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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the inelastic buckling of a rectangular thin flat isotropic plate subjected to uniform uniaxial in-plane compression using a work principle, a deformation plasticity theory and Taylor–Maclaurin series formulation.

The non-loaded longitudinal edges of the rectangular plate are clamped, whereas the loaded edges are simply supported (CSCS). Total work error function is applied to Stowell’s plasticity theory in the derivation of the inelastic buckling equation. Mathematical formulation of the Taylor–Maclaurin series deflection function satisfied the boundary conditions of the CSCS rectangular plate. The critical inelastic load of the plate is then derived by applying variational principles.

Values of the plate buckling coefficient are calculated using various values of moduli ratio for aspect ratios ranging from 0.1 to 1.0, in intervals of 0.1. The accuracy of the proposed technique is validated by comparing the results obtained in the present study with solutions from a previous investigation. The percentage differences in the values of the buckling coefficient ranged from −0.122 to −4.685 per cent.

The results indicate that the work principle approach can be used as an alternative approximate method for analyzing inelastic buckling of rectangular thin flat isotropic plates under uniform in-plane compressive loads.

This study investigates and contextualises the Igbo Traditional Business School (ITBS) and planned entrepreneurial behaviour across Nigerian higher education sector in a period of crisis occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study is based on a quantitative survey of undergraduate students on ITBS, and the data were analysed using the SmartPLS structural equation modelling (SEM).

The study finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has had negative influence on attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control (PBC) and entrepreneurial intention (EI) of students, but these negative influences are mediated/moderated by the ITBS.

The study presents some practical and managerial implications that will be of interest to ITBS administrators, the government and other stakeholder groups.

While research has increasingly explored the role of the ITBS in promoting entrepreneurial activities, not much has been linked to coping mechanisms for students in crisis times. The study unearths the “positive” influence of the pandemic on entrepreneurship and how the ITBS mediates the “negative” aspects of COVID-19 on entrepreneurial vocation.

The corrosivity and competence of soils within Uburu and Okposi areas of the Southern Benue Trough, Nigeria, were evaluated using the electrical resistivity method. This paper aims to provide information that will aid pre-design of subsurface iron/steel pipe networks for distribution of pipe-borne water and construction of subsurface structures for agricultural and environmental purposes.

In total, 22 vertical electrical soundings (VES) in the Schlumberger configuration were acquired with Allied Ohmega™ Terrameter with a maximum half current (AB/2) electrode spacing of 200 m. Layer parameters were determined using partial curve matching techniques, using the Schlumberger master curves, while processing and modelling were done with the IPI2win™ software. The VES results were interpreted qualitatively and quantitatively to obtain various curve types and layer parameters, respectively, which were used to categorize the area into different competence and corrosivity zones. The first layer isoresistivity and competence maps were used to delineate four zones (A,B,C and D) with varying apparent resistivities and competences.

Incompetent soils with resistivity values ranging from 24.3-88.7 Om are found in Zone A. The soils in Zone A are mainly expansive clays which swell on absorption of water. Zone B contains moderately competent soils with resistivity values ranging from 273-308.6 Om, while Zones C and D are underlain by sandstones and contain competent to highly competent soils with resistivity values ranging from 511-750 Om and 835-1,525 Om, respectively. Zone E contains highly corrosive (24.3 Om) to mildly corrosive (102 Om) soils; Zone F contains soils that are essentially non-corrosive with resistivity values ranging from 271-1,525 Om, while the corrosivity of soils within Zone G varies from corrosive to mildly corrosive, with resistivity values ranging from 44.3-114 Om.

Some of the areas are not accessible because of community restrictions.

These findings are essentially very significant and should be taken into consideration when materials that are susceptible to corrosion are being considered for engineering, agricultural and environmental purposes in the area.

The findings will aid water resource planners and developers on how to protect metal pipes from corrosion, when used for water reticulation and agricultural purposes.

This paper fulfils an identified need to study the corrosivity of soils in the study area with a view to providing adequate protection to metal objects when being considered for water reticulation for domestic and agricultural purposes in the area.

The Igbo people of south-eastern Nigeria are generally acknowledged as traders and astute entrepreneurs. Extant literature has investigated the various indigenous practices of Igbo entrepreneurs that ensure business success. Despite these efforts, knowledge of their financial practices has been limited. This chapter provides insights on the financial practices that are common amongst Igbo micro-entrepreneurs and the immense benefits of the practices. To unravel these practices, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 micro-entrepreneurs involved in supermarket, spare parts and food items businesses in Lagos, Nigeria. Using a grounded theory approach, four significant financial practices such as rotating financial contribution, deferred financial arrangements, financial settlement practice and financial prudence common among the Igbo micro-entrepreneurs were identified. Based on the findings, relevant recommendations were made for financial educators and the management of modern financial institutions to adapt and incorporate some of these indigenous financial practices in teaching curricula and financial product designs.

A novel cost-effective bio-digester was explored to convert biological waste into useful clean energy. The bioreactor was aimed to anaerobically digest locally sourced cow dung and chicken droppings.

The design consideration is a batch horizontal 267 L digester made from cast iron with centrally positioned four-impeller shaft to enhance mixing. The system operated with a retention time of 63 days and a substrate (cow dung and poultry waste) ratio of 1:2 and water substrate ratio of 1:0.5 in the gasholder system. The purification, compression and performance evaluation of the generated biogas were also conducted.

The total volume of gas produced for each substrate compositions designed over 14 days ranges between 49.34 and 52.91 mL/day. The optimal value of 52.45 ml using cow dung and poultry waste (w/w) 20:80 was obtained. The average ambient temperatures during the study were within the mesophilic range of 20-40°C. The pH values were stable and always in the optimal range of 6.5-8.0. The reductions in moisture content, ash content, total solids and volatile solids were from 80.50-0.20 per cent, 39.60-14 per cent, 18.50-5.90 per cent and 11.60-4.90 per cent, respectively.

The developed digester is cost-effective and would help minimize solid waste disposal. The estimated methane contents of the gas from cow dung and chicken waste after scrubbing were found to be 71.95 per cent and could be harnessed in solving the energy crisis in the developing nations.

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed movement restrictions and limited access to modern medical services, prompting the search for alternative solutions, such as indigenous herbal medicines. In Southwest Nigeria, female herbal producers, often with limited economic resources, play a significant role in herbal medicine production. Despite facing multiple challenges, these producers have demonstrated remarkable creativity in navigating the barriers. However, without deliberate efforts to preserve their creative values, indigenous herbal businesses face the threat of extinction. This chapter investigates the resourcefulness of female herbal producers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southwest Nigeria and proposes strategies for sustaining their trade. Qualitative data were collected to identify the treatment patterns and trade dynamics among female herbal producers in the region. The findings indicate that movement restrictions during the pandemic disrupted herbal producers' access to treatment materials, yet they managed to meet their communities' health needs. These women often serve as first responders and primary healthcare providers in many local communities in Southwest Nigeria, and collaboration with the government will further enhance their effectiveness. The sustainability of indigenous herbal medicine production and trade by women can become a pathway to promote women's economic empowerment in Nigeria if given the necessary support. The chapter concludes with policy recommendations for sustaining the ingenuity of female herbal producers in Nigeria.

Over the years, there have been calls for the integration of the Igbo Traditional Business School (I-TBS) into the contemporary entrepreneurship space, especially in Africa, to scale up entrepreneurial activities. The I-TBS model has demonstrated prominence in influencing entrepreneurial culture, skills transfer, start-up support mechanisms, enterprise success and sustainability; however, its reliability and replicability are often questioned. Among a myriad of issues, lack of comprehensive documentation that isolates the merits as well as demerits, is a concern. An understanding of I-TBS’ validity, reliability, replicability and compatibility are others. As a result, it has been difficult to accord the model the needed recognition. This desktop review chapter, is an effort to contribute to the improvement of the model, synthesise its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats with specific reference to the Igba-Boi entrepreneurship scheme. The Atlas-ti v8 software was used in the synthesis. Based on the review, attributes such as togetherness and solidarity in business, free transfer of skills, upholding entrepreneurial culture which are passed from generation to generation and building family/social ties were key strengths of the model. The weaknesses come in the form of lack of regulations to monitor irregularities, inappropriate contractual method and the abuse of mentees. Openings for interested individual to access training, assurance for start-up capital and partnership/collaboration options were key opportunities. False accusations of mentees, breaching settlement agreement, unfair dismissal of mentee, and lack of solid ground for justice, are the major threats. It is expected that these findings will form the basis for further research and policy actions to improve the model.

This paper presents a new algorithm for detecting and characterizing potholes and bumps directly from noisy signals acquired using an Accelerometer. A wavelet transformation based filter was used to decompose the signals into multiple scales. These coefficients were correlated across adjacent scales and filtered using a spatial filter. Road anomalies were then detected based on a fixed threshold system, while characterization was achieved using unique features extracted from the filtered wavelet coefficients. Our analyses show that the proposed algorithm detects and characterizes road anomalies with high levels of accuracy, precision and low false alarm rates.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of microfinance programs sponsored by Sudanese microfinance institutions (SMFIs) on monetary poverty reduction in Sudan where poverty is widely spread.

The study adopted the control group approach, where income and expenditure are taken as welfare indicators. The updated World Bank’s international poverty line of 1.90 per person per day was adopted to separate the poor from non-poor. The data were collected by the means of a questionnaire distributed to a random sample of beneficiaries in the institution under study. The study adapted the Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) model to evaluate the role of microfinance programs in poverty reduction. Furthermore, to gain more insight into the impact of the program, a preliminary analysis was conducted using the independent-samples t-test to examine the difference in the welfare indicators for the sample of the control group and treatment group as well as that of the small loan group and micro-loan group.

The findings show that the microfinance program provided by SMFIs has reduced the monetary poverty among the participants. The results also reveal that beneficiaries who had received a larger volume of loan were noted lesser poverty than those who had received very small loan size. Moreover, the results demonstrate that poverty indices based on expenditure as a welfare indicator are far lower than those based on income for both groups.

This study contributes to the available literature by filling the gaps through including income and expenditure as monetary variables, which included separately in previous studies adopted the FGT model in the area of microfinance, in addition to exploring the role of loan size in the effect of microfinance on poverty reduction.

The Igbos of south-eastern region of Nigeria are known for their rich cultural heritage which permeates all their socioeconomic life. Sacrosanct among their social institution is their business practice which has outlived generations, but its impact is still felt not only in the south-eastern region but also in Nigeria as a whole. Igbo business practices have become integral to an average Igbo man's life, and it is the cornerstone on which their values are promoted. This is evidence in their desires to make wealth and be successful hence the adage ‘ego ji oru’ which means ‘money has the answer to projects’. Generally, Igbo culture and values are reflected in their business practices. The Igbos have a strategic model of attracting, retaining, transferring knowledge and developing talents. This unique model has contributed to the sustenance of Igbo businesses through manpower development and has also influenced their business performance over the years. The Igbos seek and develop talents in their area of business interest for continuity, performance and value creation. This chapter explores how talents are recruited to become apprentices and how knowledge is transferred to these apprentices by their Igbo master known as ‘oga’. Also, the effects of the recruitment process and the knowledge transfer mechanisms on business performance are evaluated. The chapter adopts a case study approach and sampled six small Igbo businesses in Ajah market, Lagos. The chapter revealed that the Igbos have indigenous strategies of recruiting and developing talents which influence the performance of their business. Informed recommendations were made for business in Africa at the end of the chapter.