Joseph Ayo Babalola University

Opportunities abound for more innovative development work involving naturally-occurring fibrous materials with good strength and stiffness properties in their use as reinforcements/fillers in polymeric composites fabrication. Utilisation of these waste materials in new composite materials fabrication is important in engineering economics especially in resource savings and ecological considerations. It is in realization of this that tensile and flexural behaviour of chemically retted sisal (Agave sisalana), bamboo and banana (Musa sapientum) fibre reinforced epoxy composites were investigated. The carefully characterised fibres were cut into short lengths and ASTM sample pieces were fabricated in appropriate moulds. The three fibres composites show similar trend of strength deterioration with increasing fibre concentration. From the analysis, only sisal showed consistent and steady strength reduction through all the fibre concentration range. The tensile strength, modulus, stress and strain at break for single fibre epoxy composite obtained varied in the range of 34 MPa to 12 MPa, 1.5 GPa to 0.6 GPa, 34 MPa to 12 MPa and 5% to 1% respectively while flexural strength, modulus, stress and strain at break of single composites ranged from 58 MPa to 18 MPa, 1.4 GPa to 0.9 GPa, 8 MPa to 3 MPa and 5% to 1% respectively. The sisal fibre has the highest tensile properties which contributed to increase strengthening of the composites when compared to that of banana and bamboo composites. The data obtained in certain fibre concentration range were found to show promises in various non-load-bearing engineering applications especially in the power sector (wind-power blades), building (panels, flooring etc.), transportation (automobile, railways, aircraft, ship, interiors etc.) and others.

In post-authoritarian democracies, commemorative speeches serve as crucial sites for reinforcing national cohesion and legitimising state power, yet they remain largely understudied in political discourse analysis. Addressing this gap, this article investigates the metaphorical construction of political meaning in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2024 and 2025 Democracy Day speeches, framing presidential rhetoric as a highly institutionalised form of professional discourse. The aim is to examine how metaphor functions as a cognitive, communicative, and stylistic resource in presidential rhetoric. Drawing on an integrated pragma-stylistic framework combining Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), Speech Act Theory (SAT), and Stylistic Theory, the study uncovers how metaphors frame national history and construct leadership legitimacy. The corpus, totaling 4,875 words, was analysed using the Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP). The analysis identified 22 active metaphors (14 from 2024; 8 from 2025) grouped into six thematic domains: rebirth and struggle, war and resistance, living democracy, light and vision, economic restoration, and sacred destiny. Findings reveal that these metaphors operate as pragmatic tools for reframing political struggle and mobilising citizen responsibility. Specifically, rebirth and struggle metaphors construct national resilience. Journey and light imagery provide forward-looking frames that guide public expectations. Economic metaphors simplify complex reforms by framing hardship as structural renewal, and sacred metaphors elevate democratic practice within moral registers resonating with Nigerian socio-cultural values. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that metaphor in commemorative discourse performs vital ideological work, shaping how citizens interpret democratic progress and national identity while executing the organisational objectives of state leadership. By analysing a neglected genre of Nigerian presidential rhetoric, this study expands existing scholarship on African political discourse and highlights the relevance of a triangulated pragma-stylistic approach for understanding metaphor as a layered discursive phenomenon.

This study specifically focuses on the safety issues of women (vulnerable) while on streets. It also examines whether there are differences in the perceptions of safety and the use of self-protective measures of women and men in a Nigerian urban environment. Working women and men who use public transport to commute to their work place were targeted. Systematic sampling was used to sample 243 women and men in Ibadan metropolitan area. Analysis of travel component revealed that women transport users felt safest while commuting (MS=3.77) when compare with walking (MS=2.16) and waiting (2.88).The most commonly used self-protective behaviour among women transport users was to avoid going out alone in the dark (MP=3.67) while the least was carrying self-protection devices. Findings were later compared with that of men and the results revealed that women had higher feeling of insecurity while walking, waiting and on transit. They also engage in all self-protective behaviours (except to carry self-protection devices) more than men. It is recommended that regular security inspection of streets, security education and refurbishment of streets to enhance the environmental factors that reduce fear will go a long way to making transit environments safer and more fitting to the needs of women.

The success of the learning outcome is highly related to the learning environment. This is because the learning environment significantly influences students’ academic achievement, attitude, and motivation. The study investigated the relationship between students’ and teachers’ perception of school climate in public secondary schools in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state Nigeria. The study used a survey research design. The population for the study comprised all teachers and students in Ijebu Ode public senior secondary schools, Ogun State, Nigeria. The sample consists of 186 teachers and 488 student respondents. Simple random sampling techniques were used to select twenty teachers and fifty students from fifteen secondary schools. Data was collected using the Students and Teachers' Perception of School Climate Questionnaire. Data collected was analysed using frequency count, mean, standard deviation and pearson product moment correlation. Result showed that students have a slightly positive perception of school climate (52.9%). It also showed that teachers have a positive perception of school climate (100%). In addition, it was found that there is no significant relationship between students’ and teachers’ perception (r = .118, P > 0.05) of school climate in public secondary schools in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state. It was concluded that there is no relationship between students’ and teachers’ perception of school climate in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. It is recommended that teachers should be more tolerant of students to have a positive school climate

The Delta State government strives to improve healthcare and achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC); however, the impacts are rarely measured from the user’s perspective. This study examines the satisfaction and quality of healthcare systems in Delta State and proposes a broader framework for quality assessments. A mixed-method cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,191 respondents and 23 participants from randomly selected 6 Local Government Areas (LGAs). The positive rating of the quality of healthcare structure (58.54%), services (43.07%), and outcomes (56.34%), significantly lower than the 78% global benchmark. Residents reported low satisfaction with the healthcare structure (42.49%) and services (42.57%), significantly higher than the 34% global average. The rating of healthcare structure shared significantly association with annual healthcare expenditure (p < 0.001), LGA (p < 0.001), employment status (p < 0.001), and occupation sector (p = 0.002); the healthcare services rating was associated with frequency of healthcare usage (p = 0.048), employment status (p = 0.001), and occupation sector (p = 0.093); and healthcare outcomes rating was associated with family size (p = 0.023), LGA (p < 0.001), occupational sector (p = 0.031), and gender (p < 0.001). Qualitative interviews also reveal low satisfaction, limited awareness of government programs/projects, a lack of equipment, and low staffing levels. The unified approach proposes a user perspective on the healthcare quality assessment framework. To improve healthcare quality and satisfaction, policymakers should address socio-economic disparities, healthcare infrastructure, and services, aligning with UHC goals of equitable access for all residents.