ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
The impact of irrigation schemes on farmers’ income and livelihoods in the Upper East region of Ghana

The study evaluated the impact of irrigation schemes on farmers’ income and livelihoods in the Upper East Region of Ghana. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to obtain a sample of 120 irrigators and 60 non-irrigators. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to analyze the impact of irrigation schemes on farmers’ income with the help of logit to estimate propensity scores. The logit estimates indicate male farmers, large household size, cultivated land size, land acquisition, education, access to credit, access to ready market and access to extension services tend to increase farmers’ participation in irrigation schemes significantly. Contrary, farmers with large farm size are less likely to participate in irrigation scheme. Estimates of average treatment of the treated (ATT) suggest that irrigation schemes is able to impact on farmers’ income by GH₵ 1335.09 (US$ 4272.29) and GH₵ 1353.87 (US$ 4332.38) using the Nearest Neighbor and Kernel based matching algorithms respectively. The Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (W) result shows that the major constraints confronting irrigation schemes were high cost of inputs, credit, water shortage, land, marketing, labour, and pest and disease. Thus, it can be concluded that irrigation schemes enabled farmers to increase income, crop yield, minimize crop failure and enhance productivity hence poverty reduction. Finally, the study suggested for expansion of irrigated areas (small-scale, medium and large scale schemes), adoption of modern technologies and formulation of farmers’ friendly policy. Also the study recommends that, farm inputs such as chemicals, seeds fertilizer, access to credit and financial assistance should be accessible to farmers as well as improve market access conditions and marketing infrastructure.

Source: KNUST
The impact of job ootation on employees’ performance. A case study: Utrak Financial Services Limited

Since 2008 Utrak Financial Services Limited has adopted a job rotation program to help solve skills acquisition and performance problems. The problem the thesis attempted to investigate was that in addition to economic objective that every employee requires from his employer, when employee are allowed to perform the same transactional duties over many years, they feel bored and unsatisfied by doing the same kind of work over time. This development may affect job satisfaction and ultimately productivity. To achieve the objectives of the research, an exploratory and descriptive design were adopted aimed at assessing the impact of job rotation on employees’ performance. Questionnaires were administered to head office staff from the operations, Customer Service and Accounting departments. Structured interview was also employed to collect data. The study revealed that job rotation is an important programme for allowing employees to acquire new skills, enhance staff productivity, develop new relationships across the company and gain skills needed for future career advancement. However, respondents complained of not been made part of the implementation process. They also reveal that, the major challenges upsetting the programme were; resistance from superiors; resistance from employees and lack of adequate training before employee is moved to a new department. The participants in the job rotation programme who were interviewed expressed a high level of satisfaction with the programme. The study revealed that the respondent’s appreciate the effectiveness of job rotation programme in their organization. The researcher concludes by making recommendations to involve employees in the implementation process, use the programme to develop employees to increase their performance level. Also it is recommended that the programme must benefit both the employer and employee in the organization.

Source: KNUST
The impact of Jarosites in Biox® product on CIL processes - a case study of AngloGold Ashanti (Obuasi mine)

AngloGold Ashanti Limited (Obuasi Mine), commissioned its Sulphide Treatment Plant (STP) in February 1994 to process 180,000 t/month of double refractory gold ore mainly, pyrite, arsenopyrite and pyrrhotite. The refractoriness requested a suitable pre-treatment process, which led to the design of the then world’s largest commercial scale bacterial oxidation plant which uses Gencor’s BIOX® technology. This technology was chosen based on its simplicity and environmental friendliness. Gold is recovered by gravity and cyanidation. Gravity recoverable gold includes all visible gold; free gold and partly liberated gold, whereas sulphide minerals encapsulating the microscopic and sub microscopic gold particles are concentrated by flotation, pre-treated by the bio-oxidation process (BIOX®) and recovered by cyanidation process (CIL Circuit). During sulphide mineral decomposition, iron in pyrite goes into solution as ferrous ion (Fe2+), oxidizes to ferric ion (Fe3+), and then hydrolyses and precipitates as hematite, jarosite [XFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6] or basic iron sulphates, depending on the prevailing conditions in the reactors. Sulphuric acid and arsenic acid are generated as by-product of the process. The stability of hematite is high. However the less stable jarosite and basic sulphates favour the formation of complexes with the iron sulphide mineral making gold recovery difficult, uneconomical in the upstream process and may pose environmental issues if allowed to get into the environment. Jarosite/ basic iron sulphate is stable under acidic conditions (from pH values 1 to 7), but breaks down at higher pH (Babcan, 1971). In this study, composite samples from, sulphide concentrate feeding the BIOX plant, CIL feed, the conditioned material at the CIL, material in the first leach tank, CIL tails and the feed to the TSF, were taken, filtered and bottle ` iii rolled for 72 hours. There was an increase in recoveries, from 93.47% to 94.78%, when the pH was raised from pH 2 to pH 7 and then from pH 7 to pH 11 (2 stage conditioning) with slake lime before cyanidation, than raising the pH from pH 2 to pH 11 (single stage conditioning) with slake lime before cyanidation.

Source: KNUST
The impact of job rotation on employees’ performance A case study: Utrak Financial Services Limited

Since 2008 Utrak Financial Services Limited has adopted a job rotation program to help solve skills acquisition and performance problems. The problem the thesis attempted to investigate was that in addition to economic objective that every employee requires from his employer, when employee are allowed to perform the same transactional duties over many years, they feel bored and unsatisfied by doing the same kind of work over time. This development may affect job satisfaction and ultimately productivity. To achieve the objectives of the research, an exploratory and descriptive design were adopted aimed at assessing the impact of job rotation on employees’ performance. Questionnaires were administered to head office staff from the operations, Customer Service and Accounting departments. Structured interview was also employed to collect data. The study revealed that job rotation is an important programme for allowing employees to acquire new skills, enhance staff productivity, develop new relationships across the company and gain skills needed for future career advancement. However, respondents complained of not been made part of the implementation process. They also reveal that, the major challenges upsetting the programme were; resistance from superiors; resistance from employees and lack of adequate training before employee is moved to a new department. The participants in the job rotation programme who were interviewed expressed a high level of satisfaction with the programme. The study revealed that the respondent’s appreciate the effectiveness of job rotation programme in their organization. The researcher concludes by making recommendations to involve employees in the implementation process, use the programme to develop employees to increase their performance level. Also it is recommended that the programme must benefit both the employer and employee in the organization.

Source: KNUST
Impact of land rights on cost of Government projects: The case of karpowership project in Sekondi – Western Region.

The study aimed at assessing the impact of land rights on project cost overruns in the delivery of governmental projects in Sekondi - Takoradi focusing on the Karpowership project. With this aim, two (2) objectives were set which were to identify the contribution of property rights to construction cost overruns and delays of the Karpowership project located at Sekondi and to identify the factors that leads to poor property rights management in construction at Karpoweship project located at Sekondi. The study adopted the mixed research approach in collecting data. The data was collected with the aid of a structured interview and structured questionnaire. In all, thirty-nine (39) respondents were targeted however, thirty-three (33) respondents were available to respond to the questionnaire. The data collected were analysed using content analysis and mean score ranking. From the analysis, it was realized that, the delays in projects are caused by court injunctions on the Land. These injunctions are normally secured by the owners of the land against the contractor and its assigns from carrying out their work. Also, it was realized that, the payment of compensation is a major cause of increase in cost of a project. In accordance with the 1962 State Lands Act (Act 125), Compensation is due and payable if there is no controversy in the claim lodged and the amount claimed is considered reasonable or if the claimant has negotiated successfully with the government on entitlements based on equivalence of loss sustained. Also, it was realized that, inadequate time allowed for reengagement, resistance from documented right owners and opportunity offered to undocumented rights are the major factors affecting property rights management. Based on the findings, it was recommended that, Institutions responsible for community engagements must endeavour to cover all rights. Property Rights Computations for compensation purposes must have the long-term view by setting aside a percentage of the compensable sum aside to address undocumented property rights that have the potential of igniting a court suit.

Source: KNUST
Impact of land use / land cover changes on African Savannah elephant’s (loxodonta africana) use of the Red Volta valley corridor

The Savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana) is one of the threatened mammal species in the world and listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red lists criteria as its population has drastically declined. Its population decline is largely as a result of habitat loss due to agriculture extension and other human related land use changes. The Red Volta Valley is one of the important migratory corridors established to connect the elephant ranges in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin, and Togo. This study therefore aims to assess the changes in land use/ land cover systems and its effects on the savannah elephants use of the Red Volta Valley Corridor. Field survey and community participatory GIS methods were used to mark locations of elephant’s presence. Using MaxEnt algorithm and 8 explanatory variables (), elephants habitat use within the corridor were modelled for 1988 and 2018. The study revealed a significant land use/land cover changes within the thirtyyear period as bare soil increased by 174.9 km2 representing 233.8% followed by a reduction of 169.1 km2 representing 26.6% in open savannah /Agricultural Land. Riverine vegetation also reduced by 55.1km2 depicting 38%, with water indicating a reduction of 2.3 km2 that is 9%. Contrary, to expectations, Close Savana however increased by 51.3 km2 representing 32%. Suitable habitat predicted by MaxEnt in 1988 reduced by 155.54km2 . The study revealed a reduction in the suitable habitat of the elephant by 15% as a result of the changes in land use / land cover types. Also, most suitable path used by elephant across the frontiers of Togo, Ghana and Burkina Faso showed significant changes in the vegetation cover types on it and increase in length by 1km from 1988 to 2018.

Source: KNUST
Impact of land use changes on soil erosion and sedimentation in the Tono Reservoir Watershed using Geowepp Model

Sediment delivery from the Tono watershed in the Upper East Region of Ghana is a major concern in determining the rate of siltation of the Tono Reservoir. As part of a broader effort to develop a sediment budget for the Tono Reservoir, this study determined the current volume of silt in the reservoir through bathymetric survey, mapped land cover changes by maximum likelihood supervised classification of Landsat images acquired for 1991, 2005 and 2013 and used a process-based watershed hydrology and upland erosion model, Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP), to simulate hydrology and sediment dynamics for three land-use/land-cover scenarios. The Geo-spatial interface for WEPP (GeoWEPP) was used to characterize upland overland flow elements based on their land use/land cover, soil, and slope profiles. A significant land cover change was observed as shrub land had decreased by 8%, bare-land area had increased by 9.1%, and the Reservoir area had also decreased by 3.7%. Using characteristics obtained from GeoWEPP as inputs for the WEPP model runoff fluxes, soil loss rates, and sediment delivery ratio (SDR) for three environmental scenarios: land-use/land-cover with agricultural lands under fallow tilled management (Scenario 1), land-use/land-cover with agricultural lands under corn, soybean no till management (Scenario 2), land-use/land-cover with non-agricultural lands under shrub-perennial (Scenario 3) were estimated. Over the simulated 29-year period; runoff depth, soil loss rate and SDR were estimated to be 118.4mm, 22.8 t/ha, and 0.68 for Scenario 1; 94.6mm, 2.8 t/ha, and 0.31 for Scenario 2; and 57.7mm, 0.6t/ha, and 0.92 for Scenario 3. The volume of silt since 1991 to 2013 from the bathymetric results was 1.62 X 10 5 m 3 of silt per year. This is about 1.74% reduction in reservoir capacity on annual basis.

Source: KNUST
Impact of Land Use Changes on Diversity, Community Structure and Natural Regeneration of Woody Plant Species in a Moist Semi-Deciduous Forest

The diversity, community structure and natural regeneration of woody plant species were assessed in twenty four 50m × 20m sampling plots. Within each of these plots, two 5m × 5m sub-plots were established for the assessment of regeneration species. These plots were established to represent the various land use forms in the study area. Land use change had significant impact on tree and liana diversity in the study (trees: p < 0.001; lianas: p < 0.001). With regard to trees the differences existed among all the habitats except between the secondary forest and logged forest. On the other hand, differences occurred between all the pairs of habitats except for the abandoned mine site and abandoned farm area pair. The mean canopy cover differed significantly (p < 0.001) among all the habitats. The difference in the mean canopy cover existed among all the habitats except between the secondary forest and the illegally logged forest. Whereas mean rank density differed significantly (p < 0.001), there was no significant difference in the mean diameter at breast height (dbh) (p = 0.52) among all the habitats. The Shannon diversity index for saplings differed significantly among the habitats (P = 0.022). The difference existed between the abandoned mined site and the rest of the habitats. There was no significant difference between sapling diversity among the other habitats. In the same way, there were significantly lower seedling diversity in the abandoned mined site (p <0.001) compared to the other habitats. Land use change had significant impact on the diversity, community structure and natural regeneration capacity of the study area.

Source: KNUST
Impact of land use on nematode assemblage in three agro-ecological zones of Ghana

Understanding the types of biological and nutritional degradations is critical in developing practical soil health management strategies in Ghana. To understand the types of biological and nutritional degradations in disturbed and undisturbed landscapes; and the impact of change in land use on soil physicochemical and biological properties, 90 farms (maize and tomato agro-systems) and nine undisturbed sites were sampled in 2012 and 2013 from the semi-deciduous forest, forest-savannah transition and guinea savannah agro-ecological zones of Ghana for laboratory investigations. Farmers were also interviewed to ascertain prevailing cultivation practices in the study areas. This study used nematode assemblage analysis to determine ecological disturbance (PPI, MI and ΣMI), community diversity (H′, λ, N0 and N1), and soil food web structure (BI, CI, SI and EI). Samples were also analysed for soil pH (H2O), organic carbon (OC) total nitrogen (%N), available nitrogen (NO3-+NH4+), P2O5, K2O5, Ca2+, Mg2+ and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) to evaluate the levels of physicochemical degradations. Results from the laboratory analysis of 396 and 99 samples for physicochemical and biological properties respectively, were analysed by Residual Maximum Likelihood (RELM) Linear Mixed Model (VSN International, 2011). Results from the study show that the soils were inherently poor, in terms of plant nutrients and naturally fragile, in terms of soil food web condition which were further worsened by cultivation practices. Most farmers continuously cultivated their fields for over 9 years in the Semi-Deciduous Forest and Forest-Savannah Transition zones yet their cultivation practices, were not directed towards maintaining good soil health. Soils from undisturbed sites of all the three agro-ecological zones recorded significantly higher maturity index (ΣMI) than soils from maize and tomato fields, indicating that the current cultivating practices are disturbing the soil’s ecosystem.

Source: KNUST
The impact of lending practices of Ghanaian banks on the financing of small and medium enterprise (SMEs): The Case of Amalgamated Bank Ltd, Accra.

The dynamic role of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana and for that matter the developing countries cannot be underestimated. However, the SME sector of the Ghanaian economy faces the problem of inadequate access to credit from the banks. This study, therefore, fully explores the impact of leading practices of Ghanaian banks on the financing of SMEs. The researcher uses Amalgamated bank Ltd as the case study of this research. Interview was used as the data collection instrument to obtain both primary and secondary data from the credit department of the bank. Some SME customers of the bank were also interviewed as well as SME operators who do not access loans from banks. Among the major findings of the study are as follows: the major problem that discourages SMEs from accessing credit form the bank is lack of adequate collateral. Also, the SMEs do not keep proper information pertaining to their operations to qualify them for credit from banks. Another finding is that banks always grant short-term loans to the SME sector since it is considered as a risky sector. Moreover, the banks charge different interest rates on loans to business upon the credit appraisal results, even though the bank uses the same lending technique for both SME sector and the large scale enterprises. In addition, another finding from the study indicates that there is no significant relationship between rejection of SMEs loan applications and type of business.

Source: KNUST
The impact of leverage and economic development on corporate value (Case study of AngloGold Ashanti ltd)

The main object of this study was to unravel the effect of leverage and economic development on corporate value, with AngloGold Ashanti Limited as case study. Purely secondary data was used for this study. Thus annual audited financial statements the company (AngloGold Ashanti Limited) from year 1998 to 2005 served as the main source of data. Information on certain key financial performance indicators, i.e. capital structure (leverage), earnings on equity capital, assets and all the information needed to estimate the performance indices were obtained from these financial records of the W company. Major findings of the study indicated that irrespective of the Tabular/Trend Analysis used, leverage had a negative effect on corporate value. Also Ghana’s economic development as measured by GDP growth in the study had a negative relationship with corporate value. Since most of the empirical works in the field were conducted in the developed world using many companies operating in different sectors, the distinctiveness of this work has been brought to bear as it focuses on only one company (AngloGold Ashanti Limited) in a particular sector (mining) in a developing country context. The study was therefore expected to whip up interest in the field of corporate finance and encourage more future research in the “third world” in order to generate bench marks or industry averages to guide corporate managers in this part of our world.

Source: KNUST
The Impact of Leverage and Economic Development on Corporate Value (Case Study of Anglogold Ashanti Ltd).

The main object of this study was to unravel the effect of leverage and economic development on corporate value, with AngloGold Ashanti Limited as case study. purely secondary data was used for this study. Thus annual audited financial statements of the company (AngloGold Ashanti Limited) from year 1998 to 2005 served as the main Source of data. Information on certain key financial performance indicators, i.e capital „ "structure (leverage), earnings on equity capital, assets and all the information needed to estimate the performance indices were obtained from these financial records of the company. Major findings of the study indicated that irrespective of the Tabular/Trend Analysis « used, leverage had a negative effect on corporate value. Also Ghana's economic development as measured by GDP growth in the study had a negative relationship with corporate value. Since most of the empirical works in the field were conducted in the developed world using many companies operating in different sectors, the distinctiveness of this work has been brought to bear as it focuses on only one company (AngloGold Ashanti Limited) in a particular sector (mining) in a developing country context. The study was therefore expected to whip up interest in the field of corporate finance and encourage more future research in the "third world" in order to generate bench marks or industry averages to guide corporate managers in this part of our world.

Source: KNUST