Journal of Enviromental Sciences and Built Environental Research
The Journal of Environmental Sciences and Built Environment Research (JESBER) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Calabar, Nigeria. The journal publishes interdisciplinary research that advances environmental knowledge, sustainable development, spatial planning, infrastructure systems, and built environment innovation at local, regional, and global scales. Click here for more details.
Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
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DRAMA THERAPY IN PSYCHIATRIC SETTINGS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE IN CALABAR, NIGERIA
Mental illness constitutes a substantial and growing burden in Nigeria, yet psychiatric services remain concentrated in a small number of orthodox biomedical interventions, with limited institutional attention to creative and expressive arts therapies. Drama therapy, understood as the intentional and systematic use of theatrical and role-based techniques to achieve psychological, emotional, and behavioural change, has accumulated a growing empirical evidence base internationally, yet remains largely unexplored within Nigerian psychiatric practice generally, and within Calabar, Cross River State, specifically. This paper presents a systematic and narrative review of empirical literature on drama therapy and related drama-based interventions (including psychodrama and applied theatre) as practised in psychiatric and mental health care settings, with the aim of establishing the strength of existing evidence and deriving implications for a Calabar-based psychiatric context. Literature was retrieved from major databases and synthesised thematically around four domains: overall treatment effectiveness, population-specific outcomes, proposed mechanisms of therapeutic change, and the state of drama-based mental health practice in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria. Findings indicate a moderate, statistically significant pooled effect of drama-based therapies on psychological and behavioural outcomes across diverse clinical populations, including psychosis, personality disorders, and populations with psychosocial difficulties across the lifespan, alongside a marked scarcity of controlled studies conducted within African, and specifically Nigerian, psychiatric institutions. The review argues that Calabar's rich indigenous performance heritage, combined with the presence of an established Department of Theatre and Media Studies and a teaching hospital psychiatric unit, constitutes a distinctive and underutilised opportunity for the development of a culturally grounded, evidence-informed drama therapy programme. The paper concludes with recommendations for interdisciplinary collaboration, workforce training, and the design of future primary empirical studies within Calabar's psychiatric institutions.
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WIDOWHOOD PRACTICES, THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE PSYCHE OF THE WOMAN IN BEN IGWE’S AGAINST THE ODDS
Widowhood is not only a private experience of bereavement but also a gendered encounter with the social, cultural and material environment. In many Nigerian communities, a widow may be compelled to inhabit restrictive mourning spaces, surrender access to land and household property, endure ritual humiliation and negotiate a hostile network of relatives and neighbours. This study examines how these environmental pressures affect the psyche of Uridiya, the central widow in Ben Igwe’s *Against the Odds*. It adopts a qualitative textual method and combines feminist literary criticism with psychoanalytic insights to analyse widowhood rituals, dispossession, social exclusion, trauma, apparent lunacy, resilience and educational aspiration. The article argues that the widow’s mental crisis is not presented as an isolated personal defect; it develops within a coercive social environment that deprives her of livelihood resources, dignity, privacy, mobility and belonging. Her farmlands, fruit trees, domestic space and access to the forest are therefore central to the narrative because they connect environmental security with psychological stability. The analysis further shows that women may become agents of patriarchal enforcement when they reproduce oppressive widowhood rites, while family and community institutions normalize the unequal treatment of widows and widowers. Nevertheless, Uridiya’s determination to educate her son enables her to resist complete social erasure and to reconstruct a future beyond deprivation. The study concludes that widowhood reform requires legal protection, community education, secure inheritance rights, psychosocial support and the restoration of widows’ access to the social and material resources on which sustainable livelihoods depend.
THE WOMAN AS A METAPHOR FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IN KAINE AGARY’S YELLOW-YELLOW
This paper examines the exploitation of women in relation to the environment. Women’s deprivation and oppression hinder their ability to assert and actualize themselves within their communities of practice, thereby confining them to docility and dependence. A symbolic parallel exists between the afflictions of women and those of the physical environment they inhabit. Environmental exploitation prevents the land and water from yielding the resources required for human sustenance. Drawing on ecofeminist theory, which identifies important connections between the treatment of women and the non-human natural environment, this paper argues that women and the environment experience comparable exploitative injustices that prevent them from realizing their full potential in society. The paper observes that the female body in Kaine Agary’s *Yellow-Yellow* functions as a metaphor for the environment. It concludes that ending the exploitation of women and the environment by patriarchal power and destructive human activity, respectively, will benefit society because their restored potential can contribute to the growth and development of both human and non-human communities.
ASSESSMENT OF WASTE TYPES AND GENERATION RATES IN SELECTED MARKETS OF ABIA SOUTH, NIGERIA
This study assessed the waste types and generation rates in ten major locational markets in Aba Metropolis, Abia State, Nigeria, to provide information for sustainable waste management. The study covered Ariaria Market, Ahia Ohuru Market, Cemetery Market, Nkwo Ngwa Market, Allen Market, Salad Market, Good Morning Market, Ahia Nkwo Market, Afo Ule Market, and Ahia Umungasi Market. A cross-sectional survey and field-based waste assessment design were adopted. The study population comprised 18,440 registered and informal traders, from which 400 respondents were selected using Yamane's formula and proportionate stratified sampling. Data were collected through structured questionnaire, direct field observation, and waste characterization and weighing procedures. The findings revealed that mixed waste constituted 44.0 percent of the total waste generated, followed by organic and food waste (26.0 percent), plastic waste (18.0 percent), animal waste (8.0 percent), and metal and glass waste (4.0 percent). The ten markets generated a combined total of 23,950 kg of solid waste per day, representing an average of 2,395 kg per market per day. Ariaria Market recorded the highest daily waste generation of 5,420 kg/day, while Afo Ule Market recorded the lowest at 1,280 kg/day. The study concluded that sustainable waste management in the selected markets requires improved waste segregation, regular waste collection, effective recycling, and stronger enforcement of environmental sanitation regulations.
FROM STAGE TO STREET: A SEMIOTIC-DIRECTORIAL FRAMEWORK FOR ACTING AND CARNIVAL PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA
This article develops a semiotic-directorial framework that brings theatre directing, actor training and carnival performance into one coherent field of practice. It responds to a persistent divide in Nigerian performance scholarship: stage directing is often discussed as textual interpretation, acting as an independent technique and carnival as tourism or spectacle. An integrative critical review was undertaken across recent studies supported by selected foundational works in theatre semiotics, actor training, carnivalesque theory and African performance. The analysis was organised around dramaturgy, embodiment, sign systems, processional space, spectatorship and cultural accountability. The study proposes the Carnival-Semiotic Directing Framework, which positions the director as an orchestrator of embodied signs across stage and street. Its six domains are thematic encoding, actor-score construction, kinesemiotic movement, multisensory sign orchestration, processional audience relations and reflective cultural accountability. This study provides an important foundation for the model. The framework is further tested through the aesthetic logic of Carnival Calabar, where costume, colour, choreography, music, floats, routes and spectators jointly produce meaning. The article concludes that acting and carnival performance should not be treated as decorative additions to directorial interpretation. They are central dramaturgical systems through which Nigerian performance communicates identity, memory, conflict and collective aspiration. Practical implications are offered for rehearsal, actor training, carnival band management, theatre criticism and performance documentation.
PERFORMING EFIK IDENTITY IN THE CALABAR CARNIVAL: DIRECTORIAL COMPOSITION, ACTING AND SEMIOTIC NEGOTIATION
This study examines the Calabar Carnival as a large-scale performance text in which Efik identity is selected, directed, embodied and circulated through costume, music, choreography, acting, float design and audience participation. It interprets the field data through the combined perspectives of theatre directing, performance studies and social semiotics. A mixed-methods case-study and survey design was adopted. Through purposive sampling, 335 participants were selected from 12 Efik clans, and 293 usable responses were obtained. Data were generated through structured and open-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and oral narratives, and analysed using descriptive statistics, correlations, analysis of variance, multiple regression and thematic interpretation. Carnival performance recorded a high mean score (M = 3.40) and was strongly associated with year-end celebration (r = .80), whereas its reported relationships with Efik melodies (r = .10), choreography (r = -.20) and attire (r = -.50) were weak or negative. Tinkoriko, Ekpe, Ekombi and Abang emerged as the most statistically salient cultural elements in the carnival float. The findings further show that the carnival amplifies nightlife, fast-food consumption and foreign clothing more strongly than Efik cuisine, dress and the fattening-room tradition. The study argues that the carnival operates as a distributed directorial system and a contested semiotic arena: it increases the visibility of selected cultural signs while also re-scripting them within commercial and global performance codes. Sustainable carnival practice therefore requires cultural dramaturgy, performer-centred rehearsal, semiotic auditing, community participation and stronger links between spectacle and the everyday life of Efik heritage.
PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING-REGULATION COMPLIANCE IN ITIGIDI, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA EVIDENCE ON AWARENESS, APPROVAL AND ENFORCEMENT CAPACITY
Objective: This study evaluates respondent-rated compliance with building regulations among residential developers in Itigidi, Cross River State, Nigeria, and examines awareness, approval status, perceived enforcement constraints and neighbourhood variation. Method: A 2020 cross-sectional survey produced 371 usable questionnaires from 388 distributed copies. Questionnaire evidence was triangulated with interviews, field observation and Itigidi Area Planning Authority records for 2010–2020. Descriptive statistics were reproduced, and the exploratory one-way ANOVA was recalculated from aggregated neighbourhood counts. Results: In the overall archived table, 20.5% rated compliance as good, 35.6% as fair and 43.9% as poor. Most respondents reported no knowledge of the regulation (59.8%), no building approval (51.5%) and discomfort with the extent of compliance (85.7%). Weak enforcement was the leading perceived explanation (49.1%), followed by absence of penalties (35.6%). A separate neighbourhood table yielded inconsistent category totals and was analysed only for its spatial pattern and original ANOVA. The ANOVA was non-significant, F(2, 12)=1.552, p=.252, but does not establish neighbourhood equivalence. Implications: Policy should prioritise guidance, accessible permitting, risk-based inspections, staffing, mobility and auditable records. Contribution: The article explains how regulatory knowledge, approval practice and enforcement capacity intersect in a Nigerian town with comparable constraints.
THIRTY YEARS OF LAND-USE AND LAND-COVER CHANGE IN CALABAR METROPOLIS, NIGERIA GEOSPATIAL EVIDENCE AND PLANNING IMPLICATIONS
Objective: This study quantifies land-use and land-cover change in Calabar Metropolis, Nigeria, from 1992 to 2022 and interprets the planning significance of the observed transitions. Method: Four classified spatial datasets were harmonised to a common 9,918.75-hectare extent and six classes: waterbody, sparse vegetation, dense vegetation, built-up area, bareland and wetland. The archived workflow used remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems, Random Forest classification, field validation and post-classification comparison. Because the source record did not report a confusion matrix or class-specific accuracy, no numerical accuracy claim is made. Results: Tabulated outputs show dense vegetation declined from 950 to 525 hectares, while built-up land increased from 1,287.5 to 1,437.5 hectares. Wetland expanded by 281.25 hectares over the full period, sparse vegetation declined slightly, waterbody remained unchanged and bareland appeared after 2002. Strong inverse temporal correlations between built-up land and dense vegetation were descriptive rather than causal. Implications: Planning should protect remaining vegetation, scrutinise conversion fronts, maintain drainage and wetland functions, and institutionalise periodic geospatial monitoring. Contribution: The article reconciles internally inconsistent summary percentages by prioritising the complete tabulated series that balances to the mapped study-area total in every year and transparent interpretation for future monitoring.
GROUNDWATER SUITABILITY ASSESSMENT IN RELATION TO LEACHATE CONTAMINATION FROM DUMPSITES IN CALABAR MUNICIPALITY, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA.
This study investigates groundwater suitability in relation to leachate contamination from dumpsites in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria, an environmental and public health issue in urban areas. The research aimed to examine the suitability of groundwater for drinking in the study area. Nine groundwater samples were collected from three sample locations, and five leachate samples were collected from Lemna Dumpsite. Physicochemical parameters—including Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), heavy metals, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)—were measured. The study applied one-sample t-tests and factor analysis to identify contamination patterns and relationships among the measured variables. The findings revealed that groundwater near dumpsites had significantly higher contamination levels compared to areas farther from the dumpsites. This indicates that leachate from the dumpsites is a primary source of groundwater contamination. The Water Quality Index (WQI) calculated for the groundwater samples from Ikot Effanga was 0.05 against the WHO (2024) standard of 0.01; Ikot Ene Obong was 0.05 against 0.02 mg/l, while Ikot Ansa did not meet the minimum desirable limit of 6.6–8.5 for potable water set by the World Health Organization. The study concludes that improved waste management practices and stricter enforcement of regulations are required in Calabar Municipality. Based on the findings, the following recommendation was made: the establishment of a systematic groundwater monitoring programme to track contamination trends.
FEAROLOGICAL ETHICS: A NEW APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN NIGERIA
Environmental degradation remains one of the greatest threats to sustainable development in Nigeria, manifesting in deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution, climate change, desertification, flooding, oil spills, and the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. Although environmental ethics has generated influential normative frameworks for ecological conservation, existing approaches have paid comparatively little attention to the motivational role of ethical consciousness in promoting responsible environmental behaviour. This article proposes fearological ethics, developed from the philosophical writings of Michael Bassey Eneyo and situated within the broader discourse of fearology and fearism, as a complementary ethical framework for sustainable environmental protection. Employing qualitative conceptual analysis and documentary research, the study critically examines fearological thought alongside major traditions in environmental ethics, including the land ethic, deep ecology, and the ethics of responsibility. It argues that ethically informed fear, understood not as panic or irrational anxiety but as reflective awareness of the consequences of environmental degradation, can cultivate precaution, accountability, ecological stewardship, and intergenerational responsibility. The article further develops practical policy recommendations for integrating fearological ethics into environmental education, governance, conservation, climate adaptation, and corporate environmental responsibility in Nigeria. It concludes that fearological ethics expands contemporary environmental ethics by offering a psychologically grounded and morally compelling framework capable of strengthening sustainable environmental governance.
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF TOURIST ACCOMMODATION IN CALABAR USING NEAREST-NEIGHBOUR ANALYSIS
This study evaluates the spatial distribution of sampled tourist accommodation establishments in Calabar, Nigeria. 20 GPS locations were quality-checked, with the source’s latitude and longitude labels corrected from numeric ranges. Coordinates were mapped, nearest-neighbour distances recalculated geodesically, and the Average Nearest Neighbour output interpreted under complete spatial randomness. The establishments occupied a compact metropolitan extent, with a mean centre near 4.985° N and 8.340° E. Short nearest-neighbour links occurred between paired or closely spaced establishments, while northern and peripheral properties increased overall dispersion. The analysis reported an Average Nearest Neighbour ratio of 0.907, z = −1.1168 and p = .2641. Accordingly, the sampled pattern was not statistically distinguishable from complete spatial randomness at the .05 level; this is not evidence that accommodation location is unstructured or that the full population is random. Implications: Planning requires a complete accommodation inventory, verified coordinates, road-access measures, service-capacity data and multi-distance analysis before zoning or investment decisions.
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF TOURIST ACCOMMODATION IN CALABAR USING NEAREST-NEIGHBOUR EVIDENCE FROM A 2024 SAMPLE
FROM FRUIT-PEEL WASTE TO SOIL HEALTH: ANAEROBIC BIOFERTILIZER ENHANCES SOIL MICROBIAL FUNCTION AND HOT PEPPER PRODUCTIVITY IN CALABAR, NIGERIA
This study evaluated whether anaerobically digested fruit-peel wastes and cow dung could be converted into agronomically effective biofertilizers for restoring soil fertility, stimulating soil microbial communities and improving hot pepper (*Capsicum frutescens* L.) performance in the humid tropics. Banana, paw-paw and watermelon peels and cow dung were digested singly and in selected combinations for 45 days. Eleven bioslurry treatments, mineral NPK and an unfertilized control were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications during wet and dry seasons. Substrate chemistry, digester temperature, pH, cumulative gas production, microbial counts, post-harvest soil properties, pepper growth and yield were assessed. Anaerobic digestion increased substrate nitrogen and shifted most acidic feedstocks towards near-neutral reaction. The four-substrate co-digestion treatment (W+C+P+B) recorded the highest cumulative gas production (49.4 units), retained the largest post-digestion bacterial and fungal populations, and produced bioslurry with 8.4% N. In the field, W+C+P+B increased soil pH from an initial 4.9 to 6.8, organic carbon to 3.4%, total N to 0.3%, available P to 40.1 mg kg−1 and base saturation to 91.3%. It also produced the greatest shoot and root biomass and the highest fresh fruit weights in both seasons. Balanced co-digestion can simultaneously divert biodegradable wastes, recover nutrients, improve acid-soil quality and reduce dependence on mineral fertilizer. Contribution: The study links feedstock transformation, microbial dynamics, soil restoration and crop response within one circular bioeconomy framework for smallholder production in humid tropical environments.
CONSERVATION WITHOUT ADEQUATE COMPENSATION AND GENDERED LIVELIHOOD ADJUSTMENT IN THE OBAN SUPPORT ZONE OF CROSS RIVER NATIONAL PARK NIGERIA
This study re-examines gendered access to compensation and livelihood adjustment in Oban Division support-zone communities adjoining Cross River National Park, Nigeria. Questionnaire and participatory rural appraisal evidence from 360 respondents in Ifumkpa, Old Netim, Oban and Aking was reconstructed into auditable descriptive tables. Reported inferential outputs were retained only where their variables could be identified, and inconsistencies were disclosed. Results show limited access to compensatory benefits: only four male respondents were recorded as receiving employment, while no respondent was recorded as receiving credit, crop-loss compensation or skills training. Livelihood profiles indicate gender specialisation, with women concentrated in farming and non-timber forest-product collection and men concentrated in timber-related activity. After park establishment, 126 male respondents were recorded as having stopped their former activity, whereas 181 female respondents reported limitations rather than complete cessation. Only 18 of 360 respondents described income as adequate. Implications: Conservation policy requires gender-responsive benefit access, eligibility, non-forest enterprises, market support and participation in resource governance. The study distinguishes documented access, perceived livelihood changes and causal attribution, supporting equitable protected-area management without claiming that the cross-sectional archive isolates park effects from wider economic change.
MAKESHIFT HOUSING AND THE URBAN POOR IN OBUDU, NIGERIA AFFORDABILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND POLICY OPTIONS
This study examines the shelter contribution, environmental conditions and affordability role of makeshift housing occupied by low-income households in Obudu Urban, Cross River State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey covered 107 makeshift structures across seven neighbourhoods using questionnaires, observation, interviews and descriptive statistics. Rental ranges were compared across building types, and the original Pearson correlation based on five aggregated response categories was reinterpreted cautiously. Fifty-five per cent of respondents earned below ₦15,000 monthly, 66% depended on farming and 49% lived in households of six to eight persons. Wood and grasses were the most frequently reported materials. Environmental quality was rated poor by 57%, while government neglect, insecure tenure and high material costs were leading supply constraints. Makeshift rooms consistently rented below conventional rooms and flats, supporting an affordability function, but not evidence of adequate housing quality. The aggregated correlation was positive, r = .69, yet non-significant, t(3) = 1.65, p > .05. Implications: Policy should combine in-situ upgrading, tenure-sensitive assistance, basic services and incremental low-cost housing rather than indiscriminate clearance. The article distinguishes affordability from adequacy and frames makeshift housing as a constrained household adaptation requiring risk-reducing public intervention.
TOURISM ACTIVITY NIGHT-TIME EXPOSURE AND SPATIALLY CLUSTERED CRIME IN CALABAR NIGERIA
The study examines temporal and spatial patterns of crime associated with tourism activity in Calabar, Nigeria. 423 returned questionnaires, police and tourism records for 2009–2023, Global Positioning System observations and ArcGIS hotspot analysis. Descriptive results and inferential outputs were used for the study. Records contained 7,502 offences, with theft and other stealing accounting for 34.7% and assault for 31%. Recorded offences were most frequent between midnight and 5:59 a.m. (35%) and between 6:01 p.m. and midnight (30.5%). Respondents identified poor street lighting as the leading hotspot characteristic (60.3%), while 60% of women and 48% of men reported crime experience. The nearest-neighbour index of 0.5 indicated clustered incident locations. A correlation table reported a modest positive association between tourist arrivals and crime, r = .31, p = .05, rather than proving tourism caused crime. Implications: Event security should use place- and time-specific lighting, transport, reporting and hotspot policing. Contribution: The study integrates visitor, temporal and spatial evidence while maintaining the distinction between correlation, exposure and causation in destination risk management.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CONTROL IN CALABAR METROPOLIS, NIGERIA
Objective: This study evaluates the institutional readiness and practical value of Geographic Information Systems for sustainable urban planning, management and development control in Calabar Metropolis, Nigeria. Method: A mixed-method cross-sectional design combined 87 usable questionnaires from staff of seven planning-related ministries, departments and agencies, archival development-permit records for 2013–2018, field observation and construction of a prototype geospatial development-control database in ArcMap 10.0. Results: Although 66.6% of respondents reported good or fair GIS knowledge, 26.4% reported no access to GIS or CAD, and only 4.6% identified development control as an existing GIS application. All respondents regarded GIS deployment as necessary, while approval delays, weak inter-office communication, inadequate staffing, limited political commitment, funding constraints and perceived corruption remained prominent barriers. Recalculation of annual records showed 2,206 applications, of which 1,485 were approved and 721 remained unapproved. Implications: Digital permitting should integrate parcel geometry, setbacks, building lines, document tracking and inspection histories, supported by staff training, governance rules and phased implementation. Contribution: The article converts a technology-readiness survey and prototype into a reproducible institutional pathway for evidence-led development control in a rapidly growing African city for accountable, timely and spatially consistent municipal decision-making in practice.
TOXICOLOGICAL PROFILE AND ANTINOCICEPTIVE ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC LEAF EXTRACT OF EREMOMASTAX SPECIOSA IN RODENTS: ENVIRONMENTAL-HEALTH AND SUSTAINABLE-USE IMPLICATIONS
Background: Eremomastax speciosa is used in African ethnomedicine, yet safety evidence to support medicinal-plant use remains limited. Objective: This study evaluated the phytochemical profile, acute and 21-day oral toxicity, and antinociceptive activities of an ethanolic leaf extract. Methods: Phytochemistry was undertaken. Acute toxicity was assessed with Lorke’s procedure. Repeated-dose effects were examined through body and organ weights, haematology, hepatic and renal indices, and lipid profile. Antinociception was evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing and the hot-plate test. Data were expressed as mean ± SEM and analysed using one-way ANOVA at p < .05. Results: Alkaloids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, steroids and glycosides were detected. No mortality occurred at 5,000 mg/kg, indicating an oral LD50 above this dose. Repeated dosing produced no consistent adverse change in body weight, organ weight, hepatic, renal or lipid indices, although lower packed cell volume and white-cell counts warrant investigation. The extract reduced writhing dose-dependently, with recalculated inhibition of 70.4–93.8%, and increased hot-plate latency at 200 mg/kg. Conclusion: E. speciosa showed substantial antinociceptive activity with limited short-term biochemical toxicity but possible haematological safety signals. Contribution: The study integrates efficacy and safety evidence to guide environmental-health regulation, sustainable harvesting and future standardisation.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY COMPLIANCE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR WORKFORCE PRODUCTIVITY AND PATIENT SAFETY IN TERTIARY HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA
Occupational health and safety (OHS) failures in hospitals expose workers to biological, chemical, physical, ergonomic and psychosocial hazards, undermining productivity and patient safety. This study assessed OHS compliance, hazard exposure, occupational incidents, and the relationships of compliance with workforce productivity and patient safety in hospitals in Cross River State, Nigeria. A descriptive mixed-method survey combined questionnaires from 400 healthcare workers, key-informant interviews and hospital records for 2020–2025. Sampling was stratified and random. Data were analysed with percentages, Pearson correlation and a risk-priority matrix derived from cadre-level compliance and hazard-exposure scores. Compliance was below 60% in every cadre and lowest among cleaners (34%) and orderlies (39%). Biological exposure was highest among laboratory scientists (88%) and nurses (85%), while psychological stress peaked among nurses (88%). Records documented 353 COVID-19 infections, 348 needle-stick injuries and 241 slips/falls. OHS compliance correlated positively with workforce productivity (r = .72) and patient safety (r = .76). Cleaners and orderlies occupied the highest-priority risk quadrant. PPE provision, recurrent training, incident surveillance, ergonomic controls, protected safety budgets and enforceable audits are required. The study integrates worker, institutional and longitudinal evidence to identify cadre-specific intervention priorities.
NEUROBEHAVIOURAL AND HIPPOCAMPAL EFFECTS OF ETHANOLIC COSTUS DUBIUS LEAF EXTRACT IN DIAZEPAM-ASSOCIATED AMNESIA IN MICE: IMPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE BIOPROSPECTING
Benzodiazepine-associated memory impairment has encouraged the search for neuroprotective agents from medicinal plants, but cognitive rescue must be distinguished from non-specific behavioural activation. This study evaluated ethanolic *Costus dubius* leaf extract in a diazepam-induced amnesia model. Twenty-five mice were allocated to five groups (n = 5). The normal control received saline; the reference group received *Ginkgo biloba* (40 mg/kg); and treatment groups received extract at 100, 200 or 400 mg/kg. All groups except the normal control received diazepam (3 mg/kg) for 14 days. Tail-suspension behaviour, novel-object recognition and hippocampal histology were assessed. Polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, glycosides and alkaloids were detected. Behavioural effects were non-linear. The 400 mg/kg dose increased mobility, but immobility was not consistently reduced across extract doses. Novel-object exploration was most clearly enhanced at 100 and 200 mg/kg, whereas 400 mg/kg did not show a comparable preference. Histology showed preserved hippocampal architecture with variable reactive glial and pyramidal-cell changes. *C. dubius* demonstrated dose-dependent neurobehavioural potential, but the evidence does not support a uniform antidepressant-like response. The study identifies promising intermediate doses and provides a basis for mechanistic, toxicological and sustainable-bioprospecting research.
TEMPORAL SUCCESSION OF CULTIVABLE BACTERIA, FUNGI AND PRESUMPTIVE METHANOGENS DURING MESOPHILIC ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF FRUIT PEELS AND COW DUNG IN CALABAR, NIGERIA
Anaerobic digestion can recover energy and nutrients from organic wastes, but the temporal behaviour of cultivable microorganisms determines both process performance and digestate safety. This study characterised bacterial, fungal and presumptive methanogenic succession during 45-day mesophilic batch digestion of banana, paw-paw and watermelon peels, cow dung, and their combinations in Calabar, Nigeria. Twelve 60-L digesters were monitored, and slurry samples were cultured at five-day intervals. Isolate-occurrence richness and Shannon diversity were calculated from the archived culture records. Bacterial occurrences declined from 67 on day 5 to one on day 45, while richness fell from 11 to one and Shannon diversity from 2.33 to 0.00. A Clostridium perfringens-like morphotype represented 26.70% of bacterial occurrences and remained detectable through day 45; enteric and opportunistic morphotypes, including Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were not detected after day 25. Fungal occurrences declined from 48 to zero by day 35, although yeast persisted through day 30. Presumptive methanogen occurrence peaked on day 30. The findings show strong ecological succession but incomplete hygienisation under mesophilic conditions. Digestate intended for food-crop production should therefore receive microbiological verification and, where necessary, post-treatment before field application.
HERITAGE CONTINUITY AND TOURISM READINESS IN EFIK AND QUA TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS IN CALABAR SOUTH NIGERIA
This study assesses community perceptions of heritage continuity, participation, tourism contribution and institutional readiness surrounding Efik and Qua traditional festivals in Calabar South, Nigeria. Purposive survey of 400 active festival participants, equally drawn from Efik and Qua, using transparent descriptive statistics and evidence triangulation with the source narrative. 43% reported never participating, 40% regarded preservation as moderately important, and 40% considered the festivals culturally insignificant. Perceived economic effects were limited: 53 reported negligible community benefits, while 53 rated local-government support ineffective. Respondents nevertheless reported some visitor potential, with 65% perceiving at least a slight festival-period increase in tourist influx. Digital reach and environmental communication were weak; 45% reported negligible social-media influence and 48 perceived no tourist environmental knowledge. Implications: Festival policy should prioritise community co-production, historically accurate interpretation, transparent support, visitor services, environmental management and measurable marketing. By separating respondent perception from verified tourism performance, the study provides a defensible baseline for culturally respectful festival development and avoids treating reported visitor, employment or social effects as independently measured causal outcomes for future monitoring.
MICHAEL ENEYO'S FEAROLOGICAL APPROACH TO BANDITRY, BOKO HARAM AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY IN NIGERIA
Banditry, Boko Haram insurgency and other forms of terrorism remain major threats to peace, security, environmental sustainability and national development in Nigeria. Conventional responses have largely emphasized military operations, intelligence gathering, arrests, prosecutions and deradicalization programmes. Despite these efforts, insecurity persists in many parts of the country, suggesting the need for complementary approaches that address the psychological, relational and social dimensions of violent extremism. This paper applies Michael Eneyo’s Fearological framework to Nigeria’s banditry and Boko Haram crises. While conventional security studies often frame insurgency as ideological, economic or criminal, Fearological Ethics reframes violence as a response to misunderstood and manipulated existential fear. The paper argues that Boko Haram and bandit recruitment are sustained by fear of cultural extinction, fear of state abandonment and fear of the Other. It further shows that fearology can shift security practice from eliminating fear to understanding fear, from individual fear to relational fear, and from force-centred responses to systemic fear reduction. These shifts can improve Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration outcomes, intelligence sharing, community trust and civil-military relations. The article proposes a fear-reduction pillar to complement Nigeria’s kinetic strategy and offers policy recommendations for security institutions. The paper contributes to decolonizing security studies by centering an African philosophical approach to conflict resolution and environmental security.
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EXPERIMENTATION, INNOVATION AND CONSUMER AWARENESS AS DETERMINANTS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF HOME ECONOMICS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR, NIGERIA
This study examined experimentation, innovation and consumer awareness as determinants of effective teaching and learning of Home Economics in the University of Calabar, Nigeria. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and the accessible population comprised forty Home Economics students. Since the population was small and reachable, census sampling was used. Data were collected with a structured 15-item Experimentation/Innovation and Consumer Awareness Questionnaire (EICAQ). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while simple linear regression tested the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that experimentation and innovation significantly influenced effective teaching and learning of Home Economics. Consumer awareness also significantly influenced learning by strengthening food-choice literacy, consumer-rights knowledge, product evaluation and responsible decision-making. The study concludes that Home Economics instruction becomes more meaningful when practical experimentation, creativity, consumer education and real-life problem-solving are deliberately integrated into teaching. It recommends improved laboratory resources, routine practical demonstrations, innovation-based assignments, consumer-awareness campaigns and stronger institutional support for practical Home Economics pedagogy.
EVALUATING SANITATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARENESS AMONG STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR, NIGERIA
This study evaluates the levels of awareness regarding sanitation and environmental sustainability among undergraduate students at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Nigeria. Against a backdrop of escalating environmental degradation and public health challenges in Nigeria, universities are pivotal in fostering the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours necessary for a sustainable future. This paper adopts a mixed-methods research design to comprehensively assess students' awareness, incorporating a quantitative survey and qualitative focus group discussions. The quantitative component aimed to measure environmental knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices related to waste management and sanitation, while the qualitative part seeks to explore the underlying perceptions and contextual factors influencing these behaviours. The study posits that while students may possess a general awareness of environmental issues, significant gaps likely exist between knowledge and practice, influenced by factors such as inadequate campus infrastructure, curriculum deficiencies, and sociocultural norms. Findings from existing literature suggest that environmental education, through both curricular and extra-curricular activities, can positively influence student behaviour, yet its implementation in Nigerian higher education remains inconsistent. This paper synthesizes current research on student environmental awareness in Nigeria, sanitation challenges in university settings, and effective pedagogical strategies. It concludes by highlighting the urgent need for Nigerian universities to integrate comprehensive sustainability education into their curricula and operations, thereby empowering students to become active agents of change. Recommendations include curriculum reform, investment in green campus initiatives, and strengthening university-community engagement to address local environmental challenges.
POPULATION DYNAMICS AND THE QUEST FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN UGEP COMMUNITY, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA
This study examined the relationship between population dynamics and environmental sustainability in Ugep Community, Cross River State, Nigeria. The study investigated how rapid population growth and urbanization have contributed to environmental degradation, including habitat loss, biodiversity decline, poor waste management, water pollution, and land degradation. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were obtained from 200 respondents through structured questionnaires and secondary environmental sources. Descriptive statistics comprising frequency and percentage were used to analyze the research objectives, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed to test the hypothesis. Findings revealed that 73.5% of respondents perceived population growth as having a high or very high impact on environmental sustainability. Deforestation and habitat loss (29.0%) emerged as the most significant environmental challenge, followed by poor waste management (26.0%). Furthermore, rapid urbanization (33.5%) and population increase (27.5%) were identified as the major causes of environmental degradation. The ANOVA result showed a significant effect of population growth on environmental sustainability (F = 8.72, p = 0.000 < 0.05). The study concludes that population pressure is a major driver of environmental degradation in Ugep and recommends sustainable urban planning, environmental education, stronger environmental regulations, and community-based conservation initiatives.
EVALUATION OF ANTIPLASMODIAL EFFECTS OF THE ETHANOLIC LEAF EXTRACT OF SPONDIA MOMBIN ON PLASMODIUM BERGHEI INFECTED MICE
Malaria is a disease condition most peculiar to Sub-Saharan Africa and till today remains a challenge as a result of the resistance of the protozoa, Plasmodium species to currently existing drugs. Herbal medicines have been used in treating this disease for years and these medicinal plants have been sources of some antimalarial chemotherapeutic agents. Objectives: To evaluate the in vivo antiplasmodial effect of Spondia mombin leaf in mice infected with chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei, with a view to finding scientific evidence for the use of mixed water alcohol decoction of the leaf as traditional antimalarial remedy in Nigeria. Methods: Sixty healthy Swiss mice were used for the study. The 4-day suppressive test and curative effect against established rodent malaria infection in mice were analyed. The ethanol leaf extract preparation of S. mombin, 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 10 mL/kg of distilled water for no drug control, chloroquine 10 mg/kg for standard control were administered orally to Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Results: The ethanol leaf extract showed that parasitaemia was dose dependently and significantly (P < 0.01) lowered in early infection, 80 – 92 % and established infection test representing 72-89% inhibition of parasitaemia, with a mean survival time of 23 – 28 days. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, cardiac glycosides, steroids and terpenoids. The acute toxicity test was greater than 5000 mg/kg in mice. Conclusion: These study show that ethanol leaf extract demonstrated high antiplasmodial activity in a dose-dependent fashion. Thus, supporting claims of the plant’s traditional therapeutic importance for malaria treatment by local population, and can be developed as an alternative therapy against the disease.
WETLAND MODIFICATION, MANGROVE BIODIVERSITY AND RURAL ECOTOURISM RESILIENCE IN THE CROSS RIVER ESTUARY, NIGERIA: GEOSPATIAL EVIDENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
This study examines how wetland modification in the Cross River Estuary, Nigeria, affects mangrove biodiversity, mollusc resources, rural livelihoods and ecotourism-oriented environmental management. A geospatial and ecological survey design was used, combining land-use/land-cover change analysis, floristic quadrat records, mollusc distribution data, field observations and analysis of modification zones. Built-up land increased from 55.81 km² to 95.05 km² between 2003 and 2025, while mangrove cover declined from 172.69 km² to 135.40 km². Nypa palm increased from 98.70 km² to 121.13 km², indicating replacement pressure on native mangrove communities. Tree composition decreased from 64.00 individuals in relatively unmodified zones to 24.00 in highly modified zones, whereas shrub composition increased from 3.00 to 46.00. Mollusc abundance declined sharply with rising modification intensity. The results show that unregulated extraction, settlement expansion and invasive species growth weaken ecological integrity and rural livelihood security. The study integrates geospatial evidence, biodiversity assessment and ecotourism planning to support conservation-led wetland governance.
TOURISM SUPPORT SERVICES, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT IN UYO, NIGERIA: SPATIAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVIDENCE
Objective: This study examined how tourism support services contribute to environmental management and sustainable tourism development in Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Method: A cross-sectional survey design combined field observation, GPS-based mapping, questionnaires, interviews and documentary records on registered tourism support services, employment, patronage and tourism development levy remittance. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, GIS visualisation, Welch independent-samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Results: The study identified 156 registered tourism support services, dominated by hotels and guest houses (50%). The sector employed 744 workers, with unskilled staff representing 59.14% and females 60.75%. Total patronage reached 189,440 visits, while levy remittance amounted to N53.66 million. Implications: Support services strengthen urban tourism capacity, but weak tourism programming, taxation pressure, low patronage, training gaps and security concerns constrain sustainability. Contribution: The article reframes tourism support services as spatial, socio-economic and environmental management infrastructure for urban destination development.
TOPOSEQUENCE-DEPTH DYNAMICS OF SOIL MICROBIAL BIOMASS, ENZYME ACTIVITIES AND FERTILITY INDICES UNDER DECOMPOSED OIL PALM LEAF LITTER IN IBIAE PLANTATION, NIGERIA
This study quantified the toposequence- and depth-mediated response of soil microbial properties to decomposed oil palm leaf litter in Ibiae Oil Palm Plantation, Cross River State, Nigeria. Soil samples were collected from lower, middle and upper slope positions at 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depths, with adjacent non-oil-palm soil used as a control. Physico-chemical properties, microbial population, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and selected enzyme activities were determined using standard soil analytical and microbiological protocols. Results showed that all plantation soils were sandy loam, but residue-influenced surface soils had stronger fertility and biological signals. Soil pH ranged from 5.5 to 6.2, while organic carbon and available phosphorus were highest at the lower slope surface horizon. Bacterial counts dominated the microbial community, and microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen declined with depth. Dehydrogenase, urease, lipase, amylase and phosphatase activities indicated active carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus turnover. The study demonstrates that decomposed oil palm leaf litter functions as a biologically active amendment for soil fertility restoration, residue recycling and sustainable plantation management.