OpenMind Journal of Multidisciplinary Innovation & Development

Abstract

Abstract This study examined and evaluated the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in public healthcare service delivery within selected hospitals under the Akwa Ibom State Hospitals Management Board. The research was motivated by the increasing importance of digital technologies in improving efficiency, accuracy, and quality of healthcare services, particularly in developing health systems such as Nigeria’s public healthcare sector. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. Both primary and secondary sources of data were utilized to ensure comprehensive coverage of the research objectives. Primary data were collected through the administration of semi-structured questionnaires to 260 respondents drawn from selected public healthcare facilities. A stratified random sampling technique was employed to ensure proportional representation of different professional categories within the healthcare system, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and medical records personnel. Secondary data were obtained from relevant textbooks, journals, policy documents, and institutional reports. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools, including percentages, while inferential analysis was conducted using the Chi-square (X²) statistical method to test the stated hypotheses. The findings revealed that a majority of respondents strongly supported the use of ICT in healthcare delivery, acknowledging its positive impact on service efficiency, reduction in waiting time, improved referral systems, enhanced accuracy in diagnosis, and reduction in medical errors. The study further found that ICT tools such as computerized medical software, electronic medical records, and diagnostic technologies were present and actively utilized in the selected healthcare facilities. However, despite these advancements, the study identified gaps in infrastructure availability, staff capacity, and system optimization. The findings established a significant relationship between ICT adoption and improved healthcare service delivery in hospitals managed by the Akwa Ibom State Hospitals Management Board. The study concludes that ICT plays a vital role in strengthening healthcare systems and improving service outcomes. It therefore recommends that government should provide adequate ICT infrastructure across all secondary healthcare facilities, including those in underserved and rural areas, while also ensuring continuous training and capacity development of healthcare personnel to enhance effective utilization of digital health technologies.

Keywords: Information and Communication Technology (ICT); Healthcare Service Delivery; Public Health Sector; Electronic Medical Records; E-Health; Telemedicine; Hospital Management Board; Healthcare Efficiency

Abstract

The advantages of urbanization outweigh its demerits thus the youth should learn to accept all the packages it comes with and deal with it exploitatively. In order for the poor urban dwellers to survive in highly urbanized cities in Nigeria such as Lagos, Abuja and the like, they need to be fast thinkers and explore all available sustainable economic opportunities that informal sectors such as scrap metal sector presents. There is no longer time for the youth to act expensive and fragile, when they are languishing in avoidable poverty. The time to get hands dirty is now since scrap metal business has offered a second chance to those whose lives would have been history if they had not put their energy and minds into such a productive economic venture. However, for scrap metal business to unfold beneficially to its subscribers (urban poor), the federal government of Nigeria needs to regulate it in terms of safety of participants, price fluctuation and heavy investment in it through public-private sector partnership. This is because there is an enormous potential of growth for the metal industry in the international market. Therefore, policy makers should appreciate the fact that scrap metal trade is not a challenge to urbanization but rather as part of sustainable industrialization process which needs much attention

Keywords: Urbanization; Unemployment; Scrap metal.

Abstract

About 80% of the palm oil and palm kernel oil and their fractions produced globally are used for edible purposes. The unique solid content profile of palm oil, and its excellent oxidative stability, high nutritional value and competitive price makes palm oil as one of the most utilized oils by food manufacturers. Palm Kernel oil which is derived from the flesh of the oil palm fruits' kernel is high in lauric acid and has a sharp melting, a character suitable for use in confectionery fats. Fractionation of palm oil into palm stearin, palm olein and Palm kernel oil into palm kernel stearin and palm kernel olein further enhances the usage of palm oil and Palm kernel oil in foods. Also, due to their high content of oleic acid and natural antioxidant (vitamin E) have excellent oxidative stability, hence, are a superior cooking and frying oil. Therefore, palm oil and palm kernel oil were extensively discussed as a major source of tocopherol and tocotrienols which are related compounds and also have vitamin E activity, their chemistry and metabolism were discussed as well. Palm oil and palm kernel history, compositions, processing, refining, uses, nutrition and health, producing countries, social and environmental impacts as well as markets were equally discussed in details with some recommendations at the end.

Keywords: Palm oil and palm kernel oil, tocopherol and tocotrienols, uses and environmental impacts.

Abstract

Urban development patterns increasingly expose communities and investment assets to escalating climate-related hazards, yet existing zoning and development approval processes remain predominantly focused on carbon mitigation rather than physical climate risk reduction. This conceptual paper addresses this critical gap by developing a comprehensive framework for integrating physical climate risk scoring into zoning and development approval processes to enhance urban investment resilience. The study employs a conceptual research methodology based on systematic literature review and theoretical synthesis across urban planning, climate science, and real estate investment. The analysis reveals that current zoning frameworks inadequately incorporate forward-looking climate hazard data, leading to continued development in high-risk areas and escalating financial exposure. The conceptual framework proposes a multi-stage risk scoring methodology that integrates location-specific hazard data, vulnerability assessments, and adaptation capacity considerations into planning approvals and zoning decisions. The framework identifies three core components: hazard identification and characterization, exposure and vulnerability assessment, and risk scoring integration into regulatory decisions. The study concludes that integrating physical climate risk scoring into zoning and development approvals can reduce urban vulnerability, protect investment values, and guide development toward climate-resilient locations. This paper contributes to emerging scholarship on climate-adaptive urban planning and resilient real estate investment by providing theoretical foundations for policy development and practical guidance for planners, developers, and investors.

Keywords: Physical climate risk; Zoning; Development approvals; Urban resilience; Climate hazard scoring; land-use planning; Investment resilience; Adaptation; Risk assessment; Regulatory frameworks

Abstract

Institutional real estate portfolios face mounting pressure to decarbonize and enhance climate resilience, yet the "green premium" – the financial value premium associated with sustainable and resilient building attributes – remains insufficiently quantified and inconsistently applied across markets. This valuation gap creates a fundamental barrier to scaling climate-resilient retrofitting, as institutional investors require robust financial justification for capital expenditure decisions. This conceptual paper addresses this challenge by developing a comprehensive framework for understanding how policy incentives can bridge the green premium gap and accelerate climate-resilient retrofitting in institutional real estate portfolios. The study employs a conceptual research methodology based on systematic literature review and theoretical synthesis across real estate economics, climate finance, and public policy domains. The analysis reveals that climate-resilient retrofitting generates value through multiple channels, including enhanced asset values, reduced risk exposure, insurance cost savings, and tenant retention premiums. However, these benefits remain incompletely capitalized due to valuation methodology gaps, information asymmetries, and fragmented policy frameworks. The conceptual framework identifies five policy instruments capable of bridging the green premium gap: regulatory standards, financial incentives, risk transfer mechanisms, information disclosure requirements, and capacity-building programs. The study concludes that effective policy design must address both supply-side barriers and demand-side drivers, with coordinated action across multiple governance levels essential for mainstreaming climate-resilient retrofitting in institutional real estate. This paper contributes to emerging scholarship on climate finance and sustainable real estate by providing theoretical foundations for policy development and practical guidance for institutional investors navigating the climate transition.

Keywords: Green premium; Climate resilience; Institutional real estate; Retrofitting; Policy incentives; Property valuation; Climate risk; Sustainable finance; Decarbonization