The contributions of fire disaster to the varying degrees of students’, staff and schools’ property and/or lives lost in secondary schools in Nigeria is recently alarming. The study assessed causes of fire disaster in public and private secondary schools in Ilorin metropolis, Nigeria. The objectives were to identify latent causes of fire disaster, use the fishbone diagram to illustrate and analyze the root-causes of fire disaster in secondary schools. The exploratory research strategy was used. The target population was 18 senior public and private secondary schools, Ilorin having 18 principals, 965 teachers and 3765 senior secondary 2 students. From the target population, simple random sampling technique through a pick and not-return balloting was employed to sample 72.22% of the principals, 14.8% each of the teachers and students. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, questionnaire, participatory observation, and were analyzed using cause-and-effects-analysis. The findings reveal fire disasters in public and private secondary schools in Ilorin metropolis are primarily caused by bush/waste burning, electrical fault/wiring, arson, carelessness, and alcohol, smoking. Results also showed that the root-causes of fire phenomenon from the classic categories were setting undergrowth on fire, non-insulated wiring system and sparks from wrong connections, emotional induced from cultism rivalry among male teachers and students over a girl and superiority within and outside the school, mishandling of chemicals in various laboratories during experimentation, and lack of proper fencing of school compound. The study recommends that schools in the metropolis should prepare and anticipate future fire tragedy. Consequently, since there are several factors responsible for fire incidents, further studies could be conducted to clarify the sequence or magnitude of each cause of the fire outbreak.
This study assessed the effects of cement dust pollution on cultivated crops in Obajana, Kogi State, Nigeria. Plant samples used were obtained directly from cultivated lands in Obajana closed and far away from the cement industry within the community. The 12 plant samples collected were analyzed at Soil Science Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria. Mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variability and T-test were used in analyzing the data. The results revealed that except in the case of potassium concentration (2.21) the maize controls site nitrogen (1.01) and phosphorus (0.23) concentrations are higher than the polluted site (0.21 and 0.15 for nitrogen and phosphorus respectively). Results also showed that the 3 element (nitrogen (0.784), phosphorus (0.38), and potassium (2.42) concentrations studied in the cassava plant of the polluted site were higher than those obtained in the control site with 0.31, 0.36 and 1.83 for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It was concluded that there was significant difference in the elemental properties of maize potassium only but in other elements and in cassava plant there was no significant difference. Dusts emitted from the factory have affected the elemental properties of maize and cassava farm lands that are proximate to the cement factory in the study area. The study recommends that the propone 5th plant by the cement company operating in the study area should be diverted to another settlement in order to boost agricultural produce from Obajana community.
Fire disaster is accident that occur most frequently with different causes. It requires strong intervention for a sustainable fire-free environment. This study assessed causes and people’s behaviour in fire disasters towards a sustainable fire-free environment in Kebbi State, Nigeria. The study focused at identifying remote causes of fire disasters in Kebbi State, the people’s behaviour in/to fire situations using the state capital (Birnin Kebbi) as well as equipment available in the state fire service head-office towards a fire-free environment. Descriptive research approach was used. A sample size of 204 respondents (30 market traders, 144 occupants and 30 fire service personnel) obtained through Cochran 1963 sample size formula were randomly selected. Questionnaire and observation were used to collect data which were analyzed through descriptive statistics (frequency tables and percentages) and results were presented in charts. Results revealed that electrical fault/wiring, political reasons, negligence among others are the causes of fire disaster in the area with electrical fault/wiring as the remote cause. The behaviour of people towards building a sustainable fire-free environment shows people of the area do help one another in extinguishing fire whenever it strikes. Results also shows that lack of manpower and standard fire stations were the prominent challenges faced by the state fire service head-office in the state capital prompting incessant burning and resulting lives and property loss. Occupants of the area should always read and comply with safety guides of electrical appliances bought before use to avoid and prevent them from substandard gadgets that have ability of endangering their lives.
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