WATER-BASED RECREATION AREA:  CASE STUDY OF RIVER NIGER IN IDAH, NIGERIA

¹Orga, D. Y, ²Kolawole, O. B. and ³Ato, E.S.

¹Department of Tourism, The Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Nigeria

²Department of Architecture, The Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Nigeria

³Department of URP, The Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Nigeria

E-mail: yinaorga@ yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The study examines the potentials of the Niger as water-based recreation area to provide useful information with regards to user recreational pursuits. The primary data were developed through the use of reconnaissance survey. The secondary data were draws from development plans and other published works on recreation.  The data revealed that the potentials of River Niger as a water-based recreation area in Idah included river banks, 5km land and water sport. The potential recreational uses are sport fishing, picnicking, boating, swimming, beach sports, etc. In assessing the development potential of resources in relation to the provision of recreational facilities, at present no facilities have been developed in Idah.  It is anticipated that Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation and Kogi State Tourism Board with Idah Local Government Council will as public tourism development agencies developed these potentials to provide opportunities for all recreationists and accrue economic benefits to governments and the people.

Keywords:Recreation, models, Potentials, Activities.

THE IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN THE NIGER DELTA

*Ugwuanyi, Chinasa Agatha; **Garba, Anna and **Makarau, Shehu Bako

*Research Fellow, Department of Research and Studies, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) 13/15 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

**Department of general Agriculture, Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Samaru-Kataf, Kaduna State

ABSTRACT

Since the discovery of oil in the Niger delta, the region has become the centre of intensive and extensive oil exploration and production activities. These activities have been associated either directly or indirectly with a myriad of environmental problems which has been main source of sorrow for the people of Niger Delta region as a whole. This has polluted both the water bodies,  land terrestrial ecosystems and one of the biggest concerns associated with this pollution in the environment is, the risk to farmland, fisheries and potable water contamination since most of the people’s livelihood depends on farming, fishing and usage of water for domestic purpose. The Niger Delta has lost more than 20% of its habitable environment due to oil spills which extensively destroys crops and aquaculture through the contamination of waterways, ground water and soil, flaring of associated gas and mismanagement of the land resources. Oil spills have shown significant negative impact on crop yield and land productivity which further impoverish the already poor farmers in these oil producing areas. With increasing soil infertility as a result of the destruction of soil micro-organisms and dwindling agricultural productivity, farmers have been forced to abandon their land to seek non-existent alternative means of livelihood. This paper therefore, examines the nature of environmental pollution in the area and its impact on agricultural productivity. It also argues that the pervasive impact of oil related environmental problems are the drastic decrease in the nutrient value of the soil, the decrease in available land mass for cultivation, the destruction of food, cash crops and marine life which ultimately lead to a decline in agricultural productivity. This paper finally submits that the solution to environmental pollution lies on the policy of sustainable development and the evolution of sound environmental management principles by all stakeholders at all levels.

Keywords: Environmental degradation, Agricultural productivity, Exploration, Niger Delta,

CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE IN MODELING DEMOGRAPHIC DETAILS IN AN INTERACTIVE SYSTEM

¹C.G. Eze; ² K.U. Orisakwe and ³J.C. Ojiako

¹ Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, Nigerian Army Institute of Technology, Makurdi

²Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, Federal University of Technology, Yola

³Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria

E-mail: chijiokeze@yahoo.com; korisakwe@yahoo.com; ojiakochibueze@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

This paper made attempts to unravel the unique processes in using an interactive system known as Geographic Information System (GIS) to model demographic details of an area in Nigeria. In order to achieve the main objective of the paper, an interactive computer-based system that can support effective management of demographic data management was developed. In the process, attribute data modeling and linkage of the attribute data with the spatial information was performed. The main package for the study was the ArcGIS 9, which was complimented with AutoCAD among other softwares. They were useful for the dataset querying and analysis. Demographic datasets thus provided an important input to GIS. The study was restricted to GIS and its implication in database building and management for spatial and non-spatial dataset required for overlay and query analysis. Therefore, complex statistical details and other demographic variables that accompany census related activities were not on focus. Recommendations were suggested after the exercise.

Keywords: Interactive, Demographic dataset, Contemporary practice, modeling.

ASSESSMENT OF HYDROCARBON LOSS IN BIOSTIMULATED AND BIOAUGMENTED CRUDE OIL CONTAMINATED ULTISOL OF SOURTHERN NIGERIA

Etukudoh, Ndarake Emmanuel., ²Ikpe FN., ³Osakwe J.A and ⁴Wenedo S.A

Department of Crop/Soil Science

Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

A pot experiment was conducted at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Southern Nigeria to assessed the effectiveness of poultry manure, urea and selected hydrocarbon degrading bacteria in the remediation of a crude oil contaminated Ultisol. Each pot weighing 3kg, was contaminated to  2, 5 and 10%  with Bonny light crude oil of 0.835 specific gravity  with no contamination as a control. Seven (7) days after, each level was amended with urea and poultry manure (PM), thereafter the pots were seeded with Acinetobacter clavatus, Bacillius subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Unamended and unseeded soils were also included as controls. Treatments were replicated three (3) times, completely randomized and arranged in a green house. Results showed that crude oil lost correlated negatively correlated with total seeded bacterial counts. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa inoculated soil, more percent  crude oil  lost  were recorded except that at 2 and 5% pollution levels in the PM amended soil inoculated with Bacillus subtilis more crude oil (99.95 and 66.08%) was loss. This study suggests that at 2% contamination, provision of adequate PM for indigenous microbes is sufficient to remedy the soil while at 5 and 10% pollution levels, inoculation with Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biostimulated respectively with urea are recommended as suitable biodegrading agents because greater percent loss in the crude oil were recorded in this options.

Keywords: Bioaugmention , Biostimulation, Amendment, Seeded, Hydrocarbonoclatic, Biodegradation.