There is a paucity of information regarding the epidemiology and outcome of COVID-19 from low/middleincome countries, including from Nigeria. This single-center study described the clinical features, laboratory findings, and predictors of in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients. Patients admitted between April 10, 2020 and June 10, 2020 were included. Forty-five patients with a mean age of 43 (16) years, predominantly male (87%), presented with fever (38%), cough (29%), or dyspnea (24%). In-hospital mortality was 16%. The independent predictors of mortality were hypoxemia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.3-5.1) and creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL (aOR: 4.3; 95% CI: 1.9-9.8).

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Corporate failures across the globe have become an issue of concern for stakeholders andregulators. Financial reporting scandals that occurred in oceanic bank, intercontinental bank andthe recent bank crises of Skye Bank in 2016 really motivated the need for this study. The studyexamines audit quality, governance mechanism and earnings management of listed deposit moneybanks in Nigeria for the period of eleven years from 2009-2019. The population of the study consistsof all the 14 listed deposit money banks in Nigeria as at 31st December, 2019. The study adoptedexpo-factor and correlation research designs, and multiple regression was employed as techniqueof data analysis. The findings of the study revealed that audit independence, managerial ownershipand board independent have significant negative impact on earnings management of quotedNigerian banks while auditor size and audit tenure have insignificant influence on earningsmanagement of listed deposit money banks in Nigeria. In line with the findings, the study thereforeconcluded that audit independence, managerial ownership and board independence havesignificant negative impact on earnings management of banks in Nigeria while audit firm size andaudit tenure have no significant impact on earnings management of listed deposit money banks inNigeria. It is therefore recommended that Nigeria listed deposit money banks should maintain theaudit fees they are paying to the audit firm or increase it as any attempt to reduce the audit fees canincrease earnings management. However managerial shareholding should be increase as it willreduce earnings management and also board independent directors on the board should beincreased from minimum of two as it will reduce earnings management of listed deposit moneybanks in Nigeria on the other hand there is no significant impact between audit firm tenure andaudit firm size on earnings management of listed deposit money banks in Nigeria. For audit firmsize the study recommended that local audit firms should be used instead of the Big 4 as the size have no effect on earnings management. Also the study recommended that for audit tenure the bankshould maintain its audit tenure as it does not have any influence on earnings management.

Background Routine vaccination, a cost-effective means of preventing deadly childhood disease, has a low coverage in Nigeria. The study assessed the willingness of mothers to receive reminder messages for routine vaccination appointments in Northern Nigeria. Methods A multi-centre cross-sectional study involving at least 363 mother–infant pairs per centre from five states in Northern Nigeria. Data collected include the socio-demographic details, responses on parental phone ownership, mothers’ willingness to receive reminders for immunization appointments and the reminder type characteristics. Data analysis was done with SPSS. Results Of the 1952 mother–infant pairs, ownership of at least one household phone was 97.7%. In total, 1613 (82.6%) mothers were willing to receive reminders. A majority (62.2%) of mothers preferred phone calls. A day before the vaccination appointment was the preferred timing (78.1%), and the predominant communication language was the local language for each region. The odds of being willing to receive reminders were 3.1 times, 2.6 times and 1.8 times higher in those with no formal education, primary education and secondary education, respectively, compared with mothers with tertiary education, each p < 0.05. Mothers who delivered at home were significantly less likely to want reminder messages (p = 0.03). Conclusion Eight of 10 women in Northern Nigeria are willing to receive a reminder for their child. The predominant mode of reminder preferred is phone calls using the local language. Deployment of mobile phone reminders strategy in Northern Nigeria as a means to improve vaccination uptake is feasible. The institution of this strategy can be in collaboration with service providers.