ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessment of financial management practices of poultry farms in the Atwima Kwanwoma district - Ashanti Region, Ghana

The assessment of financial management practices of poultry farms was examined for 23 poultry farmers in the Atwima Kwanwoma District in Ashanti region. Questionnaires were self administered to correct the data from respondents. Data were gathered from farmers and farm Managers to understand the capital acquisition practices, capital investment decision making, dividend decision and processes business analysis techniques used by these farms and challenges faced by the poultry industry. The study provides estimates regarding the adoption of various financial management practices, and result showed that the poultry industry in Ghana and for that matter Atwima Kwanwoma District is contributing effectively to the growth and development through the provision of food, employment and taxes to the economy. Many of the farmers are particular about productivity and making profits. As such, farmers employ all means to ensure efficiency, however the use of effective financial management practices has been minimal and as a result has affected negatively on their performance. The results also suggest that the adoption of financial management practices such as using investment analysis techniques significantly impact farm financial performance

Source: KNUST
An assessment of financial perfomance of Ghana Water Company in the Northern Region: 1994 - 2003

Ghana Water Company limited is saddled with problems, especially finance. While the population keeps growing, urbanization is growing, the water company (Ghana Water Company Limited) pipelines are too old, chocked and leaking and some of the water operating systems are below design capacity. In the Northern Region of Ghana, Ghana Water Company’s pipelines are not only old but empty for most parts of the years and it meets only 50% of the urban water needs in the region. The main objective of this research was to review and analyze the financial performance of Ghana Water Company Limited in the Northern Region and to recommend measures to improve the company’s financial performance. Data were mainly secondary type Data were gathered from the financial reports of the company in Tamale These are profit and loss accounts, and the balanced sheet for a period of ten years. Primary data were used as supplementary through discussion with management and some workers of the company in the region. Both descriptive and quantitative methods of data analysis were used. The results of the study indicated among others, that the current ratio of the company in Northern Region was consistently lower than the current ratio of the entire company, keeping the company liquidity in insecure conditions. Average debt collection deteriorated from 99 days in 1994 to 488 (lays in 2003 as against the credit policy of 28 days term of the company. Further findings indicate that the rate of increase in expenditure exceeds the rate of increase in revenue. Expenditure growing at a cumulative rate of 37% whilst revenue growths at a cumulative rate of 34%. AU these are as result of inconsistent water flows due to obsolete equipments and lack of expansion of the water systems. The study recommends specifically that there is need for replacement of obsolete equipments and expansion of the existing water systems. Also there is the need for extensive use of highly motivated collection task force to carry out collection and disconnection exercises. Management must be cost effective especially in the area of electricity consumption through the identification and use of cheaper alternative sources of energy such as the solar, or the replacement of energy savings equipment and machinery. Community metering and billing is also recommended to assist in stamping out illegal connections and consumption of water. One general recommendation made is that there is greater need for public-private sector participation in water management in the Northern Region.

Source: KNUST
An assessment of flood mitigation measures in Accra, Ghana

Flooding has been a perennial problem in parts of Accra for many years now resulting in loss of lives and properties. Some flood prone areas have received major flood management interventions from the government to prevent floods and others have not. This research sought to analyze the causes of flooding and assessed the effectiveness of flood controls to address the problem. To analyze the problem two communities in different parts of Accra namely, Glefe which is a coastal community and Alajo, located inland were selected for this study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with key city officials to identify the main causes of flooding and the flood control measures implemented. Surveys were held with home owners in the study communities to capture their views on causes of flooding as well as the effectiveness of mitigation measures implemented by either the government or themselves. The research found that storm drains had been constructed to prevent flooding in Alajo while Glefe had no major defence against flooding. The result was that Alajo no longer experienced flooding. Although Alajo has been a success story, the drains need regular maintenance and management by the Hydrological Services Department to desilt the drains and to sanction residents found dumping domestic wastes into the drains. In Glefe, the high sea waves persistently inundate dry lands while the two nearby lagoons (Dzatapkor and Gbugbe) are filled with refuse. Spells of rainfall cause the lagoons to overflow into the surrounding homes. Though home owners have made attempts like constructing temporary drains, clearing choked drains and building flood protection walls to mitigate the effects of the flood in Glefe, very minimal success has been achieved. The research recommends short and long term interventions to mitigate flooding in Glefe. Residents need to refrain from damaging activities like reclamation of the lagoons and sand mining. City officials also need to provide effective solutions to prevent flooding in Glefe. Solutions like building of a sea wall, demolishing buildings in encroached areas, drain improvement and total relocation of the community can be explored with funding from international development partners and the government.

Source: KNUST
ASSESSMENT OF FINANCIAL CONTROL PRACTICES IN POLYTECHNICS IN GHANA: A CASE STUDY AT SUNYANI POLYTECHNIC

Financial control systems exist to help organizations meet their goals and objectives,promote efficiency, reduce the risk of loss, and help ensure financial statement reliability and compliance with laws and regulations. This study assesses the internal financial controls in polytechnics of Ghana. The study adopts the case study design using Sunyani Polytechnic in the Brong Ahafo Region as the population. A sample size of 50 staff of the institution was drawn for the study using the simple random as well as purposive sampling technique. Both primary and secondary data are used with the aid of survey questionnaires,interview and documentary review. Data was analyzed descriptively with software; Microsoft Excel and SPSS. The study found that, the existing controls are inadequate;hence, a lot is required to ensure sound financial management in the sector. Some financial legislation is complied with, whiles others are virtually ignored, particularly in the area of procurement. This study identified that Sunyani Polytechnic and for that matter, polytechnics in Ghana are challenged with providing timely financial reports especially budgets which affect sub-budget sectional heads commitment and ownership in implementation. Non-compliance of financial controls has the consequences of not helping the organization to attain its strategic objective targets and milestones. It is recommended that financial controls are strengthened and enforced with authority and commitment; the internal audit function should also be reviewed by decentralizing to ensure that all activities are vetted before and not after the activities are undertaken.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of food hygiene practices by street food vendors and microbial quality of selected foods sold. A Study at Dunkwa-On-Offin, Upper Denkyira East Municipality of the Central Region.

Globally, the estimated amount of food found to be contaminated from street vendors particularly in developing countries is on the ascendancy. It is however unclear, the contribution unhygienic practices make to food contamination. This study sought to assess knowledge and practices of food vendors as well as the microbial quality of selected food sold by street food vendors in Upper Denkyira East Municipality in the Central region of Ghana. The study was cross sectional and systematically recruited 423 food vendors using a systematic sampling method. A structured questionnaire was administered and an observational checklist was used to gather data on the environmental and personal hygiene status of food vendors. Data collected on 423 respondents were entered into an SPSS version 16.0 software, edited and subsequently used for multivariate analysis. The Student t-test was used to compare continuous variables and the Pearson Chi-square test for discrete variables. Logistic regression was done to establish association between variables and food contamination. This study among other findings showed that there was a statistically significant association between considerations for choosing food stuff, where food is prepared, medical examination of food vendors, constant supply of water, use of food additives and microbial quality. There was also a significant association between place of storing cooked food, frequency of washing eating plates, frequency of changing water for washing plates and microbial quality. It was also observed that 84.0% of food vendors used the same hands to serve and collect money, 30.3% had not been given certificate to sell and 89% used their bare hands to serve or dish out food. The study revealed that of the 216 food samples collected, fecal coliforms were isolated in 128 (59.3%), v Escherichia coli in 90 (41.7%), Salmonella typhi in 26 (12.0%) and Staphylococcus aureus in 134 (62.0%). The study confirmed that there was a problem with contamination of street foods within Dunkwa-On-Offin and regular training and medical examination of street food vendors within the municipality should be done to ensure food hygiene.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of food safety knowledge and attitudes of street food consumers in the Kumasi metropolis

The street food sector plays an important role in cities and towns of many developing countries contributing economically and helping to meet the food demands of city dwellers. However, there are major health implications that emerge from the consumption of street food. This study employed a cross-sectional design to explore in depth the food safety knowledge and attitudes of consumers regarding street food safety in Kumasi. Consumers from three different suburbs in the Kumasi Metropolis (Krofrom, Aboabo and Ayigya) were conveniently selected to participate in the study. The quota sampling technique was employed to select respondents proportionally as they appeared in the population. Employing the quantitative methods, questionnaire were tools utilized to collect primary data for the study. The data collected was coded, entered, cleaned and analysed using the SPSS software programme. The results showed that majority of the consumers (61.0%) expressed appreciable food safety knowledge. A high percentage of consumers (64.5%) responded positively to the food safety attitude indicators. However the study found that majority of the respondents were ignorant of the process of storing fresh meat in a refrigerator. The bivariate analysis conducted to determine the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics of consumers and their knowledge on food safety revealed that food safety orientation, level of education, marital status, community of residence, and economic status as socio-demographic factors significantly (P< 0.05) related to food safety knowledge. The sex and age of consumers however did not significantly relate to food safety knowledge. The study on this base therefore recommends that Government through the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Services should embark on food safety education programmes to inform the general public of the need to ensure good food safety practices. Outreach programmes should be conducted in various communities where people are less likely to have proper knowledge to educate them on food safety. Finally, it is recommended that street food consumers take advantage of the mass media to learn food safety attitude and correspondingly acquire the necessary knowledge regarding food safety.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of genetic diversity in a collection of Ghanaian okra germplasm (abelmoschus spp l.) using morphological markers.

A total of 25 accessions of okra collected in Ghana were evaluated for phenotypic identity, diversity and quality based on morphological characterisation. Nineteen quantitative and seventeen qualitative characters were measured on the genotypes in field experiments using randomized complete block design with four replications, and phenotypic characters scored as specified by the standard international crop descriptor for okra (IBPGR, 1991). A dendrogram (cluster diagram) was generated for morphological data based on the Simple Matching Coefficient and four cluster groups were observed. The distribution of the accessions into the groups, based on the morphological traits had no unique geographical relationship. The results of the matrix of similarity among the 25 accessions performed using the NTsys pc programme placed two accessions in a tie, suggesting they were identical. Eight (8) accessions were placed at over 80% similarity, meaning the accession pairs were closely related, and three accessions were 50% similar, which means they matched at half the characters neasured. Six pairs of accessions measured were somewhat diverse, which can be exploited by plant breeders for further improvement. The genetic affinity between the accessions from different regions and ethnic groups could however be due to the selection and exchange of okra between farmers from different regions and ethnic groups. This shows that similar names might not suggest a means for identifying duplicates in the okra germplasm. Further research at the molecular level will be required to confirm duplicate accessions to enhance this work.

Source: KNUST
An assessment of Ghana’s policy on quality education in the public Senior High Schools: a case study of Ahafo Ano North and South Districts

The decline in the performance of students in examinations at the Senior High School Level has necessitated formulation of several policies and for that matter Education Strategic Plan (ESP) by Government Ghana to halt or improve the situation. The goal of the research is to assess the parameters of achieving quality education as enshrined in ESP document namely; enhancement of quality teaching and learning, promotion of good health and environmental sanitation as well as programmes of action that prevent HIV/AIDS in SHS with Ahafo Ano North and South as case study districts. The findings and recommendations that emerged from the study can contribute to educational discourse in finding solutions to poor quality of education in Ghana. The setting for the study looked at the significance of quality education to development, factors that influence quality education and Ghana’s policy on quality education in SHS. Case study approach was used to study three SHS in the selected districts. These schools were Mabang SHS, Tepa SHS and Mankranso SHS. Questionnaires and interview guides were used to interview 477 respondents (two District Directors of Education, three Headmasters, 15 programmes Heads of Departments, 89 teachers, three chairmen of Parents-Teachers Associations, three Old Students and 362 students) for primary data to supplement the secondary information gathered from literature. Quantitative and qualitative techniques were applied for analysis of data collected. The research revealed that 79.2 percent of the teachers in the schools are professionals and their major source of motivation beside their salaries is “motivation fee” provided for them by the PTA. The study further revealed that teaching and learning materials are available but not sufficient to meet the increasing populations of the schools. The average class size of the schools which is 65 is higher than the national standard of 40 students per class whiles the student-textbook ratio is 4:1. Teacher-student ratio of 1:26 for the school is higher than the national average of 1:20. All the schools surveyed have laboratories with limited computers for the teaching of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) There is only one Science Resource Centre serving the SHS in the districts,. The study of HIV/AIDS has been fused into the curricula of the schools. Observation has been made that is reliable and regular supply of potable water to the schools. Recommendation is made on the basis of the findings that the interventions of Government, District Assemblies and Parents among others are necessary to ameliorate the quality concern of SHS of the study districts.

Source: KNUST
Assessment Of Ground Water Quality In Tuba And Kokrobite Townships In The Ga South Municipal Assembly (Gsma) In The Greater Accra Region

Investigations were conducted to assess the quality of borehole water in residential households at Tuba and Kokrobite communities in Ga south municipality, Ghana. Groundwater samples were collected from 30 boreholes, 15 each from Tuba and Kokrobite and for both wet and dry seasons. The geographical locations of the boreholes were determined using global positioning system (GPS). Physico-chemical and bacteriological analysis were carried out on water samples collected from boreholes using processes outlined in the standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, and the examination of water for pollution control (WHO). The results showed that temperature, pH, turbidity, total suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, calcium, magnesium, sulphate, fluoride, alkalinity, potassium, iron, colour, nitrates were within the recommended WHO standard for drinking water. However, some parameters including conductivity, phosphates, sodium and chloride exceeded the recommended limits. The bacteriological analysis indicated high levels of microbiological pollution indicator organisms; total coliform and faecal coliform with counts exceeding the recommended limit of 0 cfu/100ml for drinking water. The high faecal coliform and total coliform in most sampled water is an indication of possible influence by septic sewage from the septic tank and pit latrines close to the water source. The results showed that the respondents use the borehole water for various domestic purposes such as cooking (65%), bathing (90%), washing (75%), drinking (25%) and flushing (72%). It was observed that 85% of the respondents do not use the water for drinking purposes because it was saline. The study observed septic tanks and pit latrines as major significant contaminant sources of pollution around the water sources. The study therefore recommends that owners of the wells and boreholes should treat the ground water before use.

Source: KNUST
The assessment of ground water quality for domestic purpose – a site study of Obuasi

Groundwater is a major source of drinking water to the majority of the people at Obuasi and the surrounding villages. Above all, it provides the base flow for springs, rivers and streams and hence contaminated groundwater may also constitute a hazard to aquatic life and to bathers. Once polluted, it takes a long time to restore to its original purity or state. There is increasing concern that the groundwater reserves in Obuasi are being polluted by pesticides, chemical from the application of fertilizer in farming and industrial effluents, especially mining wastes. The groundwater in Obuasi is suitable for drinking purposes and the natural quality is predominantly controlled by the chemical properties of run-off infiltration, the mineralogy of the soils and aquifer materials, and the residence time in the groundwater system. Human activity especially agriculture and gold mining in the study area, has affected the groundwater quality. Elevated gold mining-related pollutants, arsenic and lead levels are found at Odumasi, Gyimisokakraba, and Kokotenten. The groundwater is generally, characterized by slightly acidic conditions, softness, high alkalinity, low sodium and total dissolved solids levels. The concentration of gold mining-related pollutants is inversely proportional, while suspended solids, turbidity, total dissolved solids and conductivity are directly proportional to distance along the groundwater flow direction. Sampled boreholes showed relatively high levels of turbidity than the wells. Physical, chemical, microbiological, major and trace metals in general were low. The aim of this thesis report is to assess groundwater quality intended for domestic purposes using Obuasi, which is also a mining area as a site study. It involves defining and determining groundwater quality parameters due to domestic effluent discharges, farming and gold mining activity. This analysis incorporates procedures involved in the determination of water quality parameters and comparing to some of the existing World Health Organization (WHO) acceptable water quality standards or guidelines for drinking water. The problem of contaminated groundwater can really be solved only by prevention, which will require the effective enforcement of stricter controls both on the use of agro-chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and also on mining activity and waste discharge both deliberate and accidental.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of Groundwater Potential in Ankobra River Basin

Ankobra river basin is endowed with many rich natural resources. The mining activities in the basin and the proposed hydropower generation on the Ankobra river as well as oil discovery in the western region would lead to the establishing of new industries in the basin. These would certainly lead to potential population growth. As a result of these developments, there would be stress on surface water resources and therefore there would be demand for groundwater. A research was carried out to assess groundwater potential in the river basin as alternative source to surface water supply. Hydrogeological data was used to evaluate the groundwater storage in the basement complex, regolith. The relevant aquifer characteristics or parameters (extent of the study area, thickness of the groundwater zone in the regolith, the porosity and specific capacity of the aquifer zones) were used to compute total groundwater storage and recoverable storage. The groundwater contribution to streamflow was computed using mean monthly discharge data from the filled data and a hydrograph drawn. The baseflow was then determined from the hydrograph separation using the straight line method. The groundwater potential in the Ankobra basin is 45.82x 109m3 while the recoverable groundwater storage is 29.39x 109 m3. The baseflow computed was 13.75m/s. Investigations into groundwater chemistry with particular reference to physico-chemical parameters (quality) was analysed, the constituents fall within the acceptable limits of the Ghana Standard Board (GSB) for drinking water standard and are satisfactory for human consumption. However, Tamso, Wantenem, Gyaman, and Beyin communities exceeded the GSB's recommended values of pH (6.5-8.5) and Chloride (250mg/l) respectively for drinking water standard.

Source: KNUST