Socio-Political Reading of Nigerians' Criticisms and Commendations of Big Brother Nigeria (BBN) Shows

Popular cultures constitute the predominant attitudes, living styles, and aspirations practised consciously and unconsciously by the people in a society. They emanate from the admixture of indigenous practices and foreign media influences that permeate the people's ways of life. Sometimes, popular cultures can be regarded as youth cultures. In Nigeria in recent times, Big Brother Nigeria (BBN), a TV reality show franchise that started in 2006, has continued to draw criticisms and commendations from Nigerian citizens at home and abroad. Concerned citizens have drummed up various arguments and counter-arguments with regard to issues emanating from BBN show. Nevertheless, it continues to be produced such that it was even produced during the COVID-19 lockdown in the country. Therefore, this paper is interested in the arguments that people advanced for the cancellation or continuation of BBN shows in the Nigerian media landscape. It will investigate the socio-political implications considered by the Nigerian government through its regulatory bodies not to cancel the TV show. Its findings will be compared with the agenda-setting and social responsibility theories of the mass media. As an explorative study, it will rely on secondary data. It is hoped that the study will contribute to the literature on popular cultures and related fields. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

Healthcare Financing in Nigeria: A Policy Review.

A good health financing system is crucial for the effective performance of a country's health system. Many health systems around the world, especially in lower- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria, grapple with perennial challenges such as chronic underfunding, wastefulness, and lack of accountability rendering these systems inefficient. Nigeria's health system faces additional extraneous challenges such as a huge and rapidly growing population, a stagnant economy, and worsening insecurity of lives and property. Furthermore, recent disease outbreaks such as the Ebola epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic and an evolving disease demography evidenced by an increasing prevalence of chronic, noncommunicable diseases asphyxiate an already floundering health system. To address these challenges and to bolster its efforts in attaining universal health coverage (UHC) and meeting the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Nigerian government launched a new health policy in 2017. A review of the health financing section of this policy shows a focus on improving funding for health care by all levels of government and guaranteeing affordable and equitable access to health services by all Nigerians, albeit with insufficient clarity on how these will be achieved. A more critical review of the country's health financing system also reveals deep-seated systemic issues. Its out-of-pocket payments for funding health care are among the highest in the world, with abysmally low government contributions to health. Successive governments seem to lack the political will to address these shortfalls. Critical gaps exist in the country's health laws, making it difficult to implement the strategies proposed in the new policy. Nigeria must strengthen its health laws to, among other things, mandate health insurance and provide adequate funding for the health system by the government. It should also formulate a dedicated, more precise health financing policy with specific, measurable aims targeting identified problems to enable it to attain universal health coverage.

Epidemics and Language Rejuvenation: The Emergence and Use of New English Forms in the Covid-19 Pandemic Nigeria

The novel coronavirus (SAR-COV-2) and its attendant respiratory disease, COVID-19, said to have originated in Wuhan, China in December, 2019 has become a global concern with far-reaching impact on all facets of human life. Its impact on the English language can be seen in the emergence of new forms of expressions, extension of the meaning of existing words and the resuscitation of hitherto not commonly used expressions. A number of these innovations and usages affect the English language generally, yet language use is context-bound revealing the cultural realities of its users and their environment so that language at all times exhaustively catalogues the things, events and processes in its environment of use (Carrol, 1966:102). This study adopts the Functionalist Approach to investigate the linguistic impact of COVID-19 discourse on the Nigerian variety of the English language using data from Nairaland, an online Nigerian forum. It establishes that COVID-19 pandemic has informed new Englishes in Nigerian English by way of morphemic coinages, phrasal restructuring, syntactic composition, semantic broadening, lexical resuscitation and acronymic coinages.

Benchmarking for effective services in Nigeria

This chapter assesses the practice of benchmarking in Nigerian libraries, with a focus on academic libraries. Participant observation, questionnaires, and focus group interviews were methods used to establish the situation. Results show that standards are not fully developed and implemented among libraries in the country. Benchmarks are hardly even mentioned. However, there is interest among university librarians in knowing more and implementing benchmarks which can improve the delivery of library services. The inadequate response to COVID-19 is a clear indication of the preparedness of libraries in the country. Prevention of dire effect of future pandemics or disruptions will require intentional preparedness. Nigerian librarians, especially the academic librarians as leaders, must take responsibility for improving on the present situation by taking advantage of their global networking. The regulatory body, Librarians' Registration Council of Nigeria, must also step up in preparing and monitoring the implementation of benchmarks in libraries. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of COVID-19 on the work–life balance of working mothers: evidence from Nigerian academics

Purpose Given the limiting gender role conditions arising from the prevalence of patriarchy in Nigeria and the shift to workers staying at home due to the deadly spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), this article aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work–life balance of professional mothers using the work–home resources model as a conceptual lens.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative data is based on telephone interviews with 28 married female university academics with children.FindingsThe findings reveal that the confinement policies enforced due to the need to combat the spread of COVID-19 and patriarchal norms deeply embedded in the Nigerian culture have exacerbated stress amongst women, who have needed to perform significantly more housework and childcare demands alongside working remotely than they did prior to the pandemic. The thematic analysis showed a loss of personal resources (e.g. time, energy, and income) resulting in career stagnation, health concerns, and increased male chauvinism due to the abrupt and drastic changes shaping the "new normal” lifestyle.Research limitations/implicationsThe study relies on a limited qualitative sample size, which makes the generalisation of findings difficult. However, the study contributes to the emerging global discourse on the profound negative consequences of COVID-19 on the lives and livelihoods of millions, with a focus on the stress and work–family challenges confronting women in a society that is not particularly egalitarian – unlike Western cultures.Originality/valueThe article provides valuable insights on how the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected professional working mothers in the sub-Saharan African context, where literature is scarce.

Reporting on the shadow pandemic in Nigeria: An analysis of five media organizations' coverage of gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study fills a gap in research by examining how the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare structural and systemic gender inequities in Nigeria. In particular, women and girls are at increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV). We analysed a corpus of 361 articles on GBV published between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020 by Daily Trust, The Guardian, Leadership, The Punch and Vanguard, to determine how effectively Nigerian media reported on GBV during the pandemic. Analysis centred on five phases of reporting during those 24 months: (1) pre-lock-down;(2) early lockdown period, 29 March–26 May;(3) response to a rise in GBV, 26 May–30 July;(4) easing of lockdown and (5) sixteen days of activism against GBV, 25 November–10 December 2020. Key themes emerging in the media coverage include the shadow pandemic of GBV in Nigeria, response to the rise in GBV, NGOs combating GBV and calls for improved legislation. © 2023 Intellect Ltd.

Awareness and use of online health information sites in the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey of postgraduate students in a Nigerian Theological Seminary

AJOL : The Internet has drastically improved access to health information for personal health care management causing a shift from traditional health information sources to online sources. Moreso the COVID-19 pandemic made many people adopt the use of online sources for health information and management. This study investigated the awareness and use of online health information sites (OHIS) by postgraduate students in the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted. Total enumeration was used because of the small population of respondents. Findings revealed that the students had several health information needs, but there was a low level of awareness of OHIS, as well as the use of OHIS amongst them. A high percentage did not use OHIS due to some reasons. Health information needs, awareness of OHIS, perceived usefulness of information from OHIS, perceived ease of using OHIS, and trust in OHIS are factors that influenced the use of OHIS by the students. A high percentage intended to continue using OHIS, while the non-user had the intention of using the sites in the future. The study concluded that there was a low level of awareness and use of OHIS by postgraduate students in the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso. In addition, health information needs, awareness of OHIS, perceived usefulness of information from OHIS, perceived ease of using OHIS, and trust in OHIS are factors that influenced the use of OHIS by the students. These factors should be leveraged to promote the use and continuous use of OHIS

Depression among Nigerians during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a cross-sectional web-based study

Introduction: Despite the vulnerability of the general population to mental health problems during a pandemic, several studies have focused on the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the mental well-being of other populations such as healthcare workers and the elderly. Therefore, this study aims to determine the prevalence of depression amongst the general population in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic and its correlation with socio-demographic data. Material(s) and Method(s): A total of 1651 people within the age range of 18 years and above participated in this cross-sectional survey, and participants were recruited using a convenience sampling technique. An anonymous online questionnaire was used to collect the data on socio-demographics and the prevalence and pattern of depression among the participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Result(s): More than 85% of the respondents showed patterns of depression ranging from minimal (35.8%) to severe (2.1%) symptoms. Respondents who were 18-27 years had the highest prevalence of depressive disorders (11.4%) amongst the respondents. Logistic regression analysis revealed the significant statistical difference in the prevalence of depressive symptoms amongst gender (OR = 0.60, 95% CI, 0.42-0.86) and the time spent on social media as participants who spent fewer hours (OR = 0.32;< 1 hour) were less likely to experience depressive symptoms than those who spent more (OR = 0.61;4-6 hours). Conclusion(s): Findings revealed a high prevalence of symptoms of depressive disorder amongst the general population. Therefore, there is a need to pay adequate attention to the mental health of the general population by providing psychological supports specific to target populations.Copyright © 2022 Via Medica. All rights reserved.

Time Series: Predicting Nigerian Food Prices using ARIMA Model and R-Programming

The majority of food commodities in Nigeria have seen persistent price instability. this is brought by elements like insecurity/insurgency, poor storage facilities, seasonal price changes, inconsistent government policies, COVID-19 containment measures, poor access to credit, technical inputs, lack of modern farm tools and implements. This study focused on comparing the prices of four different food items - beans, onion, tomato, and yam using the ARIMA model to forecast future prices. Two out of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria were used for the study;the North-Central and North-West. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) provided the raw data between 2017 and 2018, and the items were weighed in kilograms (Kg). The data was extrapolated into a time series data by executing in R Studio. The stationarity of the series data was obtained by a Unit root Test using the KPSS test (If p<0.05 means the time series is stationary). Results from the forecasted values indicated that food commodities' prices increase with time, making ARIMA a good model for forecasting prices. It was recommended that necessary measures should be put in place to ameliorate the high cost of food prices being experienced in the country of Nigeria. © 2022 IEEE.

Melanized (dematiaceous) fungal infections simulating skin cancer in African organ transplant recipients

Fungi are the most frequent skin infections in organ transplant recipients (OTRs) and usually present as superficial mycoses. Deeper infections are much less common, potentially more serious and the incidence is higher in the first few months post-transplant. We report two African OTRs with deep fungal infections caused by dematiaceous (melanized, pigmented or black) fungi, who both presented with suspected skin malignancies. A 60-year-old Nigerian man developed a painful, ulcerated, amelanotic, bleeding nodule on his right fourth toe 2 months after renal transplantation. Clinical differential diagnoses included Kaposi sarcoma (KS), amelanotic acral melanoma and subungual squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, histology showed pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, extensive mixed inflammation, multinucleated giant cells and pigmented septate hyphae with rounded 'budding' forms. Periodic acid-Schiff, Grocott and Masson-Fontana stains were positive, and Alcian blue stain was negative, consistent with infection by a dematiaceous fungus. Fungal 18S polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was positive and culture identified Nigrograna mackinnonii. Treatment with oral itraconazole was supervised virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. After 6 months there was minimal response and he opted for amputation of the digit. A 61-year-old Nigerian man presented 2 months after renal transplantation with a 2-cm diameter nodule on his left thigh at the site of a previous burn. This failed to respond to antibiotics. Magnetic resonance imaging was suggestive of possible malignancy, but surgery was deferred because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two months later the lesion was 5 cm in diameter and verrucous with an 8-cm sessile, purplish plaque on his right forearm. Atypical KS, lymphoma and chronic burns-associated SCC were all considered. However, histology from both lesions was similar to the first patient. Fungal culture and 18S PCR confirmed infection with the dematiaceous fungus Alternaria alternata. At his request, the right thigh lesion was excised. The lesion on his forearm has partially responded to 8 months of ongoing oral itraconazole. In our African OTR cohort, KS is more common than deep fungal infection. However, despite this suspicion of skin malignancy, both patients had phaeohyphomycoses caused by dematiaceous fungi. Characterized by the presence of melanin in their cell walls, > 130 species of these plant pathogens and soil saprophytes are implicated in human disease, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Although localized skin diseases (phaeohyphomycoses, chromoblastomycosis and mycetoma) are the most common manifestations, rare disseminated, central nervous system and pulmonary infections may prove fatal. Although uncommon, deep fungal infection should be considered in atypical skin lesions in OTRs;histology, tissue culture and fungal PCR are critical to confirming this diagnosis.

The impact of COVID-19 on the prevalence of anxiety disorders among Nigerians

Introduction: The coronavirus pandemic has been attributed to mental health disorders, but little is known about the prevalence of anxiety disorder amongst Nigerians during the lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this paper aimed at assessing the prevalence and pattern of anxiety among the Nigerian general population and also examine some of the causative factors. Material(s) and Method(s): A descriptive online cross-sectional survey of 1651 Nigerians was conducted. Data were collected using questionnaires structured in an electronic format from May 10, 2020-June 13, 2020. The prevalence and pattern of anxiety disorder were described using descriptive statistics. A multivariate analysis was performed using binary logistic regression, to determine the strength of association between the selected socio-demographic factors (age, gender, educational status, marital status, financial status, time spent on social media) and anxiety disorder. Result(s): Of the 1651 sample size, over three-quarters (78.6%) have experienced symptoms of anxiety. The proportions of the respondent with mild, moderate, and severe anxiety were 56.3%, 17.7%, and 4.5%, respectively. The study has shown a strong association between age, financial status, occupation, and time spent on social media daily and its contribution to stemming anxiety during the pandemic. Age, financial status, occupation, and time spent on the internet has a statistically highly significant effect on anxiety. There was a significant association between anxiety and financial status as individuals who earn less than 50 000 in a year had the highest prevalence of anxiety Conclusion and recommendations: Since the inception of COVID-19, it's no doubt that many Nigerians had experienced a level of anxiety and this widely goes across all genders equally. Our findings revealed the pattern and prevalence of anxiety disorders among Nigerians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government of Nigeria should make available, psychological health services for survivors of COVID-19.Copyright © 2022 Via Medica. All rights reserved.

Impact of media messages on containment of Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.

Background: Different countries adopted various measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. In Nigeria, the federal government, through the Presidential Task Force on the pandemic and some non-governmental organizations, mounted vigorous public enlightenment and education campaign through the media to contain the spread of the disease. Objective: This article examined the impact of that effort by assessing the level of public awareness, perception, and satisfaction the campaign generated. Method: A cross-sectional design and purpose sampling technique were used for the study. Questionnaires were distributed online through personal and group platforms on Whatsapp and Telegram applications. This technique ensured that only the users of these applications responded to the questionnaire. The national survey returned 359 responses. Results: The results indicated a high level of public awareness from the media messages as 89.08% of respondents heard about COVID-19 from the media messages, 87.74% believed that media messages about the pandemic increased their awareness of it and 90.81% of respondents got influenced by the media messages to adjust to safety protocols against the disease. Majority of the respondents (75.49%) were satisfied with the overall performance of the media in their sensitization campaign. While 49.03% benefitted to a very large extent from the media messages, 44.01% benefitted to a large extent. Conclusion: The results showed that the impact of the media awareness messages on COVID-19 was high and that Nigerian media contributed immensely to reducing the spread of the disease in the country.

Higher education and the new normal: implications for sustainable post covid-19 era in Nigerian tertiary institutions

This study assessed readiness of Nigerian Tertiary institutions towards adopting e-learning education as a new normal post COVID-19, identified e-learning packages available for use in the institutions before and during the COVID-19 Lockdown using the E-Learning Survey for Academic Staff and Students of Nigerian Tertiary Institutions (ELSASSoNTI). This research adopted an online survey using a quantitative method of data collection. A structured Google Form questionnaire was shared with academic staff and students of public and private tertiary institutions in Nigeria via different online platforms. Population comprised all academic staff and students of South-East Nigerian Tertiary Institutions. A sample size of 615 academic staff and students responded to the instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results revealed that: tertiary institutions in Nigeria are to a larger extent not ready for the adoption of e-learning education approaches as teaching-learning alternative during emergencies. Majority of tertiary institutions except private universities did not adopt any e-learning platform for use before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. There is lack of basic resources, logistics, and inadequate capacity for the effective adoption and implementation of e-learning within Nigerian tertiary institutions. The study thus recommends, among other things;provision of facilities needed for smooth transition to the new normal, training programs to improve the confidence of academic staff and students in using e-learning platforms. These would improve their e-learning readiness, overcome the usual disruption of school activities during emergencies and ensure a sustainable post Covid-19 era in the higher education sector.

A post-lockdown online cross-sectional survey on knowledge, attitude and anxiety levels of Nigerian youths towards COVID-19 disease.

Introduction: COVID-19, also known as Coronavirus disease, was detected in Wuhan, Hubei, China in December 2019. Since then, the virus has been designated a global pandemic, affecting all nations. Nigeria as a whole has recorded 255,937 cases of COVID-19. Studies on COVID-19 anxiety level, knowledge, and attitude have not been focused on youths after the lockdown. This research explored COVID-19-related knowledge, attitudes, and anxiety levels among Nigerian youths after the lifted pandemic lockdown. Methods: after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, an online descriptive cross-sectional survey was performed among 818 young people aged 18 to 35 in South-Eastern Nigeria. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25 technique was used to analyze the descriptive statistics. The Chi-square test, bivariate, and multivariate binary logistic regression were used to measure the associations. A p-value of 0.05 was statistically significant at a 95% confidence level. Results: the majority of respondents 723 (88.39%) demonstrate a high degree of COVID-19 knowledge. Just a few respondents (0.49%) expressed a negative understanding of the virus. 556 (67.97%) had a positive attitude towards the virus. More than half of the respondents had a low anxiety level, 471 (57.58%) and 108 (13.20%) had a high level. Educational level, place of residence, and family income showed a statistically significant relationship with their anxiety levels (p = 0.001, 0.002, 0.01, respectively). Conclusion: the infection, transmission, and symptoms of COVID-19 were well-understood by young people after the pandemic, who also displayed optimistic attitudes and low levels of fear. Higher levels of education, family income, and dwelling location were connected with COVID-19 knowledge and lower anxiety levels. This knowledge will assist health professionals in fighting current and future related outbreaks.

Step up to health, Nigeria! utilizing information from abuja's world cancer day walks for equity-based cancer prevention interventions

Background: Abuja, Nigeria's annual World Cancer Day Walk (WCDW) is a tool for promoting public awareness of cancer risk factors, preventative lifestyle strategies, and the importance of early screening as critical elements of prevention and control. The day includes physical activities (walk, race, ride, skate, cycle, marathon), as well as health education and free breast cancer, cervical, and prostate screenings. The effectiveness of the event to attract the most vulnerable Nigerian populations has not been studied. Aim: To determine the social-demographic characteristics of participants and evaluate the impact of outreach campaigns. Methods: Approximately 2,000 Nigerians attended Abuja WCDW on February 1, 2020. A similar number attended Abuja WCDW on February 5, 2022. Trained research assistants recruited participants to complete a one-sheet questionnaire that assessed basic demographic, social, and lifestyle information. Participants were given informed consent. In 2020, 237 (11%) participants, aged 18-68 years voluntarily completed survey (ClinicalTrials #NCT04248881). In 2022, 111 (6%), aged 17-74 years voluntarily completed survey (ClinicalTrials #NCT05239325). Note: In 2021, Abuja WCDW was canceled due to COVID. Results: In 2020, the mean age for participants was 28;SD 7.71. Sixty-eight percent were women. Eighty-seven percent had at least an undergraduate education. Of the 237 participants, 65% reported that they attended to obtain free cancer screening. More than 50% reported they had no health insurance. Of those insured, more had National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) than private insurance. The average body mass index (BMI) was between 24-28;BMI was highest among the mid-20 age group. Lifestyle data revealed more men than women were concerned with their health;those with health worries were more likely to have had cancer screening at the event. The 2022 WCDW data were being analyzed at the time of submission;findings will be presented at the meeting. Analysis: Data from 2020 revealed participants are predominately associated with a lower risk of developing cancer. They have higher levels of knowledge about cancer and lifestyle/health-related behaviors beneficial for early detection and prevention. WCDW is a great avenue for cancer awareness/lifestyle prevention interventions yet there is an urgent need to evaluate efficacy of current outreach to target underserved members of Nigerian population: those with lower levels of education, unemployed, lower income, and without insurance. Conclusions: Attendees in 2020 are younger people of higher socioeconomic status with lifestyle practices that could reduce cancer risk. If our 2022 data are similar, we must elaborate better strategies to reach populations at greater risk and encourage them to attend future events to have more impactful lifestyle/prevention outcomes.

Validation of Commercial SARS-CoV-2 Immunoassays in a Nigerian Population

Introduction/ Background: The World Health Organization reports that approximately 80% of COVID-19 infections seen in Africans were asymptomatic compared to 40% - 50% seen globally. Validated serological assays are thus critical in conducting reliable serosurveys;however most SARS-CoV-2 immunoassays were validated using specimens from China, Europe, or United States populations. Methods: The study evaluated performance of five commercial SARS-CoV-2 immunoassays to inform use in serosurveys in Nigeria. Four semi-quantitative ELISAs (Euroimmun Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NCP IgG, Euroimmun spike SARS-CoV-2 IgG, Omega Mologic COVID-19 IgG, Bio-Rad Platelia SARS-COV-2 Total Ab) and one chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (Abbott Architect SARS-COV-2 IgG) were assessed. The analytical performance characteristics was evaluated using plasma from 100 SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive patients from varied time points post-PCR confirmation and 100 pre-pandemic samples (50 HIV-positive and 50 hepatitis B-positive). Results: The Bio-Rad assay was evaluated, but failed manufacturer-specified validation steps. The Euroimmun NCP, Euroimmun spike, and Mologic assays had sensitivities of 73.7%, 74.4% and 76.9%, respectively, on samples taken 15-58 days after PCR confirmation, and specificities of 97%, 100%, and 83.8%, respectively. The Abbott assay had 71.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity on the same panel. Parallel or serial algorithms combining two of the above immunoassays did not substantially improve sensitivity or specificity. Impact: Validated assays are necessary in conducting reliable seroepidemiology surveys and in tracking asymptomatic infections. These findings highlight the importance of in-country validations of SARS-CoV-2 serological assays prior to use to ensure accurate results are available for public health decision making to control the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. Conclusion: The study results showed lower sensitivity and, for one immunoassay, lower specificity, compared to manufacturers' results and other reported validations. Seroprevalence results using these assays might need to be interpreted with caution in Nigeria and similar settings.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIA

This study assessed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the performance of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria using the quasi-experimental research design. Specifically, the study was designed to address three (3) key concerns-how the Covid-19 pandemic impacted on the level of profitability, customers’ patronage and product supply shortages using SMEs owners and hired managers in Warri, Asaba and Ughelli metropolis in Delta State of Nigeria. To do this, a questionnaire was sent to one hundred and thirty (130) respondents and data obtained were analyzed by means of both descriptive (simple percentage, mean, median, standard deviation, variance, skewness and correlation) and inferential (regression and variance inflation factor – VIF) statistical techniques. The findings of the study indicated thattheCovid-19 pandemic negatively and significantly affected the level of profitability, customers’ patronage levels and product supply shortages of SMEs in Delta State of Nigeria. On the basis of the findings, it is recommended, among other things, that the Nigerian government should provide more funds for SMEs;such funds are required to cushion the negative impacttheCovid-19 pandemic imposes on SMEs level of profitability, customers’ patronage and product supply shortages. Again, the government and regulatory agencies of SMEs should gear efforts towards organizing seminars on how businesses can be carried out in a pandemic;this would further pave the way for enhancing SMEs operators’ knowledge on how businesses can be carried out when a pandemic surfaces now or in the future. © 2022 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved.

ICU experience of a Nigerian resident intensive care doctor on posting in United Kingdom at the height of First wave of COVID-19 Pandemic

Months into Covid-19 pandemic, United Kingdom(UK) became one of the epicenters of the disease. A lot of the critically ill patients ended up in Intensive care Units (ICU) around the country. As one of the doctors at the forefront of the pandemic, I would like to share my experience with the disease as an International fellow in the UK during this pandemic with a view to offering some suggestions on what can work in the developing country settings. © World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists 2022.