Journal of Research Administration

Wilson E. Herbert PDF

This conceptual study critically examines the role of accounting infrastructure in shaping financial accountability and governance outcomes in emerging economies, with particular reference to Nigeria. Moving beyond a technical view of accounting, the paper conceptualises accounting systems as institutional mechanisms embedded within broader structures of power, control, and legitimacy. Drawing on agency theory, institutional theory, and public accountability perspectives, the study develops the Accounting Infrastructure Governance (AIG) Framework, an integrative conceptual model linking financial reporting, audit processes, enforcement structures, and financial accountability to governance outcomes. The analysis shows that weak accounting infrastructure—manifested in deficiencies in reporting quality, audit effectiveness, and regulatory enforcement—undermines transparency and contributes to governance failure, including resource misallocation and institutional inefficiency. More critically, the study demonstrates that the formal adoption of international standards may operate as a form of symbolic compliance, masking underlying institutional weaknesses while reproducing existing accountability deficits. The study makes four contributions: it reframes accounting as governance infrastructure, critiques the limitations of compliance-based reforms, integrates fragmented strands of literature into a unified analytical framework, and highlights the conditional and mediated nature of accountability within emerging economy contexts. In doing so, it contributes to critical accounting debates by questioning the assumption that formal accounting systems necessarily produce substantive governance outcomes.  

J. T. Wosu, S. Wali PDF

Agriculture in tropical West Africa remains highly vulnerable to climate variability, soil degradation, and market price instability, particularly among smallholder farmers who produce over 80% of the region’s food. Despite increasing adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) and digital platforms for farm monitoring, most existing solutions lack robust predictive intelligence that can transform raw agricultural data into actionable insights. This paper presents an open-source, AI-powered predictive analytics framework designed to enhance smart farming and market forecasting in smallholder agricultural systems. The proposed system integrates machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models—including Random Forest, LSTM, and Prophet—within an IoT–Edge–Cloud architecture to forecast crop yields, soil nutrient trends, post-harvest spoilage, and commodity prices. The framework leverages open tools such as TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, and Node-RED to ensure affordability, transparency, and replicability. Using datasets from tropical West Africa, experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in forecast accuracy and decision support compared to baseline models. The system demonstrates that AI-driven predictive analytics, when combined with open-source tools, can empower smallholder farmers with data-informed decisions that strengthen food security, resilience, and market competitiveness in developing economies.  

J. T. Wosu, S. Wali PDF

Agriculture in tropical West Africa faces persistent challenges associated with environmental unpredictability, post-harvest losses, and inadequate digital infrastructure. This paper presents the design and implementation of an open-source Internet of Things (IoT) and edge-driven architecture for smart agricultural production and post-harvest management, developed to enhance data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency in low-resource environments. The proposed system integrates low-cost IoT sensor nodes, a Raspberry Pi-based edge gateway, and a cloud synchronization module to achieve real-time monitoring of crop growth, grain storage conditions, and environmental parameters. Edge computing was implemented to enable local data analytics and control automation, reducing latency and bandwidth dependency. The system architecture follows a modular design, allowing scalability and interoperability with existing open-source tools such as Django, Node-RED, and PostgreSQL. Field tests conducted in Benue State, Nigeria demonstrated reliable data transmission (97.6%), reduced latency (1.4 seconds average), and improved energy efficiency through edge-layer preprocessing. The research contributes to the development of cost-effective, open, and sustainable digital solutions for smart farming and post-harvest management in tropical West Africa.  

Mashari Benayan Alanazi, Wafaa Fathi Sleem, El- Tahra Elsayed Abo Habieb PDF

Background: Empowerment in nursing Leaders may aid in developing strategies to foster an open, honest, and responsive culture of patient safety, eliminating silos, departmental rivalries, and professional territoriality within healthcare systems. Aim: to evaluate the effect of nurses' empowerment training program on patients' safety culture, at King Khalid General Hospital, Hafar Albatin, Saudi Arabia. Method: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was utilized across all departments at King Khalid General Hospital, Hafar Albatin, Saudi Arabia, involving 115 staff nurses. Three tools were utilized to gather data relevant to the study. namely the Empowerment Knowledge Questionnaire, Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, and the Hospital Survey about Patient Safety Culture. Results: The highest mean knowledge score post implementation of training program, with mean 25.50±4.68, the level of empowerment was improved from (20.9%) had high level pretest and improved to (49.6%) of Shortly following the program and (71.3%) following up, with the utmost level of patient safety culture mean score for post implementation of training program for (41.7%), with mean 92.03±34.04 improved from pretest to104.35±23.61 to posttest. Conclusion: It was determined that an empowerment training program considerably enhanced staff nurses' empowerment knowledge, perceived empowerment, and the patient safety culture, and showed a significant pre–post difference, supporting the role of empowerment-based training in strengthening and maintaining a positive safety culture. Recommendations: Participate actively in empowerment training and apply learned skills (assertive communication, advocacy, shared decision making) during daily care.  

Chiwuike Uba; Jude Chukwunyere Iwuoha; Emmanuel E. Uzodimma; Adaeze Ukamaka Jude-Iwuoha; Hope Iwuchukwu; Patrick Mbanaso PDF

Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999 with high hopes. People expected to vote and be voted for. However, there have been insinuations that electoral outcomes in most cases are not reflecting this aspiration as a result of the influence of hidden money called dark money. However, elections still happen, with campaigns and voting, but there exists voter apathy. Many eligible voters especially in South East region of Nigeria often stay away from voting. They usually allege that electoral outcomes are often manipulated using dark money to the advantage of a few rich and powerful people. We therefore embarked on this research to ascertain the impact of dark money on electoral outcomes in Nigeria using the southern part of the country as case study using eligible voters as participants. A survey of 1,326 voters in southern Nigeria shows that many believe campaigns are funded secretly. Wealthy sponsors and companies often decide who wins. Vote buying is common, and the rules are not well enforced. As a result, many people feel elections in Nigeria are just for show and do not truly reflect their choice. This study therefore shows that money now controls much of politics. To fix this, Nigeria needs stronger rules, better monitoring, and more public awareness so elections can truly reflect the peoples will.