo State should ensure the training of AEP in digital skills to enhance their digital literacy level to enable them use digital technologies in their work.

Effect of Some Physical Factors on Interrill Erosion of Soils in Gidan-Kwanu Area, Nigeria

Savanna regions in Nigeria face environmental degradation and barren land, negatively impacting food and agricultural productivity. Inter-rill erosion occurs due to raindrop impact and transport, particularly on hill slopes. A study was conducted using a sprinkler rainfall simulator and plot experiment to study soil erosion processes. Soil samples were collected from four farms in Gidan Kwanu, with varying moisture content. Sand content ranged from 46.0% to 76.20%, silt from 11.30% to 23.50%, and clay from 11.0% to 30.0%. Uncultivated and bare land had a higher average porosity (15.47% and 14.99%), while cultivated land had lower porosity (14.4%). The study found that most people in Gidan-Kwanu primarily practice farming, which is season-dependent and rain-fed. Soil type and texture significantly contribute to inter-rill erosion, with cultivated and uncultivated soil being more resistant to erosion than bare land soil. The study concluded that farming practices in Gidan-Kwanu are primarily season-dependent and rain-fed. Soil type and texture significantly contribute to inter-rill erosion, with cultivated and uncultivated soil being more resistant to erosion than bare land soil.

Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Metal Removal from Contaminated Aqueous Solutions by Solid Bidentate Ligands&Liquid Plant Materials

Heavy metal contaminated water sources pose serious health risks for humans,animals,and plants.Exposure to and ingestion of heavy metals have been associated to liver,kidney,and brain function.Objective:The aim of this research is to comparatively examine the metal removal efficacy of three solid bidentate chemicals and four plant materials.Study Design&Methods:Standard solutions of zinc(II)and lead(II)ions with concentrations of 1,000 ppm were respectively treated with OA(Oxalic Acid),dibasic bidentate ligands(sodium hydrogen phosphate and sodium carbonate).Then,the solutions were placed on a shaker for 15 h,centrifuged,and the supernatant was analyzed using ICP-AES(Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry).Results:All the solid bidentate adsorbents were very effective in removing zinc and lead(>90%).However,more lead than zinc was removed across all adsorbents except for lemon where equal percent of zinc and lead(49%)were removed.OA and Na2HPO4 removed about equal amount of lead(>99%).The plant materials(SP(Spinach),bell pepper and GBP(Green Bell Pepper)),respectively and preferentially removed more lead(98.9%,98.3%,81.5%)than zinc(91.7%,46%,46%).Conclusion:Although plant materials have gained attraction for the remediation of heavy metal,however,some bidentate chemical ligands such as OA,sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogen phosphates are even more effective in removing these metals from contaminated water.Furthermore,heavier metals are preferentially removed than lighter metals.

Effect of Water Application Rate on Growth Parameters of Farro 44 Rice Grown in a Selected Irrigation Scheme in Niger State, Nigeria

Water and land are the necessary agricultural inputs, and both are scarce these days. This study aims to determine the effect of water application rate on selected planting and crop parameters of Farro 44 rice during dry season farming and its growth response. The randomised complete block design was employed for the Farro 44 rice variety, with each plot size 4 m2 (2 m × 2 m) for ease of monitoring. A 0.3 m bound space separated each plot. The crop spacing was 0.2 m × 0.3 m, 0.3 m × 0.3 m, and 0.3 m × 0.4 m, respectively, for the row-to-row and plant-to-plant distance. The data collected were statistically analysed. The height of the faro 44 variety of rice ranged between 35.50 cm to 44.00 cm for plots with 2 tillers per hill, while that of 4 and 6 tillers per hill ranged between 35.50 cm to 41.40 cm and 35.50 cm to 39.30 cm, respectively. Minimum damage of 2.32% was seen for plant hills of 2 tillers, while 9.21% and 11.89% were observed for tillers of 4 and 6, respectively. It was seen that plots with the highest spacing of 30 × 40 cm and tillers of 2 per hill were observed to perform better than those of the other plots within the experimental pots. Such plots had a maximum plant tiller of 37 when counted, with the height of the plants reaching 44 cm after 70 days of planting. In conclusion, farmers within the study area of the Kanko community in Niger State. Nigeria appears not to have any known knowledge of the soil they are cultivating and the water they use as a source of irrigation within the farming areas. It was further concluded that the rice crops would be produced maximally with minimal water application to the rice field.

Effect of Tillage Practices on Hydro-Physical Properties of Soils in a Rice-Grown Environment in North Central Nigeria

This study details soil’s physical and chemical properties in a rice-grown environment in Minna environs Niger State, Nigeria, under different soil and water conservation practices. Soil samples were collected at 0 - 10 cm, 10 - 20 cm and 20 - 30 cm, respectively, using a soil auger to determine their physical and chemical properties such as moisture content, particle size, bulk density, particle density, porosity and organic matter. The textural classification determined the percentage dominance of the soil types in each study site location. The moisture content of site 1 ranged between 14.3% to 13.7%, site 2 ranged between 13.2% to 10.2%, site 3 ranged between 15.4% to 13.2%, site 4 ranged between 15.6% to 13.6% and site 5 ranged between 16.1% to 10.9%. The clay content of sites 3, 4 and 5 is higher than that of sites 1 and 2, while the silt contents of sites 1, 2 and 3 are higher than that of sites 4 and 5. The mean value of soil organic carbon from each study location was 2.37%, 2.03%, 2.43%, 2.07% and 2.17% for sites 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Therefore, site 1 is susceptible to erosion because of poor infiltration rate and well-ploughed or cultivated land by the tractor (harrowed). The particle sizes analysis indicated that the soil type in Site 1 and Site 2 is mainly sandy loam, while Site 3 and Site 5 are mainly loamy and predominantly clay loam in Site 4.

Utilization of Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Technologies by Agripreneurs in Ondo State, Nigeria

The research investigated the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technol-ogies among agricultural entrepreneurs in Ondo state, Nigeria. A purposive sample of 120 participants involved in agriculture was selected for the study. Socioeconomic characteristics analysis revealed that the mean age of the re-spondents was 48.3 years. A majority (77%) of the respondents were male, and approximately 68% were married. Regarding education, 32.5% had completed secondary education, while 32.5% had tertiary education. The av-erage annual income was 1,166,800 naira, with a significant proportion (71.7%) identifying as Christians. The study found a significant association between respondents’ awareness levels and their adoption of AI-enabled technologies (χ2 = 7.714, p = 0.005). Based on these findings, it is recom-mended that extension officers receive training in the latest agricultural technologies, including those enabled by AI. Furthermore, the study suggests the introduction of easily accessible and user-friendly AI technologies to farmers to enhance their productivity and income with minimal or no cost implications.

Influence of Non-Natural Ageing Temperature on the Microstructural Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Cast Aluminum 6063 Alloy

This research considered the effect of non-natural aging on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of as-cast aluminum 6063 alloys. The samples were developed through a sand casting process and machined into tensile and impact test samples before carrying out solution heat treatment at 550?C (0.83 Tm) on two parts of the samples while retaining one part as the control. The two parts were further divided into sets denoted A and B and were aged at 180?C (0.27 Tm) and 160?C (0.24 Tm), respectively, for 12 hours. The results showed that sample A has the optimal yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of 192 and 206 MPa, respectively. Likewise, the sample gave the highest impact strength value of about 9.63 J/mm2. The observed results were supported by the optical micrograph, which revealed that the sample has evenly dispersed precipitates in its microstructure. This is deemed responsible for the observed increase in strength of the sample.

The Use of Microbial Biotechnology in Value Addition to Cassava Wastes as Feed for Pigs: Prospects and Challenges

Cassava peels were fermented through a combination of two lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus coryneformis and Lactobacillus delbrueckii) and a fungus (Aspergillus fumigatus) using solid substrate fermentation (SSF) technique for five consecutive days. The enhanced product designated as microbially fermented cassava peel (MFCP) was used at graded levels in the feed formulation for growing pigs. Four iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric diets were formulated with MFCP at 0% (T1), 20% (T2), 40% (T3) and 60% (T4) inclusion levels. Twenty-four boarlings of an average initial weight of 37.15 kg were used in a fourteen-week trial to test the effect of these graded levels of MFCP on growth performance, digestive and reproductive physiology of the experimental animals. The result showed significant differences (P < 0.05) in mean daily feed consumption. Pigs in T3 had the highest feed intake (2.24 ± 0.05 kg), while pigs in T4 had the lowest (1.78 ± 0.04 kg). The final highest live weight was in T3 (72.00 kg) and the least in T4 (58.17 kg). The feed conversion ratios also showed significant differences (P < 0.05) among treatment means. The result obtained from gut morphometry showed that animals in T1 had the highest stomach weight (full and empty), while animals in T3 had the least rate of gastric emptying (81.50%). Animals in T3 and T4 had the longest small intestine (16.21 m and 15.35 m, respectively), while those in T4 had the longest colon (4.24 m). Animals in T1 and T2 had more numbers of gastric glands, while animals in T3 and T4 had more parietal cells. The reproductive indices revealed that animals in T1 were better in terms of the weight and relative weight of vesicular and Cowper’s gland, while animals in T4 had the highest value of the weight and relative weight of prostate gland. Proximate analyses of the ileal digesta revealed that the rate of nutrient absorption was highest in T3 and T1 and lowest in T4. Histological examination of the testes revealed normal testicular architecture in the control diet. The testes of animals fed 0%, 20% and 40% MFCP diets exhibited normal and intact lumen, Sertoli cells, and germ cells. However, animal fed 60% MFCP diet revealed massive disruption and degeneration of germinal epithelium, and complete erosion of the seminiferous tubules. It could be concluded that feeding pigs at 40% MFCP would enhance feed consumption, nutrient absorption and improve the growth rate of pigs. Using MFCP beyond 40% level on swine diet could compromise gut health through diarrhoeagenic disposition of the digesta in the distal colon and modification of the parietal and chief cells of the gastric glands. The hypertrophy of the prostate gland and vacuolization of the seminiferous tubules of pigs fed the 60% MFCP diet indicated a probable reduced reproductive performance.

Examination of Common Occupational Hazards among Healthcare Workers in a University Healthcare Center in Southeastern Nigeria

Background: Healthcare workers are challenged by an imposing group of occupational hazards. These hazards include exposure to biological and non-biological hazards like ionizing radiation, stress, injury, infectious agents, and chemicals. The aim of this study was to assess common occupational hazards among health workers at the Department of Health Services (DHS), Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study design was employed for the study, and a self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The SPSS Version 22.0 software was used for the analysis of the descriptive statistics obtained from the study. This study included both clinical and non-clinical health workers. A purposive sampling technique was used in recruiting a total of 94 respondents who participated in the study from September 2020 to April 2021. Results: A total of 94 respondents who participated in the study and among the participants, 33.3% (31) of the respondents were aged 31 - 40 years, and the majority of the health workers, 43.6% (41) had stayed between 1 - 5 years. Also, 92.6% (87) of the health workers have heard of occupational hazards. The study showed that 84.0% (79) of health workers had good knowledge of common occupational hazards. Biological hazards among health workers are 47.9% (45) cuts and wounds, 29.8% (28) direct contact with contaminated specimens/hazardous materials, and 26.6% (26) sharp related injuries, while for non-biological hazards, 44.7% (42) have slipped, tripped or fallen, and 35.1% (33) have been stressed. Common safety measures include 86.2% (81) washing their hands regularly;78.7% (74) using hand gloves;and 85.1% (80) agreeing they use face masks. Conclusion: Despite good knowledge of occupational hazards, participants at DHS were faced with certain hazards. It is recommended that the university, government, and policymakers revise and implement actions to provide health workers at DHS with equipment to encourage safety in work activity.

Analysis of Incremental Load Damaging Effects of Overloaded Trucks on Federal Highway Pavement Structures in Nigeria

The study is to assess the present serviceability rating of Nigerian highways and the load damage effects of overloaded trucks. The researchers used the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) methods. In this study, the highway section of Lokoja-Abuja, Ilorin-Jebba and Abakiliki-Ogoja via Mbok roads were selected, and data were collected through an axle-load survey, automatic traffic count and from secondary sources. The rate of gross vehicle weight violation was found, ranging from 20% to 94% of the axle load distribution across the studied network. Comparing the overloaded vehicle damage factor (V.D.F.) and standard V.D.F., the range was from 1.2 to 41.34 times across the road networks studied, and this explained why the pavement structures of Nigerian roads tend to deteriorate during its service life rapidly. Present serviceability rating was estimated at 3.45, 4.41 and 3.35 for Lokoja-Abuja, Ilorin-Jebba and Abakiliki-Ogoja roads respectively, showing depletion from their initial conditions. The damaging effects of the HGV are less severe at Lokoja-Abuja Road (with g = 0.30), followed by Ilorin-Jebba Road (with g = 0.35) and more in Abakiliki-Ogoja Road (with g = 0.43). The heaviest overload of 94% of the 6-axle vehicles plying at the Lokoja-Abuja road could explain this intense damaging effect on the road pavement

Blood glucose response to aerobic exercise training programme among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu South-East, Nigeria

The following article has been retracted due to the conflicts between the authors. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter, and HEALTH treats all unethical behavior seriously. This paper published in Vol.5 No.11, 1796-1802 (2013) has been removed from this site. Title: Blood glucose response to aerobic exercise training programme among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu South-East, Nigeria Authors: Charles Ikechukwu Ezema, Amarachi Akuegbu Onwunali, Sikiru Lamina, Uche Anthonia Ezugwu, Augustine Amaeze Amaeze, Maduabuchukwu Joseph Nwankwo, Florence Ngozi

The Evolving Roles of Landscaping in Campus Space Management: Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria in Focus

The aesthetic quality of most of the universities’ campus environment in Nigeria deserves attention considering the inadequate, misused and mismanagement of the campuses’ open spaces. This has exerted a major strain on the welfare and productivity of people (staff and students) in the universities. This study identifies the evolving positive roles of landscape in campus space management with a particular reference to the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Random sampling method was adopted to collect data and information from the students, staff and heads of Planning and Horticulture Units of the institution. The results show that, challenges facing landscape planning in the university include inadequate finance, inadequate facilities, management problem and attitudinal problem of landscape users. The study recommends proper use and management of open space, landscape elements, outdoor rooms with various spatial qualities, and provision of enough funds to Planning and Horticulture units for landscape planning and environmental improvements.

Development of mathematically motivated hybrid soft computing models for improved predictions of ultimate bearing capacity of shallow foundations

Ultimate bearing capacity(UBC)is a key subject in geotechnical/foundation engineering as it determines the limit of loads imposed on the foundation.The most reliable means of determining UBC is through experiment,but it is costly and time-consuming which has led to the development of various models based on the simplified assumptions.The outcomes of the models are usually validated with the experimental results,but a large gap usually exists between them.Therefore,a model that can give a close prediction of the experimental results is imperative.This study proposes a grasshopper optimization algorithm(GOA)and salp swarm algorithm(SSA)to optimize artificial neural networks(ANNs)using the existing UBC experimental database.The performances of the proposed models are evaluated using various statistical indices.The obtained results are compared with the existing models.The proposed models outperformed the existing models.The proposed hybrid GOA-ANN and SSA-ANN models are then transformed into mathematical forms that can be incorporated into geotechnical/foundation engineering design codes for accurate UBC measurements.

Mechanisms of medicinal plants in the treatment of diabetic wound

Wound repair is noticeably prolonged in a diabetic state due to a faulty inflammatory process and an underlying neuropathy.Several medicinal plants and their products have been of prime importance for the management of wounds over the years.Various mechanisms whereby medicinal plants elicit their action in wound repair are revealed and some plants are proven to be experimentally effective in enhancing wound closure and achieving healing.The mechanisms identified include hyperglycemic control,alleviation of physiological inflammation,controlled oxidative stress,infection control,and influence on gene expression.Information in this review was sourced from research and review articles in electronic databases such as Web of Science,Scopus,PubMed,and Google Scholar.

A Bidimensional Finite Element Study of Crack Propagation in Austempered Ductile Iron

Austempered ductile iron(ADI)is composed of an ausferritic matrix with graphite nodules and has a wide range of applications because of its high mechanical strength,fatigue resistance,and wear resistance compared to other cast irons.The amount and size of the nodules can be controlled by the chemical composition and austenitizing temperature.As the nodules have lower stiffness than the matrix and can act as stress concentrators,they influence crack propagation.However,the crack propagation mechanism in ADI is not yet fully understood.In this study,we describe a numerical investigation of crack propagation in ADIs subjected to cyclic loading.The numerical model used to calculate the stress intensity factors in the material under the given conditions is built with the aid of Abaqus commercial finite element code.The crack propagation routine,which is based on the Paris law,is implemented in Python.The results of the simulation show that the presence of a nodule generates a shear load on the crack tip.Consequently,even under uniaxial tensile loading,the presence of the nodule yields a non-zero stress intensity factor in mode II,resulting in a deviation in the crack propagation path.This is the primary factor responsible for changing the crack propagation direction towards the nodule.Modifying the parameters,for example,increasing the nodule size or decreasing the distance between the nodule and crack tip,can intensify this effect.In simulations comparing two different ADIs with the same graphite fraction area,the crack in the material with more nodules reaches another nodule in a shorter propagation time(or shorter number of cycles).This suggests that the high fatigue resistance observed in ADIs may be correlated with the number of nodules intercepted by a crack and the additional energy required to nucleate new cracks.In summary,these findings contribute to a better understanding of crack propagation in ADIs,provide insights into the relationship between the presence of nodules and the fatigue resistance of these materials,and support studies that associate the increased fatigue resistance with a higher number of graphite nodules.These results can also help justify the enhanced fatigue resistance of ADIs when compared to other cast irons.

Assessment of ERA5 and ERA-Interim in Reproducing Mean and Extreme Climates over West Africa

In situ data in West Africa are scarce,and reanalysis datasets could be an alternative source to alleviate the problem of data availability.Nevertheless,because of uncertainties in numerical prediction models and assimilation methods,among other things,existing reanalysis datasets can perform with various degrees of quality and accuracy.Therefore,a proper assessment of their shortcomings and strengths should be performed prior to their usage.In this study,we examine the performance of ERA5 and ERA-interim(ERAI)products in representing the mean and extreme climates over West Africa for the period 1981-2018 using observations from CRU and CHIRPS.The major conclusion is that ERA5 showed a considerable decrease in precipitation and temperature biases and an improved representation of inter-annual variability in much of western Africa.Also,the annual cycle is better captured by ERA5 in three of the region’s climatic zones;specifically,precipitation is well-reproduced in the Savannah and Guinea Coast,and temperature in the Sahel.In terms of extremes,the ERA5 performance is superior.Still,both reanalyses underestimate the intensity and frequency of heavy precipitations and overestimate the number of wet days,as the numerical models used in reanalyses tend to produce drizzle more often.While ERA5 performs better than ERAI,both datasets are less successful in capturing the observed long-term trends.Although ERA5 has achieved considerable progress compared to its predecessor,improved datasets with better resolution and accuracy continue to be needed in sectors like agriculture and water resources to enable climate impact assessment.

Principal Component Analysis of Ground Level Enhancement of Cosmic Ray Events

We applied principal component analysis(PCA)to the study of five ground level enhancements(GLEs)of cosmic ray(CR)events.The nature of the multivariate data involved makes PCA a useful tool for this study.A subroutine program written and implemented in the R software environment generated interesting principal components.Analysis of the results shows that the method can distinguish between neutron monitors(NMs)that observed Forbush decreases from those that observed GLEs at the same time.The PCA equally assigned NMs with identical signal counts with the same correlation factor(r)and those with close r values equally have a close resemblance in their CR counts.The results further indicate that while NMs that have the same time of peak may not have the same r,most NMs that had the same r also had the same time of peak.Analyzing the second principal components yielded information on the differences between NMs having opposite but the same or close values of r.NMs that had the same r equally had the tendency of being close in latitude.

Characterisation of Meteorological Drought in Northern Nigeria Using Comparative Rainfall-Based Drought Metrics

Meteorological droughts occur when there is deficiency in rainfall;i.e. rainfall availability is below some acclaimed normal values. Hence, the greater challenge is to be able to obtain suitable methods for assessing drought occurrence, its onset or initiation and termination. Thus, an attempt was made in this paper to evaluate the performance of Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardised Precipitation Anomaly Index (SPAI) to characterise drought in Northern Nigeria for purposes of comparison and eventual adoption of probable candidate index for the development of an Early Warning System. The findings indicated that despite the fact that the annual timescale may be long, it can be employed to obtain information on the temporal evolution of drought especially, regional behaviour. However, monthly timescale can be more appropriate if emphasis is on evaluating the effects of drought in situations relating to water supply, agriculture and groundwater abstractions. The SPAI can be employed for periodic rainfall time series though;it accentuates drought signatures and may not necessarily dampen high fluctuations due to implications of high climatic variability considering the stochastic nature and state transition of drought phenomena. On the other hand, the temporal evolution of SPI and SPAI were not coherent at different temporal accumulations with differences in fluctuations. However, despite the differences between the SPI and SPAI, generally at some timescales, for instance, 6-month accumulation, both spatial and temporal distributions of drought characteristics were seemingly consistent. In view of the observed shortcomings of both indices, especially the SPI, the Standardised Nonstationary Precipitation Index (SnsPI) should be looked into and too, other indexes that take into consideration the implications of global warming by incorporating potential evapotranspiration may be deemed more suitable for drought studies in Northern Nigeria.