The Federal University of Lafia formerly named Federal University, Lafia is a recently established university situated in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State, this was done in 2010 by the Goodluck Jonathan administration as one of the nine new federal universities established in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.The university commenced academic activities by September 2012 with new students that made up the first set of students to be trained by the University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ekanem Ikpi Braide. Federal University, Lafia currently has a third Vice Chancellor Prof. Shehu Abdulrahaman, who was appointed by the present President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR (RTD). The appointment takes effect from the 11th of February 2021, after the expiration of the tenure of Prof. Muhammad Sanusi Liman..
The glass sealants of compositions (15+x)BaO-15La2O3-5ZnO-5Al2O3-20B2O3-(40-x)SiO2 (x= 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10 mol%) were synthesized using the melt and quench method. The physical, structural, mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of the as-prepared samples are examined using various characterization techniques to assess their suitability as a sealant for solid oxide fuel cell applications. The density increases from 4.19 to 4.51 g cm-3 while, the molar volume shows a nonlinear trend with increasing BaO content. The XRD patterns confirm the amorphous nature of the as-prepared samples. FTIR and Raman spectra confirm depolymerization of silicate units. An increase in the coefficient of thermal expansion and a decrease in glass transition temperature, hardness, and Young's modulus are observed with the addition of BaO content. The impact of BaO on dielectric constant, tangent of loss, and conductivity is studied using an impedance analyzer. The conductivity of glasses are found to increase from 0.7 to 1.3 x10-7 S cm-1 with an increase in BaO content due to the creation of non-bridging oxygens. Therefore, the as-prepared glasses can be used as a sealant for SOFC applications due to their promising coefficient of thermal expansion, mechanical, and electrical properties.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) adopted the Abuja Declaration on Political Principles in 1991 and the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance in 2001, aimed, among others, at deterring unconstitutional change of government, particularly via military coup, in West Africa. In light of the backlash that stemmed from ECOWAS’s attempt to sanction the coups d’état in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, this paper assesses the enforceability of ECOWAS’s non-tolerant principle against unconstitutional change of government in West Africa. The paper seeks to answer the following questions: What is an unconstitutional change of government in the context of ECOWAS’s protocol on democracy and good governance? How does ECOWAS respond to other forms of regime unconstitutionality apart from coups d’état? How have the challenges of effectively sanctioning unconstitutional changes of government impacted the continued cohesion and relevance of ECOWAS? The paper posits that although ECOWAS’s unconstitutional change of government principle is not bad in itself, its legitimacy and justification have been contradicted by the fact that it has been indifferent to other forms of non-military unconstitutional regime changes and perhaps tenure elongation, sit-tight, and succession crises, smacking thereby of double standards. Rethinking ECOWAS’s protocol on democracy and good governance to emphasize other forms of unconstitutional changes that occur in the context of electoral and transitional politics in the region is, therefore, pertinent.
The adsorption of organic molecules onto steel surfaces has been a key strategy in the selection of materials for mitigation of corrosion in various aggressive media. Computational chemistry offers valuable insight into the electronic interactions that govern this process. In this study, five pteridine-based compounds, namely, isoxanthopterin, leucopterin, lumazine, pterin and xanthopterin, were assessed for their adsorption behaviour and corrosion inhibition potential on Fe(110) surface using density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Geometry optimization, frontier molecular orbital analysis, and quantum reactivity descriptors were computed using the B3LYP/DNP level of theory via the Dmol$^{3}$ module in BIOVIA Material Studio. Fukui indices and Mulliken charge distributions were analyzed to predict adsorption sites. Additionally, adsorption energies and molecular configurations on the Fe(110) surface were examined using the Forcite and Adsorption Locator tools. Results showed that all the studied compounds exhibit planar geometries favorable for surface interaction, with isoxanthopterin and xanthopterin demonstrating the strongest adsorption energies. Key adsorption sites were localized around nitrogen and oxygen heteroatoms. The compounds are predicted to form stable interactions with the iron surface through both physisorption and chemisorption, indicating excellent potential for use as green corrosion inhibitors.
In crystalline basement terrains, understanding near-surface crustal architecture is vital for assessing geoengineering integrity and mitigating landslide risks. This study focuses on the granitic terrain of Penang Island, Malaysia, where rapid urbanization and landslides could threaten infrastructure stability. Integrating multiphysics with statistically optimized borehole-based rock quality designation (RQD) modeling provides the first geophysical-geotechnical-statistical framework to evaluate lithological conditions and landslide triggers in granitic terrains. The innovative methodology develops lithology-based geoengineering integrity models to assess soil-rock profiles at steep and low-lying sections across four sites: Sungai Ara (east; Site 1), Batu Maung (south; Site 2), Jelutong (north; Site 3), and Balik Pulau (west; Site 4). The findings identify varied subsurface characteristics using resistivity and seismic P-wave velocity tomographic models, correlated with borehole logs and RQD data. The subsurface is categorized into residual soils, highly to moderately weathered/fractured granite, and hard/fresh granitic bedrock. The study framework revealed contrasting lithologic differentiation between southern Penang Island and the northern section, including the western and eastern parts, likely due to differences in granitic feldspar magma mineralogy and susceptibility to weathering. Sites 1, 3, and 4 are dominated by lower resistivity and seismic velocity values-indicating weaker, looser, and deeper weathered materials-whereas Site 2 is characterized by more compact, sandy-rich residual soils and hard/fresh bedrock with deeper fractures. Weathered and fractured zones amplify water-rock interactions, increasing pore pressure and landslide susceptibility in the area. Contractive clay/silt (<200 Omega m) and water-escape structures within creeping residual soils are identified as primary landslide triggers, particularly in unstable, steep sections. For infrastructure design integrity, reinforced piling foundations reaching fresh granitic bedrock (RQD Units III and IV) are recommended. These measures are crucial in Penang's rapidly urbanizing terrain with numerous tall buildings. While site-specific, the study introduces a globally adaptable framework for cost-effective, large-scale geoengineering assessments in similar geological contexts, enhancing risk mitigation and infrastructure design strategies.
The banditry crisis in northern Nigeria has been associated with dire implications for human population and settlement. Scholarship on the subject area has largely failed to foreground the nexus between banditry and population dynamics in the context of threat-induced migration, displacement, and bond-settlement patterns. Although there are diverse media and policy-based insights pertaining to the impact of the banditry crisis on the settled population, the conditions of persons, households and communities displaced or subjected to various forms of captivity by the crisis have been almost entirely unexplored by way of organized research. Using a combination of primary and secondary data, this paper examines the population-in-captivity dimension of the banditry crisis in northern Nigeria. It posits that the banditry crisis has, among others, created a captive population(s) who are exposed to complex, mortal existential threats, and vulnerabilities in the context of Nigeria's burgeoning un(der)governed spaces and state fragility syndrome.
