University-wide publications
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://dspace.njala.edu.sl/handle/20.500.144402/132
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Item Assessing Management Supports to the Internal Audit Function in Kenema District Council, Eastern Sierra Leone(2021) Sheriff, Sualiho; Sheriff, Sualiho; Sheriff, SualihoInternal audit function adds value to organization’s operations, but management support to internal audit function with resources and commitment accomplishes effectiveness. This study attempted to investigate the management support to the internal audit function for its effectiveness in Kenema District Council. The specific objectives were to: 1) examine respondents’ perception on management support to the internal audit function in Kenema District Council; 2) examine the levels of the management support to the internal audit function; and determine the relationship between management support and internal audit function effectiveness. The study employed a descriptive research design. The study was carried out in the Kenema District located in the Eastern Region of Sierra Leone. Kenema District consists of 16 Chiefdoms and 25 Wards, 8 Constituencies and 94 Sections. The research population comprised of all Kenema District Council officers. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 13 council officers who are previewed to the internal audit process. A pre-tested validated questionnaire with reliability of 0.765 was administered to the 13 officers from 13th–20th December, 2020. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 and Excel. Most respondents affirmed that the council designs policies (92.3%), monitors and evaluates (76.2%), and approves audit documents (84.6%). Also, (53.8%) of the respondents strongly greed that there is a relationship between management support and internal audit function effectiveness. In conclusion, Kenema District council management supports the internal audit function through various means. Some management supports are insufficient and others sufficient. It is recommended that management improves support rendered to the audit department for effective and efficient operations. Let the internal audit department be independent. Also, the council seriously considers other drivers of internal audit function efficacy.Item Growing of Tomatoes using a Remote Sensing Technology(Zenodo, 2024-08-24) Amadu, FatormaIn this research, we analyze how satellite or drone images utilizing remote sensing technology can be used to monitor tomato cropland health, growth parameters, and soil status. It provides data for farmers on fertilization rates, irrigation levels as well as pest control measures hence improving their yield and reducing their effects on environment. The technology of satellite based irrigation management has enabled farmers to monitor vast farmlands non-invasively through accurate data thereby reducing costs of farming and facilitating personalized farming assistances. Water supply is optimal to tomatoes since this technique entails precision in terms of amount hence eliminating causes of too much watering damages; excess moisture loss and too much expansive united with no possibility of fit tomatoes production within the same area consequently giving a yield of better quality fruits which could result from improved genetics due to application of appropriate dosages. The satellite images play an important role in balancing water availability thus increasing agricultural productivity. Early detection with remote sensing methods helps farmers deal with pest infestations before they reach serious levels. This minimizes over reliance on chemicals in managing these pests thereby supporting environmentally-friendly agricultural practices Yang, H. (2011). Similarly, when planting tomatoes for example, remote sensing can help farmers determine disease prone areas within their farms besides guiding them on when to irrigate based on varying moisture demands presented by plants at different stages. However, these technologies have high upfront costs but they come with numerous advantages.Item Lockdown measures in response to COVID-19 in nine sub-Saharan African countries(BMJ Publishing Group, 2020) Lessells, Richard JohnLockdown measures have been introduced worldwide to contain the transmission of COVID-19. However, the term ‘lockdown’ is not well-defined. Indeed, WHO’s reference to ‘so-called lockdown measures’ indicates the absence of a clear and universally accepted definition of the term ‘lockdown’. We propose a definition of ‘lockdown’ based on a two-by-two matrix that categorises different communicable disease measures based on whether they are compulsory or voluntary; and whether they are targeted at identifiable individuals or facilities, or whether they are applied indiscriminately to a general population or area. Using this definition, we describe the design, timing and implementation of lockdown measures in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. While there were some commonalities in the implementation of lockdown across these countries, a more notable finding was the variation in the design, timing and implementation of lockdown measures. We also found that the number of reported cases is heavily dependent on the number of tests carried out, and that testing rates ranged from 2031 to 63 928 per million population up until 7 September 2020. The reported number of COVID-19 deaths per million population also varies (0.4 to 250 up until 7 September 2020), but is generally low when compared with countries in Europe and North America. While lockdown measures may have helped inhibit community transmission, the pattern and nature of the epidemic remains unclear. However, there are signs of lockdown harming health by affecting the functioning of the health system and causing social and economic disruption.Item Career Achievements of Traditional Musicians of Sierra Leone: The Cases of Jeneba Koroma, Bobby P., and Kposowai(School of Basic Education, Njala University, 2026-09-17) Vandy, EdmondItem June 2021 workshop sessions on learning & teaching critical thinking skills (level 2) at Njala University in Sierra Leone(Zenodo, 2021-06-09) Allie, GeorgianaPowerPoint slides and facilitation notes that were used in a critical thinking (CT) workshop (level 2) with lecturers and other staff at Njala University in Sierra Leone. The sessions were facilitated by AQHEd-SL's critical thinking taskforce (CTTF) in June 2021.Item 2021 workshop sessions on learning & teaching critical thinking skills in Higher Education in Sierra Leone (level 2)(Zenodo, 2021-02-25) Allie, GeorgianaPowerPoint slides, facilitation notes and handouts that were used in critical thinking (CT) sessions of the pedagogy 2 workshop for lecturers from higher education institutions in Sierra Leone. The sessions were facilitated by AQHEd-SL's critical thinking taskforce (CTTF) in 2020 and 2021.Item Restructuring Experimental Schools in Sierra Leone: A Model for Sustainable Teacher Education(figshare, 2025-01-31) Dumbuya, EmmanuelExperimental schools play a crucial role in shaping educational policies and practices, serving as pilot institutions where innovative pedagogical strategies are tested before widespread implementation (Schweisfurth, 2013). The Njala University Experimental School, established to bridge the gap between teacher education and practice, has struggled in recent years due to severe teacher shortages. This deficiency has weakened the school’s effectiveness, contradicting its foundational purpose. Data indicates that the teacher shortage at Njala University Experimental School is primarily due to the expansion from primary to senior secondary, non-replacement of retired teachers, deceased educators, and the low remuneration for part-time or contractual teachers. This paper proposes a restructuring program that integrates an exchange teaching initiative, whereby third and fourth-year university students serve as community volunteer teachers as part of their professional internship. This model aligns with global best practices in teacher training and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on quality education (UNESCO, 2015).Item Health records from hospitalized adults with malaria during 2019 at Bo Government Hospital, Sierra Leone(Dryad, 2023-02-09) Aimone, AshleyWe performed a chart review of adults admitted to Bo Government Hospital during 2019. Of 893 admissions,149 (59% female, mean age 58.5 years) had a laboratory diagnosis of malaria and 22 (14.8%) died. Mortality was significantly higher among patients with severe malaria compared with those who had non-severe malaria (6/20 \[30%\] versus 16/129 \[12.4%\], p=0.031). Our data suggest that malaria is a common cause of death in hospitalized Sierra Leonean adults.Item Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Njala University Developing Skills, Trade Knowledge, and Entrepreneurial Mindsets for a Sustainable Future(figshare, 2025-01-25) Dumbuya, EmmanuelNjala University, as one of the leading higher education institutions in Sierra Leone, stands at the forefront of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within its academic framework. This paper explores how Njala University can enhance its role in empowering students through targeted skills development, trade education, and entrepreneurial initiatives. By integrating practical training with theoretical learning, the university can cultivate a generation of innovative leaders equipped to contribute to the sustainable development of their communities and the nation as a whole.Item Women's Empowerment and Homebirth in Sierra Leone. A Secondary Analysis of the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic Health Survey(Research Square Platform LLC, 2022-09-13) James, Peter BaiBackground A nationwide assessment of the link between women's empowerment and homebirth has not been examined in Sierra Leone. Our study examined the association between women's empowerment and homebirth using the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic Health Survey (2019 SLDHS) data. Method We used the individual file (IR) of the 2019 SLDHS dataset for our analysis. A total of 7377 women aged 15–49 years who gave birth in the five years preceding the survey were included in our study. Our outcome variable was "home birth of their last child among women in the five years preceding the 2019 SLDHS. Women's empowerment parameters include women's knowledge level, economic participation, decision-making ability, and attitude towards wife beating. We used the complex sample command on SPSS version 28 to conduct descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results Three in every 20 women had home childbirth (n = 1177,15.3%). Women with low \[AOR = 2.04.;95%CI: 1.43–2.92\] and medium \[AOR = 1.44;95%CI: 1.05–1.97\] levels of knowledge compared to those with high levels of knowledge had higher odds of giving birth at home. Women who were in favour of wife beating were more likely to have had homebirth compared to those who were against wife beating \[AOR = 1.38;95%CI:1.09–1.74\]. In addition, women with no \[AOR = 2.71;95%CI:1.34–5.46) and less than four \[AOR = 2.08;95%CI:1.51–2.88\] antenatal care visits and who considered the distance to a health facility as a major problem \[AOR = 1.95;95%CI:1.49–2.56\] were more likely to have had a home birth. However, no significant association between a women's decision-making power and home birth was observed \[AOR = 1.11;95%CI:0.86–1.41\]. Conclusion Despite improvements in maternal health indicators, homebirth by unskilled birth attendants is still a public health concern in Sierra Leone. Women with low knowledge levels, who favour wife beating, had less than four ANC visits and considered distance to a health facility as a major problem had higher odds of giving birth at home. Our findings reflect the need to empower women by improving their knowledge level through girl child and adult education, increasing media exposure, changing societal norms and unequal power relations that favour gender-based violence, and improving roads and transport infrastructure.