ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Analysis of electrical power usage in houses using smart electrical distribution switch.

There is high demand for electrical energy because electrical energy is very important in both industrial and domestic activities and that has call for the introduction of different energy meters by various electricity companies. In Ghana families living in large and compound houses wish to have separate energy meters from other occupants. This is because individual’s cannot monitor and control the energy consumption of each individual and that brings misunderstanding in energy bill sharing which also brings about a household having about ten energy meters causing overcrowding of energy meters on the wall of a building which makes the wall loses its beauty and there is likelihood of fire outbreak in the house because the wires are not well arranged. Moreover, energy companies need huge sum of money and labour to produce more energy meters and this can cause financial loss to the energy companies. This has therefore call for the introduction of smart distribution switch which will enhance the monitoring and adequate sharing of energy purchased by the household base on the amount paid by each of the users of the meter. The amount paid will be entered into the system that will be stored on EPROM of a microcontroller that will reduce each consumer’s energy base on the rate of consumption. The smart distribution switch may have different switches allocated to each user which monitor the consumption rate of each user. It will then isolate the user connected to a line out when he /she completely consumes his share.

Source: KNUST
Analysis of factors affecting profitability of commercial banks using the camel approach

The purpose of this research was to analyze the variables that determine the profitability of commercial banks in Ghana using the CAMEL methodology, as well as to differentiate the effects of different types of bank ownership. The research used a methodology that was both descriptive and explanatory. The Ghanaian commercial banking industry was selected as the target demographic for this investigation. In this particular research, a method known as purposeful sampling was used to collect data from 9 banks on GSE. The company's website had yearly reports, which allowed for the collection of secondary data. The data came from annual reports that companies had submitted during the given time period (2010-2021). The parameters that were included in the research goals were estimated using a pooled OLS model of estimation in addition to a random effect model of estimation. The empirical data reveal that the CAMEL framework, which takes into consideration all of the following factors: management effectiveness; capital strength; earnings capacity; asset quality; and liquidity, is the one that experts recommend using in order to evaluate the performance of a bank. According to the findings of this study, commercial banks have better liquidity and a stronger position in the CAMEL components than conventional banks that are not listed. This shows that commercial banks are more financially stable than conventional banks. When comparing banks based on the structure of their ownership, private banks beat their public sector counterparts in terms of capitalization, the quality of their assets, the management efficiency of their operations, and profitability. This illustrates that private banks dedicate a bigger amount of their revenue to the research and development of strategies that reduce costs. As a consequence of this, private banks are more robust than their counterparts in the public sector in terms of financial performance metrics such as the quality of their assets, the strength of their capital, the profits potential, and the management effectiveness of their organizations. The findings of the study suggest that, in order for the Ghanaian banking system to remain competitive and more resilient to economic shocks, efficiency goals should be prioritized. 3 Financial institutions should ensure that their staff has a solid grasp of the fundamentals of CAMEL and the CAMEL rating. In addition, there need to consistently be robust engagement between the regulators of banks and the institutions themselves. If Ghana's commercial banks, in particular, want to see an increase in their profitability, they will need to improve their capacities for credit risk management. This will allow them to avoid the bad performance of assets that are acquired mostly via loans and advances. Ghana commercial banks, in particular, should branch out into non-traditional areas and earn money from varied businesses other than core banking activities if they are to boost profitability and sustain expansion.

Source: KNUST
Analysis of electrical power usage in houses using smart electrical distribution switch

There is high demand for electrical energy because electrical energy is very important in both industrial and domestic activities and that has call for the introduction of different energy meters by various electricity companies. In Ghana families living in large and compound houses wish to have separate energy meters from other occupants. This is because individual’s cannot monitor and control the energy consumption of each individual and that brings misunderstanding in energy bill sharing which also brings about a household having about ten energy meters causing overcrowding of energy meters on the wall of a building which makes the wall loses its beauty and there is likelihood of fire outbreak in the house because the wires are not well arranged. Moreover, energy companies need huge sum of money and labour to produce more energy meters and this can cause financial loss to the energy companies. This has therefore call for the introduction of smart distribution switch which will enhance the monitoring and adequate sharing of energy purchased by the household base on the amount paid by each of the users of the meter. The amount paid will be entered into the system that will be stored on EPROM of a microcontroller that will reduce each consumer’s energy base on the rate of consumption. The smart distribution switch may have different switches allocated to each user which monitor the consumption rate of each user. It will then isolate the user connected to a line out when he /she completely consumes his share.

Source: KNUST
Analysis of financial viability of small-scale forest plantation development- a case study of Sunyani Forest District

The rate of desertification, bushfires, indiscriminate logging, and improper agricultural practices has culminated in the degradation of the nation’s forest. This has necessitated the enactment of the Government policy on forest plantation development as contained in the forest and wildlife policy of Ghana in 1994, to the consequence environmental impact in order to support the socio-economic development of the country. It is against this background that the Forest Services Division {FSD} of Forestry Commission {FC} has been mandated to declare several hectares of degraded forestlands throughout the regions of the nation for Afforestation Programme. These developments have resulted in a great number of people, organisations and communities going into small scale plantation development. Plantation development is a long-term investment with the trees having a long gestation period and also involves a lot of money. Financial institutions are unwilling to give out loans to these developers and those who are prepared to give do so by charging a high interest rate. This study is therefore basically looking at the financial viability of small-scale private plantation development with regards to the prevailing interest rate being charge by the banks. The study focuses on developers whose plantations ranges from one hectare to ten hectares. The result reveals that, with the current interest rate charge by Ghanaian banks [between 24% to 30%] it’s unprofitable to establish such plantations with loans from these banks. An interest rate of 17.7% was found to be the maximum interest rate to be charge before such projects can be viable.

Source: KNUST
Analysis of financing mineral projects in Ghana

The mining sector of Ghana is a major contributor to government revenue in the form of export earnings (currently 40 percent) and Gross Domestic Product (11 percent). The bulk of capital for financing this sector is external and foreign based, with little contribution from the Ghanaian financial institutions and market. The economic potential of the country can be fully exploited in the mineral industry with the Ghanaian participation in financing these operations. This research investigates the type and sources of financing large-scale mining operations in Ghana within two distinctive periods, the Pre-Structural Adjustment Period (Pre-SAP) and the Post-Structural Adjustment Period (Post-SAP). The collection of primary data was acquired from operating large-scale mining companies in Ghana and some financial institutions, through the administration of questionnaire. The questionnaire was analysed statistically to generate meaningful information. The types and sources of finance for the sector in the Pre-SAP period includes parent company (23.8%), skilled labour loan (14.3%) debt financing (23.8%), equity financing (4.8%), delayed payment (9.5%) and import-export financing (23.8%). Financing during the Post-SAP period took different turn and dimensions although some of the types and sources in the previous period Pre-SAP were employed. During the Post-SAP, the sources and types of financing include; debt/loan (17.2%), equity financing (10.8%), parent company (14. 1%), delayed payment (15.6%), takeover/joint venture (7.8%), hedging (6.3%), equity shares (14.1%) and import-export credit (14%). Comparing the two periods, the types and sources of capital increased in number and this can be attributed to the stable political scene and economic adjustment. In order to encourage the Ghanaian participation in financing large-scale mining operations in Ghana, this thesis recommends strengthening and restructuring the Ghana Stock Exchange to cover some West African countries and encourage the Ghanaian financial institutions to invest some of their profits in the mining sector through the Ghana Stock Exchange.

Source: KNUST
Analysis Of Health Insurance And Cash And Carry System. (A Case Study Of Cape Coast Teaching Hospital)

The passage of National Health Insurance Scheme to replace the old system (called cash and carry) seems to raise many questions as to whether it has really increased the rate at which people attend hospital and abolished cash and carry system. However, this study provides insightful information on an analysis of hospital attendance using the two systems. The main objective of the study is to find out if there is a significant association between the users of health insurance and the cash and carry system in terms of their hospital attendance. The data collected were hospital attendance for both health insurance and cash and carry system for 2008-2017, obtained from the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. To examine the association in finding out which method of hospital attendance is used more than the other, Chi-Square tests and the Box-Jenkins’s methodology of time series analysis were employed to analyze the data. The study revealed that generally, the introduction of health insurance has increased the number of patients who attend hospital to seek for health care than those who attend hospital using the cash and carry system but the age groups of 1 day throughout to 17 years using the cash and carry system in seeking healthcare increased. These and many more finding are presented in the entire thesis.

Source: KNUST
An analysis of herder-farmer conflicts in the Asante-Akim North District of Ghana.

The availability of fertile soils and climatic conditions in Asante-Akim North District are suitable for large scale crop cultivation and animal production. This has attracted several farmers and cattle owners, who rely on the services of Fulani herdsmen. The farmers cultivate variety of food crops such as plantain, maize and watermelon on a commercial basis all year round. Coincidentally, these crops have also been found to be of nutritious value for the cattle and as such alternative feed, especially during the dry season. This has caused massive crop destructions resulting in frequent acrimonies and often violent conflicts between these two landusers. Consequently, this development has affected the relationship between the two groups. The Fulanis have always been perceived to be violent in their interactions with the residents over the use of resources. The study examined the incessant conflicts that emanated from these interactions. It focused on the identification of the underlying causes, how it affects the livelihood security of the people and rural development. Additionally, the management strategies adopted by the people were also explored. The study used eclectic approaches of personal observation, questionnaire survey and key informant interviews to obtain data. By way of quantitative and qualitative analyses, the study contended that the recurrent herder-farmer conflict was attributable to competition over the use of land and water resources. This resulted in crop destruction, pollution of drinkable water, rape, killing and maiming of natives. In turn, the youths of the host communities resorted to reprisal attacks. The implication was that, several people lost their lives while others sustained various degrees of injuries. Besides, agriculture which is the mainstay of the economy was being disrupted leading to reduction in production and income. In the end, the livelihood of the people and the development of the communities were affected negatively. The study concluded with the recommendation that a committee of experts should be set up to determine appropriate compensation for the affected person, cattle owners should adopt agro-pastoralism which integrates crop production and animal rearing. Additionally, a portion of the vast Afram plains should be reserved for grazing where well fences could be provided to control the movement of the animal as practiced in Denmark.

Source: KNUST
An Analysis of Human Resource Planning and Its Effect on Organisational Effectiveness – A Case Study of Information Services Department, Accra Office

The study was to examine the effectiveness of Human Resource Planning (HRP) and its effect at Information Services Department (ISD). The study which contains the research design, research population, sample and sampling procedure and data gathering instruments. It also sought to find out whether there are HRP policies and practices in the ISD; to establish whether the Human Resource Planning practices and procedures within ISD are functioning effectively; and to find out the challenges of the provision of a framework to guide the implementation of HRP in the ISD. The results of the study reveal that most of the ISD staff do not have in-depth knowledge on Human Resource Planning, thus it is not well practiced by the senior officers. The study concludes with the organization being proactive in recruiting and retaining employees. A recommendation for Information Services Department towards an effective Human Resource Planning for the organisation.

Source: KNUST
An analysis of industrial sector demand for electricity in Ghana

Demand for Electricity in Ghana far exceeds the supply and is perhaps the greatest infrastructure problem confronting the industrial sector which contributes immensely to economic growth. A typical Ghanaian industry experiences power failure or voltage fluctuations about 5 times per week each lasting for about twelve hours without prior warning. The study used partial adjustment model approach to analyze industrial sector demand for electricity in Ghana and the definition for electricity intensity that is electricity consumed in the industrial sector divided by gross domestic product. The study used data from 1971 to 2013 to calculate the model. From the estimation, industrial value added is positive and significant at 1% significance level. In both the short run and long run there is a positive relationship between industrial value added and industrial electricity demand. The elasticity of petrol price in both the short run and long run is statistically significant in the partial adjustment model. Hence an increase in petrol price will make customers move to the use of electricity. Energy intensity is significant and is positive in both the short run and long run and can be used for policy purposes in the country in both the short run and long run. Policy should aim at increasing the efficiency level of the industries by using good machines and appliances at the work place. Policy can also be directed towards following the standards of Environmental Protection Agency especially using appliances with approved labels.

Source: KNUST
Analysis of Inventory Control Systems: A Case Study At Air Processing Ghana Limited.

Many Organizations face great challenges in managing inventories. Poor inventory management may result in under-stocking, overstocking as well as high inventory total cost. This paper examines inventory situation at Air Processing Ghana Limited. The objective of this paper is to develop the Economic order Quantity (mathematical) model that will be used to determine number of units of gases to be ordered at a time and the re-order point, that is the level to which stocks are allow to fall before ordering for the various imported gases. The resulting EOQ for each gas is compared to the actual ordered quantities so as to see whether there is any relationship between them in operational cost reduction. The study used secondary data from Air Processing Ghana Limited. Excel was used to find EOQ and the re-order point. The results show that the relationship between the EOQ’s and the ordered quantities at Air Processing in terms of cost reduction was significant. Therefore it was concluded that the ordered quantities at Air processing were not optimal. Therefore it is recommended that in order to manage inventory effectively, Air processing Ghana Limited needs to employ inventory control model such as the EOQ model to obtain reasonable ordered quantities for its gases.

Source: KNUST
Analysis of injuries at Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) Limited (Obuasi Mine)

Over the last decade, mining activities have been springing up in many parts of Ghana due to the growing demand for minerals and the favourable investment climate created by government, to earn more foreign exchange from the mining sector. From history these mining activities have been associated with poor working conditions that result in high cost of production, partly due to injuries from the operations. Ashanti Goldfields Company places emphasis on minimizing injuries in order to increase production level and it is also their aim to follow international standards in assessing safety at work places. This work seeks to study the incidences that result in the various levels of injuries, analyse injury data to determine the accident frequency rates, accident severity rates and to assess the effects of accidents on productivity at AGC, Obuasi mine. From the analysis it was realised that hands and legs were the parts of the body that were mostly injured. Handling however, was the cause of most of the injuries, fall of ground and slip fall also showed high percentages. However, in all the cases there have been improvement as the years go by. The accident frequency rate and that of accident severity rate showed some improvement progressively. There is the need to understand and control injury associated problems in the operations of the mining activities, some of which have been reviewed in this work. This work could serve as a basis in this respect to guide new or other mining companies.

Source: KNUST
Analysis of inventory control systems: A case study at Air-mate gas Factory, Ghana.

Many Organizations face great challenges in managing inventories. Poor inventory management may result in under-stocking, overstocking as well as high inventory total cost. This thesis examines inventory situation at Air-Mate Gas Factory, Ghana. The objective of this paper is to develop the Economic order Quantity (mathematical) model that will be used to determine number of units of gases to be ordered at a time and the re-order point, that is the level to which stocks are allow to fall before ordering for the various imported gases. The resulting EOQ for each gas is compared to the actual ordered quantities so as to see whether there is any relationship between them in operational cost reduction. The study used secondary data from Air-Mate Gas Factory, Ghana. The results show that the relationship between the EOQ’s and the ordered quantities at Air-Mate Gas Factory, Ghana in terms of cost reduction was significant. Therefore it was concluded that the ordered quantities of gas at Air-Mate Gas Factory, Ghana were not optimal. Therefore it is recommended that in order to manage inventory effectively, Air-Mate Gas Factory, Ghana needs to employ inventory control model such as the EOQ model to obtain reasonable ordered quantities for its gases.

Source: KNUST
Analysis of Lumbosacral Angle, Bio-Data and their relationship with low back pain

Many researchers believe that lumbosacral angle is one parameter that is of importance in evaluating the possible etiology of lower or low back pain syndrome. There is paucity of data on the lumbosacral angle of the lumbosacral spine in Ghana and other African countries. Most of the data in use in research and medical practice are based on other races but there are anthropometric differences in races. Therefore, the study sought to bring out an empirical data on the pattern of low back pain (LBP) in relation to Lumbosacral Angle (LSA) in our study population and also investigate the association between LBP, LSA, age, gender and weight. Lateral views of the lumbosacral spine radiographs of 177 Ghanaian subjects from the St. John of God Hospital at Duayaw-Nkwanta were studied. The demographics and anthropometric measurements of the subjects such as age, gender and weight were recorded. The LSA was measured using the Ferguson’s orthogonal method with the Micro Dicom Viewer software. The researcher employed the descriptive as well as the regressional survey. The findings from the study indicated that the population were dominated by females who constituted 70.1% of the study population as against males who also constituted 29.9%. In terms of age, majority of the participants were between the ages of 40 to 59 years as against the least that were between the ages of 0 to 19 years. The results showed that 41.8% of the sample did not have low back pain as against 58.2% who had low back pain. The mean LSA value for the normal controls was 14.5º with SD ± 1.32º. This can value can be recognised as the normal LSA for our population in from the study. A positive significant relationship was established between LSA and Low Back Pain. This simply means that an increase in LSA leads to 2.5 % increase in probability or risk of low back pain. Findings from the study showed that an increase in age leads to 41.8 % increase in the probability of having low back pain. Weight was found to positively correlate to low back pain. An increase in weight leads to 1.6% increase in the probable result of low back pain. This relationship was predicted to be significant. The study showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between LSA, age, weight and low back pain. The probability of pain of the lower back among males was also found to be 33.1% less than the probability that will be incurred by females and it is also not a significant relationship. In conclusion the mean angle values and variables may form the reference values for the Ghanaian population.

Source: KNUST